Revo Axis
The Axis is is pricey - £200 - but you do get a lot for your money: DAB and RDS FM radio, Wi-Fi connectivity for internet radio, to grab content from UPnP media shares on your network and to stream from Last.fm, and, of course, iPod playback. It's unusual but attractive asymetrical angles-and-curves casing incorporates a 3.5in colour touchscreen, a telescopic aerial and RCA ports for composite-video output. The rear-facing bass reflex port helps give the Axis a warm sound, but the Axis' audio is limited by its mono speaker. Do you need stereo from a device placed near your head to wake you up? No, but it's nice to have, and as the JBL shows it is possible to do well in a compact unit. And if the touchscreen's not as easy to use as it might be, the Axis' overall performance won me over.
Reg Rating 80%
Price £200
More Info Revo
Roberts Sound 66
Roberts' low-profile speaker dock radio will sit nicely in hotel rooms but has a slightly retro look that will appeal to the sort of people who enjoy listening to "the wireless". No Wi-Fi here for us more modern types, just DAB and RDS FM and a universal iPod dock on top of which Roberts includes a very wide selection of inserts. Next to the dock are the Sound 66's many controls, all replicated on the mini remote. A more elderly audience may have trouble with the large but hard-to-read characters on the display - they're much taller than they are wide - and an unforgiving alarm set-up system that takes you right back to the start if you hesitate. The sound is a tad flat, but not bad for quiet, pillow-side playback.
Reg Rating 70%
Price £150
More Info Roberts
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COMMENTS
How can there be ten essential bedside docks?
Surely you only need one, but if they're essential that implies you need them all.
i suppose the english language can suffer the pollution and loss of just one more word...
i'm confused
I did have a whole diatribe written up about And Clover's post but I've realised that I can't be Arsed so i'll summarise my thoughts as follows; this is a round up of iPod alarm clock things. given that iPod is the dominant force in the mp3 player market companies make accessories for it. if there were some other equally successful device then manufacturers would make a broad range of accessories to suit that as well or instead.
oh but wait... there is no competitor close.
good thing I don't have an android phone... try finding me an alarm clock that will dock with any android phone... or a windows phone 7 for that matter....
You say closed and expensive.... i say standardised, integrated, reliable, dependable.
say for argument's sake I splurged £300 on one of those alarm clock radio dock things....I could say that there's a fair chance that I might well have it ten years if not longer (given that I've had my current alarm clock twenty years it's highly feasible. At least I can say that i am 90% confident that the next iphone or ipod i buy is going to be able to dock with it... and the one after, and the one after that.
For non-iPod users
How about some alternatives for those of us who prefer not to buy in to Apple's closed and expensive MP3 player ecosystem?
For example, can the Sony device play audio from SD/MS as well as video, and can it do it on a wake-up timer?
This device works well as an MP3-playing alarm clock for me (from USB memory stick): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Naf-Clock-MP3-Stereo-Radio/dp/B0028YGY1K
Ten Essential... bedside iPod docks???
Essential? All ten of them?? Good grief... So glad I don't own an iPod!
How bright?
I have an iPod dock / clock / radio that looked & sounded great in the shop... but the LCD display goes from 'light up the room' blue when switched on, to 'dim' at night which is still bright enough to read by.
Setting alarms and time is also pretty easy, but still largely made more difficult because they use buttons & a limited LCD display. Its stupid to manually have to adjust the dock time after say daylight saving kicks in or when the power has gone out, when the iPod docked to it has already has the correct time; and can offer a far nicer UI for setting stations, alarm times etc.
In the end, I use the dock (with a book over the display so I can sleep at night) as a charger & to play music at times, but use the cellphone or iPod for an alarm.
Would like to see reviews that mention this sort of detail.
Makes me wonder of course, if any of the product designers actually use the things beside the bed as intended?
