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]