Who makes the best iPod docks? Bose, Yamaha and B&W systems go head-to-head

There’s no shortage of iPod dock solutions available for the casual shopper, but those seeking a quality option have a more restricted choice – and finding the best hi-fi performer amongst them is a challenge.

Approaches vary considerably between brands, and some may suit your lifestyle better than others. For this sound-off we compare three very different iProducts from three rather different hi-fi brands, all with enviable reputations. Bose offers the SoundDock Series II, Yamaha the distinctive PDX-50 and B&W the dramatic Zeppelin. All aspire to deliver the best music performance possible, albeit with certain caveats. Which one will be your next iPod dock?

Bose SoundDock Series II Typically £250
If this dock looks familiar, it is because it bears a more than coincidental relationship to the original SoundDock, which has been the mainstream Bose offering for some years, almost since the iPod was born in fact, though it has just been succeeded at the top of the tree by a new much more costly flagship model, the Series 10 

This is not a model to choose if you want all the toys. There’s no wireless operation here, no means of exporting video (perhaps the most surprising exclusion) and it’s certainly not portable, as it is tethered to the mains power supply. It’s worth noting that this updated version will charge iPhones as well as most iPods, though there are a few defunct models, the ones with Firewire charging, identified by a row of control buttons below the display, which the Bose will not charge.

Ease of use
Pleasingly, the proposition here could hardly be simpler. You get a nicely turned out symmetrical slab which weighs a chunky 2.1kg, with speakers on the left and right behind a black or silver grill, and a ‘power bulge’ at the back, though this is normally hidden from view. The dock itself is in the middle, and includes a removable insert to accommodate different models, though irritatingly I couldn’t get it to accommodate my full size (Series 5) iPod when fitted with a Proporta skin, its usual home, and which irritatingly left the iPod case covered in a tacky mess when removed.

Just two controls for volume adjustment are available on the dock itself, but you do get a well designed compact remote, which controls power, play, pause, volume, playlist selection, track seek and continuous scan, and a green LED status light is fitted behind the grill. The only other fittings are a detachable laptop type power supply, and a 3.5mm minijack socket to accept an output from other audio players.   

The technology available under the skin is mainstream enough. After extracting the audio from the iPod in analogue form, it goes through an A/D converter, and some subtle equalisation is applied to inject what might be described as the Bose family sound, before the audio is converted back to analogue for amplification.
Performance
The Bose sound in this case will be familiar to practiced Bose watchers. The bass is subtly though not excessively boosted, to provide some warmth to the sound, and I would judge the mid and upper treble is slightly curtailed. The overall effect is pleasing enough if not especially analytical, but this is probably just the kind of balance that works best given the quality of the amplifier and speakers involved.

The SoundDock II is arguably a tad expensive, but although short of some of the niceties you’ll find elsewhere, it is solidly made, very simple to use, and it sounds open, warm and attractive.  

HCC VERDICT: 4/5
For: Sound is solid and more grown up than many.
Against: Feature range is limited, though nothing vital is missing

Yamaha PDX-50 Typically £180
Like the Bose SoundDock Series II featured above, this is an audio only dock, with amplification and speakers, but in common with the Bose there is no on-board headphone socket - the one on the iPOD remains available when docked of course. This dock is also mains powered only, and there is no video output to show metadata or video material on a separate screen. The other obvious omission is any input for non-iPod players. The PDX-50 is compatible with the Series 5 iPods, the Shuffle, Classic, Touch and Nano. It will also charge iPhones.

Wireless connection
Simple as it is, this is not to say the Yamaha doesn’t have its own points of interest. For a start the iPod connects to the Yamaha dock wirelessly. The main unit looks conventional enough. It is a long, but fairly compact rectangular box, with speakers at each end, and what looks like a dock in the centre, which is cloaked by a plastic plug which looks as though it is ready to be removed to make way for the iPod. Perhaps this is what happens with other models. But here the plug covers an RF aerial stub, and is fixed in place, and is accompanied by volume up/down buttons on the forward lip of the unit – the only controls the unit provides - and a power LED which is visible through the cloth cover that conceals the speakers. 

