What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Best speaker dock up to £200, Awards 2012. Sturdy enough to take on your travels, it's a capable yet affordable home for your iPod where ever you are.
Pros
- +
Solid build, rechargeable battery
- +
remote control, line input
- +
class-leading (and Award-winning) sound quality
Cons
- -
Stand could be more secure
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.
Logitech has made the iPod speaker system category a real specialist subject over the last few years, certainly at the budget end.
Its been delivering a consistent supply of iPod docks at inviting prices that tick all our performance criteria boxes.
Regular readers, or those of you with an understandable penchant for Awards issues, will know this latest incarnation picked up a gong at this year's ceremony, and we still think it's everything an affordable iPod dock should be.
Thoughtfully bundled in with a padded travel case, you'll also find an auxiliary input for any non-Apple portable on the reassuringly weighty chassis.
A fold-out support props up the Logitech and keeps relatively still provided you don't poke at the controls too ham-fistedly – thankfully the inclusion of a remote control should mean this isn't a problem.
Portable and punchy
You'll also find a rechargeable battery inside, which gives you up to eight hours of playback
(a mains power cable is supplied, too).
That's always a good idea in our book for products like this.
It's ‘Works with iPhone' as well as ‘made for iPod' certified too, so dock your Apple product of choice to enjoy the sound and you don't need to switch to Airplane mode.
It's the sonic quality that is, of course, most crucial, and where the S715i really streaks ahead.
It isn‘t the loudest- or biggest-sounding iPod dock about, but it's by far the smoothest, most dynamic and most detailed, delivering impressive punch and insight for such a small unit.
Vocals from Bonnie ‘Prince' Billy sound initimate, picking upsmall inflections in his voice far better than any rival.
If you prefer your tunes a little more upbeat, then Tinie Tempah's Pass Out shows the Logitech capable of delivering solid, musical bass in a soundstage that remains balanced and clear.
If your budget for an iPod dock is anywhere near the £100 mark, this really should be your choice.
See all our dock system Best Buys
