You may recognize the iHome brand from the many iPhone, iPod and iPad accessories they manufacture. They offer many different products, but mainly they deal with charging and MP3 speaker docks. Their products may be meant for Apple products, but many, including the iHome iP56 provide AUX inputs that allow you to play external devices like smartphones and MP3 players.

The iHome iP56 is one of the few MP3 docking stations that can charge your iPod or iPhone while running on its internal battery. Of course charging your iPod on the docking station’s internal battery is sure to run it down faster, but it is quite convenient that this option is available. When the internal battery is in need of a charge, the battery indicator will flash. Once the charging is complete, the battery indicator light will hold a steady glow. This docking station will not charge MP3 players or other devices hooked into the AUX input. The AUX input simply acts as a large headphone jack, nothing more. This means that if you have an iPod playing on the dock and hook up an MP3 player, you will hear both at the same time.

Sound quality is one of the most important features in a MP3 docking station. iHome manufactures enough docking stations to truly understand this concept. They have equipped the iP56 with four drivers, two active and two passive, for resonating sound quality. The docking station also has an SRS button that will enhance the speakers’ sound. Additional settings can be adjusted via the onboard controls. A remote is available for the iHome iP56, but it must be purchased separately. The docking station is even Energy Star rated, which means it does its best to conserve energy.

At a mere 3.5 pounds, this MP3 dockings station boasts a portable-sized, sleek design. The front of the docking station isn’t littered with buttons and non-essential gadgets, all you see are the speakers and iPod dock. The controls are located on the top of the speakers, and around the back you will find the AUX input, reset button, fold out stand and AC adapter.

iHome’s customer service leaves something to be desired. We emailed them with specification questions weeks ago and have yet to hear anything back. They have some content on the iP56’s product page, but not enough to answer specific questions. A downloadable user manual can be found with a little digging, but again, the user manual doesn’t answer a ton of questions – just a few FAQs. If you need support, we recommend calling their toll-free number for assistance.