Premiere Design

It seems as if high-end iPod docks are all the rage these days. Take, for example, the Art.Station from the David Wiener Collection.

Crafted from a solid block of aluminum, the Art.Station uses Aphex sound-enhancement technology to wring the most out of any audio file stored on the ubiquitous media player. Originally developed for professional recording applications, the Aphex technology consists of two DSP algorithms called Exciter and Big Bottom. Exciter "restores" harmonics lost during compression, while Big Bottom enhances low-frequency response without bloat or muddiness. I've heard both of these effects in recording studios, and they work surprisingly well—in fact, many well-known musicians agree, applying them to their recordings at the mastering stage.

Compared with some high-end iPod docks I've seen, the Art.Station sports a relatively reasonable price tag—$500 to be exact. Not bad for a device that makes the most of compressed music files and looks good doing it.