The SoundWorks Radio 735i is one heck of a tabletop sound system, capable of filling even a good-sized room with clear, clean, natural sound from your iPod or its AM/FM radio.

Technically, it's a magnetically shielded 2.1 audio system with a powered subwoofer, AM/FM radio, dual alarm clocks, a multifunction wireless remote control, and a Universal Dock (so it's compatible with all iPods that have a dock connector).

It sounds great, with big, deep, clean lows and bright, crisp, crystal-clear mids and highs, making it one of the best sounding speaker systems of its size that I've tested.

The SoundWorks Radio 735i is chock full of thoughtful features. For example, the multifunction remote control does everything but slice bread. Of course you can use it to control your iPod or tune the radio, but it also lets you set both of its alarms, adjust bass, treble, loudness, etc., program the 16 FM and 8 AM radio station presets, invoke the "sleep," mode, and much more. I'd say that it's one of the most full-featured remote controls I've seen.

Other nice touches include a pair of easy-to-set alarms, a built-in backup battery, and an ambient light sensor so the LCD display dims itself when the lights go down. And the radio supports the RDS text that many FM radio stations now broadcast, and displays those stations' call letters and currently playing song title on the big bright LCD display.

Available in black or white, it's a substantial system, weighing more than 10 pounds and measuring 5.25" high x 14" wide x 9.75" deep.

My only complaint after several weeks of heavy use is that its AM radio reception isn't very good. Even with the included AM radio antenna attached I was unable to get a clear signal from several local AM stations. But, since I rarely listen to AM radio, that wasn't even close to a deal-breaker for me.

Note: Cambridge SoundWorks also offers a SoundWorks Radio CD 745i ($399), which is basically the same system as this one, but has a built-in CD player that plays not only audio CDs but MP3 and WMA CDs as well.

The Bottom Line

The SoundWorks Radio 735i is a great sounding compact audio system that can fill even a fairly large room with great sound. Chock full of thoughtful touches, it's a sweet sound system/alarm clock combo that does almost everything well.