The World's First Made-for-Zune Speaker Dock: the iHome ZN9

Even though the iPod looks like it's establishing more and more its leading position among the high-class portable media players, Microsoft's Zune player has not been forgotten by audio gear manufacturers and the best example is the recent announcement of the ZN9 docking station from iHome.

The guys at the iHome headquarters claim that the ZN9 is the first clock radio in the world, especially developed for the Zune player and this might very well be true. Now it seems that the Zune fans will have a dedicated thing of their own and will stop using their players with the Aux In jack instead of a proper dock.

[admark=1]Like any similar piece of audio technology, the iHome ZN9 provides you with a place to rest your Zune, have it recharged and play back your fav tracks. The casing comes in a nifty and elegant yet spartan shape, with all the controls and knobs on the top side, front-firing stereo speakers and a large, very visible LCD screen for time, alarm and radio info.

Thanks to the fairly small size, the iHome ZN9 can easily find its place in almost any corner of your house, on tabletops and shelves and it will look the same in your kitchen or your office. This dock comes with a Gradual Wake/Sleep function to make your falling asleep and waking up as pleasant as possible. Even more, you will surely enjoy the very comfortable 7-5-2 feature for separate alarms on each week day, working days or weekend.

The alarm of the iHome ZN9 can be of course set up to wake you with your fav song, AM or FM radio stations or the classic buzzer. The automatic dimmer for the large backlit LCD screen will make your room look better in different lighting conditions and will also ensure maximal visibility. So far, the only announced color is anthracite/black and there is no word on other finishes.

The iHome ZN9 will be available starting July 2008 and the shipping policy includes free shipping on orders over $50; and with a price of $99, this neat made-for-Zune stereo system qualifies for the offer.

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