Nokia 5300 XpressMusic Unlocked Cell Phone with Camera, MP3 Player, MicroSD Slot--International Vers

I love this phone. Recently I joined T-Mobile and received a free violet Nokia 5300 and a Nokia 2610. I kept the 5300 and gave the 2610 to my mother thinking that it would be an easier phone to use for an older person. The 2610 was an awful phone and my mother was unable to figure it out. To remedy this situation, I gave the Nokia 5300 to my mother and I took the 2610. She was able to use the 5300 with no problem. Of course, I had really liked the 5300, so I ordered this red one for myself. I love the fact that the phone is very easy to use that I can listen to music or audio books on it and it feels so comfortable in my hand. I'd have to say that it just fits. It's thicker than most slider phones but I personally like that. It's small enough to fit in my hand but not so small to be difficult to see or handle. My only difficulty with this phone is that the volume seems low; however, it is better once I move my ear around and find the right spot for listening. I have only had this new phone for a few days so far, so I need to adjust to it and also look in the book to see if the listening volume can be raised. With the headphones on, the music and audio books sound great. The speaker sounds pretty good with some static. All in all, I love this phone. This particular phone is an international phone, so just in case I do travel outside the country, I can use it. Maybe I'll have to save some money and do that.

the product had a default,the back lid did not fit well.But when i conducted the sender ,i was sent a replacement immeadietally,good job.

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Simple, rugged phone that my dad loves. Very easy to use, has a nice music player & a loud speaker.

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this is by far the best phone I've ever had, great sound, great durability. only one bad point: Battery life. I use it to sync with my pc and to handle my agenda.

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Pretty decent phone with good features, but this phone is very fragile. Lcd screen broke just being in my pocket, without dropping it. The warranty had run out. I only had it for two months. I had insurance with t-mobile, but the replacement phone was higher than what I paid for the phone. I got the phone on discount by entering a two year contract. I will never do that again. In short it was a bust. I feel I got ripped off.

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Teac Hi-Fi Speaker System with iPod/iPhone Dock

• Teac Micro Hi-Fi System
• Docking Station for iPod/iPhone
• Includes Remote Control
• Bass Reflex Type 2 Way Stereo Speakers
• Music CD and MP3 Disc Playable

Pros:

* Generally good sound for a unit of this price. Bass is solid and treble is crisp. Low distortion.

* Excellent FM and decent AM reception. CDs play fine.

* Good iPod/iPhone functionality with built-in and third-party audio apps like Pandora. Charges iPhones (tested 3GS, 4, 4S).

* Decent remote functions.

* Reasonably good clock and alarm functions.

Cons:

* Remote is really finicky about the angle you are coming from. System often doesn't notice attempts to control it unless remote is in a direct straight line in front of it, at least as high as the unit itself.

* Clock display is difficult to see when unit is turned off. No backlighting unless it's on. This makes it useless as a clock radio unless you never want to know what time it is at night.

* Not a lot of control over the sound settings.

* You can set and recall radio stations, but it's klunky and unintuitive. There are no quick station buttons.

* System memory does not survive a power outage and there is no battery backup. Reverts to factory settings upon power disconnect. In my area, this means that, on average, once a month everything has to be set up all over again. I often come home and need to reset the clock and at least retune to my favorite radio station. If it is playing when the power goes out, it will not automatically start again once the power returns. If I'd known this flaw when I was choosing a system, I'd never have purchased it. The other cons are just nuisances, but the inability of this unit to remember anything is a deal-killer. Bad TEAC.

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I bought two of these for Christmas gifts for my kiddos, knowing that Santa would bring headphones. I was quite dismayed, upon opening the boxes, to find no headphone jack, rendering the beloved new (and costly!) headphones completely useless. My kids prefer the headphones to the stereo itself, so only three days past Christmas, have virtually abandoned the stereos in favor of devices on which their headphones can be used.

The sound quality is good, in my opinion. This is their first stereo, and they are in my kids' rooms, so I can't say much about the problems addressed in the other review regarding the remote. I will say that having to reset the settings after every power outage will be quite annoying.

The picture shows the speakers pushed next to the main unit, but they don't attach, they just rest next to it. It looks doofy with the speakers spread out. The remote is much larger than expected. The overall appearance is nice.

This is, in my opinion, exactly what you paid for; a middle-ground system with fairly decent sound quality, but has a few missing elements which would greatly improve my happiness quotient.

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I bought this stereo system right around June of 2012, after reading some positive reviews for this product on Walmart.com big mistake. I should have read into it a bit more to fully understand the pros and cons. If you are considering this product, PLEASE read this review first!!!

