TrulyObscure

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Who doesn’t like an iPod dock? Perfect for parties, easy recharging of your MP3 player, good sound. But so many docks leave out features- they lack good radio reception, or can’t play CDs, or don’t have good controls.

Luckily, there’s the Cambridge Soundworks i765. With more capabilities than you can shake a stick at, it lacks only true support for the iPhone and HD radio. But it can do just about everything else, and pretty well, making it the best dock we’ve used- it even handles DVD video playback and MP3 CDs, as the unit can actually work as a replacement mini-home stereo with it’s video-out options.

For starters, it’s fairly large- the largest dock we’ve tried. The i765 is more of a super-dock or mini-home theatre in a box, but the size means that it also delivers the best bass of any iPod-related device we’ve used, and is capable of delivering it at unreasonably loud volumes. It can fill a mid-size room with ease, though you won’t get the channel separation or surround sound of a true multi-speaker system.

The unit is also highly adjustable, with individual control of treble and bass, and a handy remote that makes everything fairly easy to use. There are even dual alarm settings, with decent alarm options (though no weekday or weekend settings) and a wonderfully large LCD display. If you don’t own an iPod, you can use the line-in for other devices, and the built-in radio offers excellent reception. There is even support for Radio Data Service information, which can be quite handy. The shielded speakers, large mute/snooze button, and connectivity were good, even if the DVD playback suffered a bit on our test discs.

All in all, the i765 performed better than expected in most areas, with all newer iPod models. We had some issues with the remote, and really wish that it had ethernet connectivity for network playback. But those are minor issues- anyone in the market for a large, multi-function dock would do well to consider the Cambridge Soundworks i765. With the recent drop in price from $500 to $300, it’s a pretty good deal as well.

Available directly from their site (or grab an open-box unit for a bit less)- and they offer free shipping as well.

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