Logitech Z680 5.1 Computer Speakers (5-Speaker, Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have wanted to go digital for long time. My Logitech Z-5300 was an amazing set of speakers, however its lack of digital inputs/outputs isolated its potential to the home PC. Finally, the price of the Logitech Z-680 dropped to an affordable price.
I sold my Z-5300s to another student in my dorm, and purchased the Z-680 from Amazon.com. Amazingly, I received the set within 2 business days via UPS Ground. Needless to say, I am immensely satisfied with Amazon.com.
Thankfully, I had recently purchased a Philips DVP642 player as well, and after reading that the video coaxial RCA cable was the same as the digital audio coaxial, I was all set and ready to go.
So far, I have tested the DVDs Matrix: Revolutions and Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King. I was amazed by the quality of the sound. However, I agreed with the other reviewers that the bass was a bit boomy, especially in Matrix Revolutions. This can be easily remedied by lowering the level of the subwoofer.
When playing my DivX encoded AC3 movies, I saw that changing to Dolby Movie Mode 2 was almost the same as having true Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. It did an excellent job of separating the audio tracks among the voice, music, and sound effects.
Edit 9/25/04: Please read my latest update which explains the difference between Dolby Prologic Decoding and Dolby Digital 5.1. Knowledge is Power!
I have yet to hook my Z-680s to my home PC, but there was very little hiss while my set was hooked up to my DVD player. The hiss was certainly not loud enough to warrant annoyance or disturbance.
Update 9/06/04:
I hooked the system up to my PC via coaxial s/pdif. There is no hiss at all. However, when using the analog connections, there was a very noticeable hiss. I could even hear it 3-4 feet away, which became very irritating.
Trust me, if you buy the Z-680s, do yourself a favor and use the coaxial connection. You won't regret it. I have decided to leave the Z-680s as my personal home theatre system as opposed to hooking them up to my PC.
Last note: the Philips DVP642 is the perfect complement to the Logitech Z-680s. You cannot go wrong with them. Having the two items has been a blast.
Update 9/16/04:
Still loving the Z-680s. I have it hooked up to my suitemate's Xbox, TV, and the Philips DVP 642. Since the Xbox and TV both use analog inputs, I used the handy RCA to 1/8 converter included with the Z-680s. I also purchased a 1/8 splitter. I am considering purchasing the Xbox Advanced AV Pack to utilize the optical connection on the Z-680.
Warning: the subwoofer has become ridiculous...after breaking in the speakers for two weeks, normal levels of bass not only shake my whole 5th floor, but the 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th floors-no kidding! Surprisingly, the 4th and 6th floors received the most impact--those vibrations go a loooong way! Remember, if you buy this unit, keep the bass at 20%, unless you are watching Star Wars...then pump it up!
Update 9/25/04:
There have been claims that Logitech has been falsely advertising their product as having true Dolby Digital 5.1 when allegedly, they only had Dolby Prologic II decoding.
Now, there is a big difference between the two. The Dolby Prologic decoding technology has been around for a looooong time; I can remember it since 1991 when my family purchased our first home audio set. Dolby Prologic takes stereo channels and converts them into a surround sound environment--to good effect, but nonetheless hardly comparable to true Dolby Digital 5.1, a more recent technology which directs its sound with far greater accuracy to all six channels, frequency, clear separation of effects and dialog, and clarity than Dolby Prologic.
