Philips Ds3000 Fidelio iPod Docking Station

We have written about the great sound and stylish design of the Philips Fidelio DS9000 speaker dock before, well get ready to meet the little brother - Philips DS3000/05 Fidelio. Design and features For those that find the DS9000 too big or too expensive, the DS3000 might be the perfect compromise. It is keeping with the same design principles and style, making it stand out from the otherwise crowded iPod speaker dock market. In many ways it looks a bit like a donut that you could sit on, but a very upscale and posh one. Another feature it shares with its big brother is the smartly designed spring-loaded docking port, which means that you don’t have to worry about any dock adaptors etc. or to have to take your iPod / iPhone out of its protective casing before docking it to play your music. The Philips DS3000/05 Fidelio iPhone speakers is also compatible with most iPods and the iPhone. For true portability we are also glad to hear that the DS3000/05 can run either on AC power or on battery, with an expected operating time of 8 hours on battery. It also got its own app in the iTunes App Store which brings with it its own sets of features, including easily browse and play your music, control the speakers acoustic properties, checking battery levels when operating on battery power, and an alarm clock feature which includes multiple music and sounds of nature alarms. Sound experience The Philips DS3000/05 Fidelio comes with Dynamic Bass Boost (DBB) technology from Philips, which improves the listening experience by automatically adjusting the bass levels with the range of volume setting. For example it counteracts the issue of normally losing bottom end bass frequencies at low volume for a more consistent sound experience. The output power of the speakers are 8 W so don’t expect it to pack the same punch as the DS9000, but it does sound good for its size and price. Overall Based on the style, design, and sound experience, combined with the price class it is in, the Philips DS3000/05 Fidelio is a good purchase for those looking for a small bedroom speaker dock, or perhaps something to take with them on holiday, or to their new student accomodation. Personally i find it too small in sound for use in a living room for example, or where looking for the richness of sound that you get from a more high-end speaker dock like the DS9000. The Philips DS3000/05 is available from amongst other Amazon UK for $96. Specifications * iPod and iPhone compatible * USB 2.0 PC link * Aux in * spring loaded dock connector * 8 hours of battery operating time * Size - 210 x 150 x 135mm * Dynamic Bass Boost * Own compatible app for use on iPhone and iPod Touch * 8 W output power (RMS)