GenevaSound S HiFi Docking Station with FM and Alarm for iPod/iPhone (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a tech geek gadget freak--I admit it--but I'm also a music fanatic and an audiophile who has worked in the home theater/hifi/consumer electronics industry most of my life, and more importantly I've had the opportunity to listen to literally hundreds of sound systems, big and small, over my career. I do have a great, large, 2-channel audio system in my living room that I use for critical listening, but when bopping around the house I actually prefer to haul my iPhone around in my pocket and use it as a source to stream to wirelessly from my iTunes collection on my computer (told you I was a geek), popping it into iPod docks and minisystems I have placed in each room.
Each of these dock speakers/systems in the house is from a different manufacturer, so I have quite a bit of listening experience with many brands, not only from the units I own or have owned, but also from demos I've done at Apple retail stores and many Consumer Electronics Shows. I'd also like to think I have a pretty discriminating ear, but that's just my opinion.
The GenevaSound S by Swiss company Geneva Lab is hands-down the best iPhone/iPod dock speaker system in its size and price range that I've ever heard. I currently own Klipsch, Bose, Logitech, and Cambridge Soundworks units, and it blows them all away. Surprisingly, the Klipsch iGroove SXT comes closest to the Geneva and that's at half the price (if you're paying full retail). If you need a great sounding iPod speaker dock without a radio or alarm functions it's my solid recommendation. The Bose Sounddock is the product that's most comparably priced to the Geneva S, but based on the sound quality (or lack thereof) I've heard that thing produce I wouldn't take one home if you gave it to me. Plus--no radio, no alarm--it's not even a comparable unit even though it sells at retail for the same price as the Geneva S. The unit I'm replacing with my Geneva, a Bose Wave clock radio/CD player, sounds so bad in comparison that it went right to the trash after I set the Geneva up and listened to it.
First, the sound. Full, decent stereo separation, great low end (for its size anyway), clear highs. It's perfect for a bedroom, which as an alarm clock is what it's designed for, but I wouldn't recommend it for any room larger than that. I think based on the volume level you would need to fill a large room you would probably get some rattle and distortion in the cabinet. But again, it should give you more than enough output in your bedroom, the space for which it was designed.
Also, I've read in some online reviews of the product that the tone controls (separate bass and treble) on the remote control have no audible effect on the sound. I don't agree. While their effect on the sound is definitely more subtle than the tone controls on a full sized home audio system, they did change the sound noticeably when I bumped them up or down.
The looks. It's a stunning-looking unit, and very well designed from an aesthetic aspect. Reminds me somewhat of the Bang & Olufson line a little, but much cleaner and simpler. And definitely sturdier. Based on the weight of the unit and the build quality, I doubt you'll have any reliability issues. I bought the black lacquer version, and it looks as good if not better than advertised. I do have a bit of a beef with the included stand though...not sure why they didn't make it in a color matching the cabinet. The gray metal looks a little cheap holding up the unit, and I imagine it would look equally cheesy with the white and red versions. But despite how the stand detracts from its overall beauty, I would never use the unit without it. You will definitely get better sound from the Geneva if it's raised off of the surface a few inches, plus using it with the stand does give you a little more room on your nightstand.
The features have been detailed pretty thoroughly on the product's Amazon page here, so I won't go over them again. It's a pretty stripped down product, without the number of bells and whistles I would have preferred for the price. Two things I DID like about the Bose Wave's clock radio was the way the alarm would very gradually increase in volume until it reached your preset level, and the way the LED display would dim or brighten automatically based on the light in the room. But hey--the Swiss are known for their minimalism aren't they? And besides, the sound quality is far more important to me than those small innovations.
The unit is far from perfect, in spite of its great sound quality. Here are my quibbles, beefs, and cons:
--The clock. Military time only. Yeah I can do the math in my head after Noon, but c'mon Geneva! It's just a simple 4-digit LED display. How hard would it have been to program the units shipped to the US differently? Not a deal-breaker though.
