iLuv iPod dock iL77 review

Not a day goes past without some cringeworthily named iPod accessory turning up at Stuff Towers. The iLuv iL77 might have a mushy moniker, but it’s also one of the better iPod speaker systems.

Luverly looker

The iL77 is sensibly sized to fit on your bedside table. It’s a tidy looker that combines AM and FM radio with iPod docking and a great big display for bleary morning vision.

Playback isn’t bad at all. Midrange is its main talent, but it makes a fair old stab at low frequencies and is thankfully free of the sort of knife-edge trebles that could tear you from your dreams.

Wakey wakey

The alarm/radio clock facility is what you’ll get this for, as there are better iPod docking systems designed purely for playback.

Radio reception is a little hit and miss thanks to the hard-wired aerial, but it does at least have a handy alarm facility, which sets it apart from most of its iPod dock brethren.

And this is really what the iLuv comes down to. If you want a dock with an alarm this is the best out there. If not, take your pick from the Fatman iTube and Scandyna The Dock at the top end, or the iStuff Domino for something cheaper.