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 is not like other radios that you carry 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 put it on the TV shelf with the other AV equipment, or you can put 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 from it in private, you can also leave room on your nightstand or bedroom 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 with 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 dark or bright 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 any information you want to see, be it 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 as it is a radio naturally. The HD or hybrid digital radio technology it uses makes receiving the station not only easy, but also clear, crisp and sharp. 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, unlike satellite radio 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 store 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 at the touch of a button. And because it’s HD, you can receive multicast FM frequencies, so even if the station in another location has 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 for your subwoofers and components.
Other features
You can also make it your personal alarm clock because it has alarm features that allow you to set the alarm sound to radio, buzzer, or iPod/iPhone. You can even turn this device into your lullaby machine by simply setting the sleep timer and fall asleep listening to your favorite iPod tracks or radio stations without worrying about having the machine on all night. But you can’t use this as a reliable alarm as 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 doesn’t have battery backup either, so setting the time and everything after a power outage can be pretty 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. No need to get up and walk 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 does not have backup power. But overall, I’d recommend it to anyone who wants good HD entertainment while charging their iPhones with just one device.
