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Showing posts with label alarm clock app. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alarm clock app. Show all posts
Zallars 5.0" Android 4.0 MTK6515 1.0Ghz CPU Dual Sim 2G Mobile Phone A7100 (Black, NOT 3G Phone)
Anybody buying cell phone this seller is the one he up on his game he let u know anything u want to know about anything u buying from him he will email u right back I give him a rate 100% thank you
Philips DS9800W/37 Fidelio SoundSphere Docking Speaker with AirPlay
- Compatible with: iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4
- Fullsound to bring your CD listening experience to life
- Real hand-crafted wood speaker enclosure for fidelity sound
- Stream music with AirPlay wireless technology
- Remote control complements speaker design and finishing
First iHome's WL1 I liked the mobility and battery life but HORRIBLE sound quality, sounds like a pillow was on it, it tries to over emphasize the bass to the point where it flopped the speakers at 1/2 volume.. went back in 2 days. (also went back because if iPhone 4S issues of dropout which later was identified as an Apple defect that's still not fixed, so note that the 4S is not compatible with ANY, AirPlay devices at all... not until they release iOS 5.1 some time in Feb 2012 or beyond)
Second Bose OK sound but weak and not real AirPlay (didn't realize when I purchased) went strait back
Third Philips sound ring far better sounding then the iHome, but battery life was short 1-2 hours depending on volume, much less then iHome, and the bass was awkward...
Fourth Philips 8800 sound curve I gave up on battery power and decided that I needed a plugin and focus more on sound quality. I was extremely happy with this unit, it had great sound, look, and fit in all the places I wanted to put it... I planned on keeping this unit and most people may want to stop here... it's a fantastic speaker.
Fifth However, Amazon had a huge 30% discount on this 9800 & 6800 units, so I couldn't resist and ordered both... well the 9800's arrived first, plugged in and placed the speakers about 16 feet apart, setup the airplay which is super easy and began playing parts of songs to test the quality, I started with high quality acoustic & vocals like Jack Johnson, Paula Fuga, Nora.... VERY rich and clean, the right tones that I expected, well balanced... I then moved to more blues and instruments like Amos Lee, Matt Costa, Beck, Beastie boys instrumentals... Perfect sound reproduction to my ears, I couldn't find fault in what I was hearing. Lastly I wanted to test out the lows and volume and played LMFAO (kids current favorite), Citizen Cope, G Love and even some heavy stuff like Tool and it took it all without stress. The lows were deep, enough to feel it and hear it on another floor of the house and at high volume it never flopped out... the High's hung in and stayed crisp. These are fantastic. I didn't bother to test the smaller 6800's.
So in the end, I have to say they are amazing in sound quality, AirPlay is great, it's somewhat portable as you only need a single speaker so I just disconnect the 2nd and I can move the primary speaker outside or to another room in seconds. I was hesitant to get the Philips brand because of historical quality and I do notice significant different between base consumer products like philips/sony/pioneer and the good stuff Onkyo, Denon, HK... but these make a great showing and there really is no competition... I did not try the Zeppelin Air, it gets good reviews but I was not a fan of the look.
Yes these are expensive, but they are fantastic and won't disappoint. And volume wise, these fill a 32 x 26 room with ease at 1/2 volume, any higher and people start to have to yell over.. it does have a true 50W RMS (equal to Sony's 1200watt receivers)
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These Speakers are simply fantastic. Audiophiles with undoubtable find something to criticize, but for their size and price these speakers really have remarkable presence and dynamic range. I have them in a large living room and they are just excellent.Setting them up was much easier that I thought using Airplay. I have a sync button on my router which speeds up the process quite a bit. 1. Hit the sync button on router 2. Hit sync button on speaker. 3. Hit Airplay button on iPad (Music Icon) and select the speakers. That was it.
Streaming Pandora One works very well. I changed the Pandora setting to stream higher quality. I am using a 1st Gen iPad and iPhone 4s. Volume works by using the physical volume controls.
The only flaw so far is the included remote which doesn't work unless you are very close, but you don't need it since you can control everything from your mobile device. The included docking station is elegant and charges your iPad/Phone (it doesn't have a physical connection, but you don't need one).
I am very impressed. After doing quite a bit of research, I was going to by the Klipsch G-17 Air's but they delayed the ship date. I am really glad, because it is going to be hard to beat the sound on these. I was a bit hesitant because Philips does not specialize in Audio. I have to hand it to them, they did a first rate job with these speakers.
I was also a bit concerned about Airplay being glitchy, but the Philips speakers has it working flawlessly. These speakers are the way it should be! I control all my music around the house using my iPhone!
I will definitely buy another pair and would recommend them.
I also bought the DS3881 SoundRing for the bathroom. It is rechargeable so you can bring it around with you in the smaller rooms. I hope they work as well as these.
Read Best Reviews of Philips DS9800W/37 Fidelio SoundSphere Docking Speaker with AirPlay Here
Soundwise no complaints, though I prefer them with active "Full audio" which is available through the Fidelio-App. Without "Full audio" they might sound a bit recessed, especially at lower volume levels. Also be careful how you position them. Near a wall bass becomes enhanced, in the middle of a room they might sound quite "light" in bass department. Apart from that they sound very natural and very brilliant outplaying all other docks i have ever owned in detail reproduction, particularly because they are really capable of a wide stereofield, unlike most other single-box dockingstations.When comparing them to the already very good sounding Audyssey South of Market Dock that i also own, the Soundsphere sound clearer and more distinct with better definition in the mids, the Audyssey having a slightly deeper reaching bass which is surprising as the Audyssey is considerably smaller. Altogether the Audyssey just cannot compete soundwise, because the sound seems to come from a single point, while the Soundsphere do really create a three-dimensional soundscape.
Unfortunately only one of the Soundsphere speakers has an amplifier built in, the other is acting as slave, meaning they both need to be interconnected with a wire. This is a pity, because 2 independent speakers would make positioning even more flexible, you would just need a connection for power supply. Of course this would mean even higher costs, as the used components seem to be of high quality, because in fact you can hear a relay from the amplifier inside when turning them on.
I like the design and material quality is top notch. They are heavy and seem pretty robust. But i would like some additional colors to choose from like white, red etc. maybe. I am sure other colors would be very popular as well.
When successfully paired with your network which wasn't a big deal even when setup manually, they always need some time (10-20 seconds) to become active after turning them on. Unfortunately you don't really know if they are on or off as the LED is at the back and cannot be seen. I had some short hick-ups during playback through airplay, but this might be related to my router and interference with my airport-express as well. Most of the time streaming was without any issues.