I too, became a concerned consumer after hearing these rumors on forums and consumer reviews on Newegg and here on Amazon. My product box did not dictate clearly whether it had one decoder or the other or both, so I decided to call a Logitech technician. Thankfully, the the Z-680s came equipped with the ability to decode both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Prologic II.
So when you are playing a DVD you should see "Dolby Digital" appear on the LCD screen of the Digital SoundTouch Control Center. The Dolby Music/Movie Mode that you see when you are playing mp3s or watching a DivX movie is the Dolby Prologic II decoder at work and works very well to its credit.
In a side note, screw Dolby Digital and stick to DTS, the other digital surround sound option the Logitech Z-680 offers, when playing DVDs if the option is available. I have had a greater experience with DTS 5.1 decoding with the Z-680s in the 10 movies I have watched in comparison to Dolby Digital 5.1. DTS makes great use of the surround sound even in movies such as Zoolander [which otherwise makes very little directional use of the rear speakers]. Even my five suitemates agree that DTS has a richer, fuller sound and because of the variety of DVDs we watch during the weekends, it is difficult to say that we are influenced by placebo. There IS a difference :-).
New Setup:
Analog Input - from T.V. & Playstation 2 with stereo splitter
Optical Digital Input - from Xbox
Coaxial Digital Input- from Philips DVP642 DVD Player
Update 10/05/04:
Here is a brief comparison between Dolby Pro-Logic II and Dolby Digital 5.1 using two selected movies:
Dolby Movie Mode with DivX encoded movie Man on Fire:
Voice/Dialogue - mostly center channel with slight residual sound from front left/right speakers.
Music/Score - Evenly divided among front and rear left/right speakers
Sound Effects - Non-directional, evenly distributed. During the gun fight scene when the girl is kidnapped, Pro-Logic II simulates a surround sound effect of gun-fire, making it multi-directional.
Dolby Digital 5.1 for Man on Fire DVD collector's edition:
Voice/Dialogue - Isolated to center channel
Music/Score - Directional music: fades from front to rear speakers or vice versa, varying from scene to scene.
Sound Effects - Directional. Isolated use of rear speakers from rear left to rear right when cars drive by. During the gun scene mentioned above, distinct sounds of bullets "whizzed by" from front right to rear left speakers.
Dolby Movie Mode with DivX encoded movie Star Wars Phantom Menace:
Voice/Dialogue - mostly center channel with slight residual sound from front left/right speakers.
Music/Score - Evenly divided among front and rear left/right speakers
Sound Effects - Non-directional, evenly distributed. Surround sound lightsaber effects can be overpowering as a "large hum" especially with the Z-680's powerful subwoofer.
Dolby Digital 5.1 for Star Wars Phantom Menace DVD:
Voice/Dialogue - Isolated to center channel except in large rooms, echoes can be heard in surround speakers.
Music/Score - Directional music: fades from front to rear speakers and vice versa varying in scenes.
Sound Effects - Directional. Spaceship travel from rear left to front right. Close-up light saber swings begin from rear left and travel to front left, front right, and ends with the rear right speaker.
Update 10-24-05:
OMG! I finally got AC3 to work-but I don't know how! Well, I was playing the Casshern DVD back-up encoded with XVID and AC3. I didn't expect the AC3 to work, so I set the audio effect to Movie Mode. However, I suddenly was hearing discrete audio from my surround sound channels. Bewildered, I went up and listened closely to the center channel, and then the front left channel. Hmmm, either I was having a really good Prologic decode or this was playing in Dolby Digital! I glanced at my control pod and I couldn't believe my eyes--it stated it was decoding in Dolby Digital! Wow! Now I am going to check on all of my AC3 encodes...this is too cool.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Logitech Z680 5.1 Computer Speakers (5-Speaker, Silver)

