Customer Reviews

Sony XDR-S10HDiP HD Radio with Dock for iPod/iPhone

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

Excellent product for something that I wasn't so sure at first. Reading the other reviewer's comments, I was afraid that the giant voltage converter (the "brick") was going to make a lot of noise. But it doesn't and quiet actually. The sound quality was acceptable (the surround sound is a very old feature of Sony, all the way from the 80's). There is an audio in, for your non-iPod gadgetry. It works fine for my iPod Touch and iPod nano (3rd gen). The remote can play playlists. The iTunes tag, a cool feature, is not used often enough by me, since I listen mostly to NPR, not music stations. I do notice the tag light will light up at times (if the station identifies the song at all).

At first I didn't know how to take off the universal dock adapter (supplied), causing a little problem and a nick on the plastic with a sharp surgical blade. There is a little recess at the back of the plastic adapter to take off the whole adapter. The universal adapter does not work for the two iPods I have. And the connector works fine without it.

The reception is generally good for HD Radio. However, I had to use my own radio amplifier to get the best reception. There is a little drop if the signals are not "locked" in (almost like stuttering of human speech, repetitive words here and there if the signals are not strong).

I also like the auto scan feature, reminiscent of most car audio. Other than that, the unit delivers what it promises for a $150 radio. Now there is a 50 bucks off rebate if you buy it right now before the end of Sept 2008. This would bring the price to almost just a $100 for an exceptionally cheap HD radio/ iPod dock charger. Yes, it should work with iPhone 3G, as per other reviewers. And the speakers are shielded, since I can put my Motorola Razor next to it without any problem. No buzzing sound!

Highly recommended for its price (to get the rebate of course). The remote is not lighted, but nobody is going to fault it for its generic design. Have not tested the alarm system, but do NOT think that it is going to be a real alarm clock for you in the morning. There is no Snooze button. Having used a few times of its alarm function, I can tell you that it is better to use your cell phone (like my Razor, which has a snooze button). This is not a real alarm clock. It will wake you up, but not for a lazy guy who hopes to hit the snooze a few times.

Buy this only if 1. you need an ipod charger, compatible with 3G iPhone (my girlfriend's does work!); there are cheaper HD radios out there 2. cannot live without HD radio's promise of multi-cast, like digital TV. Local NPR and classical stations have mutli-cast features, which are very nice. 3. Beautiful black design, which complements any decor. I always like Sony's look and built. Look expensive! 4. Awesome adaptation as a wifi radio, if you happen to own an iPod touch with wifi connection. I listen to Pandora and AOL radio on the net, using this unit.

Don't buy this if you 1. expect HD radio exceeds your audio expectations and needs. The quality of HD radio is not that much better. My stereo system pumps out excellent analog radio sounds, similar to this unit 2. expect this to replace a real clock radio. No snooze button. 3. no audio outs or a headphone jack. Why???!!! Every radio needs an audio out. But this doesn't.

I bought this Sony HD Radio because I was impatient to get the iTunes tagging feature; after thoroughly testing the device, here's my feedback.


First let's start with the Pros:

- Good Sound, Treble are clear and the bass are decent for a radio of this size. The Surround feature brings a spatial sound that helps to overcome the small size of the speakers.

- Nice display: the LCD is bright and easy to read especially with HD Radios that broadcasts a lot of information like the show title, song title and their name.

Now let's get to the cons and there are a lot:

- The AC supply is external, heavy and connected to the Radio. I mean there's no way to unplug the AC power cord from the radio, its sealed.

- Even worse, the AC supply produces a very audible buzz when connected to the electrical outlet. I tried several different outlets with or without an RFI filter, the sound was still there and it can be very annoying when the radio is Off.

- No Audio output, only an Audio Input.
You can't connect the Radio to any external output source like your HIFI Sound System or your PC. I guess that Sony is afraid that the digital Radio will be another source of music piracy which is silly. Music broadcasts on HD Radios is not HD but only digital with a low bitrate in addition to all the jingles that will color your songs.

- Radio Sensitivity is average even with regular FM radios.
I compared the reception with another Sony regular FM radio and despite the supplied FM dipole antenna, the reception is average.

- HD Lock is instable when the reception is average:
HD Radio stations broadcasting their signals along with the regular analog ones. If the HD reception is borderline, your radio may be continuously switching between the two signals. And when you realize that HD signals are delayed from the analog signals, you will realize that it is impossible to listen to the radio station in such conditions.
Sony could have added a manual control to force either HD or analog reception.