There is only one master volume level available, which is a good thing because like this the amplifier always works at an adequate level. If you control volume through the remote the volume-slider of your i-device will be controlled at the same time, so no dual volume-levels anymore that interfere one with each other like with many other wireless and bluetooth systems.
The included dock only acts as a simple charging-station, although it has some nice light at the base, it has no other functions. This is a pity, because you cannot really use non-Airplay devices with the Soundsphere except through the auxilary-in, though you will always lose quality like this because of additional digital/analogue conversion. The dock would be perfect if it acted as an airplay-transmitter on its own. This way you could dock your Ipod Classic and transmit 160GB full of music wirelessly to the Soundsphere without any quality-loss. I really hope Philips might add such an active Airplay-dock once as an accessory.
Although the dock can also charge an Ipad, it is quite a hassle to fit an Ipad inside and sometimes i even got a message that the Ipad wouldn't be charged and had to redock it several times in order to make it work.
If you can warm to the Soundsphere's looks you will definitely like them overall as the speakers produce spectacular sound that rivals all single-box speakers i have ever heard. I only miss an optical input to be able to attach other digital sources so that the Soundsphere could indeed substitute my complete stereo system, soundwise they already do!
PS: If you want to stream through Airplay from your PC without the need of iTunes, just install Airfoil. Airfoil allows every single program to transmit to any available Airplay-speaker, even several simultanously, although they are not perfectly in sync, but i really recommend it.
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The speaker sounds amazing, the wifi setup is easy connect to speakers then login to router the you are done, bass is so clear , u can adjust how u like it to sound with phillips app from the Appstore, so its a plus.i've used it for 5 days until it decided to stop working on me in every aspect , wireless and aux in. It was hardware malfunction. 5 stars for design and sounds. 1 star for hardware problems. I wish it lasted longer than 5 days ;(.
Beautiful designs with no potential!!
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I bought the Philips DS9800W after listening to a few Air-play enabled speakers in the market.The Philips speakers are hands-down, the best sounding and looking speakers out there.
They beat out the Zeppelin and various Airplay speakers available here.
The sound quality is first rate for a small speaker.
But the reliability is terrible. In the one year I had it, its been sent back to the repair centre in Singapore 6 times!!
On the first time ( 7 days after I bought it), Philips replaced it with a set of brand new speakers.
The second pair failed to detect the wifi from an Apple Airport Extreme after 2 months.
All other iOS devices have no problem with the wifi.
Since then the speaker have been sent in for repairs roughly after every 2 months.
The wifi board was replaced each time.
The problem is that the internal wifi loses link after you stop playing music for 24 to 48 hours.
Then you need to re-attach the wifi signal and it takes a few attempts before it locks.
The speakers are about 2 m from the Airport Extreme, so distance is not the reason for its poor performance.
The are numerous complaints about its wifi performance in the Philips Forum site.
I hope Philips find a long term solution to this issue. This is a fantastic sounding product, its potential limited by its poor reliability.
nexTUNE NEXUS Internet Radio for Home and Business, Media Player, Business Music System, Home Stereo
- Android 4.0 OS, 5" diagonal touch screen, built in camera and microphone.
- 8GB internal flash memory, 32GB of extended memory (miniSD Card).
- Connect to the internet via Ethernet RJ45 and Wi-Fi wireless.
- Ethernet cable, 3.5mm stereo audio cable and UL Approved AC power adapter included.
- 12 Months Parts and Labor Warranty. Satisfaction Guaranteed!
INA-W910 - Alpine 7" Touchscreen Multimedia with In-Dash GPS Navigation
- DVD/navigation receiver with 7" touchscreen and AM/FM tuner
- Internal amp (18 watts RMS CEA-2006/50 peak x 4 channels)
- Built-in Bluetooth®
- Built-in HD RadioTM
- Plays DVD Video, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD, and CD-R/RW
Navigation is simple and easy to use. Built-in free traffic is great. For security's sake, it would be nice to require a PIN code to use the "home" and address book function, but I just use my neighbor's address :)
Built-in HD Radio sounds awesome. Between the Pandora functionality, my iPhone music, and HD radio, I have no real need for satellite radio.
I added an HCE-200R rear camera and am very happy with the sharp image an multiple views. I plan on adding the 200F front camera soon which will really help my wife be more comfortable when she needs to drive this very large vehicle. NOTE If you plan on using the 200 series cameras, note that the camera module connects to the head unit via an RCA plug. Alpine says you can select different camera angles directly from the INA-W910, but this is only for the directly-connected 300 series cameras. In my case, I needed to mount the controller pad that came with the 200R camera. Not a huge deal, just not as "clean" an installation as I would have liked.
My iPhone connects perfectly via bluetooth and the voice recognition is fantastic. When plugged into the cable, music on the iPhone can be navigated very quickly.
I used a video bypass module (do an internet search) so my 3-year old (she sits in the middle, center row) can enjoy her Sesame Street videos can watch her stuff while we are on the move I have no plans to watch video while driving... that is just plain stupid.
I also used module that allows my steering wheel buttons to work. This was the only way I would be happy with a radio without a simple rotary volume knob. For me, a simple twist will always beat a tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap every time. Doesn't anyone else find these type of controls annoying?
As for cons, and I will nitpick here because the unit is generally awesome: 1)the navigation display resolution could be a bit better (videos are great, however), 2) The overall system font is a bit strange as it seems like it was made for the visually impaired, 3) the clock font is so tiny it is almost like reading the fine-print from a pharmaceutical company ad. Also, the clock is not visible when the unit is off. I thought it would be an issue, but there really is no need to turn it off, and 4) there should really be a hard button to turn off/turn down the display for night visibility.
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I researched forever before purchasing this unit and I could not be happier! Everything that it does, it does extremelly well. The user interface is very quick; much better than other products I researched.The navigation works very well and it gets a satellite lock almost immediately.
HD Radio is actually pretty cool. It starts with Analog, and then when it locks onto the Digital station, it indicates 'Digital' at the bottom and the sound quality increases noticeably. The highs are much crisper and it sounds like CD quality.
The iPod and Pandora app integration are great and controlling both via the large touchscreen is preferable to acutally using the iPod/iPhone.
The GPS display does a great job of indicating traffic on the display, live, as you drive. The graphics within the GPS are fine, not great, but everything works so well, it is a minor negative.
The BlueTooth and handsfree works very well and callers often don't know that I'm handsfree. I can even use it with the windows down!
I think this is the hidden gem in hands-free, NAV and DVD head units!