Pros -

* Decent quality sound for an O.K. price

* Multiple features Am & Fm radio options(surprisingly not all stereos have this option,) cd player, auxiliary input jack, and ipod/iphone dock (I do not have either of these devices to test its functionality here, but my friend's did not work, though his was a bit messed up, so I'm not really sure.)

* One year limited warranty not to be expected from a cheap stereo like this, although I've never tried to hassle with their customer service, so I don't know how difficult warranty problems are to resolve.

* 20 Station Am/Fm memory bank you can actually have a total of 40 different stations, as there are separate memory banks for both Am & Fm listening options

* Looks O.K.

Cons -

* Am & Fm settings are separate, thus, you cannot browse between Am & Fm stations simultaneously.

* Although there is a "Dimmer" button, it does not actually allow you to adjust the brightness on the display I am constantly frustrated with this feature, even after 6 months of owning this product. The light is EXCRUCIATINGLY BRIGHT in the dark...

* As stated in the previous reviews, it is horrible with power outages even my 8 year old GPX projection alarm clock is better with outages.

* The "repeat" function for the cd player is not great it will cut off if it has been left on repeat for several hours. When you have a migraine headache, and your white noise maker cuts off, it is not very fun.

* You cannot listen to "shuffle and repeat settings at the same time with cds.

* Often makes sharp electronic noises when switching auxiliary sources(only in auxiliary mode though.)

* Sound sometimes fluxes when flipping the light switch (I tried different outlets, and even different rooms, but still the same results)

* Sound sometimes difficult to balance mids & bass

* Certain Am stations sound dreadfully muffled.

All-in-all, if you're looking for a good stereo, that will last you a while, I would suggest you save up a bit longer to up the budget just a bit. Buy something of higher quality, and that will hopefully last a little longer, but if the information I have provided does not make you have second thoughts of considering this product, this should be good for you.

I hope you have found my review helpful.

I wish you the best in your shopping, and may God bless you,

Cameraman407

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leaves a lot to be desired...the remote buttons remain depressed, do not pop up again due to thin material. When laying in bed the screen cannot be read due to the angle. Unless the remote is pointed perfectly at the right spot the unit does not react.It will cost $20 to replace the remote and the system is almost useless without it.

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Sony ICF-C218 Automatic Time Set Clock Radio (White)

• Automatic time set
• Automatic Daylight Savings Time
• Battery backup ensures correct time
• 0.9-inch green LED display
• Single alarm
• Am/Fm Radio Feature
• Built-In Calendar
• Easy Alarm Setting

What I like about this alarm clock: doesn't take up much room on my nightstand, the time is preset at the factory so all I had to do was set my time zone, the alarm doesn't jolt you awake it starts out slow and quieter gradually getting faster and louder, you can choose how long you want your snooze to be, and it is so easy to figure out I first saw this item at Target and was able to figure it out right there while displayed, quite a few of the others baffled me.

Other info: only one alarm time can be set

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This clock is just perfect in our beach house. Actually, I have now bought 3 of these since they are white with our white furniture. They are small and they aren't so bright at night that it is bothersome. I would recommend these clocks. My daughter even wanted one to take off to college with her because of the size, radio and dim light at night.

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Edit May 18th 2012

I've owned this clock since January 4, 2010.

It does not tell the accurate time. There is no way to 'set' the time.

It randomly changes time 1 hour. Just today I woke up (Today is May 18, 2012 ) and the time had "set itself" forward one hour.

The only way to correct this is to change the zone of your time. There is no manually setting the time on this clock.

As of right now this clock is 6 minutes fast. There is no possible way to "set" it back to the correct time.

This is frustrating beyond belief. I will NEVER buy another clock from this company ever again.

When you fling yourself out of bed thinking you are an hour late.. When this clock has randomly set itself forward or backward one hour for no reason at all..

This clock is a useless waste of money.. I'll be buying something accurate in the near future. Lucky for me I have several clocks.. At least I know what time it is, but not from looking at this clock.

Also turning off the alarm is frustrating with it's turn dial instead of button.

Thumbs down for this clock...

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I kept having a problem with my 10 year olds forgetting to set their alarms at night or forgetting to reset the clock after an electrical 'hiccup'. Anyway, I bought them each one of these clocks so they'd never have to fuss with the time again. Let me say that part works GREAT! However, they both like to fall asleep listening to music which they have on a very low volume. The 'sleep' feature allows them to set the timer to 90/60/30/0 minutes till shut-off. Since they fall asleep to a low volume music, they are not able to set the wake-up alarm to 'radio'. They'd never hear it. So we set it to 'buzzer'. The sound is not a buzzer. It's a very pleasant beeping which is not that loud at all. If you wake easily this should not be a problem. My two DON'T wake easily. I still find myself having to wake them up. My next move... a foghorn blown from the sofa where I sit drinking my morning joe and watching the news. :)

After 1.5 years and lots of use, I can say that this radio is a terrific value for the money. It is well designed & attractive with a relatively small footprint. Has a pretty good instruction manual that is easy to follow. Glad I got it. Recommend highly.