- iTunes tagging is not efficient
Over the 10 songs that I tried to tag from 10 different radio stations, only 5 where correctly identified by iTunes. The reason; not all the radio stations send correctly the song tag information even if the Tag indicator is light.

- No Memory: Every setting including the presets are erased when you unplug the Radio from the electrical outlet, even for a second.

I honestly think that Sony could have done a better job in designing this radio. The most annoying thing for me is the buzz of the AC supply. It's an irony; having an HD radio with a nice sound ruined by the buzz of a bad designed AC supply...

I just bought this and I also own the older Sony XDR-S3HD HD Radio by Sony.

I bought HD because I can't get reception for NPR in my kitchen and HD works great. I like this one because it is sleeker, smaller and black (although I don't think it sounds as good as the S3HD - but I like the sound just fine)

The Ipod/iphone integration is SOLID - flawless so far - remote control of playlists, song searching, volume, etc. I have an IPod Mini 6GB and an IPhone 3G and I Pod 30 GB (2007 model) and it works perfectly with all three - including charging all three, etc... WHen I get a call on the Iphone while it is docked (and playing), the music mutes and the phone ringer comes through the Sony speakers - nice details.

THe footprint is small and I was already a fan of the HD radio - menus are intuitive, has sleep function, works easily and reliably...

The only thing is that it only came with only one ipod "tray" attachment (I think for the iphone) so the ipods don't seem to rest in the tray very securely (mostly on the weight is on the jack - which probably isn't good in the long run), otherwise, I'm happy after 4 hours with it.

I was very excited to find a Sony clock radio with iPod functionality. As an added bonus (I thought) was that it had HD radio reception, too.

It does sound great. In my part of the country I needed to add an external $25 Terk antenna to pick up any FM stations. The only HD station I get is npr, which always came in clear as a bell with a clear sound without the HD signal.

Imagine my surprise when I couldn't find the snooze bar!! I purchased it to take the place of my Boston Acoustics clock radio, which didn't have the capability to dock my iPod. The BA radio has a tremendous sound quality as well.

I have to agree with other reviewers that if the power goes out (like it did last night), it's time to search for the manual to reprogram all the settings. Sony could've added a battery compartment (like the Boston Acoustic) to retain the settings.

All in all, I wished I hadn't been tempted by the HD feature and picked up the Boston Acoustic Duo-i. I'm thinking of peddling this on E-Bay or just keeping it for a table top radio in the kitchen or computer room. Perhaps the number of HD radio stations in my area will grow in number in the near future.

If you're looking for a clock radio with iPod docking, I could not recommend the SonyXDR-S10HDiP - I'm fearful that you'll be as disappointed as I was. I suggest you look at the Boston Acoustics version. Boston Acoustics HDUOIMDNT Horizon Duo-I System For Ipod(R) With Am/Fm Radio (Midnight). Cheers

This radio does all it promises. I thought I had good FM radio reception, but in the morning, after listening to this for a while, I get in my car and realize how much my ear has been compensating for the static. HD is crystal clear. And with the "T" antenna taped to the back of my headboard, I can pull in 40 HD stations--to include one FM station I really like but can't get any other way because of its weak signal. It also works great with my ipod, including well-integrated remote control of its functions. And I haven't noticed any noise at all coming from the power supply (which, thanks to its long cord, I have safely tucked out of view). Complaints: I use the alarm to wake up, and I have no need for a snooze function, but if I did, I wouldn't find it here. The display is too bright on all but its dimmest setting, but that's easy to fix (choose a different setting). And the biggest one, which is about HD in general: this radio isn't cheap. And to have HD radio in every room, you would need several of them. You have to wonder whether internet radio won't replace it. So is it worth it? The ipod dock and the end-table sized radio with high quality sound are worth something (but probably not this much). But I wanted this specifically to receive one particular station through HD. And so I was willing to pay extra for it. And so, to me, the 40 extra HD stations and improved sound quality are unexpected bonuses that make me happy about this purchase.

HD RADIO: This is my first HD Radio experience, and it is positive. After plugging in the power, arranging the FM dipole antenna into a "T" on the wall and plugging in the antenna, and going to "HD Scan" on the remote, I was able to find over 20 HD channels that were clear and held their signal at full strength. I like seeing the artist, song title and radio station as well as the frequency. The display can scroll the information, too -- there are multiple display settings. The display's brightness is adjustable so it can be at your bedside and not put a blue glare in your face. I haven't tried tagging yet, but my iPhone has Shazam, so I don't need tagging anyway.

