The Boston Duo-i is not just another alarm clock radio for the iPod: it comes with a lot of extra features that make it a good addition to your bedroom.

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The first thing we noticed after taking the Duo-i out of the box is how it looks similar to Logitech’s Squeezebox Boom. Depending where you will put the Duo-i, it may take up either a huge chunk or a small part of your desk. It measures 140x327x203mm, with the display and panel controls found up front.

The front panel control consists of three knobs (power and volume, mode, and tune), two alarm buttons, and five station preset buttons. A 3.5mm AUX jack and headphone jack are also located up front for easy access. Users can find an AC port, a video out jack, an FM antennae input, an RCA input (AUX 2) port, an RCA output port, and an output fixed/variable switch at the back of the unit.

The Duo-i is supplied with seven docking adapters for use with the iPod dock located on top of the system. We got surprised after finding out that there was no snooze button on top of the unit. Apparently, the ‘button’ we were looking for is actually the outer metal rim around the Duo-i: touching it while the alarm sounds delays the alarm for ten minutes.

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The unit is simple to use: pressing the middle knob turns the unit on/off (turning it increases or decreases the volume), pressing the mode button changes the mode to FM1, FM2, AM, AUX 1, AUX 2, and iPod (turning it allows a user to adjust the brightness, bass, and treble, as well as adjust the alarm and clock settings), and pressing the tune button automatically scans to the next station (turning it will allow a user to manually scan stations). Storing favourite stations only requires a user to press one of the five preset buttons for a couple of seconds until a beeping sound is heard.

The unit supports the iPod (4th, 5th, and classic), iPod nano (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation), and even the iPod touch. It can play videos stored on the iPod using the video out port, although users must remember to turn on the iPod’s TV output. We played music from artists like Justin Timberlake, Daft Punk, Kings Of Leon, and INXS to test the unit’s sound quality. The unit was able to deliver the lows and with ease, although highs were not as prevalent and clear. Adjusting the bass and treble gave us the ability to customise how the unit sounds, resulting to a good box for any audio track. In addition, the 3.5-inch speakers were able to pump out music at high volumes without distorting, making it good for indoor or outdoor parties.

The included remote allows a user to instantly switch from AM/FM to the iPod or AUX mode with a single touch of the button. The only problem is that the remote cannot access the main menu of the iPod, forcing users to manually change the playlist every time.

If you have enough room on your desk and want an iPod docking station that is packed with features, then the Boston Acoustics Horizon Duo-i is for you. It will have an RRP of $499 and will be available by the end of this year.

See page over for product specifications and pricing.

Boston Acoustics Horizon Duo-i features:

– Precision AM/FM tuner
– Dual high performance 3 1/2 -inch full-range speakers
– Basstrac audio processing for clean bass at all listening levels
– 2 Auxiliary inputs for additional media players
– Line and stereo headphone outputs
– High contrast display
– 10 FM and 5 AM station presets
– Dual independent alarm clock with sleep timer
– 360-degree snooze bar
– Time and settings are saved (no battery required)
– Remote control
– Dimensions: 140x327x203mm

Boston Acoustics Horizon Duo-i |$499 |  | www.hifivideomarketing.com.au

For: Great sound; Built-in AM/FM; Two AUX ports; Headphone jack; Video out; Easy to use and set-up
Against: A bit big for a stereo alarm clock; No advanced iPod controls on the remote
Conclusion: An ace of a product from Boston Acoustics.