iHome Z9 Zune Dock

iHome brings it's speaker dock experience to the Zune brand for the first time with the ZN9 alarm clock, available in black (as shown) and pink versions. The ZN9 is the fist alarm clock dock available for Zune and comes packed with lots of features.



The device comes shipped in a box with the "Designed for Zune" logo. This means they have worked with and been approved by the Zune product team.



The iHome dock comes with documentation, AM antenna, 2 AA batteries, power cord, and 3 adapter plates. The adapter plates are extremely well hidden in the egg carton packaging and were not found until later in the review. They are shown in separate photos below. A remote control is available separately for $19.99 (including shipping) according to the included documentation.



Click on the above image for a larger view of the control layout. The iHome has so many features we thought it would help to copy a page from the owners manual showing the buttons and LCD layout. The volume wheel and set wheel rotate, a concept probably gleaned from the iPod click wheel. One of the nicest features is a sleep function which will fade off the unit after a set period of time (from 15 to 120 minutes). This is perfect for those who sleep to music or books on tape. As shown above, two separate alarms can be programmed, and the user can wake up to Zune, Radio, or buzzer.



The back of the unit has 2 large portholes to help with bass response and a built in FM antenna wire can be seen on the left.



Two AA batteries come installed underneath the alarm clock.



The Zune 80 insert is shown above. The inserts snap in easily but must be removed with a good fingernail or pocketknife.



The insert for the Zune 4/8 is smaller and helps snap the Zune into the dock with a snug fit.



The buttons and LCD are backlit, and easy to see in the dark. The exact dimensions are 10" wide,
2.99" height, 6.06" deep. The small footprint makes the ZN9 good for traveling or office use. Sound quality meets expectations for an alarm clock. It has two drivers and can therefore play in stereo. Adjusting the bass and treble in the EQ will help with most music, however expect to hear distortion at really high volume levels.


Super High resolution image by iHome


The iHome Zune Dock will be available in July for an estimated MSRP of $99.99. Because it has no competition in the alarm segment, it's easy to recommend the ZN9. The unit itself is attractive, portable, and has more functions than any dock out there. It fits all Zune types thanks to the included inserts and is recommended by Zunescene. We welcome iHome to the Zune family and expect to see more great products from them in the future.