I like the idea that you can fall asleep to the radio, have the alarm set on "buzzer", which is actually a gentle beep that gets louder and louder and more insistent till you turn it off. I find I cannot ignore this alarm clock. I couldn't imagine sleeping through it as you can hear it down the hall! (And like many people, who wants to get up from a deep snooze???-no choice with this one.) Never be late or hurried again!

The radio is actually fairly high quality with good sound and quite simple to tune to reception.

I guess an alternative to this effective alarm clock would be a sledge hammer poised to drop on you at the appropriate time. I think I'll take the beeping.................

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Wave® Music System III - Titanium Silver

• Lifelike sound from Bose® waveguide speaker technology
• Plays all your music sources: CDs/MP3 CDs, FM/AM--plus your iPod®, smartphone, computer, tablet or Bluetooth® device with optional accessories
• Includes CD player, advanced FM/AM tuner, headphone jack, remote, clock
• Now with: Touch-top on/off/snooze controls; dual independent alarms; displayed song/artist radio info

I bought this system through the Bose website because they offer a 90 day no questions asked return policy which includes shipping, PLUS 6 month zero percent financing, so I could try it out and only put up a hundred bucks to decide if I want to keep it. The first thing I thought when I saw the different options were that the prices are RIDICULOUS. For one of these guys without the CD player, it's 350 bucks. You add a simple decades old technology CD player, and they bump it up 150 dollars. Insane. However, if you don't listen to CDs and use your iPhone or MP3 player to listen to the majority of your music, you can get the CD playerless model, and add bluetooth connectivity for 100 bucks, which totals 450 for the system. I opted to go for this model, partly because I can always add bluetooth later but can't add the CD, and because I buy most of my music through amazon and it's all burnable to MP3 format, so I have CDs with over 120 songs on them in alphabetical order that I listen to in my car, and it's a huge bonus that they all work on this CD player.

So, moving along... Unpacking and getting it up and playing is as easy as the listing said it would be. Take the cord, plug it into the unit, and plug the other side into the wall, and voilayou're ready to go. One thing that I want to mention is that this does not come with an FM/AM antenna included, but the instruction manual says that you can plug one in, so that's something you may want to consider if you're living in the boonies or out in the middle of BFN. The unit uses the power cord as the antenna, and the manual states that the cord should be straight to get optimal results, but I haven't really had any problems with getting the stations I want to listen to, so it might be YP, but not MP. (My problem)

The design of the unit is very simple and seemingly seemless. There is a "touch pad" at the top of the unit, which is nothing more than an invisible button useful for the alarm functions, a slot for a CD, an lcd display, all on a clunky, though charmingly attractive box. The remote control is essential to this music player's operation, and Bose is probably counting on me losing it so they can wring me out for more cash. The remote is nothing special, and almost reminds me of those remotes I used to get when I had Kenwood CD players and disc changers installed in my car. Nonetheless, if you lose it, you won't be able to use this thing for much.

There are four inputs/outputs on the back of the system, and they are: FM antenna, Bose link, AUX in, and Headphones. The AUX in and Headphones outputs are both 3.5 mm, which is the smaller of the two main connectors, but if you have a 3.5mm to 1/4" adapter (that costs like 2 bucks on amazon) you can plug in your digital piano, or guitar from the amp into the AUX IN. I've done both, and the sound, especially from my Casio Previa Digital Piano came out about a million times cleaner and more pleasing than the stock speakers. You can also use professional headphones with quarter inch jacks with the adapter, but that almost defeats the purpose of spending 500 bucks+ on a stereo set.

After taking the time to learn the components, the remote and operation, alarm functions and time setup etc. and finally getting to really listen to music, it's easy to remember why I bought this thing in the first place. The sound is as good as money can buy. I'm a leisure musician living with a family of musicians, and we all appreciate the distinctive Bose sound. The songs I've listened to seem to come to life, and the speakers don't miss a single detail. Playing Christopher Cross's "Sailing" turns the living room into a warm day in the bay, listening to Kenny Chesney takes me back to my roots in Tennessee, "Turkish March" transforms the space into a music hall, and the bass from Juvenile's "Back that Azz Up" really makes my house feel like the VIP room at the club. When I listen to my Wave, I like to just close my eyes and absorb the sound that you almost never get to hear in your car or from your ipod. It's ear candy.