Read Best Reviews of INA-W910 - Alpine 7" Touchscreen Multimedia with In-Dash GPS Navigation Here
I bought and had this professionally installed by an authorized Alpine dealer on my 2008 Honda Pilot. Also installed Rear camera, Hands free mic, and new speakers ( along with an alpine amplifier MRX-V60). I have been using this for about 3 months now, and several short trips and atleast 2 long tripsEverything works more or less well, but it does leave us wanting for a few things....
First the pros:
Bluetooth works beautifully
Rear view Camera is great ( not sure what model camera the dealer installed, but I paid about 60$ for it).
Radio, ipod connectivity etc are top notch
Navigation works well.. with some shortfalls ( in cons)
Love the auto-adjusting feature of the clock ( with some concerns)
Now the cons:
1. The menu behaves differently at different times
2. I would have expected a high end head unit like this to offer more power to speakers out of the box... ( this would have helped me avoid the amplifier install)
3. Navigation: Re-routing is a disaster, especially if it is playing music from ipod. It takes as much as 45seconds to re-route, sometimes longer!
4. Clock: the font size is a disaster someone else has also mentioned this. What did the designers think?
Considering that there are no good head units with similar set of features, i guess this is one of the decent ones out there. I could have given it 4 stars... but i really felt more like 3.4 or 3.5. Hence the 3 star rating.
I am sure either alpine itself or one of its competitors will come out with a better version at a similar or slightly lower price. If you are not in a hurry, hang on for the next version.
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Glad I waited. The Alpine INA-W910 in-dash unit delivers what I was looking for. The HD radio, Bluetooth, GPS, Movie, and iPod functions all work as they should. My favorite is the Pandora Radio connection; it just makes listening to Internet radio a breeze. The truly best part is the how all of the interfaces function together. The unit's interface is very simple and even though some have complained about the size of the on-screen characters, I love it for its easy glance-at functionality. The GPS unit functions as advertised; I have not had any issues. The map's on-screen adjustable look can be tailored to your taste and is not overly-bright at night, which is one thing I was very concerned about. The text-to-speech driving commands are not the best; the system does have issues pronouncing street names. One small issue is that the unit is a little bigger than the old unit, so it doesn't sit flush in the dash, protrudes about ½ an inch, it's just something I got used to. I did look at both of the similar Pioneer and Kenwood units, and am still very happy I choose the Alpine. If you get a chance, try to see it in action at your local Car Audio store, playing with it next to the other units sold me on this one.Save 47% Off
After the install, this was great. The GPS works great. I have traveled in the States and Canada. It works great. It is accurate with when to turn and the distance counting down to turn/destination.I sync up my iPhone. When the car is on it syncs to my phone when I'm outside of the vehicle. It plays the movies on my phone, music videos, everything.
**If you live in Canada. Anything to do with the Pandora feature will not work. Because of being in Canada.
Logitech Pure-Fi Dream Speaker for iPod and iPhone (Black)
- Premium acoustics deliver high-quality room-filling sound.
- Motion activated, backlighted controls are perfect for low-light/nighttime
- An auto-dimming display is easily readable any time of the day or night.
- A backlighted remote control lets you control the unit from across the room,
- A digital AM/FM radio gives you the option to listen to live content,
Original rating: 5 star rating: I am using this product as my clock radio and iPhone 3G charging station on my night table in a master bedroom. This clock radio replaces an iLuv i177 iPod clock radio which I have had for over 2 years. The main reason that I upgraded to this Logitech clock radio is due to its ability to charge the new iPhone 3G which I recently purchased.
This is by far the best clock radio I have owned. Although not perfect for everyone's taste, in my humble opinion, it is the best compromise in quality, functionality, and price available in the US market as of today.
Compatibility with iPhone 3G: I read some reviews about the inability to charge the new iPhone 3G. I contacted Logitech via email, and they explained that there were some previous firmware issues in the past, but that this is no longer an issue. (By the way, Logitech customer support was superb at replying back to me promptly, answering all of my specific questions, and even followed up days later to assess my level of satisfaction with their responses). After using the product with the new iPhone 3G, these are the facts: I does, in fact, charge the new iPhone 3G. However, you need to make sure that it is well seated in the cradle. If the iPhone is not well seated, there is a possibility that the iPhone music will play via the speakers, but no actual charging takes place. I make sure to seat the iPhone in the cradle until I see the iPhone charging icon on the top right corner of the display show up. The other fact to keep in mind is that on initial seating the iPhone in the cradle, the iPhone will display the message, "This accessory is not compatible, would you like to turn on Airplane Mode?". Just press "NO" on the iPhone, and everything will work just fine. It is somewhat annoying that this message comes on every time you place the iPhone in the cradle, but rest assured that after pressing "NO", there will not be any more compatibility issues.
Alarm clock: It has 2 alarms that can be independently set to wake up to either iPhone/iPod, FM, AM, or buzzer. The volume can also be preset, something my wife appreciates. Reliability of the alarm is also great as there is a 9v battery backup for the clock and the alarm settings in case of a power failure.
Presets: This is a great feature. For unclear reasons, lots of iPod/iPhone compatible alarm clocks do not include presets. Well, this alarm clock does. It has 6 preset buttons. What's more, the presets work with each mode (iPod/iPhone, FM, AM), so it is like having 3x6=18 presets total.
Sound quality: This product is not meant to be the soul music source for a college fraternity party or home theater system. However, for non teenagers, the loudness and quality is more than acceptable for a bedroom, kitchen, or other rooms of similar size. I normally listen at low to lowmedium level, and I am very satisfied with the sound quality. At higher sound levels, I do not appreciate any significant distortion, but I confess that I am not the best person to compare and review products at ear damaging sound levels.
Recessed iPod/iPhone cradle: Ergonomically, this is a great design. Most other iPod/iPhone clock radios have the iPod/iPod cradle on the very top of the system. The problem with that design is that the iPod/iPhone is more exposed to knocking, especially as you are trying to press the snooze button when you wake up and find yourself all disoriented. The recessed iPhone/iPod cradle design make knocking much less likely. On the topic of the snooze button, with this clock radio you do not have to press the snooze button to go on snooze. You merely need to wave your hand over the motion sensor. Now, that is really cool!
Intelligent lighting: This is a pretty neat feature. By merely waving the hand over the motion sensor, all of the buttons will light up, so that you do not have to turn the room lights on to set the alarm, or turn on the radio, etc. By the way, the remote control also has lights on its buttons (no motion sensor on it, though).
