Altec Lansing MIX

Forget the understated elegance of rivals such as the Conran Audio Dock - Altec Lansing's MIX is sheer unadulterated iPod excess. This beast of a boombox can run off either mains or batteries (eight size-D!) and has a sturdy set of handles to help you carry it around. There's a protective guard-rail for your own iPod or iPhone, as well as two additional audio inputs so that your friends can join in, and even an FM radio too. The MIX is thunderously loud - I could only ramp it up to about 75% before I started to worry about annoying the neighbours - and unlike most iPod docks it has a built-in sub-woofer, which ensures that the bass hits you like a slap in the face.

Price: £180 (from Amazon)
Score: 8/10