Take a closer look at the Sony RDP-XF100iP, a portable, rechargeable speaker dock created for the Apple iPod and iPhone.
Donald Bell
Donald Bell has spent more than five years as a CNET senior editor, reviewing everything from MP3 players to the first three generations of the Apple iPad. He currently devotes his time to producing How To content for CNET, as well as weekly episodes of CNET's Top 5 video series.
The Sony RDP-XF100iP speaker dock delivers impressively powerful sound given its portable size; comes with a useful remote control and FM radio.
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A traditional scooped universal iPod/iPhone dock cantilevers out from the front, which can be flipped up and out of the way when it isn't needed.
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A small, recessed handle on the back helps with portability and also acts as a ported woofer. Below the handle you'll find the expected sockets for a 3.5mm aux input and a power adapter.
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The back of the RDP-XF100iP is surprisingly bulky for a portable speaker system, compared with recent offerings from Altec Lansing and Logitech. If you're looking for loud, deep sound, though, it's easy to forgive the speaker's heft and thickness.
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The port on the back also acts as a convenient handle.
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Across the top edge of the speaker you'll find an illuminated power button sitting alone on the left, as well as 11 additional buttons. Eight of those 11 buttons are grouped around the center, offering a mix of track control, radio tuning, system menu control, and radio preset skipping.
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Another little feature we're happy with is the inclusion of a remote control. The remote has all the functionality found on the top of the RDP-XF100iP, and actually responds a little faster than the button controls. The range of the IR remote isn't great, but you can expect the typical 15- to 20-foot range.
