Philips has launched a snazzy new radio and iPod dock at IFA 2012. Inspired by its classic radio from the 1950s, the Philetta 254, we got ears-on to see if the Philips Original Radio is a worthy successor to the audio and design classic.

Design
A beautiful bit of kit with a quirky, curvy trapezoid shape, the Philips Original Radio is swathed in quality glossy coloured plastic or wood veneered finishes for an all-round appealing finish that is easy on the eye.

Away from the sleek, curved-edged shells, the front of the device plays host to a simple design that’s dominated by its two chunky milled aluminium knobs. Actually, there are four controls, with each knob split up into two functions – left if volume and source, right is tuning and presets (or track skip).

Features
Despite its sexy, stuck-in-the-past, retro aesthetic, the new Philips Original Radio is not lacking when it comes to modern bells and whistles with the iPod docking version featuring a well styled and reasonably high-end slide out tray that emerges from behind the Philips logo when pressed.

What’s more, although the LCD display is nothing special, it does the job of keeping you informed of what’s going on admirably, with good viewing angles set to ensure you are kept up-to-date on audio source, time and run times.

Performance
Moreover, it sounds good too. It’s always difficult to judge sound or image quality at trade shows but at max volume the Original Radio was distortion free and offered enough volume to easily mask the din of the rest of the Philips booth, so it should fill a moderate sized room with ease. Impressively, the 10W speakers manage to pump out a decent amount of bass too.

Ticking all the expected boxed, Philips’ latest homely radio offering lets you tune into FM or DAB stations with the radio, with a quality telescopic aerial positioned discreetly on the unit’s rear to get you tuned in.

There is no word on pricing yet but it’s clearly a premium product so expect around $200 when it hits shelves later this year.