5 best iPod docks

With the summer party season well upon us, what better time to invest in a shiny new iPod speaker dock to keep your guests’ lugholes filled with lovely tunes? We’ve rounded up a quintet of the finest iPhone and iPod-friendly docks for your delectation.

1. TEAC Aurb
£250, www.teac.co.uk
Once you’ve got over the Aurb’s eye-poppingly unconventional looks, its 2 x 50W sonic muscle should floor you again. And there’s more to it than iPod playback and charging: a USB port lets you rock MP3 and WMA tracks, and there’s even a CD slot on top. Look out for a full review of this stealth bomber of a mini hi-fi soon.

2. Geneva Sound S
£300, www.genevalab.com
It may be dinkier than Geneva’s typically massive docks, but the Sound S has a much bigger presence than its dimensions suggest: there’s lots of low-end punch and a midrange articulate enough for crisp vocals. The dock itself disappears mechanically into the body when not in use – an action guaranteed to wow onlookers. Read our review.

3. B&W Zeppelin Mini
£300, www.bowers-wilkins.co.uk
If you like splendidly ear-pleasing audio in a tidy little package, consider the miniaturised edition of B&W’s much-celebrated Zeppelin. While it struggles to fill larger rooms, its twin 18W speakers produce a taut, punchy sound with sufficient bass weight for less cavernous spaces. Looks lovely too. Read the full review.

4. iTeufel Radio
£140, www.teufelaudio.com
As the name suggests, this is a radio alarm clock combo that happens to offer an iPod dock – but in fact the iPod playback is a highlight thanks to the rich, warm and detailed sound produced by the speakers. On the radio front, the lack of a DAB tuner is a major disappointment – only AM and FM are supported. Check out our review.

5. Bose SoundDock 10
£700, www.bose.com
If you’re the sort that lights your Monte Cristo with a £50 note, this is the dock for you. Stupidly pricy it may be, but the SoundDock 10 delivers a huge slab of sound with bags of bass. It could be a bit tighter with vocals and higher frequency sound, especially for the money, but the included Bluetooth dongle, which lets you roam with your iPod and still listen, is a nice touch. See what we thought in our review.