Sony XDR-S10HDiP HD Radio with Dock for iPod/iPhone

Great for the money 2010-02-27

Reviewer: Gregory Kopp

This is a very good radio/ipod/alarm system. We have many iHome/Bose products which I will compare this Sony unit to. First comparison is sound quality. The sound quality of the Sony is as good, and sometimes better than most other brand systems with a slight edge going to Bose ( course you pay thru the nose for it). Even though every person has their own opinion on what is a nice looking unit..I find the Sony an attractive device with the layout of the controls easy to use and logically placed. The remote control is well conceived and is a major plus over other units remote controls. The HD radio and tagging are great but something tells me that where you live might have a bearing on how well the HD radio works. If you live in an area where you don't get great reception to begin with...I wouldn't expect too much. A big drawback...that does not apply to us....is a lack of a back-up power supply in the unit if the house power goes out, probably because the unit is too big to be powered by a couple of batteries. Since we have all our devices connected to various power back-up/surge protector devices, this is not a concern for us....but it would still be a great option to have when depending on this ( or any other ) device as a clock radio. A couple of different alarm settings..instead of just one...would be a nice touch as well. So to make this simple...as a HD radio/iPod sound system ...I give this a grade of B+. As a clock/alarm...I give this unit a grade of C. Overall...for the price....a great deal.

BE VERY CAREFUL... 2010-02-27

Reviewer: alius

I should have paid closer attention to the not-so-good features highlighted in reviews! I wanted a piece of consumer-friendly electronics and did NOT get it! The lack of a battery back-up is haunting me! The unit was meant to be for a visitor bedroom. However, I cannot expose my people to this piece of customer-UNfriendly electronics! Older visitors need a magnifying glass for the remote. The display can be dimmed but is still way too bright for some. I moved the unit around to check out what it sounds like in different rooms and locations. Did not expect the re-setting of the clock and the preset channels to be so cumbersome!!! If you live in an area with occasional power outages, do NOT buy this unit.
I found out my iPod touch,about a year old, does NOT fit on the unit since (I was told) Apple from time to time changes the nymber of pins. Crazy! So,before you consider this radio, make a physical check with your Apple gizmo for compatibility!!! You still could connect the iPod to the audio in on the back of the unit but you would not be able to use the remote (in my opinion; I have given up checking this useless untit out thoroughly). I was shocked about the size and weight of the "power supply". From a WW I battleship or tank?

Once you get the unit set up:
As mentioned above, the remote sucks (too tiny, not readable in dim light).
With the unit close by, say on your desk, the sound quality is good and the "surround" effect is amazing. BUT: step a couple or three yards away, and the surround effect becomes distorted, blurry, annoying. Anyway, I had to disengage it. And the HD effect? Not a noticeable beneficial feature in my home with my ears.

Excellent IPOD dock and Radio 2010-02-19

Reviewer: S. Ganguly

After buying an Iphone, I found that 2 of my existing docks are not compatible with the Iphone. Subsequently I found that only a small handful of docks are Iphone compliant and this seemed to be one of them. I actually walked into two stores and checked out several units with my iphone for sound quality and compatibility before deciding to buy this unit. After one day of use, I find it a good choice.

The fit and finish of the unit is nice. It is a little big but I like the more traditional "Radio" look.

Sound quality is very good. I like the sound quality of the JBL docks and while this unit does not have the very low bass of the JBLs, it comes close and has a nice open sound. Unlike many units, this has separate bass and treble controls and a "theater" mode for the sound that provides a fair level of user control over the sound quality. After playing with the settings I can get a nice clean sound out of it. It is able to pump out enough volume for casual listening.

FM and HD Radio quality is excellent. I plugged in the basic FM antenna in the back and did not bother to unwind it (unwinding it or using the dipole antenna that Sony provides would have better reception). Even such a rudimentary approach gives me all the stations with great clarity. I have not tested the AM reception.

The user controls are not completely intuitive. The radio stations can be scanned but programming is manual. An autostore setting would be nice. Being able to program the display brightness and having a DST mode on the clock are nice touches.

Sony provides an AM antenna, 2 FM antenne and a remote control - very nice. The remote control seems to be a bit flimsy but works well.

Ipod charging and playback is fine. I've abandoned my wall charger and started using this unit for charging my iphone at night.

Overall I am very pleased with the unit and would strongly recommend it. It is better than a similar radio/dock unit from Teac that is sold in Costco. Audio quality is comparable to the higher end dock-only units from JBL, Altec Lansing etc and the HD radio is a big plus. It is one of the few units that is Iphone compatible.

HD Radio 2010-02-19

Reviewer: Rebecca Guerrero

We missed having classical music for our wake-up since our station went out of business several years ago. With this new HD clock radio, we have selected several stations that play classical music, and our favorite (almost no talking, WHAD HD public radio) comes on at 5:30 am with clear sound which we really enjoy.

I did have to cover the clock face, because the lowest light is too bright for me at night. It has three brightness choices, the brightest lights the whole room.

The remote works well as long as the receiving spot is not covered. It is not instant, though -- takes about 20 seconds for the radio to come on. We often use the sleep button to fall asleep to music, too.

My husband is happy again! It also has a dock for his iPod, should he want to listen to his own choices.

Great for the money 2010-02-05

Reviewer: C. Salerno

The sound quality is really good for a such a little box. Not quite as good as the Bose systems, but 1/3 the price. This was the lowest priced digital HD radio and Ipod dock I had found at Christmas and had actually heard the quality at the Sony store. There are many HD radio stations in our area and they seem to be stacked on top of standard stations. Well worth having if you like to lisen to alt music from the same local stations. Digital stations do take a few seconds to sync up when selected. The remote is also a nice feature. Works just fine with an Iphone and you dont have the change it to airplane mode. I have not tried the tagging feature so I have no insight on it. The clock part is just that, nothing special. I do like the text broadcast feature of the songs on the display. Well worth the money if you need a little sound in the bedroom.