Sony ICF-C1IPMK2 Speaker Ipod Dock
Review: Sony ICF-C1IPMK2 Dock Review
Pros:
Great Sound and Simple Setup.
Usual Sony Quality, Very Sturdy. Nice Looking Device.
Option to Use Radio as Alarm Clock.
Cons:
Clock LED is Extremely Bright.
LCD Panel Cannot be Turned Off.
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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
Yup, it’s another Sony dock with a crappy name. You’d think that Sony could hire a ‘name guy’ for their latest set of products, even if all he did is randomly pick words from a dictionary. I’d far rather buy the ‘Sony Calibrate’, the ‘Sony Fatigued’, the ‘Sony Landmass’ or even, given their penchant for Latin words lately, the Sony ‘Canem’, ‘Infinitum’ or ‘Nauseam’ (OK, so ‘Dog’, ‘Infinity’ and ‘Sick’ are not the best product names ever, but at least I’m trying).
The awkward mouthful of ICF-C1IPMK2 is tough to glean a nickname from, I even considered the ‘M.K’ standing for ‘Mortal Kombat’ (which is a bit more exciting that the other option of ‘Milton Keynes’). Instead, I’ve decided to go with ‘Chipmunk’, look it over quickly and you’ll see why.
OK, so what sort of product is the Sony Chipmunk? Well, it appears to be as solid and well designed as any other Sony product, with stocky bodywork and a fat set of speakers built in to it. It boasts satisfactory speaker power, but really isn’t anything special in that department and steadfastly seems to refuse to be anything other an expensive alarm clock.
The most important part of any iPod dock is the speaker. Without a decent set of speakers, you’re not much better off than those d*ckheads who walk down the street playing crackly, tinny sounding noise on their mobile phones and attempting to dance to it. And you don’t want to be one of them, because once you’re in that club, there’s no getting out of it. They’re like Scientologists in that respect, at once woefully deluded and vaguely sinister.
So yeah, where was I? Right, the speakers.
The speakers on the Sony Chipmunk are not good. They aren’t the worst speakers you’ll ever hear, but they are so not worth the RRP it’s untrue. This is the iPod dock equivalent of Ferrari painting a Morris Minor red and passing it off as ‘The Ferrari Compact’. I love Sony products usually, but their last couple of docks have been complete and utter arse. There’s no nice way to say it.
Hardware / Design
The good news is that the Chipmunk has gone down in price significantly since its release (surprise surprise) and is now available for the much more reasonable price of about £40. The Chipmunk is just about worth £40 of your money, but not much more than that.
The best feature the Chipmunk has is its remote control. It is a tremendous remote that is actually one of the best we’ve seen so far. The remote really allows you direct control over your iPod, to a far greater degree than most other dock remotes.
The design is nice as well, in an era of stick thin, anorexic supermodel looking technology that you secretly worry might blow out of the window like Kate Moss did in that episode of Family Guy, its nice to see a fat lard-ass Peter Griffin looking dock. However, just like fat people who protest that there is some other reason for the flab (outside of burying their face in a family size packet of Wotsits for two weeks at a time), the Chipmunk doesn’t pack any of its excess bulk into quality sound or great extras. It’s just fat.
Conclusion:
This is not a bad dock, to be fair. It does the job and, as a Sony product, you can be sure that it will be reliable. However, there are far better docks around and far cheaper too. It looks quite nice, but if you’re that shallow, as I have said many times before, the Phillips Fidelio is so much cooler looking.
It is a decent iPod dock alarm, useful for waking you up in the morning; it also has a radio function, which is a plus point. Basically, it is an alarm clock, nothing more; if that’s all you want, then by all means, go get one.
£70.65
£79.99
£89.99
£72.99
£99.99
£79.99
NB! Confirm the retailer's price and product information prior to making your purchase.
Product Specifications:
Description
Version
Sony ICF-C1IPMK2 Speaker Ipod Dock
Colour
Black
Dock Power
Power Source
Mains Adapter
Battery Type
/
Batteries Required
/
Charges Ipod When Docked
Yes
Dock Dimensions
Height
30 Centimeters
Width
13 Centimeters
Depth
13 Centimeters
Weight
2.5 Kilograms
Dock Sound
Subwoofer
N
Volume Control
Y
Number of Speakers
2
Dock Features
FM Tuner
Y
DAB Tuner
N
Bluetooth
N
Alarm Clock
Y
LCD Display
Y
Remote Control
Y
Was: £89.99
Now: £70.65
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 Sony ICF-C1IPMK2 Speaker Ipod Dock from previous customers
"I have never written a review before simply because I have not bought anything that knocked my socks off as this product did. Yes you can pay £50 more and get a better sounding unit but for £70 this unit is fantastic."
Review by Zak Rahman
"When my package arrived, i was a bit disapponited with the size, but when i connected the ipod and cranked the volume, i was amazed. Excellent sound quality, bass treble and mids cannot be adjusted, but the sound quality is perfect."
Review by Skye Quinn
"I love these speakers for my iPod Touch! They even passed the test with my hubby, a "sound snob" who finds any crackle or distortion unknown to the majority of man."
Review by Anna Chandler
"I would highly recommend this unit for anyone who is looking for a small, very portable, personal iPod docking station with reasonably good sound qualities."
Review by William McDonald
We encourage you to read them prior to making your final purchasing decision.