Name: colourSTREAM (ROBERTS)

Type: DAB/Internet Radio with iPod Dock

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £176.09 from Amazon

Image Gallery: Click here

Billed as a next-gen radio system, the ROBERTS colourSTREAM has a list of features as long as your arm. Everything from DAB to internet radio stations are included, while a touchscreen and iPod dock make it very much a device for Generation App. There's a lot to love here, but a few niggling issues prevent the colourSTREAM from achieving five-star status.

While quite large at 340(w) x 130(h) x 260(d) mm and 3.4 kg in weight, the colourSTREAM's gloss-black finish and curved edges will make it slip in comfortably in most homes. This attractive look is only improved upon turning the radio on, when the front-mounted, bright and colourful resistive touchscreen fires up with a blue ring and strip of lights surround the central volume and power dial.

As mentioned before, the colourSTREAM can pipe in music from an excellently varied number of sources. These include DAB, FM, internet radio, iPod, a networked PC, a music-filled USB drive, AUX source or via Last.fm (to which a 30-day premium subscription is included within the colourSTREAM's asking price). Many of these obviously require a network connection, and the colourSTREAM makes the set-up process very painless. A set-up wizard launches upon first switching on the radio; you can either set a wired LAN as your connection of choice, or a Wi-Fi one. Using the touchscreen text entry keypad made finding our network very easy, as well as entering our WEP key, and we were good to go within 5 or 10 minutes.

Once the wizard is complete, the colourSTREAM launches its home screen, which, with it's icon-based interface, will be look eerily familiar to iPhone users. From here you're able to select your source, with each given a separate brightly coloured tile.

As we mentioned earlier, setting up the internet connection was incredibly easy, and we never once experienced a signal drop-out from whichever networked source we accessed, despite a notoriously flakey Wi-Fi connection being used. The colourSTREAM UI however, left a little to be desired. While it's sensibly laid out, allowing you to intuitively browse tens of thousands of internet web stations and search for them by text-entry, the small number of channels displayed on screen at once meant for painfully long lists to scroll through. This was particularly noticeable when browsing our relatively large PC-based mp3 collection; if we weren't using the text entry screen to pinpoint a specific track, it was a real chore to navigate.

This problem is exacerbated by the sluggish speed of the system; you'll often wait a few seconds for the screen to refresh your browsing scroll, which can result in you pushing the down-scroll touch button too many times by mistake, believing your tap of the resistive touchscreen to have gone unrecognised, and making you over-shoot the track you're looking for. Also, giving support for iPods, but not iPhones, seems quite the oversight.

Despite these problems, the colourSTREAM still manages to impress in the audio department. A full-bodied warm sound blasts out of the 2 x 15 watts speakers at a reasonably loud level, making even the comparatively low bitrate internet radio streams and podcasts sound great. There's also the option to tweak custom equaliser settings, or pick from a lengthy list of presets to suit all ears. The included remote control is nice and sturdy too, with dedicated "Love" and "Ban" buttons for those who make plenty of use of the Last.fm functionality, though all the buttons are a little stiff to push.

It's got its problems which hold it back from true greatness, but we do have a soft spot for the ROBERTS colourSTREAM. It's the easiest internet radio to set-up we've ever used, and while the UI is sluggish and a little cramped in places, it's so self-explanatory that even a technophobe could navigate it, providing they have the patience. Not a bad first attempt by ROBERTS by any means, and we look forward to seeing them explore touchscreen interfaces in future releases.

4/5

Roberts are readying the launch of two new DAB/iPod dock combos to add to their STREAM range. The STREAM 63i and colourSTREAM will both be clambering for your attention at an electrical shop near you soon.

The acoustically tuned STREAM 63i is "the perfect sound system for the modern home" acording to Roberts. With a wooden cabinet with high gloss black finish, it features DAB, an FM tuner, Wi-Fi connectivity and SD Card / USB playback, as well as a dock for iPod. CD owners are not left out thanks to the built in CD player, and it also comes with a multi function remote control. Expect to see this retail for around £350.

The colourSTREAM comes equipped with a colour touch screen for navigation. Internet radio stations are accessible via a Wi-Fi connection, with DAB and FM tuners also built in. This iPod dock/radio combo weighs in at around £200.

Both systems also come with 30 station presets, a 30 day trial of Last FM, and a stereo auxiliary input socket for iPod and MP3 playback. Sleepyheads will be pleased to hear they come with a clock and multi function / dual alarm too.

Click here for more info.

Name: CS-545UK (Onkyo)

Type: Micro hi-fi with iPod dock

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £299 from AV-Land

£300 wont buy you an awful lot when it comes to hi-fis these days, but Onkyo have staked a claim for one of the best budget micro sets with their CS-545UK receiver and speaker package.

