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