The Logitech Z-680 gives you THX-certified theater-quality digital sound. Both optical and coaxial inputs provide for simple connection to nearly any audio appliance, and with the digital SoundTouch control center and the wireless remote, you can sit back, stretch out, and let loose.
The bass pumps through the Z-680's 188-watt subwoofer. Four 62-watt satellites and a 69-watt center channel provide crystal-clear midrange and highs.
The Z-680 includes built-in Dolby Digital and DTS hardware decoding. Connect the Z-680 directly to a PC sound card, Xbox, PlayStation2, DVD player, satellite receiver, or other Dolby-ready source and get true surround sound. You can also get 5.1 surround sound from a stereo input through the advanced Dolby Pro Logic II system. You can also connect up to four audio sources simultaneously, while accessing each one at the touch of a button.

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Corsair Gaming Audio Series SP2500 High-Power 2.1 PC Speaker System (CA-SP211NA) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought these speakers for both PC and Xbox 360 use, as well as music and movies.
Build Quality: Excellent. The subwoofer is made of sturdy wood and weighs a ton. The satellites are a perfect balance of hefty quality plastic and being too light. It has a total of three inputs which is nice. The desktop controller allows you to switch between them all. The free rca and pc cables are a thoughtful touch.
Sound Quality: Excellent. Its amazing how clear and how 3D this 2.1 setup seems. I've been playing Bioshock 2 and the little sisters singing are awesome. In Halo Reach I can hear where the enemy is. Music has great clarity as well as punchiness. My wife's favorite part is the late night setting shifts the base from the subwoofer to the satellites.
Price: 260 is what I paid (with shipping), but that was the week they came out. If they were closer to 215 this would be on everyone's desk. Ultimately, I'd buy them again in a heartbeat.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Corsair Gaming Audio Series SP2500 High-Power 2.1 PC Speaker System (CA-SP211NA)


With the SP2500, Corsair has reinvented the PC speaker system. Get ready to experience a revolution.
The Gaming Audio Series SP2500 is the product of a design philosophy that embraces the importance of clean, detailed audio reproduction -- not just for games, but for movies and music as well. Building a great PC speaker system is more than about giving you room-shaking power. You also need optimal imaging and positional accuracy, and sonic depth and detail. Since you have only one speaker system, you don't want to make compromises. That's why we've created the SP2500.

Product Features

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Boston Acoustics TVee Powered Soundbar Speaker System with Wireless Subwoofer (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Be very clear about this- it is designed to enhance/replace your TV's speakers. It is not a 'virtual' surround bar or a 'surround' system. For me it was perfect. I am trying to keep my room simple. I have the plasma mounted on the wall above the TV. All the components are in the basement controlled via the Next Generation remote extender. I don't want speakers/wires all over the room. But in a big room, the speakers on my TV were terrible. People sounded like they were talking inside a cardboard box. Dialog was tough to hear. I needed something to fix that and this works perfectly.
One nice feature is that it turns on when it senses incoming signal and then turns off a few minutes after you turn off the TV.
The sound is good, almost great. It's plenty loud for my room (16 x 20 living room that opens up to a dining room and 2 story vaulted ceiling). The hookup is simple- TV audio out (or headphone out) to the speaker. Plug it into the wall. Plug the subwoofer into a power outlet and you're done.
I set mine up on the headphone jack and control the volume through the TV. You can set it up to learn your remote in about 5 minutes and control the speaker bar directly with your remote. Very cool. I programmed mine from 12 feet away and it works fine (some reviews posted problems with the remote- most of them programmed up close and then it wouldn't work). But when I mute the internal speakers on my TV I get annoying "Not Available" screens when I use the volume buttons. When it's plugged into the headphone jack the TV still mutes the internal speakers but I get a visual volume bar on the screen. I like having the visual bar.
So between the auto on/off feature, and controlling through the TV, this thing basically works like the internal TV speakers, I don't have to fumble around with yet another remote or reprogram my existing remote.
The bottom line: it sounds MUCH better than the internal speakers. It does what it says it will do.
The cons:
Expensive for a stereo setup, but the simplicity was what I wanted. I looked at a cheaper sony bar but I would have been running wires through walls and the basement. The wireless sub is a great idea and is what sold me. If you don't need wireless, the Sony bar seems to have more inputs including digital, and I think has some equalizer controls. I went for the wireless sub instead.
There's no equalizer, two little bass and treble knobs would go a long way. You could probably get great sound. My TV has a very nice equalizer- but it only affects the internal speakers. I have no way to adjust the soundbar.
The sub starts to respond in the middle ranges which leads to a heavy vocal experience (ie football games) and I have to turn it down to the point where it's almost useless. Good punch for movies and stuff.
If you want a simple sound bar, this is for you. You can probably go cheaper for a wired sub. Not a whole lot of options as far as setup. The remote learning feature is very cool and easy to use.
EDIT: After a while, I noticed the background noises sometimes were louder than the dialoge, esp watching sports. It sounded like the crowd/band/ect were much louder than the announcer. I changed the trim setting on the back to the lowest setting and that has made all the difference. I'm even more pleased with it now. I can turn the sub up a little more to where it should be.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Boston Acoustics TVee Powered Soundbar Speaker System with Wireless Subwoofer (Black)

