Sony SRSGU10IP 2 Ch iPod & iPhone Dock
Review: Sony SRSGU10IP 2 Dock Review
Pros:
Excellent Budget Stereo.
Excellent Sound From a Small Device.
Fantastic Bass Response.
Cons:
No Alarm Clock / Radio.
Not Portable, Must be Plugged Into Mains.
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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
Anyone who follows my reviews with any regularity at all will know that I hate products named with a wordless alphanumeric jumble, so for this reason at least, it pains me to introduce you to the Sony SRSGU10IP 2 Ch.
I know, right? Try placing an order for that one when you’ve had a few.
Anyway, after careful deliberation, I’ve decided to call this product ‘SURSGUP’ for the remainder of this review, which, I’ll admit, does sound like a hurtful nickname given to a dyslexic Pokemon, but it was either that or ‘Spanky’ so I thought I’d go with SURSGUP, just to be nice.
Ugly name aside, this is actually a lovely looking dock, with a ‘piano black’ wooden speaker box and an extended stand out front for the iPod or whatever to sit upon. You really get the feeling that your iPod is being displayed with this model and the wooden speaker casing adds a little touch of class that you don’t always see in dock design. It looks simple, elegant and classy.
Unfortunately for SURSGUP, it comes with an awful lot of drawbacks. With only 20W of speaker output, this really isn’t the best speaker around, not by a long shot. It certainly isn’t even close to being the best speaker in its price range, either. I would recommend it as a good travel model, but it ways over 2KG and is therefore far too heavy to go anywhere with you.
In addition to that, the iPod being so far in front of the device is therefore unsupported by the device itself. A typical feature of iPod docks has the device rested against the plastic part of the speakers (or somewhere else out of harm’s way). To me, this thing just doesn’t seem sturdy or practical.
Yeah, it looks nice, but the asking price puts it £5 or so away from gorgeously designed, top-level performers like the Phillips Fidelio or the DC315 and that, to put it simply, detracts from the only plus point I can find for this one.
Hardware / Design
SURSGUP is a one-note product. It has an interesting design that I like the look of, but even then I worry about its practicality and the safety of the iPod connected to it.
The nice polished wood exterior hides a speaker system that will work fine, but simply isn’t worth the £60 - £65 asking price (though the RRP upon release was a ridiculous £89!). Especially so when you can get a GEAR4 HouseParty dock (the app-less version) for about £40 and still have 10W more speaker power as well as an extra £25 in your back pocket.
There’s a SURSGUP on sale via Amazon for £19.99. It is being privately sold, but if you can get SURSGUP for that price, then by all means do so. You’ll be getting a pretty good deal.
Conclusion:
This isn’t quite a master class in the art of ‘how not to build an iPod dock’, but more of a basic design failure. It looks good on paper, but clearly costs far too much to manufacture. Thus we find cost cutting measures all over the place that damage the overall quality of the product. These cutbacks appear to have everything to do with putting a piano black casing around the speakers and nothing whatsoever to do with keeping the price below the £50 mark, where, in my opinion at least, it belongs. At the end of the day, you’re paying extra for a wooden case.
Not a great speaker either, not very many extras and a design job that takes up extra space needlessly. To be honest, I can’t say very many good things about this product. It’s not horrible, but it’s just not worth £65.
When mid range models are beating it by a third as much speaker output and asking price, you’ve got a definite loser on your hands.
£64.99
£69.99
£64.99
£69.99
£79.99
£80.99
NB! Confirm the retailer's price and product information prior to making your purchase.
Product Specifications:
Description
Version
Sony SRSGU10IP 2 Ch iPod & iPhone Dock
Colour
Black
Dock Power
Power Source
Mains Adapter
Battery Type
/
Batteries Required
/
Charges Ipod When Docked
Yes
Dock Dimensions
Height
22 Centimeters
Width
37 Centimeters
Depth
25 Centimeters
Weight
3 Kilograms
Dock Sound
Subwoofer
N
Volume Control
Y
Number of Speakers
2
Dock Features
FM Tuner
N
DAB Tuner
N
Bluetooth
N
Alarm Clock
N
LCD Display
N
Remote Control
Y
Was: £89.99
Now: £64.99
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 Sony SRSGU10IP 2 Ch iPod & iPhone Dock from previous customers
"I was looking for something cheap to listen to podcasts while I was working in the garage. This thing plays loudly with no apparent distortion."
Review by Shannon Holt
"These speakers have great sound for their size. If you're looking to spend this amount on speakers, then they are great."
Review by Logan Bishop
"This is exactly what I was looking for. I wanted something small, w/ good sound and portable. This docking station delivers. The sound quality is great considering how small it is."
Review by Michael Martin
"Very well designed with digital volume control. Of course to much of anything is bad, so if you decide to turn it all the way up, you may blow the speakers!"
Review by Benjamin Craig
We encourage you to read them prior to making your final purchasing decision.