Vita Audio R4 Digi Radio

Vita Audio this morning revealed plans to take iPod stereos upscale through the R4. Where most tabletop units stand out, the R4 is said to blend in as a piece of high-end audio equipment and offers the sound to match with 2.1-channel, 80-watt speaker system that adds bass lacking in most such audio systems. Its iPod dock is its central feature, but the device also serves as a DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) radio that catches digital stations in the UK and pulls RDS data from analog FM channels. A CD player supports both raw audio and MP3 or WMA tracks.

The R4 also provides more expansion than average with a USB port for playing MP3 and WMA songs from flash drives as well as dual aux-in jacks that cover virtually any other audio player. Vita officially supports the iPod mini, fourth-generation iPods, and all newer iPod models in the dock but can also support the iPhone in airplane mode.

Shipments start in June for the UK, where a core model with walnut trim will sell for �500 ($974) and a version with a glossy white lacquer will command a higher price of �550 ($1,071). [via Pocket-lint]