Philips DC315/05 Docking Station Ipod Dock

Review: Philips DC315/05 Dock Review

Our team of self-appointed experts has taken it upon themselves to locate and review the best iPod Docks on the market right now! Since their inception, iPod/MP3 docks have become one of the dominant forms of music playback in the world, so its only right that we play guardian to your wallet and give you the low down on which ones sound great and, conversely, which ones will have you reaching for the earplugs.

Introduction

Looking at the DC 315’s smooth contours, retro digital display and no frills design job, I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if some unscrupulous stagehand had stolen this dock from the set of the upcoming ‘Men in Black 3’ and sold it to Phillips on the sly. Yes, it is that cool. If you woke up to this thing every morning, you could give up your search for a meaningful relationship.

The first thing you see when you look at the DC 315 is how cool it looks. Thereafter, the first thing you think is how cool it will make you look. You’ll have attractive and interesting people practically begging to stay over, just so they can gaze upon your awesome iPod dock. OK, that probably won’t happen, but that thought will cross your mind when you look this thing up to see what all the fuss is about.

So we’ve established that the DC 315 is cooler than a cryogenically frozen Steve McQueen (and a darn sight easier to maintain, too). But what else separates it from the others? Let’s take a look.

A Fonzie-in-your-freezer level of cool design wise is a cracking start, but what really impresses here are all the extras included with this dock. For just under £70 (about the same price as the Phillips Fidelio, another very cool model) you get a programmable FM radio function, a dual alarm that will wake you up at different times (with radio or iPod as you select) depending on the weekday/weekend (I swear I’m not making this up!) and a great set of speakers especially designed for reproducing driving, thumping basslines, which are notorious problems for a great many iPod dock speakers.

Hardware / Design

A large display will tell you the time no matter what state you’re in or how tired you are, but it never feels too big or imposing. The LCD is muted rather than flashy and that old school number display is enough to invoke a full on, quantum level nerd-gasm on anybody old enough to know what an Amstrad is.

I’ll let you in on a little secret; every so often I review something that I would actually buy for myself. Now, I try to be objective about everything I review, judging each product on its merits and criticizing its drawbacks to produce a detailed account for you, the consumer. I don’t usually do this, but right here, right now, I’m telling you that this is one product I would definitely buy for myself. If I were in the market for iPod docks, I’d get this one for the bedroom and a Fidelio for my living room.

One oft-stated drawback that should be addressed is that there is no remote to this thing, but then again, the DC 315 has quite clearly been designed for the bedside table and therefore shouldn’t be much more than a spilled glass of water and a waterlogged copy of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ away from you at any given time.

The sound (you all thought I’d forgotten, didn’t you? For shame, dear reader, for shame) is superb, although it really doesn’t need to be. If it is mainly acting as the soundtrack to early mornings and a few romantic nights in, there is no need to create speakers this good and yet Phillips have done so with aplomb. With aplomb I tell you.

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Tags: iPod Dock, Philips DC315/05 Docking Station Ipod Dock, Docking Station

£67.21

£84.99

£79.99

£89.99

£69.99

£79.99

£79.99

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Product Specifications

Customer Reviews

Honest reviews of the Philips DC315/05 Docking Station Ipod Dock from previous customers

"We have a Bose and a Klipsch dock, but I wanted a cheaper portable dock to use in my office. I have had this for about two years now, and I still love it. The sound is not quite as robust as the Bose, but it also does not sound tinny like many cheap docks do."

Review by Kyle Stanley

"We wanted a cheap iPhone dock that was simple but sounded nice. This fits the bill perfectly. The sound quality is quite nice for the price. Base levels are good and the mids and highs are balanced. We have this in our kitchen and use it when cooking."

Review by Nicole Bryan

"Great product for its price and worthy of a purchase by anyone looking for an Ipod Docking Station that doesn't cost and arm and a leg. This is the one you should look at first. Excellent value!"

Review by Owen Brookes

"It works on various types of Ipods just ensure that you use the different docking inserts that are included inside. Depending on what type of Ipod you have. It works for the Ipod Touch, Ipod Nano (3G Video), Ipod Classic, Ipod (2nd Generation), Ipod (5th Generation) Video and other portable music sources as well."

Review by Henry Bradshaw

See all 43 Customer Reviews

We encourage you to read them prior to making your final purchasing decision.