Over the past year or two, Apple has redefined the feature set of most audio products and, these days, if manufacturers don’t have an iPod docking or connection facility on their new gadget, they lose sales. Enter Philips with a couple of clock radios capable of accommodating your iPod – clearly, not everyone just uses their mobile phone as an alarm clock.
Philips’ proprietary ‘wOOx’ technology is built into both units and aims to smooth frequency transitions and lower distortion. The $139.95 AJ301D (pictured left) produces 12 watts RMS power, charges your iPod or GoGear, and allows the connection of another maker’s MP3 player (Boo! Hiss!) via an auxilliary input. Station selection is made easy via five, one-touch, digital radio presets and the remote will control both the Philips alarm clock and your iPod.
With the DC200 model ($109.95, pictured top of page), the iPod dock on top is complemented with a ‘USB Direct’ function, allowing the direct streaming of audio from any USB storage device, should you fancy a change from your iPod.
And if you want to bypass the MP3 stuff completely, the unit comes preloaded with ‘relaxation’ music to rouse you in a more traditional fashion.
