SINGAPORE: Despite the dozens of "iPod killers" out there, the Apple player still reigns supreme: the sheer number of iPod accessories is a testament to that.

iPod docks, which charge your musical companion and amplify their output, are a dime a dozen. But the Philips BTM630 Bluetooth Audio Docking Stand comes with a few distinguishing features.

It streams music wirelessly over Bluetooth from your mobile or computer and features a built-in microphone so you can use the dock as a speakerphone.

In practice, this works remarkably well, but we have to confess that it feels a bit odd answering calls on an iPod dock in your home. Still, it's a good addition to the dock’s feature set.

Of course, the device charges an iPod and can play music from the player. Hey, it even works with an iPhone (even though a message pops up on the smartphone saying the dock isn't supported).

According to Philips, the BTM630 is compatible with the recently-refreshed iPods Nano and Touch. You can also listen to the radio or play files in MP3 or WMA formats using its SD and MMC card slots, or with a storage device using its USB port.

The buttons on the BTM630 are minimal, but functional enough. We like the dock's front display, which transforms elegantly into a sleek mirror-like finish when you're not using it.

There's a cool slot-loading CD drive on its front that, apart from playing conventional audio discs, can rip songs at 2x speed to SD/MMC memory cards without the need for a computer.

For such a compact device, the BTM630 provides solid sound, despite slightly muffled treble and slightly thin bass.

But it will suit untrained ears just fine and won't get too boomy or distorted when you crank it up.

Our main gripe with the dock is that it lacks a USB port to daisy-chain it to our computer so we can keep our iPods in-sync and a video output so we can watch movies or video podcasts on the big screen.

Still, for its price (S$329), it's quite a bargain. - TODAY/fa