Etón Sound 100 iPod Dock, Black

• Compact speaker system with external iPod docking station and digital AM/FM tuner
• Fits all iPods with 30-pin dock connectors, including iPod video, iPod mini, and iPod nano
• High-sensitivity Phased-Locked-Loop (PLL) tuner guarantees superior radio reception
• 3-inch, full-range, front-firing speaker; includes clock, alarm, sleep timer, and snooze button
• 3.5 mm auxiliary input; measures 8.27 x 4.53 x 5.1 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)The Sound 100 iPod Dock is the latest in Eton's product family. As a stand-alone radio this device is average. With the iPod dock this unit is a cut above and one you must consider.

They do sell this device without the iPod dock, and it ranges from being $30 to $50 less than this model. I don't believe it's worth getting this unit without the iPod dock.

Eton Sound 100 AM/FM Radio, Silver

There are many iPod radios and alarm clocks on the market which may be able to compete against the Sound 100 iPod on price. The iHome and iLive models come to mind.

iHome iH6 Clock Radio for iPod (White)

iHome iH5 Clock Radio for iPod (Black)

iLive ICR6307DT iPod Docking System with Digital Tune AM/FM Stereo Dual Alarm Clock Radio with Remote Control in White

The competition does not come close on engineering. The remote allows you to completely control your iPod! That means menu control and navigation in addition to the standard FF, RW, PLAY, STOP, and PAUSE funcitons. This is so simple, yet few devices have this ability. The Line-in and auxiliary jacks can connect other MP3 players (Creative, Zune) sans the menu control.

The speaker is monaural, but optimized to prevent distortion. At the highest volume the sound gets tinny but doesn't hiss. If you like modern design, the Eton is one of the best looking. It is sleek, COMPACT and light.

But there are shortcomings. The internal AM antenna is below average. The device lets you use an external one, and most users will need to.

The features could be better. There are only 10 programmable station presets. The RDS broadcast data is only 8 characters at a time. The screen is hard to read; you have to be right in front of it. There are no external RCA, speaker or subwoofer jacks, only line out. There is no EQ, treble or bass control and no way to adjust the backlight.

This radio came out in January 2007, well into the HD radio era. Only 10 presets? Why no speaker or subwoofer jacks? Why didn't they add Short Wave or HD capability?

If you only need an alarm clock radio, there are better options. This unit is above average on FM but below average on AM. Competing products by Sangean, BA and Sony have higher ratings at this price.

Sangean WR-2 Digital AM/FM Tabletop Radio, Black

Sangean WR-2 Digital AM/FM Tabletop Radio, White

Boston Acoustics Receptor Clock Radio (Platinum)

Sony XDR-S3HD HD Radio

If you are VERY picky about sound and want a nice compact iPod radio alarm clock, this unit is worth a look. Enjoy!

Pros

+ Remote control functions are very well integrated with the iPod!

+ Very nice iPod serial interface for digital sound quality

+ Line-in and auxiliary jacks for MP3 players and other devices

+ Good speaker sound with surprising bass

+ Shielding protects the radio from interference

+ Battery backup possible for power outages

+ Nice alarm clock function

+ Nice looking design in a small and LIGHT form factor

Cons

No equalizer; no treble or bass control

Requires external antenae for good radio reception

No RCA jacks or stereo connections for external speakers

No Subwoofer connector only standard stereo line out

RDS only displays 8 characters at a time

Backlight is not adjustable; you must be close to it to read it

Buy Etón Sound 100 iPod Dock, Black Now

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)The Sound 100 iPod Dock comes in black and white. The radio only version adds other colors including silver, blue and red. I've had the white one for a while and I've been pretty happy with it. This Black Etón Sound 100 iPod Dock is very similar, but loses points for the non-black speaker face. As a stand-alone radio this device is average. But the stellar iPod dock integration makes this unit a cut above and one you must consider.

Without the iPod dock the unit ranges from being $30 to $50 less than this model. I don't believe it's worth getting this unit without the iPod dock. Still, they have been having periodic sales for the stand-alone model in the $30 range, which is very hard to pass up.

Eton Sound 100 AM/FM Radio, Silver

There are many iPod radios and alarm clocks on the market which may be able to compete against the Sound 100 iPod on price. The competition does not come close on engineering.

The remote allows you to completely control your iPod! That means menu control and navigation in addition to the standard FF, RW, PLAY, STOP, and PAUSE functions. This is so simple, yet few devices have this ability. The Line-in and auxiliary jacks can connect other MP3 players (Creative, Zune) sans the menu control.

The speaker is monaural, but optimized to prevent distortion. At the highest volume the sound won't hiss. If you like modern design, the Eton is one of the best looking. It is sleek, COMPACT and light. Wish this guy was all-black, but I can live with the silver toned speaker.

Most of the shortcomings are from the radio aspect of this device. The internal AM antenna is below average. You can use an external one, and most users will need to.

