If there’s something that I’m truly passionate about, it is sound.  Being an audiophile I always demand high quality gear (although I may not always get what I demand).  When I got my first iPod, I was not impressed by the sound and immediately sought ways to hook it up to the big kahuna sound system which would rock the house.  A couple of months back, we told you of Sony’s upcoming RDP-X50iPBLK speaker dock and we finally got our hands on one courtesy of Sony.  So let’s take a look and find out just how good this unit is.  I’d like to also welcome Kawc, a long time reader of JAMM as this will be her first joint review with me.  So let’s get the beats on!

Compatibility: Before we start unboxing everything, just what exactly is this dock compatible with?  Let’s take a look….

The RDP-X50iP is compatible with iPod Nanos, iPhones, iPod Touches, and pretty much anything that uses an iPod dock connector.  In addition, there is also an auxiliary input so it can connect the speaker system to anything that supports a 3.5mm adapter.  The ability to hook up other stuff makes me want to jump for joy as that would also mean I can hook up my iPad which won’t be able to dock even though it has an Apple iPod type connecter.  Now I can watch my Netflix without relying on the dinky iPad speaker system.

What’s in the Box:

• Sony RDP-X50iP Speaker Dock
• A/C Adapter
• Remote Control
• CR2025 Button Battery for Remote
• iPod Plastic Fitters
• 3.5mm to 3.5mm Auxiliary Cable
• Instruction Manual: Which is just a giant folded sheet of paper

A Look Around the Sony RDP-X50iP:

You’ve already seen the front of the unit, so I’ll just turn it to the side.  The left and right sides look identical.

On the back, you’ll notice places for two cords.  The left side is for the Auxiliary and the right side is for Power.

From the top view, we are able to see all the buttons.  The Power Button is on the farthest most left side.  The other buttons in order going from left to right are “Audio In” (determines source of audio whether it be from the dock connector or the auxiliary),  iPod/iPhone playback controls of: Play/Pause, Skip Back, and Skip Forward,  The “Mega Bass” button to toggle bass boost, and finally the volume decrease and volume increase buttons.

Remote Control:  The provided remote control only works when using the Apple dock connector when it comes to playback functions.  Otherwise, it serves to merely adjust the volume of the unit or to toggle the Mega Bass.

Playback:  After plugging the unit to power, playback from the dock with an iPod literally is plug and play.  Just brace the unit and make sure that it goes straight down.  Do not try to wiggle it as it could potentially break off the iPod connector.  For playback of other devices like a Creative Nomad or SanDisk Sansa, hook up the auxiliary cable from the Sony RDP-x50iP to the audio jack of the other non-Apple player and then press the “Audio In” button to switch the input source.  The sound on this device is absolutely incredible!  The basses with the Mega Bass boost is something that your ears can feel – the low rumbles…ooooo.  It is difficult and impossible to convey just how good something can sound via a medium that is written.  But I will say that my ears are content with such quality.  I can now hook up my iPad to watch Netflix movies and enjoy the booms and explosions of the movies.  I notice that the volume can go up quite a bit and is sure to fill a bedroom whether it be mine or the master bedroom totally with sound.

Conclusion (by Kawc):  The Sony RDP-X50iPBLK, a speaker dock for iPod and iPhone, is truly a perfect personal audio docking system that can be used with any audio player (digital or otherwise) that can plug in the universal "audio in" jack.  It serves as a docking and charging station for the iPod and the iPhone (comes with two universal dock adapters for iPhone and iPhone 3G and 3GS) while you enjoy the fabulous rich sound with mega bass feature (you can turn this on or off) and amplifier.  The design is sleek and it looks good practically anywhere.  It is compact, solid, and heavy enough that my cats don’t knock it over even if they tried.  I also enjoy the convenience of the handy wireless remote control powered by a CR2025 button battery that is supposed to last for up to 6 months.   The other feature I really like is it shuts off automatically after 30 minutes of inactivity. I have had it for many weeks now, right on the night stand beside my bed.  I can’t imagine being without it now.  All the other speakers I’ve used, powered or passive, are so inferior it’s not even funny.  Other systems with such a superb sound quality sell for much more so I’d say that this unit is really worth more than its price tag.

The Sony RDP-X50iP has a list price of $199.99 and is available at select fine retailers.