Azatom iFlute iPod Docknig Station
Review: Azatom iFlute iPod Docking Station Review
Pros:
Works With iPhone in Phone Mode.
Small and Portable.
LCD Display Screen.
Jump To
If you want an affordable iPod dock, but you’re tired of the usual boring, ‘flat’ designs, then this oddment could be right up your alley. The Azatom iFlute is a docking station unlike any other. It is small, supremely portable and totally unique, but is it any good? We dispatched our friendly neighborhood tech reviewer to find out.
Introduction
This is far and away the most travel friendly dock I’ve ever reviewed. With its simple, elegant design (a short metal tube with small speakers placed at either end) and miniscule weight of about 440g, not only does it use up very little space, but it will also fit neatly into almost any bag you could want.
Fashioned from solid aluminum, this dock is also tough as well as practical. In fact, you’ll be surprised by how sturdy it feels. It even comes in several super-cool colours.
The two 5Watt speakers could be a little bit beefier, to be honest, but then you might need to make the dock that bit bigger and that would negate the whole point. In short, this is pretty impressive at first glance.
The iFlute is almost certainly the best travel dock available in its price range. What is its price range, I hear you ask? Well, get this: the Azatom iFlute can be yours for just under £30. How’s that for value?
Hardware / Design
Amazingly for a dock in the ‘under £30’ category, this thing is totally pimped out.
The remote control is superb and the option to run off either mains power or AA batteries is very travel-friendly indeed. The speakers can even be hooked up to other, more powerful units via AV cable. Also, I discovered that you could use the double-sided jack to hook up non-iPod MP3 players as well. Care and attention scream out from this wonderfully unique model.
The sound is surprisingly high quality when you consider how small the speakers actually are and although the bass is a little bit ‘rattly’ at times, everything comes through clearly and ably. OK, so you’re not going to replace your Hi Fi system with this, but if you’re planning a holiday and looking for a cheap iPod dock, then look no further.
Conclusion:
This is a refreshingly original product that is user-friendly, travel friendly and budget friendly, all in one well-designed package. It gives me great faith in Azatom’s future as a company that they would perform such a thorough and meticulous design job on a low-end model such as this.
The iFlute is a dock that has clearly been lavished with care, attention and love and has, very obviously, been designed by people who value practicality, efficiency and fun. The fact that you can get all this for less than £30 is nothing short of a miracle and I can unhesitatingly recommend this product as a cheap travel accessory that won’t disappoint. Brilliant.
£47.40
£59.99
£59.99
£59.99
£59.99
£59.99
NB! Confirm the retailer's price and product information prior to making your purchase.
Was: £39.99
Now: £27.99
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Customer Reviews
Honest reviews of the Azatom iFlute iPod Docknig Station from previous customers
Reception for this product has been mostly positive, looking at the Amazon reviews; 69 of 82 users gave it 4 or 5/5 scores and only five of those reviews were anything less than 3/5.
‘Crazy Cookie’ (5/5) opens her review by saying “this dock is the bees knees for its size and build quality” before describing the sound as “exceptionally good, not ‘tinny’ but a nice, round sound” which I thought was a cool description.
‘John W’ (5/5) took one on holiday and was pleased with the clarity of the sound. ‘AWilloughby’ (4/5) agreed, describing the speakers as “excellent”. ‘Hockley Heath’ (5/5) described herself as a “happy bunny” as a result of using this product, saying, “We have a holiday home and this will be with us for ever”. ‘Shaun’ gushed over the “amazing sound for such a small speaker” and the rest of the reviews all seem to agree. The general consensus is that the sound is not tinny at all and that the dock represents excellent value for money.
Over on the negative side, ‘Zamham’ and ‘Mel’ both seem to have ordered faulty models that broke after short periods of use. This is something I frequently find when I collate all the reviews for a product, so I wouldn’t be too fussed by it. It only becomes a problem when the complaints are a) frequent and b) mixed with tales of dreadful customer service, neither of which is the case here.
‘Allantbarton’ said that the sound “kept crackling” and was probably the recipient of a duff model. ‘Mr. B. J Van Willik’ on the other hand, said that the sound “lacked oomph” but, to be honest, it costs £30 and is about the size of a kitchen roll tube, so I don’t know what B.J was expecting, quite frankly.
We encourage you to read them prior to making your final purchasing decision.