--The radio. You have to use an old-school, chrome, telescoping metal radio antenna (included) to get any reception whatsoever. There's a good reason you won't see it in any of the product images: it completely ruins the aesthetic of the unit. UGLY. Good thing you can unplug it or retract it when not in use. And even with the ugly antenna plugged in, I still get pretty poor reception no matter which direction I place it in. I live in a densely populated part of the LA metro area too, so my distance from radio towers isn't an issue. My Bose and Cambridge units (both clock radios) do a far better job of radio reception in the exact same location. Also, the GenevaSound S is FM only. But seriously--if you're going to listen to garbage quality AM on your clock radio this unit probably isn't for you. I'm sure you can pick up a hotel-grade radio for $10 or so at your local drug store for that. Overall these radio issues are not deal-breakers for me. I didn't buy a device that plays music this beautifully to listen to FM, and since I use it with my iPhone I have plenty of apps installed that allow me to stream radio anyway, and in much better quality.
--Mode switching. A little bothersome quirk I noticed: when you pull your iPhone/iPod out of the dock, it automatically switches to the FM radio. It wouldn't be such a big deal, except in my case since my FM reception is so horrible it ends up going from music to loud static. Why doesn't it just turn off? Not sure why they designed it that way, but not a good idea in my opinion. Geneva does warn you about this feature in the manual, but that still doesn't excuse it from being a bad idea. Not a deal-breaker, and you may get better FM reception than me so this may not be an issue for you anyway.
--Alarm. Just one alarm. Both of my other clock radios have two, which is great for cohabiting couples. Do all Swiss people sleep alone? I also wish you could listen to one source and wake to another, a feature on my other two clock radios. With the Geneva, it will only wake you to whatever source you were listening to when you fell asleep. I'd prefer to sleep to music and wake to the radio, but no can do. Also not a deal-breaker, but worth noting. If you're an iPhone user like me, I've actually found a workaround for this: turn off the GenevaSound S's alarm completely and use the iPhone's built-in alarm in its Clock app (included with every iPhone). That way you can still fall asleep to the music of your choice and then wake to either one of the iPhone's 25 standard alarm sounds or to one of your ring tones instead of the one GevevaSound S's own unimaginative "beep". Another benefit of my method is that in the unlikely event you lose power at home overnight you'll still be awakened by the alarm on the iPhone played through its own little speaker. Geneva claims in the manual "the clock remains valid for up to 1 hour of power loss." In my experience "up to" usually refers to a best case scenario, so if you work in a critical job that you can not afford to show up late for I'm not sure I'd put my trust in Geneva Labs on this one.
--Sleep timer. Or rather lack thereof. That's right, for some reason Geneva Labs decided to leave off this one simple feature that EVERY CLOCK RADIO I'VE EVER OWNED had. So if you're gonna fall asleep to music you're pretty much gonna have to hear the whole album or playlist. Good use for the iPhone/iPod's "On The Go" playlist feature, by the way. And forget about falling asleep listening to the radio, because it will play all night long AND you'll never wake up to an alarm (remember--the GenevaSound S will only wake you to the last source you had on). This is actually the biggest design flaw I see in the unit, and could be a dealbreaker for some if you use it in the bedroom mostly as a clock radio. It wasn't for me--the unit allows you to play an iPhone/iPod through the dock and another through the Line In simultaneously, so I'm working around this by using my iPhone's built-in alarm while listening to music on a separate iPod through the line input. Did I mention I'm a geek?
But none of these issues are serious enough to make me return the GenevaSound S or replace it, and in the end it's all about the sound quality, which is phenomenal. I've found myself going to bed a little earlier and laying in bed a little later in the morning just to stay in the bedroom and listen to music. It sounds that good.
And in my experience, when an audio product makes you want to listen to music more often you've got a winner on your hands.

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From the Swiss firm that first introduced luxury audio fidelity for iPod systems comes the new GenevaSound S - bringing great sound, style and simplicity to the bedroom, kitchen, office and more. GenevaSound S sounds better and does more than any single-function iPod dock on the market, some of which cost 30% to almost 100% more. With more features than single-function docks, GenevaSound S includes the new PowerDock connector, new TouchLight controls, and a digital radio tuner with alarm clock. TouchLight controls are invisible until a hand reaches for the cabinet. Not just eye-catching, it offers extensive control of the iPod menu. (Competitors have limited iPod controls.) When the iPod/iPhone is removed, the motorized PowerDock spins closed and the protruding iPod/iPhone 30-pin connector, a sensitive part, disappears into the cabinet, protecting it from damage and dust. GenevaSound S also comes with a table stand, allowing the user the choice of elevating the system, so it takes up less space on a nightstand, a counter or a desk. The digital radio and programmable alarm make it the best-sounding, simplest iPod clock radio ever, a product segment littered with low-fi sound and eyesore design. It's the first with solid stereo sound and fine design lines.

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