Boston Acoustics presents the TVee Model Two Soundbar and Wireless Subwoofer. This remarkable new sound system is designed from the ground up to be exceedingly easy to set up and use. It consists of a slim, single soundbar that can be placed above or below a television, or it can be easily mounted on the wall. The matching wireless subwoofer can be placed anywhere in the room to deliver added dynamic bass response. Installing this compact system is fast and easy, allowing you to enjoy fantastic sound wherever your television may be.

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Epson PowerLite Presenter Portable Projector / DVD Player Combo (V11H335120) Review

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(More customer reviews).Epson PowerLite Presenter Portable Projector / DVD Player Combo (V11H335120)
I work in an office where 11 of us live and die by our presentations. We train, distribute information, do planning sessions and communally edit documents. We do this with 14-plus offices in four states.
In one of our 100+ people field review sessions early in 2010, lack of projectors at field sites was identified as a weakness. We also find ourselves short a projector or two in the office because we go all directions with various equipment when we travel.
I'm loving Epson products more and more. I'm sold on their printer usefulness, image and other and quality and buy more of them all the time. In my projector search, I began looking for the smallest, lightest projector around. I found the Powerlite Presenter instead. It plays DVD's, has a built in 10 watt sound system, projects almost as bright as the best projectors on the market, and has a microphone. It also has USB A & B connectors, HDMI for HD cable and satellite TV, HD-DVR, Blu-ray or HD camcorder, RCA jacks and composite video and sound. Comprehensive and impressive. Much bigger than the smallest units on the market but not heavy considering its size.
This is where Silly Me comes in. I imagined that since the machine had a USB A connection, we'd be able to bring along a thumb drive with our PowerPoints and run the presentations directly from the USB. Don't even think about this my presenting brothers and sisters, I've already done it for you. The machine will read only jpeg, MP3, WMA, DivX, MPEG 1/2/3/4 from a USB or external drive. Digital cameras connect easiy. I should have tried my camera on the machine before I wrote this review. I'm taking Tech Support and the documentation's word for it.
On our test run, we popped a training DVD into the machine and it ran great. I'm not sure how much of an audience/room the 10 watt sound system will reach, but it was hurting our ears in 12 x 12 foot conference room at a setting of 6. When I connected the laptop, the projector found it immediately and we had the image on the wall and on the laptop, no Alt-Function key tapping. More sophisticated projector settings like keystone, color, etc. are made using the remote control.
The microphone is six inches long on a six foot cable, an on-off switch and a multi-directional ball at the speaking end. A small clip-on with a longer cable would be excellent. We connected it, used it with the video off. It worked great. It was also able to talk over the video presentation as it played, no feedback as feared. We'll be able to do karaoke on those long nights in very small towns and be the life of the gathering.
The unit has a carrying handle, making it easy to move. The carrying case cradling the unit is a padded nylon case, much like a laptop sleeve. It has a flap on top that velcros shut under the handle and three pockets for supporting cables, etc. One large one across the back and two side pockets. I like carrying documentation with my equipment, so when I have the documentation, microphone, remote control, 10 foot power and 6 foot VGA cables and the USB B cable if I choose to buy and carry one, I've got a pretty large, though light, lumpy, bulging Powerlight Presenter package. It's not what I consider ideal carry on luggage. There are parts to lose externally exposed. If you like the idea of this unit, and fly lots, I'd suggest getting a Pelican or similar case, with plenty of foam space to create cable, mike and remote pockets.
I'm not the brightest light on the string. The quick set-up guide is excellent. Finding the documentation CD in the package, I tried using it. It didn't work. There is an executable and cab file for the documents that did not install. The majority of our computers are secure, and no oaf like me is allowed to run an executable file whenever we please. The laptop I used could have done it. Each projector comes with a Service Card with a phone number and PIN. I'd not registered the unit. When I called the mumber on the card and used the PIN, it did not recognize it and sent me to a tech support number manned by a human being. The serial numbers made of alpha and numeric characters for these units have a circular character that may be an O or a 0. No slashed zero, no "O" squished into a 0. Tech support said they are zeros. Tech support also told me to find the documentation on the web. My little human of unease down in my stomach was beginning to get out of its chair and wave its arms around. The people tech support is fine. Don't count on the materials provided in the packaging.
My little human of unease jumped around as I purchased these units because they are a new to market product with lots of moving parts and connections. And honestly, cheap for the features. I've had a lot of cheap, and not-so-cheap stuff give me lots of problems or fail. Globally, we seem to have forgotten the the word quality exists, substituting "profit" instead. So I ordered these items with 2 year "Fast Turn Depot" extended warranties. I don't need somebody in Remoteville Nevada or Utah with a dead projector two months from now.
I had a room full of people very excited when we played a video with good quality in a bright room and loud sound with microphone voice-over. When we got to playing a PowerPoint from the USB drive and failed, considerable air left our balloon, and we had a good projector with a DVD and sound. We can export PowerPoint 2007 slide shows as JPEGs, so there is still lots of hope that these machines and a thumb drive can be all we need to do our work on the road. To run a PowerPoint or Adobe Acrobat, the projector would need an Operating System and software burned into its tiny brains. Lots more than we can hope for with this kind of machine and price point.
We're going to distribute these machines and used them a lot. Features, slightly light; long-term quality, unknown; carrying case, OK; size and weight in relation to features, very good; ease of use, excellent. As we adapt to our new projectors, I know they will find a useful home with us.
If the link below works, you'll be taken to a page with step-by-step detail and another review.
[...]