Auxiliary Input: I have not used this, nor do I intend to in the near future, but is does have one. This, to me, is a testament on the level of thought that was put into the designing and making of this product.
This cool features, as well as the intuitive operation design, makes this product earn 5 solid stars.
Buy Logitech Pure-Fi Dream Speaker for iPod and iPhone (Black) Now
I bought this for my new IpodTouch. Most likely I wanted this device to have my Ipod charged and then listen to it while I'm in my bed. I was very pleased when I found out it had so much more functions than my previous Logitech Speakers for my older Ipod.When I bought my new IpodTouch I was disappointed to find out that no more there was a function to get waked up by a playlist but only by alarm sounds. As more happy I was when I found out that these speakers bring that function back. So you can set up two alarms where you can select a play list and even the volume you want to be woke up with. You have also 6 Memory buttons to each of them you can assign a playlist from your Ipod. So you don't to go through your Ipod menu anymore. Just press the memory button and it will automatically play the playist associated to it.
The quality of the speakers is great. Very clear.
Pro:
* Very intuitive menu makes it easy to navigate through all the settings with the remote control of your speakers
* 6 Memory buttons that allows you associate a play list with
* Very well done snooze function that allows you to set any time you want (not only 15min/30min/90min)
* Has two alarm settings that allows you to select from a play list, play it shuffled and to set the volume of the speakers
* Back light remote control
* Display on the speakers show you the current time or the song recently played.
* You can do almost every operation with your remote control. Such as choosing the memorized playlist, setting the alarm and more.
Con:
* regarding the volume feature for the alarm there is a bug in the device. If you set up two different alarms and both are active the alarm2 will always overwrite volume setting of alarm1. For example if you set up alarm1 with a low volume setting to wake you up at 7:45am and then you set up alarm2 with a higher volume setting for 8:00am to kick you out of the bed, alarm1 will wake you up with the higher volume setting of alarm2. Alarm2 will only overwrite the volume setting of alarm1 if it is active. I also tried to set alarm2 being the first one to wake me up and alarm1 the second one. It's still not working :(.
* There is a short buzz sound whenever you turn the speakers on. This also happens if the alarm starts the device. So that sounds is most likely the sound that wakes me up before the play list kicks in.
* There is a shuffle on/off button on the device and the the remote. However pressing the button the device will not tell you, you just turned it on or off.
After all, I would recommend to by this. It looks cute and has build in a lot of cool features I even haven't expected to be there.
I only give it 4 Stars, because there is this bug with the alarm volume that they should have found before they released this device.
Read Best Reviews of Logitech Pure-Fi Dream Speaker for iPod and iPhone (Black) Here
UPDATE 06.26.09: This video review is a follow up to my original written review (below) from a few months ago. Since that review over four months ago my dislike of this item has grown and this video is an attempt to demonstrate the specific problems I have with it to see and judge for yourself.
Also since that review I went through Logitech support again and obtained a replacement unit (they only make you send the half of the power cord to save you on shipping). I've been using that replacement for a few months now and it's no different from the original item I received, every flaw I mentioned in the original review is also present in the replacement unit.
If I could I would amend my rating to two stars after several months of use.
I would like to note, however, that my second attempt at Logitech customer support when I got my replacement was an FAR better experience than the first. It's a shame the quality of my replacement turned out to be just as poor.
The following is my original review:
First off, I bought this primarily for my iPhone 3G, it DOES fully work with it.
I bought this after getting an RMA for my defective Logitech Pure-Fi Anytime Premium alarm. It looked like the extra features on this one would be worth the extra cost.
In short, I like this device overall, but it has several flaws that irritate me. However, I'm fairly picky/OCD about many things, especially electronics, so my annoyances may not bother you at all. I'll just outline my positives and negatives in bullet form:
Positives:
-overall appearance of unit is nice
-nice functional, back-lit remote
-each alarm has its own volume setting
-iPod/iPhone dock is located in front of the unit, not on top
-6 presets per input, excellent feature
-Amber color is excellent, far better than the horrible bright blues and reds seen everywhere
-info available on the LCD is nice and useful
-jog dials are very nice, especially for the volume (this is far better than volume up/down buttons)
Negatives:
-Very annoying noise comes from speakers every time you turn it on or change inputs
-LCD quality is absolutely awful (terrible ghosting for even just digits/the volume bar, the refresh is atrocious. Also, the viewing angle is absolutely horrible)
-Far prefer the LED readout on the Pure-Fi Dream Premium, it looks much much nicer. Especially for an alarm, I much prefer an LED because it doesn't have an entire backlight, only the digits/info is illuminated.
-iPhone adapter plate (referred to as #12 in the documentation) is NOT compatible with the iPhone 3G, I had to use the one I kept from the Anytime Premium (I feared something like that may happen so I kept it, justly so. However, it comes with MANY adapters, so one of them probably works fine, I just never tried any others)
-nowhere to store remote like on the Pure-Fi Anytime Premium (this was a surprisingly great feature)
-Nothing on the unit indicates if the shuffle or loop function was pressed/shows its current state, you must look on the phone/player itself
When I first got the unit and tested the alarm, the volume would always be all the way down whenever it came on. I couldn't do anything to fix this, so I finally called the non-toll free Logitech support (1 646 454 3200, you have to use the one even on a cell phone for some reason). I was talking to a person soon enough, but it had to be among the worst tech support calls I've ever experienced.
Clearly I was wasting this guy's precious time by making me do his job. He grudgingly asked what the problem was and what the item is, and a few moments later just says, "yeah there's not really much we do to these, you should probably just return it."
I say, "This IS tech support right? I just got this from Amazon" to which he replies -sarcastically-, "What, Amazon doesn't take returns?"
Yes, he really said this to me. I reply, "What, you don't do tech support?" FINALLY he reluctantly talks me through the factory reset procedure (turn on the unit and hold the iPod and preset #2 button until it resets).
This actually worked, sort of. The alarm comes on at the correct volume now, but one time since then I turned the unit on and it came on at no volume again. That was the only time since then, but I've only had this unit for 3 days or so, so that's not exactly comforting.
In the end, I like this alarm clock. Given its flaws I do not think it is worth the price ($100 would be much more reasonable), however I don't think I will return it because frankly, I can't find any other iPhone 3G compatible alarm clock dock that looks as good.
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The Logitech Pure-Fi Dream is perfect... well for me anyways. Another person has already highlighted all the features of the Pure-Fi, I just wanted to point out the attributes that made this a solid buy for me.Sound quality:
Not the best, as in, not like a Bose, but still pretty impressive coming from some small speakers.
