HD radios are the latest in radio technology, and what music lover wouldn’t want one? And if you have an iPhone, that’s even better for you, especially since the Sony XDR-S10HDiP HD Radio with iPod/iPhone Dock is here. But what makes it a great addition to your home entertainment system?
Design
First of all, the design of this baby is unique and elegant. It is not a compact design as it is a complete device like a TV or DVD player. It’s not like other radios that you take 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 home stereo system. You can place it on the TV shelf with the other audiovisual equipment, or you can place it on a corner table in the living room. But if you want to use the iPhone/iPod dock and listen to your favorite tracks in private, you can also make room on your bedroom nightstand or desk to fit it.
The dimensions of 11.9 x 6.8 x 4.8 inches and the weight of 7 pounds make it quite heavy yet small enough to easily fit on any table. And you’d have no problem blending it into your home decor because it’s black and has a sleek wide cylindrical appearance that doesn’t look weird or silly for an appliance.
Video
The backlit LCD screen is easy to see even in bright or dark lighting conditions. It makes use of a full dot display that clearly indicates the information you need on the screen. It also has an adjustment function for the brightness and contrast of the screen, and you can also set the display mode for whatever information you want to see, whether it is the frequency of the radio station with the name and location of the station, and even the currently playing song, artist name, and other song information flashing on the screen.
Sound/Radio
This is the best feature of the device, since it is a radio, naturally. The digital HD or hybrid radio technology it uses makes receiving the station not only easy, but also clear, crisp and crisp. In fact, AM stations sound like FM, and FM stations sound like a CD being played. This is how Sony described the hi-fi capabilities of this device. And having free HD, as opposed to satellite radios with monthly subscriptions, makes it a great addition to your home entertainment system. Now you can forget about that subscription. I did.
The radio has 20 preset stations for FM and AM frequencies, and you can save all your favorites in the radio’s memory so that next time you just have to search for them without having to memorize their frequencies. The digital radio tuner makes it easy to tune in at the touch of a button. And because it’s HD, it can receive multicast FM frequencies, so even if the station in another location is on a similar frequency with a local station, you can hear both.
The sound system of this device is extra cool. Its built-in stereo speakers have a Bass Reflex sound system and it also has treble and bass tone controls and surround sound features, making it the perfect companion to your subwoofers and components.
Other features
You can also make it your personal alarm clock because it has alarm functions that allow you to 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 falling asleep listening to your favorite tracks from iPod or radio station without worrying about having the machine on all night. But you can’t use this as a reliable alarm since it’s a radio by nature, and apparently doesn’t have a snooze button to extend your sleep and alarm time after a few minutes. And it also has no battery backup, so setting the time and everything after a power outage can be quite tedious.
The excellent iPod/iPhone docking function allows you to charge your i-device while listening to your favorite iTunes and browsing pictures on your iPhone. What makes it even better is that it has a remote control that you can use to navigate through the device even from a considerable distance away. There’s no need to get up and walk over to the machine just to adjust the volume or change the station – the remote control is there for maximum convenience while enjoying maximum entertainment.
Conclusion
I have to say that I am completely happy with the Sony XDR-S10HDiP, I just have to ignore the fact that it has no backup power. But overall, I would recommend it to anyone who wants good HD entertainment while charging their iPhones with one device.