Packing in an iPod dock, CD deck, DAB/FM tuner and USB MP3/WMA playback, the packaged CR-545 receiver squeezes in pretty much all the major features of more expensive units, providing you're not fussed over the lack of network connectivity. Other audio sources can be hooked up through the AUX input, while MP3-encoded CDs are also fully compatible. It's an impressive list for the sub-£300 price tag.

Despite the feature set, the receiver itself is neatly compact, measuring up at just 215mm wide, 98 mm high and 334mm deep. The iPod/iPhone dock (which also acts as a charger) sits on top, tidily covered by a flip-up catch. A sensibly modest set of playback controls are placed along the front with a display panel, while there are also dedicated controls for tone and bass response. With a power output of 2x 40w channels, it's not quite as muscular as a more expensive set up, but more than enough for most reasonably sized homes. Its boxy, somewhat-retro look also got the thumbs up in the office.

Though the CR-545 receiver can be bought separately, the CS-545UK package throws in a pair of D-045 bookshelf speakers for around £100 of extra cash. While out-of-the-box speakers normally leave a lot to be desired, the D-045s are actually very good. There's the option of a stand-alone subwoofer output, but you're unlikely to need it. The included speakers are detailed and with a near-perfect bass balance (providing you switch off the rather awful Super Bass option), and are well worth the added expense if you don't already have a preferred set lying around indoors. It's unsurprising, given Onkyo's stellar track record as a speaker supplier.

The remote control, while reasonably sized and comfortable in use, isn't the most intuitive of remotes we've used, with many similar commands unnecessarily spread over too many buttons. With that in mind, if we had one complaint to level at the CS-545UK hi-fi package, it's that controlling playback from the multiple sources on offer can be needlessly fiddly, particularly when playing from a USB stick or CD-R. While there is the option to output the menus to a big screen over a composite video connection, it's all still overly complex.

We've had a lot of fun with the CS-545UK set. It offers warm, room filling sound that, despite its relatively small asking price, comes with a pair of speakers that even the most demanding of audiophiles wont be in a hurry to replace. It's let down somewhat by its confusing remote and USB playback, but all in you'll be hard pushed to find a better mini hi-fi for the money than this.

4/5

Aaah those crazee Frenchies. Last year Parrot came up with the bonkers, but absolutely brilliant iPhone Augmented Reality Quadricopter. This time round it has got ace designer Philippe Starck to put together what could be the most striking wireless speakers so far.

The Zikmu Parrot by Starck: Red Dragon are your usual wireless hi-fi stereo speakers complete with an iPod/iPhone docking station. They also inlude integrated web radio and wireles streaming over both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. They are pretty powerful too with an output of 100Watts RMS per channel.

They'll be on sale soon with a price tag of around £1000.

Orbitsound may have put themselves at the top of next year's Christmas card list for the lazy armchair music enthusiast with the CES unveiling of their T14 soundbar. Mixing home-cinema audio tech with wireless wizardry, with it you may never have to leave your sofa to enjoy all your favourite music.

Comprising an iPod dock, wireless soundbar and wireless subwoofer you'll be able to beam tracks to the two speaker sets using a docked iPod that can be located anywhere thats convenient. Which potentially could be your bedside table, letting you enjoy a lie-in and your fave tunes without ever getting from underneath the covers.

Plugging into a PC, laptop or extended home-cinema kit, the T14 uses patented spatial technology to give a far greater sense of separated surround sources than is usually possible from a soundbar.

Due out in Q3 of 2011, the T14 soundbar will set you back £385. Hit the video above for a peak at the gear in action.

UK radio alarm clock specialists Pure had a very nifty little device on show at the Unveiled event for this year's CES in the shape of the Contour iPod dock.

A really sweet, half moon black mesh design with pop-out dock is backed by top-notch audio quality thanks to the incusion of Clearsound tech, allowing you to ramp up the volume without distortion.

Internet smarts also mean the Contour can play freindly with the 7digital-powered Flow Songs service, meaning you can buy songs directly from the radio as you listen to them play.

Due out by the end of the month, the Contour will set you back £199. Check out our hands on video above for more details.

If there's one certainty about CES other than a shed-load of gadgets being displayed, it's that there will be a fair few celebrity endorsements to go along with them.

Pick of the pack so far has been the House of Marley iPod dock and headphone range, inspired by the king of reggae himself, Bob Marley. Split into a number of categories(Jammin, Freedom and Destiny), the range makes use of sustainable, eco-freindly materials, without scrimping on audio quality.

Hit the video above to check out the jah-inspired gear.

Memorex have expanded their range of iPod docks with a few new additions, including the Tagalong and PartyCube, which we've had in the Shiny offices to test out for the last few days.

Not aimed at audiophiles, these unusually-shaped docks are instead intended to be the centre of a party, and can both be taken away and used without mains power.

Cheap as chips (both weigh in at well under £80) and stylish to boot, what they lack in sonic-wow factor they make up for with portability and nifty design.