Radio quality:
I've never heard radio as clear and crisp in my room as I've heard it on this radio. It uses the power cord as an attenae. I might be late to the party, but I never knew that clock radios could do that. I'm impressed that I can now listen to radio static-free.
iPhone 3G compatibility:
It's compatible with (aka charges) the 3G, but I think I lost my adapter for it, which is unfortunate because the only CON I have with this machine is when I'm trying to put my phone into the recess without that adapter there's a bit of hit and miss.
This isn't the only thing about the 3G compatibility I like though. The Dream allows for playback of any app over the speakers. I can finally listen to Pandora through a dock instead of having to hook my 3G into the aux of my speakers. Again, I could be late for the party, but I never see such a feature highlighted.
Remote: Not a bad remote, it's backlit too.
Clock-radio light: It auto-adjusts according to the environment lighting. The low-level light is bright enough to see but not bright enough to light up the whole room and be a distraction. The time display might be a bit small for some people, but it's fine for me. Also, the Dream's lights primarily stay off (other than the main lcd display), until you wave your hands over the top. You can change that setting to always on though if you wish.
iPod controls: They essentially work the same way as an iPod. However, there's no play button and in order to play something off the iPod I had to use the iPod controls themselves. I could use the scroll wheels on the clock after playing though. This could just be my own lack of experience with the Dream.
Misc: It weighs a good amount, mainly because of the fat transformer(?) that comes with the power supply.
All in all, exactly what I was looking for in a clock radio iPod dock.
I received the player about 3 weeks ago and immediately tested my iPhone 3G. Good news it works flawlessly! The Pure-Fi WILL charge the iPhone 3G and will access your playlists. The key seems to be using the correct cradle and ensuring that the iPhone is correctly seated. Initially my iPhone did display the "device not compatible" message, though I realized I simply did not dock the unit correctly. Once I pressed down on my iPhone the unit worked perfectly.
I have also tested a "5g iPod with video", a 3g iPod Nano and a 1g iPod "Touch" all charged and worked perfectly with the Pure-Fi. Also worth noting is that the Pure-Fi does have an auxiliary input aka a mini-jack for plugging in various other sources such as CD players, MP3 players, etc.
Setting up the Pure-Fi to work with playlists is pretty easy. The manual includes detailed instructions for setting up preset buttons (1-6) that will correspond to iTunes playlists. The presets are accessible from both the Pure-Fi face buttons and the included remote.
The Pure-Fi Dream is a breeze to set up, comes with a fully featured, back-lit remote with batteries, a separate 9v back-up battery for alarms and cradles of just about any size to match your iPod. The included power cord also acts as the AM/FM antenna and works surprisingly good. I live in a high-rise building where radio reception is usually poor and the Pure-Fi can still pick up most radio stations clearly.
I don't use my Pure-Fi as an alarm, though I did test the feature. It has 2 separate alarms that are independent of each other. The best feature is that you can choose to wake either via your own music on you iPod/iPhone or the typical alarm buzzer. Another cool feature is that the buttons on the Pure-Fi are all back-lit and simply moving your hand near the unit will turn them on. This is a great feature for anyone used to fumbling around in the dark looking for the "snooze" or "off" buttons.
The back-lighting on the Pure-Fi itself is an orange color on both the LCD screen and the buttons. The screen itself is directly bellow the iPod cradle and easy enough to read from a few feet away. Though anything more than that an it's difficult to make out.
Sound quality of the Pure-Fi is pretty good. I'm by no means an "audiophile" but I can tell a good natural sound from one that isn't. Of course, the Pure-Fi isn't meant to be the center of your home theater or produce wall rumbling sounds. It does adequately fill a large room with warm sounds. I use my Pure-Fi in my living room that opens into my kitchen and all told a large space and the sound easily fills both areas. I also discovered that changing the EQ settings on the iPod/iPhone has a large impact on the output from the Pure-Fi. The available adjustments in the Pure-Fi are the standard bass and treble settings.
If I had to point out one thing I didn't like about the Pure-Fi it would have to be the power source. It is an absolute monster of a brick that I'm reluctant to set on carpet because it does get quite hot.
For anyone looking for a great quality, fully iPhone 3G compatible player look no further!
GPX C389B Clock Radio with Intelli Set Auto Clock Set
- Digital Tune AM/FM Radio with INTELLI SET Time
- Dual Alarms, Digital Volume Control
- 1.2 in Green LED Display, Display Dimmer Control, Daylight Savings Time Button
- Sleep Function and Snooze Function, Wake to Radio or Buzzer
- Station Memory Presets
- 1.2-Inch Green LED Display, Display Dimmer Control, Daylight Savings Time Button
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This is the most inexpensive alarm clock with a digital radio tuner and an automatic time set that I could find. Both of those features work well. Unlike the product photo, the display is red. The footprint of the clock is small, and the digits are about 3 inches across. You can set two alarm times. I've found that the alarm stops going off after hitting snooze repeatedly for an hour. It's two hours on some other alarm clocks. That may not matter for some folks, but it's not something that's typically listed in product descriptions.The sound is tinny and is what you would expect from a small, inexpensive alarm clock. For that reason, the auxiliary audio input is a gimmick, because you wouldn't actually want to listen to music using this. However, I'd still recommend this alarm due to the digital radio tuner and automatic time set.
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This alarm clock has 3 buttons on the left, One of these buttons is the on off button. It is a terrible feature to have them so close. also when the alarm goes off the volume increases until you push the set button.Want GPX C389B Clock Radio with Intelli Set Auto Clock Set Discount?
I was looking for something small for the bathroom. This radio's dimensions are slim enough that it fits nicely on the self by the mirror...until you plug it in.Cons:
The power cord jack is in back so it makes the dimension about 3/4" wider than listed.
The battery back-up (supposedly included) didn't work, I've had to reset the time 2x in 1 week due to power 'bumps'
The auto time zone setting is so far off I'm not even sure what it's suppose to be tracking
The volume control for the radio won't go low enough and as far as I can tell volume #'s 1-4 have no difference
The radio station pre-set is awkward and unituitive. I've had to reset the stations 2x due to the above mentioned power 'bumps'
The only way to tune in the stations is to use the scan button which means you have to press and hold the button a few seconds, the radio scans to the next station, stops, you press and hold the button, etc.. Very frustrating!
Bottom line: even thought it's only $15 it's not worth it.