The iPod is attached to the unit with a small block wireless transmitter that connects to the connector at the base of the player, and sits at the back of the player which can be placed freely up to several meters from the dock. Also supplied is a small circular stand, which is connected separately to the mains, and acts as a charger – a really neat arrangement that will support the iPod in portrait or landscape orientation, though it does mean two plugs need to be connected to the mains, not just one. The system is operated by the iPod, there is no separate remote control.

The wireless system, a proprietary Yamaha linear PCM technology called AirWired, is said to work losslessly, so there is no reduction of sound quality from this source, and no noticeable latency either.

Performance
On balance, the performance of the Yamaha is acceptable to discerning ears. The unit has an obviously boosted bass, which sounds a little too heavy and detached to be completely credible. The midband struck me as a little boxy and nasal through the two small 8cm speakers, and the treble is clearly rolled off, though not drastically. Overall a compact and inoffensive sounding dock, it is clearly beaten to the punch by the Bose in pure audio terms, but then it costs a great deal less. You can also buy one in a choice of black, blue, grey or pink, making this quite the fashion statement.

HCC VERDICT: 3/5
For: Good value, wireless transmission without usual tradeoffs (ie latency, loss of sound quality)
Against: No provision for video, or non Apple players, sound quality is moderate  

B&W Zeppelin   Typically £350
The Zeppelin’s shape (no prizes for working out how it got its name) is the obvious point of departure is this sound-off. A key part of the acoustic design, the smooth curves helping reduce resonant effects, and steering the sound to produce a wider, better focused stereo image. The reflex ports in the back help tune the bass.

The construction of the Zeppelin is also quite different. The main carcass is built from a stiff polymer and chromed stainless steel, echoing the construction of many iPods. It sounds elaborate on paper, and shows evidence of tremendous attention to detail. It is also beautifully constructed, an impression reinforced by the 7.5kg weight  and the absence of box-like colourations. The Zeppelin is transportable, but it is no portable. Be warned to resist carrying it using the sprung outrigger that holds the iPod away from the body of the dock.

Powerful amp
The sophisticated speaker system includes a dedicated central bass driver, and separate mid drivers and metal dome tweeters for each channel. In charge of this is a powerful amplifier section, with 50 Watts on tap for the bass speaker, plus 25 Watts for each channel. Volume control is available using a rocker switch on the main unit, with a power switch nearby.

The B&W is well equipped by dock standards, with a second input which is capable of accepting a digital or an analogue feed from an external player, automatically recognising the signal type, and switching as necessary. A USB input is available for software updates, plus composite and S-Video outputs to drive a TV or external screen. Compatibility extends to iPods (including the ability to charge all but Series 3 models) and iPhones, and the internal software can deal with the video output of both, including the ability to control the external display, and the iPod’s internal display lighting too. Included with the Zeppelin is a small pebble shaped remote control, with a non-slip base. Fine control over the bass level is available.
Performance
Musically the Zeppelin is simply in a different class to the others, which given the £350-ish price is probably just as well. First, it goes much louder, with much less audible distortion than the others. In this group it is also uniquely consistent in tonal balance and in its reproduction of dynamics over the normal range of volume levels. The bass is on the warm size, but only slightly, and it digs deep and has considerable power and authority.

Similarly, the treble is clearly much more extended than usual, giving a more detailed and explicit musical presentation. The inevitable tradeoff, though a minor one on balance, is that the Zeppelin is less smooth and euphonic than usual, but it still gets closer to the spirit of the source material. Ultimately, if you have the money, this model is the best sonic performer the group.

HCC VERDICT: 5/5
For: Loud, detailed and dynamic, tonally near neutral, and the system is better integrated into the iPod’s electronics than most.
Against: Expensive, slightly harsh sounding by the highest standards. The iPod carrier outrigger could be mistaken as a carrying handle, which would be a potentially expensive mistake.