Edifier Luna 5 iPod speaker

The balloon beats the Zeppelin?

Set into the top of the dock are six red-lit, touch-sensitive buttons to switch the device on; control the volume; change the input between the dock, audio input ports and the on-board FM radio; and skip forward and back; and tune the radio. There's also a retro-looking red LED display set into the dock surface to show the volume, FM frequency, bass and treble levels and input source.

iPod-friendly control array

The remote control supplied with the Luna 5 is a big old lump of a device for something that only has the usual portfolio of navigation – for iPods and iPhones – and sound controls, and no screen. But like the Luna 5 itself, it's solid and well made with nicely sprung buttons. And, being on the large side, at least it won't be easily lost down the side of the sofa.

Edifier bundles the Luna 5 with no fewer than 12 iPod dock adapters along with a blanking plate so no matter what you own, be it the most antediluvian iPod or the latest shiny 2G Touch, you should be able to sit it comfortably on the Luna 5.

You can also plug in any device with an output jack, Edifier supplying 3.5mm to RCA, 2.5mm to 3.5mm jack-to-jack, and 3.5mm to 2.5mm jack-to-socket adaptor cables. Unfortunately, using the Luna 5's 2.5mm audio-in involves prying open the rubber cover on the front of the dock which looks a bit scruffy and isn't perhaps the most elegant solution to the problem, especially on a device that's otherwise the epitome of elegance. Better to have tucked the jack away around the back.

Stylish dock module

Design and build aside, it's when you switch the thing on and crank up the volume that the Luna 5 shines. To begin with, there is no lack of volume, the 32W sub-woofer and 20W combined output from the other four speakers making more than enough racket to fill even a large room.

Of course, volume makes no odds if everything sounds like a barrel of bolts being put through a car crusher. This, however, was far from the case, the Luna 5 leaving us nothing if not impressed.