iHome Audio iH5 clock radio

Despite a few minor flaws and the lack of an included remote, the iHome iH5 is a unique and compelling product. Although none of its individual parts--iPod dock, speaker system, radio, or alarm clock--stands out when compared to more expensive standalone products, each provides surprisingly good performance, especially considering the eminently reasonable price of the system as a whole. Consider this: Apple charges $40 for a charging/syncing dock for full-size and mini iPods. For $60 more, you lose the ability to sync, but you gain a desktop speaker system that offers better sound quality than many similar-size (but more expensive) speakers; a good AM/FM radio; and an alarm clock with most of the features a typical person will need--all wrapped up in a compact and attractive package. Highly recommended.

--Dan Frakes