Micro hi-fi conducts iPod symphony
Stuff towers has been deluged by billions of iPod accessories over the years (science fact), but never have we been visited by a CD-playing micro hi-f
Stuff towers has been deluged by billions of iPod accessories over the years (science fact), but never have we been visited by a CD-playing micro hi-fi with a dock for our white friends. Until today.
The iSymphony waltzed into our testing room a few hours ago, and has already gained a few admirers for its versatility, if not for its plasticky looks.
Its big claim to fame is the iPod dock, which sits beneath a flap on top of the unit. There are adaptors included for the last three generations of iPods and the Nano, and it’ll charge them up while it’s playing your tunes and when the unit’s on standby. The USB port also handily supports the Shuffle and most other MP3 players.
Sound quality is reasonable once you’ve found a suitable equaliser setting, and it’ll boom out 50 watts of power, which makes it more than capable of filling your bedroom.
Clock radio functions also make it suitable for your bedside table, letting you wake up to your iPod, a CD or an FM radio station. The CD player takes CD-R/RW that you’ve burned with digital files, while the radio has a 40-station memory.
That’s not the end of its appetite for different media, either. There’s also an SD and MMC card slot on the front, which will happily play cards loaded with MP3s and WMAs, as long as they’re not protected by pesky digital rights management.
To finish off, there’s a remote control which, while of the 70s bubble button variety, will let you slump in your easy chair and control proceedings from afar.
iSymphony M1UK
Price: £140
On sale: early October (exclusive to Dixons)
Contact: iSymphony Europe
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Dan Grabham
Editor-in-Chief 