Anna from Shiny Shiny puts them through their paces in the video above.

I've been looking to "redifine my PC audio" for quite a while now. I tried giving my speakers a polka-dot makeover with some tip-ex and a sharpie pen, even went as far as ringing up the OED HQ to see if I could get the definition of "PC Audio" changed in the dictionary. All to no avail. Imagine my delight then when the release for the Teufel Concept D 500 THX PC speakers hit my desk this morning, with the claim that the set "redefines PC audio". I wept small glittery tears of joy akin to that of a baby unicorn's.

All-rather-tenuous jokes aside, the Concept D 500 THX PC speakers look pretty impressive to be fair. A 2.1 set, they have a 300 watt Class D subwoofer that's nearly half a metre tall and contains two 165mm bass drivers.

Two 2-way satellite speakers with 100mm mid-to-low-range drivers and 19mm waveguide tweeters sit either side and are wall mountable.

Looking and (presumably) sounding very neat, they'll set you back £449 from www.teufelaudio.co.uk.

Click below for some more shots of the Teufel Concept D 500 THX PC speakers.

As I have mentioned before, the iconic 80's ghetto-blasters have been making a bit of a comeback in recently months, and now TDK has also jump on the bandwagon, bringing back this classic.

We absolutely love the sleek design which strikes a balance between old and new with glossy finishes, touch screen control panels, the classic retro rectangular shape and even a leather shoulder strap. They have launched two models, the 3 Speaker Boombox and the 2 Speaker Boombox. Other than size, the main difference between the two is that the 3 Speaker model has a dedicated subwoofer in the center. Both models have USB, 3.5mm and RCA auxiliary ports to connect a huge variety of music sources. There is also a large auxiliary port which allows you to directly connect a guitar or microphone, just in case you want to play along.

The TDK boomboxes are a beautiful reinvention of the retro cool 80's phenomenon.
They will be available online from January 2011 at $399 for the two speaker version and $499 for the three speaker one.

Boasting a Red Dot Design award and sporting a substantial £199.99 price tag, the Dew 2.1 speaker system from Auluxe are quite an investment.

But can the Dew speakers live up to the Auluxe branding, which itself suggests "audio" and luxury" combined? We put the speakers through their paces and give our opinion above.

Click on the video to see what we thought.

Earlier this week I had the chance to sit down with Adrian from Altec Lansing to talk about their new iPad dock, the Octiv 450.

After playing around with it for a few hours I am going to have to admit, I really like it. It is a great accessory for the iPad, not only does it have great stereo audio, the very design aids to the devices over all functionality. Like many people I primarily use my iPad for two things, when I am on the go or as an extra monitor when I am working. I found the dock to be perfect for the latter, with its relatively small footprint, it easily fits on your desk or kitchen counter without getting in the way. Once your iPad is mounted in the dock it holds your iPad snugly in place, while keeping it charged. It also lets you view things in either portrait or landscape mode, and comes with a remote so you can pause, fast forward and rewind video and music content.

Over all the simple, yet intelligent design is a great accompaniment to the iPad and really helps showcase the devices entertainment capabilities.

The Octiv 450 will be available by the end of this week for £129.99

Pioneer are launching a new micro Hi-Fi system called the X-HM50 built "with the intention to satisfy music enthusiasts that value classic design and solid build quality".

Featuring an iPhone/iPod docking station, CD player, FM/AM radio and support for USB and auxiliary line inputs, it could pretty much stand as a one-stop solution for all your music formats.

Sound quality looks as though it'd be pretty reasonable too. Bass-reflex stereo speakers with 120 mm woofers and 20 mm soft dome tweeters pump out 50 watts of output per channel, with 6 equalizer presets (Flat/Game/Classic/Pops/Vocal/Jazz) to suit most tastes.

"The new X-HM50 is designed to meet the needs of iPhone and iPod users as well as CD devotees who enjoy listening to their favourite music in outstanding quality at home. Thanks to Pioneer's advanced sound concept, the space-saving system delivers room-filling hi-fi sound," explains Philippe Coppens, Manager, Pioneer Europe. "Our engineers' design efforts resulted in a sophisticated blend of style and advanced technology that adds a touch of class to any interior and will delight the most discerning listeners."

Grab the Pioneer X-HM50 now for £299.

Here are the key features, according to Pioneer themselves.

· iPhone/iPod docking station with charging facility

· Available in black

Samson Technologies have launched a new portable PA system, the Expedition 40iw, which they believe will see you through serious public speaking enagagements just as well as it will rowdy karaoke sessions. Best warn the neighbours...

It's their first system to feature a built-in iPod dock, and comes complete with a recharageable battery pack and wireless mic.

