LG FA163DAB iDock iPod Micro Audio System with Touch Sensitive Controls [Tuned by Mark Levinson]

If we had a category reserved for items we’ve added to our lengthy shopping list then this LG FA163DAB iDock iPod Micro Audio System would undoubtedly slot neatly into is as, from first sight, we’ve totally fallen in love with it and that’s even before we browsed the FA163DAB’s specifications or read about its touch sensitive controls (which only served to underpin our desire to avail ourselves of one). There’s no doubt about it, LG’s FA163DAB as a minimalistic beauty.

Coming with a vertically mounted slot style CD player complete with CD ripping to MP3 via USB as well as integrated DAB radio with 50 station presets, LG’s frankly gorgeous FA163DAB offers a total of 160 watts of output courtesy of left and right channels with built in dual subwoofers and will accept all docking style iPods - which can subsequently be controlled via either the main unit’s touch sensitive controls or the supplied remote. The unit also offers connectivity with other DAPs via a standard line in connection.

One slight fly in the ointment is the fact that (perhaps it’s just us) we find the product specs rather confusing to follow. By way of an example, the FA163DAB is officially titled as being the LG DVD 160W iDock Micro System but a brief perusal of the FA163DAB’s spec sheet would appear to indicate that the device does not actually offer DVD compatibility (something that other sites who have featured the FA163DAB appear either not to have picked up on or wholly ignored). Then again, we could be wrong – the point is that it’s extremely hard to fathom quite what is on offer here. We assume that everything marked with a bold dot applies to the FA163DAB which means there’s no tape deck (which certainly appears to be the case) but, if you then apply that across the board, that also means that DVD, in not being marked accordingly, is also off the agenda. And, to make matters all the more confusing, the unit is detailed separately in a brochure as being the ‘FA163DAB Hi-Fi Micro System’ (no mention of DVD) and, indeed, the key features also fail to detail DVD compatibility as being included. So why the title LG DVD 160W iDock Micro System?

DVD or not DVD. Frankly you could throw a dice and run with it or

LG could consider offering a little insight.

Frankly, it’s all extremely confusing and, as a prospective customer, I would like LG to make it a little more clear as to what the FA163DAB offers and what it does not (plain and simple – and not exactly too much to ask for).

Come on LG. You can do better than this.

Either ways, there is no doubt that the LG DVD 160W iDock Micro System/ FA163DAB Hi-Fi Micro System (whichever it actually is) is a particularly fine looking device and with a price point set around a purported £200 when its release later this month its fairly keenly priced (even based on the possible lower end specifications).

LG