Click Here to see more reviews about: Epson PowerLite Presenter Portable Projector / DVD Player Combo (V11H335120)

The ultimate all-in-one, business presentation tool. Make your business shine bright with the Epson PowerLite Presenter. With a built-in DVD player, two 10 W speakers, USB Plug 'n Play instant setup on your PC, HDMI connectivity, and microphone/headphone support, it's got all the tools you need to perform to your potential. WXGA (16:10) resolution means larger-than-life presentations that dazzle on widescreen notebooks, providing 30 percent more image area than standard projectors provide. Experience ultra bright, true-to-life images with 2500 lumens color light output and 2500 lumens white light output, plus an Auto Color Mode feature that automatically selects the optimum presentation setting based on the lighting within the room. With the all-digital HDMI connection, you can display amazing HD video content. Add exciting aspects to any presentation with multiple inputs for things like your camcorder, digital camera, iPod or gaming console. And with USB Plug 'n Play connectivity, just plug in a standard USB cable and instantly view your images on both the screen and your Windows PC, simultaneously. Or, use a USB memory device for convenient, PC-free presentations. With a carrying handle on the projector and an included carrying case and remote control, you can take the show on the road. This affordable, light weight projector/DVD combo, is your all-in-one solution for instant presentations virtually anywhere.

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GenevaSound S HiFi Docking Station with FM and Alarm for iPod/iPhone (Red) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a tech geek gadget freak--I admit it--but I'm also a music fanatic and an audiophile who has worked in the home theater/hifi/consumer electronics industry most of my life, and more importantly I've had the opportunity to listen to literally hundreds of sound systems, big and small, over my career. I do have a great, large, 2-channel audio system in my living room that I use for critical listening, but when bopping around the house I actually prefer to haul my iPhone around in my pocket and use it as a source to stream to wirelessly from my iTunes collection on my computer (told you I was a geek), popping it into iPod docks and minisystems I have placed in each room.
Each of these dock speakers/systems in the house is from a different manufacturer, so I have quite a bit of listening experience with many brands, not only from the units I own or have owned, but also from demos I've done at Apple retail stores and many Consumer Electronics Shows. I'd also like to think I have a pretty discriminating ear, but that's just my opinion.
The GenevaSound S by Swiss company Geneva Lab is hands-down the best iPhone/iPod dock speaker system in its size and price range that I've ever heard. I currently own Klipsch, Bose, Logitech, and Cambridge Soundworks units, and it blows them all away. Surprisingly, the Klipsch iGroove SXT comes closest to the Geneva and that's at half the price (if you're paying full retail). If you need a great sounding iPod speaker dock without a radio or alarm functions it's my solid recommendation. The Bose Sounddock is the product that's most comparably priced to the Geneva S, but based on the sound quality (or lack thereof) I've heard that thing produce I wouldn't take one home if you gave it to me. Plus--no radio, no alarm--it's not even a comparable unit even though it sells at retail for the same price as the Geneva S. The unit I'm replacing with my Geneva, a Bose Wave clock radio/CD player, sounds so bad in comparison that it went right to the trash after I set the Geneva up and listened to it.
First, the sound. Full, decent stereo separation, great low end (for its size anyway), clear highs. It's perfect for a bedroom, which as an alarm clock is what it's designed for, but I wouldn't recommend it for any room larger than that. I think based on the volume level you would need to fill a large room you would probably get some rattle and distortion in the cabinet. But again, it should give you more than enough output in your bedroom, the space for which it was designed.
