Introduction

I heard about Bayan Audio’s line of iPhone speaker docks some time ago, mentioned in the same breath as Bowers & Wilkins and Bang & Olufsen- well known as quality speaker manufacturers. When the Bayan 7 was released and I had a chance to provide a review of the same, I jumped at the opportunity. The Bayan 7 is the top-of-the-line option from the firm, offering quality at a considerable price – $450 is a lot for a speaker dock, almost as much as a new iPhone. In order to be worth that high price point, these speakers would have to exhibit flawless audio quality, good usability and a novel and beautiful design. Read on to find out if the Bayan 7 meets my admittedly high standards.

Features

• Huge 120 watt power performance. Loud enough for any room, any party or just you.
• 5 way 2.1 channel stereo speaker configuration finely tuned for depth, detailed balance and live sense of presence.
• 12 mm acoustic speaker casing manufactured from wood for strength and acoustic values.
• 8 inch sub for pure bass – deep, defined and loud.
• Charge and play at the same time or switch between an Apple device and another.
• Connect your iPad, tablet or smartphone via the media port to increase your choice of music sources.

Technical Specifications

• Amplifier Power Output: 60W (bass), 2 x 30W (mid and tweeter), Total 120W
• Drive Units: 1x 210mm (8 ) bass, 2 x 50mm (2 ) full range, 2 x 25mm (1 ) tweeter
• Frequency Range: 30 Hz to 47 kHz
• THD (total harmonic distortion): < 1%
• Power input voltage: 100V – 240V ~ 50 / 60Hz
• Standby power consumption: 1W
• Inputs: 2x 30 pin iPod connector, 1 x 3.5mm jack analogue audio, IR remote
• Outputs: USB A power output for charging iPad
• Dimensions: 45cm x 30cm x 28cm
• Net Weight: 6.84Kg

Unboxing

The Bayan 7 is packed in a large white box, with a pretty depiction of the set of speakers that I’ll be holding in my hands in the next few seconds, connected to both an iPod Nano and iPhone 4. The box utilises a black, red and white colour scheme that befits its premium status.

The side of the box contains the compatibility list, showing compatibility with the iPod Touch, iPod Classic, iPod Nano, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 – obviously the 4S wasn’t released at this point.

The other side shows off a short feature list (reproduced above) and a shot of the speaker system’s remote control.

Taking the box off, we see that instead of the customary plastic wrap we’ve got a nice lightweight canvas covering that should provide good protection for the speaker system whilst it’s in transit.