DMP-P6

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Sanyo's DMP-P6 clock radio offers all the features you'd expect from a simple radio alarm clock, as well as the ability to connect an iPod for charging and music playback. Unfortunately, music browsing using the inbuilt buttons is not possible, and the speakers are mediocre.

Pros

  • iPod charging and playback, high-visibility screen

Cons

  • Mediocre sound quality, no complex access for iPod

Bottom Line

A competent clock radio with the added bonus of iPod playback, but with limited usability and cheap speakers.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 129.00 (AUD)

The radio has a pleasant blue backlit LCD and silver accents on a white body. Using the standard buttons on the top of the device, it can switch between AM/FM radio, the iPod dock, and an auxiliary 3.5mm input. The radio function has the ability to store 10 presets per band, while reception was good when using the inbuilt FM antenna. However, there is no way to easily return to a preset station, with it being necessary to cycle through all stored presets.

The speakers of the clock radio aren't fantastic. There is just enough mid-bass to disguise the tinny sound common to clock radio speakers, but the unit lacks both higher treble notes and any lower bass at all. While the unit is suitable as a bedroom system, listening for long periods of time would expose the lacking sound quality. Further to this, using any bass enhancement from external devices like iPods can cause speaker distortion.

As well as the standard alarm clock and radio features, the device offers an iPod dock connector on the top of the unit, as well as a 3.5mm auxiliary connector. We found that there was no way to access the auxiliary input if an iPod was plugged in, which makes the device somewhat complicated to use if you want to switch between an iPod and an external connection like another MP3 player.

iPod connectivity allows for the unit to be charged as well as providing playback. The easy access is useful, however, the radio's ability to control the iPod and select songs is limited. Only skip forward and backward buttons are found on the DMP-P6, which means anything more intensive must be done using the click wheel of the iPod itself, which is difficult when in the dock. An auxiliary-out connector is provided, which means the unit can be used solely as an iPod dock for a larger stereo if needed.

Sanyo's DMP-P6, offers more functionality than a standard clock radio, but does not implement these features seamlessly. The unit suffers from poor sound quality and a lack of iPod browsing, but on the other hand it excels in its ability to set dual alarms and the option to wake to multiple sources, including directly to iPod playback.

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