Unless you happen to be from another planet, you would have read or heard about the revolutionary impact that the iPod has had on the music industry. It has democratised the industry making it possible for the smaller players to sell their music online without investing a lot of money. Having said that, there is another major transformation that it has brought about- it has created an all new niche for several kinds of gadgets in the market, the iPod dock speakers being one of them.

CD boom boxes and stereo systems belong to the past now. In an age where everyone is using an iPod to listen to music, a dock speaker is on its way to becoming a must-have. It has its share of advantages- it simultaneously charges your iPod while playing music from it, it is light, affordable and has great audio quality. On top of everything, the design is just as modern and minimalistic as is an iPod’s.

Here is a list of the criteria we followed while trying to choose the best out of the many iPod dock speakers available in the market:

1. Audio quality- It goes without saying that this would be our topmost criterion. While an iPod dock might not have the fanciest features, it does promise top-notch audio quality and that’s exactly what we are looking for.

2. Looks and Design: Under normal circumstances, this would be the last on our list of criterion but iPod dock speakers have been branded with looks as their USP. One look at some of the dock speakers in our list will tell you exactly what we are speaking out.

3. Convenience: Let’s get this straight- an iPod dock speaker was designed on the principle of minimalism in design and efficiency in performance, quite like an iPod itself. ‘Let’s keep things simple’ could be the motto of any iPod dock speaker. We are looking for ease of use and performance at the same time.

Now, let’s get down to our list.

1. Bose Sound Dock 10 Digital Music System

When it comes to the sheer pleasure of listening to music played on a high quality audio device, nothing can compare to a Bose product. The company has delivered yet again with its dock speaker. It is not exactly lightweight or portable but it makes up for everything by the impeccable quality of audio. The only downside, its high price.

2. Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin AirPlay Speaker Dock

Supposedly, Bowers & Wilkins worked in close collaboration with Apple during the production stages of this product and the result is quite evident. This iPod dock speaker is just as elegant and sleek as the iPod itself. The sound is powerful and crystal clear and a lot of detailing must have gone into the acoustic properties. The downside again is the price though.

3. Altec Lansing inMotion MIX iMT800 Portable Digital Boom Box

Looking for something more affordable? The Altec Lansing could solve that problem. It looks quite like a boom box, comes with several features and delivers on the audio part- the surround sound is great and so is the audio quality. Thanks to its light weight, it is portable and has two auxiliary inputs for convenience. All in all, an excellent dock speaker to invest in.

4. Harman Kardon Go+Play iPod Speaker Dock

The design of the Harman Kardon Go+Play iPod Speaker Dock is also inspired from the boom box and might take some getting used to. But once you have gotten past that, the sound is detailed and deep. It comes with a USB and auxiliary input, is easy to use and portable. The flipside- it has some compatibility problems with a few iPod models.

5.  Philips Fidelio DS3000

The Philips Fidelio DS3000 made the cut only because of the sheer value for money it offers. It is a perfect dock speaker for anyone who is looking for something which is extremely affordable but also delivers on the quality front. It is surprisingly lightweight, it has a very modern, simplistic and sleek design and the sound quality is decently good. It is the price that is its USP.