Tivoli Audio iYiYi (white)

Editors' Note: The rating on this review has been lowered from 7.0 to 6.7 due to changes in the competitive marketplace.

First we had the Wii, now we have the iYiYi. The first is a game console, the second is Tivoli Audio's latest iPod stereo system that includes and AM/FM clock radio. Aside from its unique name (pronounced "aye-yai-yai"), the system offers some key distinctions from Tivoli Audio's last iPod dock-equipped radio, the iSongBook: the iYiYi offers a sturdier one-piece design, and for compatible stations it displays information such as the station and the artist. Like the iSongBook, the iYiYi is available in white or black for $300.

One advantage of the iSongBook is that it can be stocked with six standard or rechargeable AA batteries for easy transportability. In contrast, while the comparatively beefy iYiYi is certainly movable--it's 7.36 inches high by 11.88 wide by 8.66 deep, and weighs 6.5 pounds--the AC-only system isn't designed for travel. That said, its power transformer is internal, so there's no big wall wart on the end of the power cord. It's also an all-in-one stereo unit, as opposed to the somewhat clumsy detachable speaker of the iSongBook.

We've always liked the look and feel of Tivoli Audio products, and the iYiYi retains the old-style world radio look seen in earlier products. In fact, you can imagine Tivoli Audio's designers working off the notion of joining two iPALs side-by-side to come up with a stereo version of that monaural system.

In addition to sharing design elements, the iYiYi offers many of the same features found on other Tivoli Audio radios as well: 10 radio presets (five AM, five FM), sleep and snooze timers, an alarm clock function (wake to the radio, an iPod, or a beeping tone), and an LCD readout. If you don't have an iPod--or you've got an older, nondocking version or a Shuffle--you can jack in to the iYiYi's line-in port. Alternately, you can opt to use the mixing input, which allows you to hear an external source (say, your computer) along with whatever else is playing. There's also an audio line-out jack (although no video), plus a headphone jack on the front.