Product Reviews

The last time we reviewed an iPod speaker dock from Tivoli, we were less than impressed, particularly by the audio quality. This time, though, we're happy to report that the sound from the iYiYi is fantastic. Deep bass, crisp treble and a beautifully toned middle mean the iYiYi sounds great, whether you're listening to downbeat acoustic tracks, freeform jazz, or uptempo dance and rock music.

Tivoli has clearly spent a great deal of time perfecting the audio quailty for the iYiYi, and it shows. The long-throw 3in speaker drivers are built into an acoustically accurate enclosure and are fully shielded, meaning you can place the iYiYi near a TV or CRT monitor without fear of interference.

Tivoli Audio's signature is the chic retro styling of its devices and, from the front at least, this works very well on the iYiYi. The positioning of the speakers and various knobs and buttons provide the retro look but, thankfully, not at the expense of usability - the iYiYi is very straightforward in this respect. Looking at the speaker dock from the side or top is a different matter. The silver sides and rear sit uncomfortably with the glossy

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white finish on the front. This is clearly a unit that looks best on a shelf at head height.

The iYiYi has a few neat features. In addition to an auxiliary input on the rear, there's a 3.5mm output jack to allow you to record the output from the speakers. There's also a socket for an external FM antenna and one is included in the box. Also bundled are a host of adaptors for the dock, meaning that if you've lost yours, or never had one, you don't have to buy another. The iYiYi has a built-in transformer, obviating the need for an external power supply.

In addition to playing music from your iPod, there's a built-in AM/FM tuner with five presets. This is welcome, but a DAB tuner would have been even better, and perhaps to be expected for a device that costs nearly £300.

The LCD on the front of the iYiYi displays the time when it's not in use. When it is, it displays RDS data for radio stations that support it, and feedback on input source and volume when you're listening to your iPod.

There's also a built-in alarm function, which allows you to wake up to the radio or your iPod. It has a sleep function, but no snooze button, which is an essential feature for any alarm clock in our book.

The credit card-sized remote control enables you to navigate the iPod's menus as well as control volume, select input source, and change radio stations.

There's no doubting the Tivoli Audio iYiYi's audio quality: it's superb. The unit is also very well built and feels rock solid. And there are some neat features, such as the output jack for recording and the alarm clock. However, at £275, it's expensive and at that price we would have expected a DAB tuner as well as AM and FM options.