IPHONE DOCK: When I put the plastic iPhone 3G adaptor in and plugged in the iPhone, the remote moved through the screens and I could select artists or songs -- whatever content was on the ipod -- and play, pause, advance or replay them. Very cool feature, and it charges the iPhone too.

SOUND: It's a warm, clear sound whether it's on HD Radio or iPhone. I didn't have to fidget with bass or treble -- it's a great quality sound out of the box.

REMOTE: It does everything. It sets the alarm, presets stations, plays the iPhone. No complaints.

CLOCK/ALARM: You can wake up to a song on your iPhone or the radio or a buzzer. Enough said.

PRICE: This is why it's not 5 stars. $160 including tax on Amazon is A LOT for a clock radio. But it does two things that I didn't have equipment for before (HD Radio and iPhone dock), so if you have an itch for those two things, this scratches it.

This is my 2nd attempt at buying an ipod dock.

This review is to just point out one thing that I missed but you may already know. This unit has a FAN! The FAN is on whenever the unit is on. It's not particularly loud, but it's also not silent and can be pretty distracting!

A fan in these kind of audio devices, especially a clock radio that's mean to be used in the bedroom, is just not acceptable!! We all know what happens to fans, they become louder and louder and breaks down eventually (sooner than you think it would, trust me. I have 2 computer devices failed because the fan failed in one way or another). Audio devices needs to be silent, period.

The power brick also emits a humming noise, although you have to listen closely for it. If you stand up and it's on the floor, you probably won't hear it. But I imagine it can be easily heard in the night if it's in your bedroom.

Other than the above 2 fatal flaws, the unit is pretty nice. Sound quality is quite good, the FM tuner is good, and the controls are fine. The antenna input is a standard F-type connector, so you can use your own antenna if you want.

I end up getting the cheaper Sony ICF-C1IPMK2 which I am very very happy about. I'll put up a review shortly.

I have a later production model of this radio. I have not found the power supply to hum at all (another reviewer found it to be a problem). My major listening is to AM HD radio stations such as WLW in Cincinnati and WOSU (NPR News and Talk) in Columbus, OH. I live about 60 miles from Columbus and about 35 miles from Cincinnati. This radio pulls in both signals perfectly in AM HD using the supplied AM antenna. I also have had good luck pulling in WBBM-AM (780 kHz) in Chicago in HD at 10 PM at night with this radio and a good AM loop antenna.

I also have a Yamaha receiver with HD radio and a Ford car radio with HD. This radio out-performs them both as far as pulling in distant HD stations.

Simply put this is the best tabletop radio I've ever owned. I purchased it to use it in my home office to listen to news in the morning and music in the afternoon. The reception is outstanding and the sound quality is fantastic. I'm amazed at the difference in clarity between HD radio and regular FM and I love the iTunes tagging / iPod integration. This thing can fill a small to mid size room with high quality sound at a respectable volume.

I'm continually impressed by how much good sound this little thing puts out. By no means is this product a substitute for a full component stereo system, nor is it well suited to serve as an alarm clock (as other reviewers have pointed out), however this product does exactly what Sony designed it to do and that is function as a high quality tabletop radio that competes with similar offerings from Bose (i.e. Wave Radio), Tivoli, etc.

I should have paid closer attention to the not-so-good features highlighted in reviews! I wanted a piece of consumer-friendly electronics and did NOT get it! The lack of a battery back-up is haunting me! The unit was meant to be for a visitor bedroom. However, I cannot expose my people to this piece of customer-UNfriendly electronics! Older visitors need a magnifying glass for the remote. The display can be dimmed but is still way too bright for some. I moved the unit around to check out what it sounds like in different rooms and locations. Did not expect the re-setting of the clock and the preset channels to be so cumbersome!!! If you live in an area with occasional power outages, do NOT buy this unit.
I found out my iPod touch,about a year old, does NOT fit on the unit since (I was told) Apple from time to time changes the nymber of pins. Crazy! So,before you consider this radio, make a physical check with your Apple gizmo for compatibility!!! You still could connect the iPod to the audio in on the back of the unit but you would not be able to use the remote (in my opinion; I have given up checking this useless untit out thoroughly). I was shocked about the size and weight of the "power supply". From a WW I battleship or tank?

Once you get the unit set up:
As mentioned above, the remote sucks (too tiny, not readable in dim light).
With the unit close by, say on your desk, the sound quality is good and the "surround" effect is amazing. BUT: step a couple or three yards away, and the surround effect becomes distorted, blurry, annoying. Anyway, I had to disengage it. And the HD effect? Not a noticeable beneficial feature in my home with my ears.