We don’t often have recourse to review alarm clock radios. Yet every now then an exception comes along and the Logitech Pure-Fi Dream is one such example. Its £169 MSRP and online asking price of around £155 will certainly raise a few eyebrows, though, so what can it do that can possibly justify such a lofty price?

Predictably there's an iPod dock, when isn't there one? This supports most iPod iterations with dock adapters for each, the only exceptions being the first, second and third gen iPods. These and other MP3 players can be connected via the 3.5mm auxiliary jack on the back of unit. As support does include the iPod Touch, iPhones, including the iPhone 3G, will work as well, though you will be prompted to put your phone into flight mode since support isn't complete.

Naturally enough there's an FM/AM radio tuner, too. It's a shame not to have DAB, or the option for it, but it would inflate the price considerably. You can switch between stations using the provided remote and it's a rather smart affair, too. Buttons are backlit orange and an intelligent and thorough button layout allows you to perform more or less any function using it, just like a proper Hi-Fi.

Indeed, if anything the Pure-Fi Dream is almost a mini Hi-Fi replacement for the bedroom. We only say "almost" because another Pure-Fi product, the Elite, has this honour, but if you actually want something smaller than a mini Hi-Fi but with comparable audio quality, the Pure-Fi Dream ought to have you covered. Featuring two 3/4in tweeters and two "long throw" woofers, this is no pint-sized tin box and it can reach some ear splitting volumes - not that this is any sign of quality. We'll be bending our ears back to judge on that a little later on.

First, though, let's take a closer look at the unit itself and just to re-iterate: this is no pint-sized tin box. It's really quite big and heavy, big enough that it would take up most of the space on your average bedside table. Likewise, the power supply is huge and all this presents a bit of a problem for an alarm clock radio, but things are redressed somewhat by the provided remote that features a large friendly 'Snooze' button to match to that found at the top of the main unit. This means you don't have to put it on your bedside table to get the full benefit of its features.