A review of the Sony XDR-S10HDiP HD radio with iPod / iPhone dock

HD radios are the latest in radio technology, and what music lover wouldn’t want one? And if you have an iPhone, it’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 does not have a compact design, as it is a complete device such as a television or a DVD player. It is 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 into any home stereo system. You can place it on the TV cabinet with the rest of the audiovisual 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 songs in private, you can also make room on your nightstand or study desk in the bedroom to place it.

The 11.9 x 6.8 x 4.8-inch dimensions and 7-pound weight make it quite heavy yet small enough to easily fit on any table. And you wouldn’t have a problem combining it with home décor because it’s black and has a sleek, wide cylindrical look that doesn’t look strange 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 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.

Audio / 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 station reception 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 HD for free, unlike satellite radios with monthly subscriptions, makes for 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 tuning easy at the touch of a button. And because it is HD, you can multicast FM frequencies, so even if the station in another location has a similar frequency with a local station, you can listen to both.

The sound system of this device is very good. Its built-in stereo speakers have a Bass Reflex sound system and it also has treble and bass tone controls and surround sound functions, 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 functions that allow you to set the alarm sound on radio, doorbell, or iPod / iPhone. You can even turn this device into your lullaby machine by simply setting the sleep timer and falling asleep listening to your favorite iPod tracks or your radio station without worrying about keeping the machine on all night. But you can’t use this as a reliable alarm as it is a radio by nature, and apparently it doesn’t have a snooze button to extend the sleep time and alarm after a few minutes. And it doesn’t have a battery backup either, 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 your iPhone images. What makes it even better is that it has a remote control that you can use to navigate the device even at a considerable distance. You don’t have to get up and walk to the machine just to adjust the volume or change the station – the remote is there for maximum comfort while experiencing maximum entertainment.

conclusion

I must 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 a single device.