Operating an iPod from across the room usually requires three devices: the iPod, a stereo dock and a remote. But Monster, the company best known for its fancy cables, has cut out the middle man. Its iSoniCast Wireless Audio Bridge lets you beam music from the iPod itself to a distant stereo.
The iSoniCast adds a dock to the stereo and a small broadcast card to the base of the iPod. The regular iPod touch wheel controls the music, so you can switch from jazz to blues when the mood strikes, even while circulating at a cocktail party.
The device can transmit up to 30 feet using the 2.4 gigahertz band, although 20 feet is a more reliable distance. It uses some battery power, shortening listening time.
Streaming at 4 megabits per second, the resulting music should sound better than a transmission over Bluetooth, but not up to CD standards.
The iSoniCast, which sells for $100, is compatible with any iPod with a 30-pin connector that fits in a dock — except the iPhone. Sorry, no crank calls over the stereo to amuse partygoers. ROY FURCHGOTT