iLuv Vibro Classic II review

The old-fashioned clock-radio is brought up to date with iDevice compatibility – but at an old-school price Tested at £50

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

The old-fashioned clock-radio is brought up to date with iDevice compatibility – but at an old-school price

Pros

  • +

    Inexpensive

  • +

    good sound, bearing in mind its size

  • +

    versatile

  • +

    alarm shaker

Cons

  • -

    It’s tiny so there’s little bass

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

It’s rare that a product will make us grin from ear to ear, but as we watched the iLuv Vibro Classic II’s alarm-shaker frantically making its way across a table in our test room, we just couldn’t help it. We wish there were two so we could race them…

It might be tiny and a bit plain-looking, but this iPod speaker dock doubles as a clock-radio, you see, and with that sports a wired ‘shaker’ device that goes under your pillow and augments the sound of the speakers to rouse you.

So, once you’re awake and the music’s playing, what can you expect? Not bass, that’s for sure – but then you wouldn’t expect a unit as small and light as this to deliver on that score anyway.

iLuv Vibro Classic

iLuv Vibro Classic II: Sound qualityOverall, there’s a likeable presentation. Products such as this often serve up hard, coarse treble, but the iLuv keeps it nice and smooth even at high volume. There’s not much heft to speak of, but vocals are clear and instruments well separated.

The FM tuner is decently tenacious when it comes to holding on to its signal, there’s minimal noise and you get the bonus of internet radio when you connect an iPhone/iPod Touch (which it will also charge). To this end, there are a few free apps too.

The Vibro Classic II is a thoroughly likeable product, at a very likeable price.

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What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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