Timex T715BYC Dual Alarm Clock Radio (Black)
- XBBU Xtreme Battery Back-Up with long-life built-in Lithium back up battery
- LED low battery warning indicator
- Wide-range 2.25? dynamic speaker
- Operates the alarm even if the power is out at wake-up time
- Built-in AM and FM antennas Sure-Alarm battery backup system - maintains time and alarm settings in the event of a temporary power interruption.
The radio is junk. I never thought that in this day and age I would have to think twice about a simple AM/FM radio. I live in a city with enough local stations that a toy radio can tune them all. But this radio can barely tune any. Fewer than a handful come in on FM and I can't find any on AM. The rest is just an overlapping noisy mess. The digital radio display would have been great in the dark if the radio had useful reception.
If you want a good alarm clock to wake you with a beeper or radio static this is the one for you.
If you want actual radio stations look elsewhere.
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This is the second Timex dual alarm clock radio we have owned. There are good and bad points I think should be mentioned. Our first one didn't have the "atomic" feature to correctly set the clock for daylight savings after the formula changed a few years ago. It was difficult to set the time when this occurred and that is what prompted us to replace it. Other than that, we were very happy with the old model.This new model has corrected that issue and made time and alarm setting very easy. Apparently it comes at a cost. Radio reception stinks. We have set this new alarm clock in the same place we had our old one. We set it to use the same radio station and go off at the same time. Let me put it this way I hate to wake up to a garbled radio voice or song. It never quite wants to bring in sharp and clear reception unless we move it clear across the room. Something in the radio quality is not as good as our old clock radio. It is frustrating and we are considering returning this unit.
This is the only problem with this clock radio. Every other feature works great. For us, it is too much of a problem to just overlook.
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This is the best Clock Radio that I have ever bought. It is very good quality. The clock is made well. When the power goes out it automatically sets itself for the correct time and it maintains your wake up time as well, no more resetting everything, which is terrific because we live in North Carolina where there are a lot of storms that knock out power.It is simple to use and offers a selection for lighter or brighter on the clock numbers, which is also a great feature. Its not a high end stereo system, but I was'nt expecting it to be. The sound is good and definitely good enough to wake me up in the mornings.
Cant say enough great things about it, this is definitely the one to buy, well worth the price.
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When I first bought this alarm clock it seemed great, had a ton more features than my last one. About once a week I have the same issue occur and it is just getting ridiculous. I am not a person that has a hard time waking up in the morning by any means, but I do like to hit the snooze button for 27 minutes in the morning. I have been doing this for years. So the snooze option is very important in my alarm clock. Well on this particular clock there is a triangular "sleep" button directly behind the snooze button. I have discovered that if you push that button while the alarm is going off (i.e. you hit it thinking it is the snooze button) the alarm clock basically quits working. The alarm stops going off and the time disappears and is replaced by random markings that kind of look like letters. The only way I have found get the time to display again and get the alarm clock functioning again is to unplug it, remove the battery and then put the battery back in and plug it back in. Needless to say it is a huge pain. I am purchasing a new alarm clock today because I am just fed up with this problem.Pros:
*It works! Unlike the Sony ICF-C318 that is also popular on Amazon, this clock radio worked as advertised and had no defects. See my review of the Sony for details about how horrible it is.
*Radio reception is fine for me, unlike some of the other reviewers. There is an external antenna cord which helps.
*The clock sets itself
*Dual alarms work great
*When the power goes out, it retains the time and alarm settings
*Large display for tired eyes
Cons:
*While there is a dimmer control, even at the dim setting, the display is extremely bright. If you like to have a really dark room like I do, it's something to consider. However, it was not a deal breaker for me.
This gets 4 stars, and not 5, simply because of the overly bright display.
Crosley Explorer 1 XM Tabletop Radio
- XM Satellite Radio Ready
- Portable audio ready - simply plug in your MP3 player or portable audio device!
- Includes a digital AM/FM/XM radio with station preset options
- Features an AM/FM alarm clock radio with dual independent alarms - wake to tone or music! / Includes snooze and sleep functions
- Around Sound design provides surround sound effect
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I bought four of these units and each one had the LCD display fail which made the units inoperable in a practical sense. The sound quality was fine, but once the LCD display goes, it is impossible to have the unit function as an alarm clock, sleep clock, change the stations, etc. A very disappointing experience and a total waste of money times 4!Read Best Reviews of Crosley Explorer 1 XM Tabletop Radio Here
I want to buy this product and have followed it from Amazon to Country Home Products to the Crosely website. On the Crosley website instead of vague information regarding the "antenna" it explains the necessity of purchasing either an XM mini tuner to play XM (as well as getting a subscription to XM) or ordering another product an XM Mini Tuner and Home Dock. This explicit information should added to both this website and the Country Home Products website. Otherwise purchasers will not get what they think they paid for. All of these items are on back order according to the Crosley website and no date is given as to when it should be available. I am disappointed but want to order this item.No it is not portable and light. I want something that I don't have to build but can simply attach a tuner and go after getting the subscription. This looks like it.
Honeywell TE322ELW Long Range Weather Forecaster with Atomic Clock and Dual Alarm
I was initially delighted with this product when I bought it six months ago. It looks very nice and functions well. The display is easy to read. The alarms work (though as another reviewer noted you don't get two alarms per day). The gentle back illumination works nicely to let you read the display at night. I haven't paid much attention to the weather display except for the temperature and humidity functions, so I won't comment on those. But I have a few comments worth recording.First, the unit has two parts. The remote temperature/humidity sensor unit that you hang outdoors isn't shown in the product picture on Amazon. It's about half the size of a pack of cigarettes and it has its own small temperature/humidity display. This unit requires two AAA batteries. If the temperature outside will ever drop below freezing, even for just an hour or two, these must be expensive lithium batteries (8 Energizer Lithium AAA 1.5V High Energy Lithium e2 Battery. 2 X Card 4AAA for example). That's because normal alkaline and titanium batteries deliver less voltage at low temperature, whereas lithium batteries give much more uniform voltage output down to about -40 degrees. If the voltage supply to the outdoor sensor drops too much, it will lose synchronization with the indoor unit and you'll have to "connect" them again.
That brings me to why I think this device is too complicated. When the device is new, or whenever the outdoor unit loses its radio connection to the indoor unit, the two units must negotiate which radio channel they will use to communicate. That's a useful process, because it allows them to choose a radio frequency that has minimal interference from other nearby devices. However, the process for doing it is maddening complex. You must remove the batteries from both units, then insert the batteries in the remote unit, then use an unbent paper clip to press the reset switch on the outdoor unit, then bring the units close together and insert the batteries in the indoor unit. After a minute or so they negotiate a frequency and the temperature of the outdoor unit is displayed on the indoor unit. You can then move them apart.
