For a docking speaker that isn't overly big, the sound which comes from the Philips DS8550/10 Docking Speaker is amazing! As it isn't too big, it is lightweight enough to carry and move around as you wish. It's also very sturdy and well built, so I would imagine it could take the odd knock (though that's something I don't really want to test!).

As the Philips DS8550/10 uses PureDigital technology, the sound produced by the speaker is clear and crisp. Depending on the song, it can produce quite a bass! The volume settings can go quite loud without the sound produced getting distorted. (In fact, when you first dock your iPod or iPad, I'd recommend turning the sound down on your iPod/iPad as the music came on really loud when I first docked mine!).

The docking speaker has an AC power supply as well as an internal rechargable battery and I was able to use the battery straight away without any prior charge (which totally surprised me!). When fully charged, this docking speaker can play up to 8 hours worth of music, so it's just the right thing for playing music out in the garden when having a BBQ or a few friends around.

Docking your iPod, iPad or iPhone is simple and there's even a little stand for the iPad. One thing this has over my Sony system (which also has an iPod dock) is that I don't have to remove the bottom part my iPod Touch case before docking. I can simply slot my iPod Touch onto the speaker. If you have an iPad or iPhone, you don't even have to dock it, you can use bluetooth to control the speaker and play your music!

I'd advise downloading Philips Fidelo app from iTunes. It's not a neccessity, but gives you the ability to change various settings (such as the Flat, Pop, Rock, Jazz and Class sound settings). The full 5 band equalizer on the app will allow you to get the sound down to your tastes. You can also customise alarms, so you can be woken to your favourite music. The app is non-fussy and easy-to-use.

This is a fantastic piece of technology and it's well worth the money. It's currently for sale on Amazon at around £195, which may seem a lot for something which is effectively just a speaker, but you really do get fantastic quality of sound. I was lucky enough to get mine through Amazon's review programme.

It doesn't take up too much room (even the remote is small!) and the sound it produces is brilliant. The Philips DS8550/10 Docking Speaker is a top quality product and I'd highly recommend it to any iPod/iPhone/iPad user wanting a speaker.

(Review also posted on Amazon).