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Needed a new radio for my livingroom and wanted a quality, small sound system.

this Bose Wave Radio III had many of the features I was looking for except for two things, no integrated iPod/iPhone connection and the price was a little higher than I wanted to pay. I purchased the Bose Ipod dock separatley for $99

None the less I brought it and am happy with some of the sound and quality. The remote control seems cheap and could be an issue if you use the radio/player a lot (buttons might wear out sooner seems they could have added some extra buttons on the radio itself not just only rely on the remote).

There is the touch power off/on feature which is nice feature. It plays MP3 disks and regular music CDs. The sound was only good. I had to turn the volume way up to get a decent tones and sounds from my music CDs do need some volume to get the best sound, this system did not perform as I would have expected. I eventually moved it to my bedroom which is smaller. That's the only way I was able to get the nice loud sounds I like from the big box speakers. Unfortunately i ened up purchaseing the big speakers and system for my livingroom. This system is not for those that like to adjust bass and treble since there is not a button to do so. i also do not like that you have to use the reomote for everything. this could potentially be a problem in the future if the reomte is misplaced or damage.

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For years I have wanted a Bose radio. I dedided not long ago that I deserved to give myself a birthday/Christmas present. I ordered my Bose from Amazon.com. It is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard from a radio. I love classical/semiclassical music....and coming from the Bose it sounds as if the orchestra is in the same room with me. So glad I bought it. And always great service from Amazon.com !

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Had Wave III system with multi cd changer for 2 years (11/2010 purchase) and cds starting skipping. Called local reputable electronics dealership. They cant service because Bose wont support any U.S electronic repair facilities with parts. However, they will do it for some countries overseas. Bose wants you to pack it up and ship it for a $100 repair bill with a three-week turnaround. Doesn't include shipping and tax. Customer service rep said they do that for "customer convenience". Huh? After that conversation, they're not getting any more of my money. So I popped the lid. Hoping against hope maybe a good air clean could fix it. Wished everyone could see inside before they buy one of these. Definitely form over function. Good looking piece of equipment that has good sound but extremely poor quality electronics inside. Surprised it lasted this long. Air clean didnt help. Just thought you ought to know before you buy.

We purchased this unit and its 3 CD attachment a week ago but returned it for the following reasons:

1) Unable to adjust the bass and treble

2) Unable to shuffle more than 1 CD's music at a time

3) Unable to program to eliminate songs I don't want to hear

The customer support people at Bose were fantastic. The small unit sounded fabulous but I just could not keep it since, over time, I would have had regrets due to the above 3 reasons.

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Wireless Bluetooth Sound Bar HD Home Entertainment System with 3D Stereo Surround Sound and Subwoofe

• Exceptional sound delivered by two 3" full-range speakers, two 1" tweeters, and 5.25" woofer; Dimensions: 24" x 9.75" x 5"
• Powerful 300-watt output for impressive, booming audio; sleek black piano finish compliments any room's décor
• Bluetooth technology allows you to pair devices for convenient, wireless playback
• Features FM Radio Receiver and supports WMA/MP3 playback from SD Memory Cards and USB Flash Drives
• Two sets of RCA audio input jacks allow you to hook up your Television and Blu-Ray Player, DVD Player, or Game Console; Includes Capacitive Stylus and LCD Cloth

I'm very impressed with the sound and how easy the speaker is to pair. I've had some trouble before with fussy Bluetooth devices, but this one paired without a problem and delivered great sound with all of my music.

I would definitely recommend this product to anyone looking for a versatile Bluetooth speaker with great sound and a modern, unique design.

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Perfect. Just what i needed for my home. No more cables and with FM radio makes unique.

Sorry BOSE....

Would recommend !!!!

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I ordered this unit so that I could stream my music wirelessly from my iPhone and personal computer in a room that doesn't receive radio signals well. I have had no trouble with the radio signals coming through at this point. This unit was larger than I expected it to be but the constuction and look was pleasing. Ease of set up and use was nice. Sound quality is very good as well. I would definitely recommend this item if you are looking for a wireless speaker and the additional options to hook up auxiliry units was a plus.

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Nice product and works easily.Easy to syc with IPhone or Ipod. Excellent price point and easy to understand manual. Nice.,

I was looking for some bluetooth speakers since I am going to get an ipad mini, but they were all way to expensive. I saw this one and took a chance, glad I did it! The FM is great and bluetooth is really easy to set up! The sound quality is not the best but it is still pretty good. I would recommend this to anyone.

