In this post I will offer some advice for purchasing an iPod dock. It is quite obvious that many manufacturers have started to tap into the profitable market of iPod accessories just by looking at the flood of models that are available now. However, not all of the docks are worth their price tag. You probably won’t need some of the features that are available in some of the more expensive docks. But let’s start at the beginning and look at some of the more basic docks first.
The most basic type of dock is an iPod charger. This type of dock replaces the USB cable that is bundled with the iPod and does noting else than charge the iPod or iPhone. A docking station is more convenient than a cable and has less clutter. Also, most charger docks can charge an iPod or iPhone much faster than a charge cable. The maximum charge current is 1 Amp which is only supported by special docks. USB ports are not designed to offer such large current.
In addition to charging an iPod, speaker docks add a pair of speakers and can stream music from an iPod. These docks are amongst the most popular type of dock since they greatly improve the sound quality over the built-in iPod speakers. They come in a broad price range starting at less than $20 and the most expensive models costing as much as $1000. However, expensive is not always better. Always do a listening test to evaluate the dock’s performance for yourself. Then you can decide whether it is worth spending the extra money over a less expensive model.
Some of the more expensive docks add more functionality such as wireless streaming or video streaming. Video docks have just started to emerge recently and can display the video from an iPod on a TV. These docks are a great way to enjoy content stored on an iPod on the big screen. In addition to docks that stand on a table, there are also docks available which are tiny and plug into the docking connector to wirelessly stream audio to special receivers. These transmitter docks are a great way to allow several people to listen to music over headphones.
