Gear4 Houseparty 24/7 review

You can buy much better iPod dock/clock/radio combos than this - even at this sort of money Tested at £100.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

There are much better speaker systems around than this one

Pros

  • +

    Weighty and detailed

  • +

    great feature list

  • +

    great remote

Cons

  • -

    Rather rough sonic delivery, particularly at volume

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

Gear4 has always been something of an iPod innovator. Therefore, it's no surprise to find the company was one of the first to release the latest convergence product: not just an iPod speaker dock/speaker package, but also an FM/AM radio, alarm clock, with an auxiliary input to boot.

The system offers a weighty, fairly detailed sound that's let down some by a slightly scratchy, ragged tendency, especially at high volume. A fully functioning remote that can access all your iPod's menus is an excellent feature, but unless you're desperate for the radio and clock functions, there are better-sounding speaker systems on the market.

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

Read more about how we test