Boston Acoustics iDS2

We’ve lost count of the number of times we mention simplicity when it comes to reviews. It’s one of the things that we enjoy the most about technology; when your life is enhanced by the simplicity with which something works. Sadly, Boston Acoustics has taken this to the extreme with its iDS2 speaker system. It’s very nice looking, packs a powerful audio punch with 30-watts of dynamic output and will even let you connect the system to iTunes with a USB. But what it doesn’t do that it really should is let you have full control of your iPod. There are just two buttons on the top of the system for volume, and the rest is left to the remote. ‘Oh, the remote will let you control everything then,’ we hear you say. Nope. Not at all. The remote lets you control the volume, play and pause, and then it will let you skip through tracks forward and back. That’s it. In the year 2009 this really isn’t good enough. With iPods containing not only playlists but Genius playlists and the option to browse by artist or album, it’s essential that users have the ability to do this without actually touching the iPod while its docked. Otherwise you’d just run a lead into the input jack of a much older stereo. This is such a shame because the sound quality on this dock is extremely good and it’s very good looking too. Sadly it’s just a bit too bare and simple for our tastes.

Price: £150