Conran Audio Speaker Dock

The basics

We've seen loads of iPod docks recently which do pretty much everything – from playing CDs, to DAB+ radio, to reading your USB memory sticks. The Conran Audio Speaker Dock is the opposite – it's an iPod dock only, eschewing features such as DAB radio in favour of a simplistic design.

The good

One of the things we like the most about the Conran Audio Speaker Dock is the fact there's no need to plug a device in. Sure, there's a hollowed out section on top of the dock for your iPod or iPhone, and we're sure it'll get used, but it's also nice to be able to stream music to the dock from your MacBook and other gadgets using Bluetooth.

The design of the Conran Audio Speaker Dock is also a winner, which is no surprise considering it's been styled by no less than Sir Terence Conran's design studio. It really does take minimalist to the next level, with just the volume dial itself on the side – which also lets you change functions and control your music – to disrupt the flowing lines.

The Conran Audio Speaker Dock also sounds good. The speakers sit below your iPod or iPhone, hidden behind a grill. They're made by audio company Q Acoustics, and although sound quality can't quite match the very best iPod docks and speakers, it sounds surprisingly good for such a small and affordable dock.

The bad

With just the volume control knob to control all aspects of the dock, and no display, the Conran Audio Speaker Dock is more fiddly than most of its rivals. It does come with a remove control as well, which slips into the side of the dock, so it's not really a major issue.

The bottom line

If you're in the market for an iPod dock, and don't care about secondary features such as DAB radio, then the Conran Audio Speaker Dock is well worth a look. It's also a great companion for your MacBook or MacBook Pro, streaming music effortlessly via Bluetooth.