But you're not done. Having removed the batteries from the indoor unit, you must reset the date, choose a time zone and a bunch of other settings, using a combination of button pushes that is too complex to remember: I printed it out in very small type and taped it to the back of the device so I would not have to find the instruction book each time.
Finally, the atomic clock, like all such devices, synchronizes to the broadcast signal from NIST during the early morning hours, typically midnight to 5 AM local time. That time is chosen because the radio signal is much easier to receive at night. To get my unit to synchronize I had to put it on a window sill; it could not receive a strong enough signal from my night stand. That requirement is typical for so-called "atomic" clocks and watches. Fortunately it only needs to synchronize once a month or so to keep good time.
All in all, I'm glad I bought this remote thermometer, and I'm willing to live with the restrictions noted above. But you should be aware before you buy that this is not a "set it and forget it" device.
base that is only 20 feet away on the front porch (covered and protected) only one wall to penetrate.
Have to reset the clock 2 and 3 times a week. It's a shame, this is a nice designed unti with a backlite.
UPDATE...........called Honeywell.....they say when it looses contact.PUSH THE DOWN BUTTON to reestablish contact with the base..
it works, the outside temp came back on........but for how long it let you know in a new update in a week.
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A pretty good little unit. Gives good information and has a few extras that help like auto setting of time daily and indoor and outdoor temps. The only problem is that the base tends to lose contact with the outside sensor about once a week and requires resetting the main unit to pick it back up.After carefully following the set-up instructions the device worked quite well. I checked it against an accurate thermometer and found it gave indoor and remote temperatures within a degree (F). I didn't really expect it to forecast weather accurately so I wasn't disappointed when my expectations proved true. I can't attest to reliability because I've only had it about one month.Want Honeywell TE322ELW Long Range Weather Forecaster with Atomic Clock and Dual Alarm Discount?
Works OK but there are more compact and attractive products at similsr price. The big knob at the base is ugly and nonintuitive in its function. The numbers you want to see are small, the weather speculator is big and mostly meaningless. Poor illumination.
Xtreme Mac Luna Voyager Speaker System for iPhone and iPod -Black
- Recommended Age: 7 years and up
I bought this at the same time as I upgraded to the iPhone 4, and it did come with an insert that fits the iPhone 4. There was also a perfect insert for my old 3G in a silicone case. It came with 4 inserts total.
If you have an iPhone that you like to keep at your bedside, this is a perfect solution. It would also work as a desktop speaker. In fact, we may be getting a second one ;-).
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I'll confess I am a gadget junkie; especially when the gadgets make or record sound. If my wife would allow it, I would have an iPhone/iPod player in every room of the house, even though we already have a whole-house sound system... That being said, the Luna Voyager is really more of a desk/nightstand clock + charger than it is a sound system, unless your current sound system is a Hasbro i-Dog Robotic Music Loving Canine WhiteYes, it plays the music from the iThing of your choice, but the fidelity really isn't much more than you'll get from the typical radio alarm clock in this price category. It is a mediocre sound device.
However, where the unit excels (and exceeds my expectations) is in the ease of setup, use, and day-to-day function. Some examples:
1. Automatically sets the time based on your iPhone (or iPod). Seriously cool feature, especially if you live in an area with frequent power outages and HATE resetting all the digital clocks in the house like I do!
2. The display can be dimmed AND TURNED OFF ALTOGETHER! With an easy twirl of the "clickwheel" thingie on top, you can dial up or down the brightness of the display, including turning it completely off, which is a requirement at sleepy time in our bedroom (the wife forbids anything "electronic" from shining, buzzing, humming, blinking, or making its existence otherwise known in our bedroom).
3. Nice and small hides nicely onto a nightstand. Even if you're furniture is all Chippendale, it won't throw off your bedroom (or office) mojo too badly.
One thing to note the unit seems to be billed as a "travel" clock, but I can't see why. I travel A LOT and I can't see ever bringing this unit with me on the road for a couple of reasons first it is too bulky (I always carry-on so space is a premium for me), secondly it doesn't run on batteries, which I would think is a requirement for a "travel" version of anything... A travel clock bigger than a pack of cigarettes is not worth the space in my book.
My only other nit is that the wheel used for adjustments doesn't spin very easily. You have to "two-finger" the unit in order to get enough friction against it to make it turn smoothly. The only other controls are two tiny chrome buttons one for Play/Pause and the other for setting the alarm mode.
When we talk about ease of use, I can illustrate how easy it is by re-writing the user manual (in my own words) that will cover all necessary functionality:
--------
Plug the unit in
Stick your iPhone/IPod unit into the top
To play music, press the Play/Pause button. To pause, press the button again. Spin the dial to change the volume.
To set the alarm, push the Alarm button and twirl the dial to the time you want. To alternate between Alarm, iPod, or Off, repeatedly press the Alarm button
To change brightness, press and hold the Play/Pause button while turning the dial to achieve the desired brightness
---------
That's pretty much it, unless you want to switch from 12h/24h mode, which is a switch on the back. =)
Overall, a super easy-to-use iPhone/iPod Alarm Clock & Charger that is convenient to have at the bed side and unobtrusive enough to have a high SAF (Spousal Acceptance Factor).
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I hate to be the lone dissenting voice among all the happy reviewers, but I have to be honest. This is an attractive little device that has a lot going for it, but it falls short in several important ways.I'll start with the good stuff.
1. The product is attractive. The clock is compact and sleek, and the speaker grilles on the side are concave, which keeps the look clean. The clock face glows with light cobalt blue numbers, whose brightness can be adjusted. In particular, I liked the futuristic font of the numbers. Overall, it's not going to uglify your bedroom, and that's important. I've posted some photos in the "customer images" section above that'll give you a good idea of what the thing looks like.
2. The packaging was attractive. The outer box has a dark color scheme, but inside they've attempted to imitate Apple's packaging -nested white boxes with clean grey type in a modern font. No one does it as well as Apple, but this is a nice attempt.
3. The sound is okay. It's far from hi-fi, but it's about what you'd expect if you look at this machine primarily as an alarm clock. I wouldn't use this as a speaker system, though.
4. It charges your iPod, or iPhone, or iWhatever you're putting in it.
5. It automatically sets the time when you insert your iWhatever, based on whatever time that device says it is.
On to the bad stuff.
1. The AC jack on mine was loose inside, and cut off power when I moved the machine around at all. That's not good.
2. I wish the machine had a battery-only option so you didn't have to pack a big, bulky AC adaptor when you're traveling. It kind of detracts from the packability of the machine, and it's supposed to be a travel clock.