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Bose Wave Music System - Titanium Silver

I have enjoyed my Bose Wave music system for just over a month and I am very pleased with its performance. This is the second or third generation of the iconic Bose one-piece tabletop sound system that is intended to make you think you are listening to a much more complicated and professional component system. And, to a great extent, it does just that--or at least, it is closer to a stereo component sound than to a stand-alone run-of-the-mill radio sound. It certainly features a deeper range of bass sounds than any other one-piece radio I have ever encountered.

Bose has pioneered its spectacular sound machines which seem highly defined by their innovative speaker systems which they refer to as "waveguide speaker technology". This one-piece system produces a clear, natural, room-filling sound without the need of external speakers. It has a very innovative physical design with a small unintrusive footprint that sits well on a night stand or in the kitchen. I particulrly appreciate the Titanium Silver color which seems appropriate for any area of the home. It is simple to install right out of the box and has the FM/AM radio, CD player, and clock/alarm built in. There is an auxiliary input for an MP3 player or other alternate sound source.

I especially appreciate the alarm system that opens softly and gently rises in volume as you awake. It comes with a credit card size remote control; however, I purchased the larger backlit remote with a dedicated cradle that I use instead. All in all, this is an effective and very impressive one-piece tabletop sound system that I enjoy daily. It is a bit pricy, but ultimately, you get what you pay for.

I had the Bose Wave Music System (one disk changer and remote) for a week or so now. Never thought I would pop the $$ for this but when I found it at a good price, I said "go for it". I'll admit, I'm surprised and impressed. I did expect it to be different, better and so forth just because of the reputation but I was not prepared for the details of that difference. The sound is remarkable. It not only sounds great when you're in the room with it but also because of how well it produces music throughout several adjoining rooms . For example, when I am in my living room, two rooms away from where I placed the Bose (in the kitchen at the rear of the house and facing the back) the music sounds almost even better its rich and full and more rounded than any of my other music systems with the possible exception of the one that takes up a great deal more space. I like listening to it from my reading chair in the living room....great full powered sound without being overpowered by it... I hear details of CD music I've not heard before from such a distance. I think the distance listening factor of this unit is the most remarkable feature of all that are mentioned.

Some reviewers have been critical of the unit being controlled only by the remote with no on board buttons. I can see that as a problem if you have kids and pets (who like to eat remotes and yes, both the kids AND the pets might do that).... but for me, a single guy living alone, it is no problem. Actually, the unit looks sleek without all those buttons on top and you don't have to worry about dust accumulation. Just the same, I do recommend getting a backup remote easily available on the eBay market (just Google it). If you've got an extra $500 for a new unit, go for it...or, if your funds are more limited, look around. It can be found for less. In my case and considering what I paid, it was more than worth it.

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I originally ordered the Boston Acoustics Trio because of better features but due to a couple of issues (details below) decided to switch to the Wave. While I had both units, I did a side by side comparison, and here is a summary:

Sound Quality: Both the Trio and the Wave sound great. Listening to the same radio station and CD in both, the sound is different and IMHO the Bose sounds better. Especially in higher frequencies and lighter tones. Some may like the Trio better. But the difference is not likely to be a deal breaker for either.

Sleep feature: Both units allow a programmable sleep time (up to 90 min). When it is time to turn off, the Wave gradually lowers the volume and turns off. The Trio suddenly turns off at whatever volume it was, which can be jarring. Bose wins.

Controls on Unit: Trio controls are nice to use, and most people will not need the manual for common tasks. The Wave has no buttons on the unit itself, every control is through the remote. If you buy the iPod dock, you get an additional remote for the Wave and then one can leave one remote near the unit. But still, the lack of a Snooze button and CD eject button on the Wave is annoying. And one has to worry about not loosing the remote or having a dead battery one day. The Trio definitely wins.

Remote control: Comparable features on both. Bose does offer an optional bigger premium remote with back-lit buttons.

Radio: The Trio shows radio station names and the name of the currently playing song. The Wave only shows the station frequency. Wave does have one more pre-set memory location. Boston Acoustics wins.

iPod: The iPod dock was free with the Wave at the time of this writing (through Bose) and deeply discounted with the Trio (through Boston Acoustics). The docks work on both, but are only mediocre in terms of the amount of control over playback one gets from the remote. The Trio dock does allow for the alarm to be set to wake to iPod. The Wave dock needs a separate bulky power adapter while the Trio dock gets its power from the same wire that connects it to the Trio. Both do charge the iPod. Trio wins.

Alarm: The Wave has one alarm, which cannot be programmed for days of the week. The Trio has two alarms each of which can be set for all 7 days, weekdays, or weekends. Trio wins. (BUT, the Trio seems to have a bug, also noted by some reviewers for Trio. I set both alarm 1 and alarm 2 on the Trio. Alarm 1 was set for an earlier time and it did go off at the set time. The Snooze worked. But when I turned off the alarm using the correct method, two bad things happened: Alarm 1 automatically reset to 12am, Alarm 2 turned off and did not sound at the set time.)

Wake to: The Wave allows the alarm to be set to CD or Radio. The Trio allows CD, Radio, iPod, or a tone alarm. Trio wins.

Battery backup: Both the Trio and Wave remember the time, alarm, and radio presets in case of power failure. Neither will sound the alarm if there is no power at the time the alarm is supposed to sound. Its worthwile to note that many cheap radio alarms have a backup alarm on batteries that sounds even if there is no power.

Clock: Neither adjusts for daylight savings. The time display IMHO is better on the Bose and easier to read, though the screen on the Trio is higher resolution. Both allow for changing the display brightness. The automatic brightness change on the Trio is jerky and not pleasant to look at when its changing. The Bose brightness change seems imperceptible.

Looks: This is very subjective. I liked Bose better. More importantly, my wife liked Bose better and she has a good aesthetic sense. Maybe that's why she married me :-)

FM Antenna: The Wave's FM antenna is part of the power chord, so no need to extend and hide an additional wire. The Trio has a separate wire for the FM antenna. Bose wins.

AM Antenna: Hidden for the Wave. Exposed as a twisted wire for the Trio, which for me was damaged on delivery. Bose wins.

Price: Bose spends more on marketing and customer service. They have local stores where one can experience the products in person. As expected, Bose is more expensive.

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I was hoping for a good music player and a alarm clock. It makes a decent music player and alarm clock. It is supposed to have really good sound. The sound is muttled and there are no adjustments to make it any better.

I didn't like the fact that there were no buttons but I've found that it doesn't really cause to much of a problem as long as the batteries are good. It does however have a couple annoying features.

It has an auto dim feature for low light which I would rather disable but it won't let you. It will let you turn it up some with makes it tolerable. When you set the alarm it comes on low but it automatically goes up to 30 which I wanted louder but again no adjustment.

Now the good features. It seems very well built and sturdy. The design is attractive and fits in most places with no problem. It does have a Cd player which works well as long as you don't what to preset tracks (It will only shuffle).

With all this said, I still have to give it a three. I would give it a four if the price tag wasn't so high. For the money, I expect a few more adjustments. It is very easy to use however and serves it purpose well. It does need to have more options. It works well and seems like it will last a good long time. I'm fairly happy with it.

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Just completed a major kitchen remodel and when all was done, we realized the one thing we hadn't considered was MUSIC. Previously, we had an undercabinet Sony unit which was fine, but with the new kitchen, we had built-in undercabinet lighting and no where to mount a similar unit. Ended up picking up a refurbished Bose Wave in Titanium Silver at a Bose Store for 20% off...while still pricey @ $400, the clean look, excellent sound and radio reception made it worth every penny. Its a nice, clean look that blends in nicely with our blue/white granite and stainless appliances, and really fills the kitchen/dining area with sound...all our friends have commented on the great sound. It's also nice to be able to plug in our Ipods with a standard head-phone-like connector...although Bose offers an Ipod dock (w/ charging capability) for $100, the one review on Amazon was not so great so we passed on that. Definitely recommend this unit.

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JVC UXEP25 Audio System with iPod Connect (iPod not included)

• 3.1 inch full-range speaker
• Display dimmer
• COMPU PLAY
• Wake-up volume
• iPod connection

This would make a perfect stereo system for a dorm room or an office. I actually bought it to hook up my electronic keyboard to an external sound source, but it's quickly become a very useful addition to my den.

It sounds great. Granted, I'm no audiophile, but it sounds just as good as my Technics receiver and pair of JBL speakers (just not as loud). Keep in mind, though, that more discerning pair of ears may find these lacking.

The Pros:

you can do just about everything with the supplied remote;

you can hook it up to your computer using the USB "B"-style port (like the USB ports on printers) in the back; this will install plug-and-play drivers for USB sound device and you can then use it as a sound output device (you don't need to install any drivers on the computer);

the motorised lid for the CD tray is just too cool!

built-in iPod port and ability to control iPods through the remote and stereo interface. I don't have an iPod, so I don't have any experience with this. Also, not all iPods are supported, so be sure to check the JVC website to see which models are supported. Of course, if your particular iPod is not supported, then you can simply use the Aux In port with it.

it's got a regular USB port ("A" type connector) in the front, which is, for me, the coolest part of the bells and whistles on this stereo. You can copy over your MP3s and WMAs to a USB flash drive, plug it into the USB port on the stereo, and the stereo will play the music files on it. Not only that, you can also plug in a memory card reader to the port, and then use memory cards with the reader to play music. What a great way to make use of the older digital camera flash memory cards, especially if you have one of those 12-in-1 reader types!

it has Aux In port (mini stereo plug-size) for connecting other devices (like a digital keyboard, non-iPod MP3 player, hand-held gaming consoles like Sony PSP). You can set the Aux port's input level to either of two levels. So if your external source has a fixed output volume and you find yourself scrambling for the volume control every time you switch beween Aux and other sound features, then you can use this to adjust (either increase or decrease) the Aux port's input level.

The Cons:

The clock does not display when the unit's off (when it's in standby mode);

with the remote, you can't hold down the volume control to increase or decrease the volume automatically; there are 30 levels of volume, and if you want to go from volume 0 to 30, then you have to press "+ Volume" button 30 times;

On the stereo itself, I'd have preferred a knob for volume control, not + and buttons.

The Neither-here-nor-theres:

The unit can playback a maximum of 999 music files, orgainzed in up to 500 folders (same whether using a CD full of MP3s/WMAs or a USB drive/reader);

on my unit, regular audio CDs play just fine. Computer-burned audio CDs work fine. Computer-burned discs containing MP3s or WMAs keep giving "No Disc" error message (I've tried three discs burned on two computers so far). Normally this would be a deal-killer, but as I exclusively use the USB port for MP3 playback--and indeed, would still have even if I didn't have the problem with reading the MP3 discs--this is largely a non-factor for me. I bought a 2GB SD card for $14.99 and am using that for MP3 playback (had a reader already). Or you can get a brand-name 2GB USB flash drive that doesn't require a reader for $15.99 from Amazon.com. Probably be even cheaper next month.

I thought this was a bit funny: The manual basically says what kind of CD media and music files are supported, and then goes on with this disclaimer: Basically, even when all the requirements are met, MP3/WMA playback may still not work.

I'm very happy with my purchase!

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If you are looking for a shelf system this is the one to buy. I checked out the similar offerings from Sony, Philips and Panasonic. This system sounds better, build quality is great, main unit fits on a shelf nicely and interface features are far superior. The feature description for this doesn't mention how well it works with non iPod players... Great! The system can read MP3 file directly from MP3 players, Memory sticks and USB hard drives. Navigation is done from the remote and MP3 tags are displayed on the front panel. The only odd thing is the file/folder navigation is a little different from other players I have used in that you must switch "modes" to navigate folders vs files. Overall JVC got it right with this one.

Read Best Reviews of JVC UXEP25 Audio System with iPod Connect (iPod not included) Here

Not a bad little player. Works well in the kitchen. I do not recomend it for large rooms because of low sound output. The part I like about it is that I can plug my USB flash stick in to listen to music. If only it had a high sound output it would be the perfect system in all homes. I turn it up to 20 and it puts out decent sound, but the volume control only goes to 30. I guess its more so personal preferrence as to volume. Overall it has not failed me yet. I would recomend it being at 100 dollars any higher it wouldn't be worth it.

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Bought this system for wife's gym, and I was totally blown away by sound quality. I can her the music throughout the house. The function are easy, its simply plug and play. Would recommend to anyone.

I purchased this JVC audio system for my husband because of the iPod connect and CD player. Most units don't have both. I researched online and this was the best reviewed unit I could find for about $100. We are extremely satisfied. The unit is small, sleek, and packs a pretty good punch, sound wise. I'm not the type of person that would be able to tell the difference between 20 different speakers, but I know enough to know that this system sounds better than our last.

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Naxa NCA-670 Detachable Stereo AM/FM Car Radio with Compact Disc Player and Aux-In Jack

• Manual Tuning Stereo AM/FM Radio Tuner
• Mechanical Front Face Detachable Panel with Carrying Case
• Large LCD Display with Power Level Meter & Clock Function
• RCA Line Out Jack/Pair of Low impedance RCA Line-out Plugs
• High Output Power

This NAXA NX-670 was replacement for original 95 Jeep non-infinity system so unit it replaced was never good from the start.

Was very easy to install and we are very happy with it.

Unit Works Good,Looks Good and Sounds Good With a Great Price.

Would recommend and would buy again.

