When I was growing up, my folks had a little Swiss travel clock we took on trips. It came in a tan leather case and folded out to a standup clock, and as soon as we were all awake in the morning, they'd fold it down and put it into the suitcase for use the next day. Now, about 40 years later, Geneva Lab has introduced the Geneva Sound System Model XS (US$249.99), a modern take on that old classic.

Design

Like that travel alarm clock of old, the Model XS folds away into neat little leather-covered package. The review model (see photo gallery below) was wrapped in black leather, but you can also get white or red depending on your tastes. The device itself has a plastic case with a perforated metal grille on the front, through which you can see the red numbers of a digital alarm clock.

I've got to say that I love the fact that you don't need to dock an iPhone or iPad to the Model XS to use it as an alarm clock. You just tap the touch controls on the top of the device to activate them, tap the bell icon, and then use the volume arrows to set your wakeup time. There's no need to run a special app for the alarm.

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As a Bluetooth device, the Model XS needs to be paired with your iPhone or iPad to use the speaker. The device does a great job of letting you know what's going on, displaying the word "Blue" with a flashing S to indicate that it's seeking a source, a flashing P to show that it's pairing with the source, and a C to show that it's connected.

The red LED display informs you of the time and Bluetooth status, and also helps when you're setting up the FM radio. Yes, there's a built-in FM radio with a telescoping antenna, and those same touch controls help you to seek and mark local stations.

Functionality

I've tested a lot of