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CNET editors' rating:
3.0 stars
Good
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Product summary
The good: Docking station controls iPod transport functions; includes remote control; TV-based menus for browsing music; iPod-inspired styling; charges your iPod's battery when docked; video output for video and music display; Remote Interactive connector for control compatibility with Onkyo receivers.
The bad: Onscreen menus don't work with videos and photos; no S-Video output; doesn't work with early-generation iPods that lack a dock connector; nonintuitive remote layout; somewhat pricey.
The bottom line: The Onkyo DS-A2 adds TV-based menus and remote control access to the iPod.
Price range: $89.97
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 11/01/2006
Aesthetically, the DS-A2's glossy black finish is geared to match a black iPod. The base is round, with a rectangular enclosure in back that houses the jacks. Behind the cradle, there's an adjustable disc that can tighten so iPods of any size fit snugly. The DS-A2 is compatible with all dock-equipped iPods from the third generation and newer, including iPod Mini, iPod Nano, and video-enabled iPod models--just be sure you've upgraded the music player to the latest firmware. There are no buttons anywhere on the dock, but that makes sense as you can always use the controls on the iPod if it's within reach.
The included remote is small but thicker than the usual credit-card-style clickers, and we thought the extra size made it more comfortable to hold. The biggest annoyance we found is that the Select button is not located in the middle of the directional pad. This is particularly annoying when you're using the onscreen interface to navigate your iPod--we intuitively kept hitting the middle button and were wondering why the remote wasn't working. Thankfully, if you've connected the DS-A2 to an Onkyo receiver or an HTIB with a Remote Interactive port, you can ditch the small remote and use your receiver's clicker to navigate the menus. We had the Onkyo TX-SR674 on hand and definitely preferred using its remote--besides being full size, the enter button in the middle of the directional pad could be used as a select button, which is exactly what we wanted on the DS-A2 remote.
Connectivity is simple--there's a pair of analog RCA outputs for audio; a composite-video output for video, photos, and onscreen menus; and the Remote Interactive jack for connecting to other Onkyo equipment. The composite-video output is actually a downgrade from the older DS-A1 model, which featured an S-Video out. We're not sure why Onkyo decided to go with this lower-quality connection, especially given the fact that Apple has been amping up the available video content for the iPod with even more TV shows, plus full-length movies. There's no digital output, but that's not a knock, since no other iPod dock has a digital out either. It would've been nice if the Onkyo offered the single-cable connector found on the Yamaha YDS-10 iPod dock, but unlike the Onkyo, which will connect to anything with A/V inputs, the Yamaha interfaces only with compatible Yamaha products via their shared proprietary connection.
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Onkyo DS-A2:
