The iConec iPod dock is the second half of Gini Systems' iPod offerings, optionally mating with the company's impressive iTube (4 stars, $349) vacuum tube amplified speaker system, or anything else you wish to connect an iPod dock to.

Gini separated the iConec from the iTube both to give iTube owners the greatest number of options for using their high-end speaker system and to reduce the sticker price. Independent of the iConec, the iTube is an "iPod-specific" speaker system in name and design only�the iPod connects to it through an ordinary audio cable, as any other audio source would.

Gini Systems iConec

Like the iTube, the iConec is a first-rate piece of engineering. While that may sound like an overstatement for something as simple as an iPod dock, the numerous inexpensive iPod docks all seem to mirror their price tags in terms of quality. Of course, the iConec is no different in that regard: it lists for a rather steep $69.

But the iConec does deliver what you pay for: an attractive, circular iPod dock with all the features you could want. This includes gold-plated RCA audio connectors (superior to the standard 1/8-inch mini-jack connector found on most docks), an S-Video port for connecting a video iPod to a television, and a pass-through dock connector.

In addition, the 13 button remote control is the best we've seen in an iPod dock. Smaller than a credit card, the remote control delivers one-touch access to just about every aspect of controlling your iPod that you would want, including next/previous Playlist and Album controls, repeat, shuffle, backlight, and mute, in addition to the standard repertoire (track next/previous, scrub forward/back, play/pause, and volume controls).

For all of the attention to detail, the iConec has one disappointing aspect to it: the bulky, off-the-shelf AC adapter that is needed when the dock is not connected to a powered USB port. Other docks we've encountered have all used smaller and lighter adapters (the best ones use a USB wall adapter, so you can keep your iPod dock connector cable plugged in to the dock), making it only more curious that Gini elected to use a more cumbersome one that's labeled "For CCD CAMERA" (custom, it is not).

The Bottom Line

Bulky power adapter aside, the iConec is an excellent universal iPod dock. The unique circular design and well thought-out remote control are its strongest selling points, but whether they merit the relatively steep $69 price tag when other iPod docks can be had for half that price with nearly the same functionality is up to the buyer. Prospective iTube buyers can pick up the iConec at a more modest $29 as part of a bundle, making it more of a no-brainer for those in the market for a first-rate dock to match their first-rate music player and speaker system.