iLive Platinum Concierge

The iLive Platinum Concierge has Fair overall sound quality. What little bass there is has little impact, is subdued, and doesn't go deep. Midrange is telephone-like, hazy, grainy, and congested and has compressed dynamics. Treble is muted. Doesn't do a good job of recovering room ambience and is congested. The iLive app for this model has a left, right, and stereo (left and right) setting, but the settings don't have any effect when one speaker is used, and regardless of the settings both channels are heard. There was no significant difference between WiFi, Bluetooth, and line-in sound quality. Provides adequate listening volume for a small sized room but best suited for near field listening. When two of these units are used the instructions indicate that they can be stereo paired, but when we tried to stereo pair them we found one speaker played both channels regardless of the iLive app speaker setting while the other would play the left, right, or both channels depending on the app setting.

Versatility is very good. It's a stereo speaker, with multi-room support. Wireless: WiFi supports only 2.4Ghz band and this unit has Bluetooth but lacks speakerphone functionality. Communications: Lacks support for calling, texting and messaging. Digital Assistant Muting: Has a dedicated button to disable the digital assistant by muting its microphones. Audio Connections: Has analog audio input. Audio Tailoring: Lacks user tone controls. OS Support: Android and iOS. Other connections and features: Lacks USB port. Streaming by voice command: Supports streaming by verbal command of services such as Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Tune-In, and iHeart Radio. Voice ID: Supports voice identity - a feature which allows the account holder with their "voice print" to access personal information.

Overall ease of use of the iLive Platinum Concierge is very good. Wireless setup: Setup requires an app downloaded to a mobile device, Subsequent steps - not easy, unintuitive and or ambiguous - needing instructions (but instructions may be incomplete or unclear), and account setups. Bluetooth: Written instructions that come with unit cover Bluetooth setup, and Bluetooth setup is available without WiFi setup. Bluetooth setup involves placing the unit in Bluetooth mode using the low-contrast labeled multi-function power/source selection button, pressing the low-contrast labeled multi-function play/pause/Bluetooth pairing button, and then selecting the unit from Bluetooth selection list on source device; unit provides an obvious indication that the unit is in pairing mode as well as when pairing has actually occurred. However, the Digital Assistant is disabled when in Bluetooth source mode. Console controls: The volume controls have low-contrast labeling marked with only (+/-) and are on rear of the console. Volume lacks graphical position marking but has a index "marking" via verbal command and acknowledgement. Microphone mute: Poorly/Ambiguously marked marked, not well placed (behind) but has clear indication when it is engaged. Source selections: Requires app to be installed, app installation is straight forward. Once app is installed switching between inputs is fairly intuitive. App remote: Has persistant volume control symbol that brings up non-persistant volume slider that lacks index markings so not easily repeatable, but easy to actuate. Shown for all sources. Mute: (Remote) Well marked, well placed, clear indication when it is engaged and mutes the line input. Voice transport controls: Natural language control of transport (Play/Pause/Skip/Mute), volume controls and source selection was easy and intuitive.