A Review of the Sony XDR-S10HDiP HD Radio With Dock for iPod/iPhone

 HD radios are the latest when it comes to radio technology, and what music lover wouldn't want to have one? And if you have an iPhone, it's even better for you especially because the Sony XDR-S10HDiP HD radio with iPod/iPhone dock is here. But what makes it such a great addition to your home entertainment system?

Design

First of all, the design of this baby is a unique and stylish one. It's no compact design as it's an all-out appliance like a TV or DVD player. It's not like other radios that you carry around and plug in anywhere. The XDR-S10HDiP is like a mini-component, and its black finish and easy-to-use buttons complete its fit in any stereo system in the home. You can place it in the TV rack with the other audiovisual appliances, or you can put it on a corner table in the living room. But if you want to make use of the iPhone/iPod dock and listen to your favorite tracks privately, you could also make space on your bedside table or bedroom study desk to fit it in.

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The dimensions of 11.9 x 6.8 x 4.8 inches and the weight of 7 pounds make it quite heavy but small enough to fit easy on any tabletop. And you wouldn't have a problem making it blend with the home décor because it's black and has a stylish wide cylindrical appearance that doesn't look odd or silly for a home appliance.

Video

The backlit LCD is easy to see even in dark or bright lighting conditions. It makes use of a full-dot display that clearly indicates the information that you need on the screen. It also has an adjustment function for the display brightness and contrast, and you can also set the display mode to whichever information you want to see, whether it's the radio station's frequency with the station name and location, and even the song being played, name of the artist, and other song information that flashes across the display screen.

Audio/Radio

This is the best feature of the device, as it is a radio, naturally. The HD or hybrid digital radio technology that it uses makes station reception not only easy, but clear, crisp, and sharp as well. In fact, AM stations sound like FM, and FM stations sound like a CD being played. That's how Sony described the high fidelity capabilities of this device. And having HD for free, unlike satellite radios with monthly subscriptions, makes it an awesome addition to the home entertainment system. Now you can forget about that subscription. I did.

The radio has 20 preset stations for both FM and AM frequencies, and you can save all your favorites in the radio memory so the next time, you just have to scan through them without having to memorize their frequencies. The digital radio tuner makes tuning a breeze with a simple touch of a button. And because it's HD, you can receive multicasting from FM frequencies, so even if the station in another location has a similar frequency with a local station, you get to hear them both.

The sound system of this device is extra cool. Its built-in stereo speakers has Bass reflex sound system and it also has treble and bass tone controls and surround sound functions, making it a perfect buddy for your subwoofers and components.

Other Features

You can also make this your personal alarm clock because it has alarm functions that let you set the alarm sound to radio, buzzer, or iPod/iPhone. You can even make this device your lullaby machine by simply setting the sleep timer and doze off listening to your favorite iPod tracks or radio station without worrying about keeping the machine on all night. But you can't use this as a reliable alarm since it's a radio in nature, and apparently it doesn't have a snooze button to extend your sleep time and alarm after a few minutes. And it doesn't have a back-up battery either, so setting the time and everything after a power outage could be quite tedious.

The excellent iPod/iPhone docking feature lets you charge your i-device while jamming to your favorite iTunes and browsing through your iPhone pictures. What makes it even better is that it has a remote control which you can use to navigate through the device even at a fair distance. You don't have to stand up and walk to the machine just to adjust the volume or change the station - the remote control is there for you to have maximum comfort while experiencing maximum entertainment.