Roth Audio ALFiE

The integrated iPod dock means the entertainment hub is ready and waiting for your Apple portable's tunes, while the rear panel's auxiliary-in socket means you can swiftly hook-up an MP3 player. CDs, of course, are catered for - including recordable discs - while movie fans can drop in a DVD, letting ALFiE provide vision as well as sound. Happy to lounge in any room in the house, the Roth Audio system's radio alarm and bundled remote control mean ALFiE is especially handy in the bedroom department.

The unit's built-in audio engine is no slouch, powering out a total of 40 watts, and using a 2.1 amplifier and speaker combination to provide room-filling sound. Sneak a peek under its chassis, and you realise the use of an ever-so-clever downward-firing subwoofer helps beef-up the tracks, while allowing ALFiE to maintain a trim figure.

Adjustable bass and treble means you can tone down - or tone up for that matter - depending on your mood. Naturally, for a machine from the tune-loving people that created the sublime-sounding Music Cocoon MC4, this unit doesn't just pound out a big sound, it also presents a beautiful sound.

No home entertainment system is complete without support for DVD. ALFiE's selection of video outputs provide sharp images, while the 2.1 sound engine backs up the pictures with thrilling movie sonics.