3. The dial is the kind that's basically a plate you spin with your fingers. That's fine, but it really sticks and that makes it very hard to set the alarm time.
4. I have a 5th Generation iPod Nano, and there was no adaptor provided, which is strange, because there's an adaptor for the 4g.
The Luna Voyager comes with adaptors for the iPod Classic, the Nano4G, the iTouch 2G, and the iPhone 3G. I don't know whether other models would fit those adaptors, but I wouldn't make any assumptions. You can see from my user photos that I just put my iPod Nano 5G in without an adaptor, and it worked fine.
Summary: It's a nice-looking thing, but it seems more thought went into the design than the function. It could have been so much better if all the technical details had been worked out.
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I was able to find this product for $25 elsewhere (sorry, Amazon!) -but even at Amazon's price, it's still a fine gadget. As others have mentioned, even the packaging is impressive. When a company puts this much thought and care into the design and presentation of their product's packaging, you assume either the product itself will follow suit and impress you with its design and build quality, or that the packaging is just a clever way to mask a substandard product. Fortunately, in this case, it's not the latter.The device itself is about the size of an oversized paperback novel. It's nearly all black, and apart from the shiny plastic covering the display and front of the unit's top, the surface is matte black and feels slightly rubberized. The side speaker grilles are a dark silver-gray. The look and feel of the product exudes quality.
I currently live overseas and was just hoping that the adapter would be dual-voltage so I could use it there, as I couldn't find anything in the specifications to indicate this. Not only is it indeed worldwide voltage (110-240VAC), a full range of slide-on plug adapters was included as well, so this is an excellent choice for anyone who might be spending time abroad. Most countries' AC outlets will be covered by one of the included plugs.
A handful of docking adapters is included, none of which seemed to work with my iPod touch 4G in its case (out of the case was a different story). This was not a problem at all, though, because the pin connector is solid and tight-fitting. If your particular iThing works with one of the included adapters, great. If not, you will never miss it.
Sound quality is quite decent; about what one would expect from what's essentially a stereo clock radio. This should more appropriately be listed as an iPod-docking alarm clock rather than a "speaker system." For bedside table applications, though, it's quite okay. I use a rain/thunderstorm app called Sleepmaker when I go to sleep (who doesn't like falling asleep to the sound of rain?) and the difference in sound quality from just placing my iPod on the table and docking it in the Luna Voyager was extreme. For this use, it really sounds good. Music is alright, too, though its EQ curve seems stronger in the midrange at the expense of the highs (and obviously you're not going to get impressive bass). Acoustic and vocal music sounds the best. On this point, I really have no complaints at all. It reproduces sound as well as I expected for what it is. You can also set up a playlist in iTunes and name it "Luna," and the device will automatically use this playlist as the wakeup/alarm playlist. The alarm seems to be one of the "gentle wake" types that increases steadily in volume. The snooze is actuated by rotating the dial. It's odd (since we're used to pushing a button or bar), but works easily enough, even in a drowsy haze.
The Luna Voyager could barely be any easier to use. Most appreciated was the instant clock setting once you dock the iPod, and the ability to dim or turn off the display is a huge plus. There is a Luna Voyager app on the Apple App store, but I believe it's exclusively for the follow-up model to this device, the Luna Voyager II. That unit incorporates a radio and can also dock the iPad. I downloaded the app to see if it had any functionality with this particular unit, and it's very limited (you can control iPod music, but you can do that without the app just as easily).
I was so impressed with this unit that after a couple of days' use, I ordered another one as a gift for one of my friends. This is an easy gadget to recommend, and at $25, it's a steal.
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XtremeMac's new Luna Voyager is a travel alarm clock that works with your iPod/iPhone. Essentially, the device is an alarm clock with a port for an Apple iPod or iPhone on top. I tested it with both an iPhone 4 and an iPhone 3GS. I plugged the unit in and placed my iPhone 4 into the port; the clock quickly set its time to the time in the iPhone. You can adjust the time to run as a 12 hour clock with am/pm indicators or as a 24 hour clock. The clock display can be dimmed by steps from off to bright. At its brightest setting, the clock was easily visible in a bright room. The dimmest setting would be perfect for a bedside scene, but the ability to turn the numbers off entirely is a nice option for those annoyed by any light in the bedroom. The numbers are large enough to be legible at 10 feet. Numerals are presented in blue.Press the play button on the top surface and you instantly can listen to your music. To skip from song to song, or to choose a specific song, you'll need to activate the iPhone or iPod; after that, songs will play in order as presented by your Apple device. There are two speakers, one on each side of the Voyager, so you get reasonable stereo. Remember that this is a small unit so audiophiles might prefer the Luna SST. Bass is lacking, but the overall effect is louder and superior to that of the iPhone's single internal speaker. Of course, there's a tradeoff here for size; the unit's small size makes it easy to toss into a suitcase for traveling. We chose to place the unit in the kitchen as a small clock & music source on the countertop.
There are several adaptors that allow for insertion of various iPod and iPhone varieties. I used one for the iPhone 3GS. Once inserted, the adaptor can be removed with use of a letter opener or small knife blade by following the instructions in the well-written manual. Both iPhones were charged by the port, something that not all devices handle properly.
The clock can be set up to be set manually. This is an advantage for those living in areas (St. Louis comes to mind) where the time presented by the iPhone from the network is sometimes inaccurate. There is a battery compartment for two AAA's to preserve the clock and alarm settings in the event of a power failure. There is also a Line-In jack on the back of the unit. This jack is not described in the users manual and was undoubtedly a last-minute addition to the overall product. It isn't clear to me what type of plug this is although it seems to be a mini-jack similar to the jack on the iPhone.
The appearance of the unit is pleasing. The materials used are slick and contemporary. All the buttons and switches work properly. There is a dial on the top of the unit for setting the dimming level, the alarm time, and the volume. The dial is a neat idea as it's flat and therefore prevents the unit from having a bump on the top, but it is a little unwieldy to use, not quite turning as smoothly as it might. I'd recommend that the source for this particular component be upgraded a notch. The overall presentation and packaging is high-end, equivalent to anything you'd see from Apple or other high tech companies, and clearly designed to give the new owner a sense of gratification.
Bottom line: Buy the Luna Voyager if the low price point is critical, if you're short on space in your desired location, or if you plan to use this for travel. Go up a step to the Luna SST if you'd rather have improved sound and don't mind the loss of travel abilities or space.