"The XP40iw sound system is perfect for any occasion where great sound and portability are a must," said Mark Wilder, Director of Marketing for Samson Technologies. "Setup is a snap so it's easy to use at a backyard party Saturday night and to fire up the troops at a Monday morning sales meeting."

Here's a quick look at the specs in full:

• 6-inch woofer
• 1-inch high frequency driver
• 40 watts of power from a lightweight Class D amplifier
• Channel 1: XLR - 1/4-inch combo input allowing line level or microphone level with phantom power
• Channel 2: 1/4-inch input allowing line level or microphone level with phantom power + 1/8-inch stereo aux input allows for stereo line level signal
• Built-in VHF wireless microphone system
• iPod dock with level control
• 1/4-inch link in/out jack to link 2 systems together creating a stereo setup
• Bass and treble control
• Integral top handle
• Speaker stand pole-mount receptacle
• Rechargeable battery included

Yesterday, Rough Trade Shops announced their top 100 albums of 2010. The independent record shop based in London, is the first to publish their albums list this year. Their top five includes:

Caribou - Swim
Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here
These New Puritans - Hidden
Caitlin Rose - Own Side Now
Phosphorescent - Here's To Taking It Easy

Over all it has been a great year for music, so before you run out to buy any of these albums make sure to check out these 4 great record players so you can listen to these albums as they were intended, with a warmer, richer sound.

To see the rest of Rough Trades top 100 albums go here.

Yesterday we had a chance to sit down with Jawbone CEO Hosain Rahman, to talk about their latest product the Jambox.

While the Jambox is being labeled as the world's first intelligent wireless speaker, one thing is for sure this little device packs big sound. Get a first glimpse of the Jambox in action before its launched in the UK later this month below.

It's party time and you've got an iPod full of tunes but no way of blaring them out to your gang of expectant, drunk friends. The keg's running dry, all the Pringles have been eaten and a riot's about to kick off unless someone starts blasting out Lady Gaga's "Poker Face". "You've got to fight for your right to party", said the Beastie Boys, so why not have one of these top-notch iPhone/iPod speaker systems fighting your corner, cranking it up all the way to 11?

Here's Tech Digest's favourite 10 iPhone/iPod speaker systems.

Tech Digest played host to the Berlin based audio specialist Teufel today, who were in town to show off their latest iPod dock, the iTeufel Radio.

Available exclusively through Teufel themselves (and passing on the resulting savings to their customers), the iTeufel Radio squeezes in an FM radio tuner and iPod dock into a retro-look speaker system

The 50 watt system (10 watts in each of the stereo speakers and 30 in the base-mounted subwoofer) has sockets for AUX, line in and headphone in addition to the iPhone dock, which sits on top. A number of preset radio stations can be stored, as well as two alarms, backed up by a battery power supply should you experience an electrical outage. Bass subwoofer response can be controlled manually by a dial on the iTeufel Radio's rear.

The dock, which also charges iPods, comes complete with a remote control that gives full control to your iPod's catalogue menus, whilst a small display shows FM tuning, track number and volume control.

A suggested price range of between £160 and £180 is expected when the dock hit's Teufel's online store sometime in mid-to-late October. It'll come in four colours too, which are black, white, pink and dark wood. You can view the Teufel store by clicking here.

Scroll down for some more pics of the dock. We'll have a full review soon so head back for more details then.

After being in an invite-only beta period for sometime, Spotify for Sonos has now gone live to all users. A Sonos firmware update brings the music streaming service to the multi-room audio gear.

You'll need a Spotify Premium account to really make the most of the update, but once you do you'll be able to stream over 10 million tunes over the air through your Sonos kit. Playback can be controlled either through the Sonos remote, or other an iPhone/iPad app, which we demoed in the video above at IFA.

Spotify are looking for other such audio manufacturers to partner with, which would undoubtedly lead to many new premium subscribers.

For a company who thrive off of their customers' desire for total synergy across their tech devices, it was quite an annoying oversight when iPod and iPhone owners found that Apple's iPad wouldn't be compatible with their speaker docks. The adaptor pins just dont match up, meaning any songs played through an iPad's iTunes are restricted either to headphone listening or the tablets small built-in speaker.

Noticing a gap in the market are enterprising manufacturers WireFreeHiFi, whose Airphonic system offers a solution.

The Airphonic system comprises of two dongles, one for the iPad and one for the dock itself. Wireless pairing the dongles together then allows you to stream tracks from your iPad to practically any iPhone/iPod compatible speaker system.

As the system uses "Kleer wireless audio technology" according to its manufacturer, you'll get far less drop outs than with a Bluetooth device, as well as full CD quality sound. The wireless signal is good for up to ten metres, allowing you to wander about the house, iPad in tow, and still listen to and change tracks and playlists.

Airphonic is available in two versions - one for the iPad and iPod for £79.95 and another which adds iPhone compatibility for an extra ten pounds.

Check them out by clicking here.