Bose and Apple both produce elegant products that command high prices by emphasizing design, innovation, and ease of use. So we're not surprised that Bose would produce an iPod-docking speaker system that's the best-sounding portable speaker we've heard—and the costliest.

The SoundDock is designed to be used solely as a tabletop sound station for third- and fourth-generation iPods and the iPod mini. (iPod Photo support is planned.) A smart little wireless remote provides basic playback functionality, but the system lacks analog audio inputs, runs only on AC power, and forces you to use the iPod's jack for earbud listening. It can recharge docked players but offers none of the synchronization or downloading features provided by Apple docks. And at over 4.5 pounds and nearly a foot across, it's not the kind of system you'd casually toss in a pack; we'd call it "luggable" as opposed to portable.

But what the SoundDock does do, it does really, really well. Only the Virgin Boomtube EX rivals its 103-dB volume levels. And although it doesn't produce much sound in the lowest two octaves, its four hefty 2.5-inch drivers and proprietary signal-processing technology generate solid output from the mid-bass region to beyond 10 kHz. Our test unit produced spacious sound with few midrange colorations, and its sparkling high end lacked any trace of harshness. Its low end didn't knock jars off shelves, but the system did reproduce drums accurately enough to convince us we were hearing mallets strike skins.

The SoundDock isn't an audiophile speaker, but it gives even our favorite desktop models a run for the money above 80 Hz. It's a triumph of engineering and a shoo-in for Editors' Choice.