iLounge reviews the iPod Hi-Fi and gives it a "B" rating -- solid midrange and bass but the treble is weak. Sound aside, the B rating is really for lack of ingenuity. The iPod Hi-Fi is basically just a shiny white boombox without any of the cool stuff people would want, like wi-fi integration. Though iLouge does make the mistake of believing EQ settings equal audiophile-approved features.

Couple more reviews from PC Mag (4.5 out of 5) and the LA Times who gives it the big thumbs down.

The really interesting element in all this is just how much ink is spilled on the sound quality. People are now using audiophile language like "sound stage" and, you know, "treble" to describe a product rather than "cute" and ""portable." In fact, if you read the comments, a number of people are upset that Apple didn't do more to advance the home stereo cause.

Also, an article over at iPodGarage postulates that Apple is releasing somewhat lackluster products (like the leather iPod case released along with the boombox) not to try and capture the accessory market, but grow it.

They want more people getting involved in accessories. It's a 1 billion a year industry but it could be more. By throwing some press at the accessory biz, they're really giving the other products in the same categories a lot more coverage. Of course, hard to see Steve Jobs as a benefactor but this may be a fortunate side effect.

The big question, of course, is if this will increase the exposure to high-performance audio.