Also, I've read in some online reviews of the product that the tone controls (separate bass and treble) on the remote control have no audible effect on the sound. I don't agree. While their effect on the sound is definitely more subtle than the tone controls on a full sized home audio system, they did change the sound noticeably when I bumped them up or down.
The looks. It's a stunning-looking unit, and very well designed from an aesthetic aspect. Reminds me somewhat of the Bang & Olufson line a little, but much cleaner and simpler. And definitely sturdier. Based on the weight of the unit and the build quality, I doubt you'll have any reliability issues. I bought the black lacquer version, and it looks as good if not better than advertised. I do have a bit of a beef with the included stand though...not sure why they didn't make it in a color matching the cabinet. The gray metal looks a little cheap holding up the unit, and I imagine it would look equally cheesy with the white and red versions. But despite how the stand detracts from its overall beauty, I would never use the unit without it. You will definitely get better sound from the Geneva if it's raised off of the surface a few inches, plus using it with the stand does give you a little more room on your nightstand.
The features have been detailed pretty thoroughly on the product's Amazon page here, so I won't go over them again. It's a pretty stripped down product, without the number of bells and whistles I would have preferred for the price. Two things I DID like about the Bose Wave's clock radio was the way the alarm would very gradually increase in volume until it reached your preset level, and the way the LED display would dim or brighten automatically based on the light in the room. But hey--the Swiss are known for their minimalism aren't they? And besides, the sound quality is far more important to me than those small innovations.
The unit is far from perfect, in spite of its great sound quality. Here are my quibbles, beefs, and cons:
--The clock. Military time only. Yeah I can do the math in my head after Noon, but c'mon Geneva! It's just a simple 4-digit LED display. How hard would it have been to program the units shipped to the US differently? Not a deal-breaker though.
--The radio. You have to use an old-school, chrome, telescoping metal radio antenna (included) to get any reception whatsoever. There's a good reason you won't see it in any of the product images: it completely ruins the aesthetic of the unit. UGLY. Good thing you can unplug it or retract it when not in use. And even with the ugly antenna plugged in, I still get pretty poor reception no matter which direction I place it in. I live in a densely populated part of the LA metro area too, so my distance from radio towers isn't an issue. My Bose and Cambridge units (both clock radios) do a far better job of radio reception in the exact same location. Also, the GenevaSound S is FM only. But seriously--if you're going to listen to garbage quality AM on your clock radio this unit probably isn't for you. I'm sure you can pick up a hotel-grade radio for $10 or so at your local drug store for that. Overall these radio issues are not deal-breakers for me. I didn't buy a device that plays music this beautifully to listen to FM, and since I use it with my iPhone I have plenty of apps installed that allow me to stream radio anyway, and in much better quality.
--Mode switching. A little bothersome quirk I noticed: when you pull your iPhone/iPod out of the dock, it automatically switches to the FM radio. It wouldn't be such a big deal, except in my case since my FM reception is so horrible it ends up going from music to loud static. Why doesn't it just turn off? Not sure why they designed it that way, but not a good idea in my opinion. Geneva does warn you about this feature in the manual, but that still doesn't excuse it from being a bad idea. Not a deal-breaker, and you may get better FM reception than me so this may not be an issue for you anyway.
