iPod Docking Station

iPod Docking Stations

On this page we give you an overview about several iPod docking stations and give you some great tips on how you get the most out of your iPod speakers.

There’s one simple appeal of a iPod docking station – It gives you the possibility to listen to your music without your earphones, and you can put on a rockin’ party anywhere you’ve got an outlet (with a battery operated dock you don’t even need that!).

Of course, not only will an iPod dock extend the entertainment value of your mp3 player, but it will make listening to your iPod much more practical as well – For example, most docks will charge your iPod while they play! Not mind blowing, but a great feature none the less. In short, having an iPod dock is the first requirement for the iPod accessories fetishist.

No matter what you’re needs are from your iPod docking station, chances are that there’s a speaker set available that will fit your needs. On this site we’ve taken every measure to make that decision as easy as possible for you, so take some time to read our expert reviews!

Get an overview :

As iPod docking stations come in many shapes and sizes, they are all with different uses. Below you’ll find a brief overview of the various styles of docks available, as well as what features are worth looking out for.

Simple iPod Docking Station ($10 – $20)

Many of the cheapest iPod docking stations out there are extremely ‘Bare Bones’ in nature, in other words, there’s not a whole lot of added features. Basically, for around $10 – $20 you can expect to pick up a nice looking docking station that allows you to connect your iPod to your computer for charging and syncing files, but not much more.

Who’s It For: This style of dock is best for those who don’t really need a whole lot of entertainment value out of their docking station, but rather just need a way to conveniently and stylishly charge their iPod. For example, if you wanted a way to listen to your iPod while on your computer and syncing video files, then one of these simple solutions is probably all that you need.

Additional Available Features: Some of these simple docks are 2-in-1, which means that you can charge 2 different devices at the same time. Additionally, some simple iPod docking stations will also come with wall charger add-ons to make it easy to dock your iPod wherever you are.

Alarm Clock App iPod Docking Stations ($15 – $35)

These iPod docking stations are the least popular simply because having an alarm clock isn’t worth the extra money to the cheap folks, and it’s already included in most more expensive models.

This type of iPod docking station essentially is designed to turn your iPod into an alarm clock, usually by installing some sort of app on your mp3 player. These docks are usually designed to display your iPod in a way that makes it easily readable as a clock.

Who’s It For: Anyone who needs an alarm clock and already has an iPod.

Most other available features are identical to those available with any of the more expensive docking stations.

Entertainment iPod Docking Station ($30 – $100 and (far) beyond)

Many iPod docking stations are much more than just a way to charge and dock your iPod. Rather, many times an iPod dock is designed to increase the entertainment value of your mp3 player by providing you with speakers for your portable music player. Most of the time you get about what you pay for, in other words, a $30 iPod dock is going to have $30 quality speakers, and a more expensive dock will have nicer speakers and more features.

Who’s It For: Anyone about to throw an outdoor BBQ or house party who doesn’t want to spend hundreds on a home entertainment system. A good iPod docking station with nice speakers is more than enough juice for most people’s needs.

Additional Available Features: Instead of trying to write out all of the available features in paragraph form, I thought a bulleted list would be more appropriate (and easier for us, heh). Here’s what you can expect from a top dollar iPod entertainment system:

• A fully functional remote
• Radio tuning capabilities (Both FM/AM/XM)
• Detachable stereo speakers complete with Subwoofer
• Composite and S-Video outputs to hook your iPod up to your TV
• Additional audio outputs for hooking your iPod to even bigger and louder speakers
• Custom playback settings and options
• Input for CD players, other mp3 players and any other source of music
• Overheating protection and Circuit protection so your iPod doesn’t fry

So if you plan to spend more money on such a quality docking station be sure to pay attention to at least the features listed above.

Essentially, if you just need an iPod docking station to display and charge your mp3 player while you’re using it, then you really don’t need to spend more than $15, but as you get more and more entertainment value out of your iPod, so to do you spend more money on a docking station.

Visit our review pages to get an overview about the stations we recommend.