The features could be better. There are only 10 programmable station presets. The RDS broadcast data is only 8 characters at a time. The screen is hard to read; you have to be right in front of it. There are no external RCA, speaker or subwoofer jacks, only line out. There is no EQ, treble or bass control and no way to adjust the backlight.

This radio came out in January 2007, well into the HD radio era. Only 10 presets? Why no speaker or subwoofer jacks? Why didn't they add Short Wave or HD capability?

If you only need an alarm clock radio, there are better options. This unit is above average on FM but below average on AM. Competing products by Sangean, BA and Sony have higher ratings at this price.

Sangean WR-2 Digital AM/FM Tabletop Radio, Black

Sangean WR-2 Digital AM/FM Tabletop Radio, White

Boston Acoustics Receptor Clock Radio (Platinum)

Sony XDR-S3HD HD Radio

At the present time, there is also a larger 2 speaker version which will be widely released within a month. Some may opt to get that one, but on sale this is still a great unit to own.

Pros

+ Remote control functions are very well integrated with the iPod!

+ Very nice iPod serial interface for digital sound quality

+ Line-in and auxiliary jacks for MP3 players and other devices

+ Good speaker sound with surprising bass

+ Shielding protects the radio from interference

+ Battery backup possible for power outages

+ Nice alarm clock function

+ Nice looking design in a small and LIGHT form factor

Cons

Standard pricing means you should only be looking to get this on sale

Many newer alternatives coming to market for those seeking the alarm clock feature

Display light may be too bright for some when used as a bedroom alarm clock radio

No equalizer; no treble or bass control

Requires external antennae for good radio reception

No RCA jacks or stereo connections for external speakers

No Subwoofer connector only standard stereo line out

RDS only displays 8 characters at a time

Backlight is not adjustable; you must be close to it to read it

If you are VERY picky about sound and want a nice compact iPod radio alarm clock, this unit is worth a look. Enjoy!

Read Best Reviews of Etón Sound 100 iPod Dock, Black Here

Pros:

Warm easy-listening sound, perfect for speech

Good FM performance with RDS

Compact, internal AM antenna (option to switch to external AM antenna if you have one)

iPod integration

Cons:

Mono speaker

Sound lacks clarity

Bright LCD backlight cannot be turned down/off

Turning off the unit does not turn off iPod

Big power brick

Cost

Want Etón Sound 100 iPod Dock, Black Discount?

The sound quality is what I was looking for, with a radio and iPod dock. I like the remote, nice and lightweight and doesn't hit the floor very hard when it falls off the bed. Where this gadget falls short is on the clock radio features. I can't hardly read the clock from even a short distance away. If I take my glasses off, which I often do when I sleep, I literally have to stick my face within about 3 inches of the clock to read it. When the radio alarm goes off, the time display changes to the radio station, so you need to turn the alarm off or snooze it to see what time it is. If they could make this product with comparable features to a $20 alarm clock, it would be excellent. I'm currently in the market for a small digital clock that matches the radio so I have all the usable features I need.

I purchased this clock radio with iPod dock because I have been looking for something to replace our clock radio in the bedroom. It is impossible to listen to commercial radio any more unless you are doing something boring, like cleaning, because of all the advertising and mindless babbling that takes up at least twenty minues of every hour. So, I wanted something that sounded good, that I could play my own choice of music on, and could wake me up in the morning to talk radio (usually NPR) without costing an arm and a leg.

When I saw the price drop on the Eton Sound 100 iPod Dock, I thought I had found exactly what I wanted. It had all the features I was looking for, and was now affordable. (The link I found to it--I can't locate it now--said that the deal was good for twenty-four hours only, which is not the case.) I talked my wife into it, and ordered it.

A few days later it arrived and I set it up. Tuner sensitivity was good even without the FM antenna attached, the remote worked, and the sound was good for such a small box. Sound volume was good for our small bedroom. It uses a ported system to enhance the bass, so it seems a little sensitive to placement in relation to the walls and corners, but I was happy with it. I scanned through the local stations, and got some presets in. All seemed good.

Once the novelty had worn off, and I started trying to use it the way our old clock radio had been used, its shortcommings were revealed.

From across the room, the LCD display is washed out by the bright blue backlight, even after it automatically dims when you stop adjusting the controls. My wife thinks the light from the display is almost too bright to sleep with. Also, after your eyes have adjusted to the dark, it is difficult to read the display, even up close. I wonder if some tinted or polarized glass over the display would tame it.

The next problem cropped up the next morning when the alarm went off. There was no way to turn down the volume of the radio after you wake up! This may be a peculiarity of our household, but often when the radio comes on and wakes us up, we like to turn down the volume and listen as we wake up. In order to do that with this unit, you must turn off the alarm and turn on the radio and adjust the volume. This is a pain in the butt for us, but your mileage may vary.

In summary, the radio plays and functions well, but the display and the volume controls used with the alarm cause me to give the Eton Sound 100 iPod Dock a less-than-perfect rating.