--Alarm. Just one alarm. Both of my other clock radios have two, which is great for cohabiting couples. Do all Swiss people sleep alone? I also wish you could listen to one source and wake to another, a feature on my other two clock radios. With the Geneva, it will only wake you to whatever source you were listening to when you fell asleep. I'd prefer to sleep to music and wake to the radio, but no can do. Also not a deal-breaker, but worth noting. If you're an iPhone user like me, I've actually found a workaround for this: turn off the GenevaSound S's alarm completely and use the iPhone's built-in alarm in its Clock app (included with every iPhone). That way you can still fall asleep to the music of your choice and then wake to either one of the iPhone's 25 standard alarm sounds or to one of your ring tones instead of the one GevevaSound S's own unimaginative "beep". Another benefit of my method is that in the unlikely event you lose power at home overnight you'll still be awakened by the alarm on the iPhone played through its own little speaker. Geneva claims in the manual "the clock remains valid for up to 1 hour of power loss." In my experience "up to" usually refers to a best case scenario, so if you work in a critical job that you can not afford to show up late for I'm not sure I'd put my trust in Geneva Labs on this one.
--Sleep timer. Or rather lack thereof. That's right, for some reason Geneva Labs decided to leave off this one simple feature that EVERY CLOCK RADIO I'VE EVER OWNED had. So if you're gonna fall asleep to music you're pretty much gonna have to hear the whole album or playlist. Good use for the iPhone/iPod's "On The Go" playlist feature, by the way. And forget about falling asleep listening to the radio, because it will play all night long AND you'll never wake up to an alarm (remember--the GenevaSound S will only wake you to the last source you had on). This is actually the biggest design flaw I see in the unit, and could be a dealbreaker for some if you use it in the bedroom mostly as a clock radio. It wasn't for me--the unit allows you to play an iPhone/iPod through the dock and another through the Line In simultaneously, so I'm working around this by using my iPhone's built-in alarm while listening to music on a separate iPod through the line input. Did I mention I'm a geek?
But none of these issues are serious enough to make me return the GenevaSound S or replace it, and in the end it's all about the sound quality, which is phenomenal. I've found myself going to bed a little earlier and laying in bed a little later in the morning just to stay in the bedroom and listen to music. It sounds that good.
And in my experience, when an audio product makes you want to listen to music more often you've got a winner on your hands.

Click Here to see more reviews about: GenevaSound S HiFi Docking Station with FM and Alarm for iPod/iPhone (Red)

From the Swiss firm that first introduced luxury audio fidelity for iPod systems comes the new GenevaSound S - bringing great sound, style and simplicity to the bedroom, kitchen, office and more. GenevaSound S sounds better and does more than any single-function iPod dock on the market, some of which cost 30% to almost 100% more. With more features than single-function docks, GenevaSound S includes the new PowerDock connector, new TouchLight controls, and a digital radio tuner with alarm clock. TouchLight controls are invisible until a hand reaches for the cabinet. Not just eye-catching, it offers extensive control of the iPod menu. (Competitors have limited iPod controls.) When the iPod/iPhone is removed, the motorized PowerDock spins closed and the protruding iPod/iPhone 30-pin connector, a sensitive part, disappears into the cabinet, protecting it from damage and dust. GenevaSound S also comes with a table stand, allowing the user the choice of elevating the system, so it takes up less space on a nightstand, a counter or a desk. The digital radio and programmable alarm make it the best-sounding, simplest iPod clock radio ever, a product segment littered with low-fi sound and eyesore design. It's the first with solid stereo sound and fine design lines.

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