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I purchased this stereo based on it's price and good reviews, apparently I should have paid a bit more attention to the details. This stereo is awkward in it's setup with the volume on the right and the station selection dial on the left. This is a setup that I am not used to and is a pain to change while I am driving.

The other thing that is quite strange is the lack of radio station presets. There are six buttons at the bottom of the stereo and none of them besides the aux button are of much good.

If you are only going to use this for an ipod or as a cd player then this is a great stereo, but if you listen to the radio even just once in a while then this is not the stereo for you.

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Very nice lil unit.I installed it in my 78 Dodge rv,easy to install ,sounds great w/ 4 speakers.Cd player works good.I used a trim kit from walmart & looks like it came from the factory.I would buy again.

UPDATE-Dec-2012

Took this unit out of my rv & put it in my ole 87 honda accord.Did fine for a few months,now yesterday,no sound,lights up,but no sound.So now its trash.Thats the problem with todays crap,not made to last at all.

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This radio cannot pickup any of the stations in Atlanta.... The ipod hookup is nice, but I need to listen to traffic and news in the mornign and this just doesnt cut it. Pretty cheap

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I love it my partner got for x-mass and we finely installed and it was worth the money works great so far .

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Benchmark - DAC-1 -HDR - Preamplifier / DAC / Headphone Amp BLACK

• IR remote control with adjustable 'Dim'and 'Soft-Mute'High-Dynamic Range Volume Control with custom-built, motor-driven Alps volume potSix Stereo Inputs: Analog RCA, USB,TOSLINK optical, and three digital coaxialUtilizes 24-bit, 192-kHz DAC1 D/A conversion systemBenchmark's phase-accurate UltraLock technology provides total jitter immunityAdvancedUSB computer audio interface for native 24-bit / 96-kHz USB audioCompatible with Windows Vista/XP/2000 and Mac OS X without driver installationState-of

Replacing a Conrad-Johnson tubed DAC with something I couldn't physically listen to scared me. I have purchased on-line before but never an audio component. I've loved the CJ for years but the few remaining record labels are making noises about dropping CD production and it only supports 44.1/16 so perhaps it was time to go.

After subscribing to Stereophile for decades I have noticed a recent trend that virtually every DAC they review is compared to the writer's Benchmark DAC1. Some are better, some are different and some just don't compare, but they're all compared to the Benchmark. So if every Stereophile contributor owns a DAC1 maybe I should just buy a DAC1?

A call to Benchmark suggested that I retire my trusty CJ SC-26 pre-amp and just go with the HDR. The reasoning was that the extra interconnect and redundant pre-amp would be detrimental to the sound versus just using the HDR. They also told me, confirmed by Stereophile, that the DAC1 PRE and DAC1 HDR do sound better than the straight DAC1. I purchsed direct from Benchmark as I figured that nothing was good enough to satisfy me and I would be taking advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee. Nope.

Yipes is this thing good. Clean, fast, tight, smooth, uber-imaging, yada yada yada. It's fed by a Logitech Squeezebox Touch (from Amazon). Really.

Buy one. Now.

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6.0" FWVGA Screen MTK6577 Dual Core 1.2GHz Android 4.0 3G Smart Phone N9776 (White)

WOW. WHERE DO I START, THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT THINGS ABOUT THIS PHONE, HUGE SCREEN FOR US HARD TO SEE FOLKS, THAT OUR EYES ARE AGING. WORKS WELL, WITH SIMS, FROM STAIGHT TALK, T_MOBILE, AT&T, SO IF YOU HAVE THE AS YOUR PREPAID CARRIER IT WORKS WELL WITH THEM, THE T-MOBILE ON WORKS A LITTLE SLOWER, AND INTERNET IS SLOW, BUT ALL IN ALL NOT T BAD, UNLESS THERE ARE NO TOWERS T-MOBILE WORKS OFF OF THE SERVICE AND BE TERRIBLE ALOT OF BREAKING AND DROPPED CALLS., BUT THERE ARE MORE PROS THAN CONS, SO I WOULD RECOMMENDTHIS PRODUCT..

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Sharp SPC309C LCD Backlight Alarm Clock (Silver)

• 0.9-inch LCD display
• Silver and titanium-colored case with lighted display
• Features alarm, snooze, temperature and day/date displays
• 4.75 x 1.5 x 2.75 inches (W x D x H)
• Two year limited warranty

This clock looks good and has a nice feature set, but while it may make a nice travel clock (if your cell phone won't do) it's really not suitable for regular use.

* While the time is displayed in nice large numbers, the contrast is low and the display is hard to read in all but the brightest light. The display is set comparatively deep within the bezel and tends to chop off the right side of the last seconds digit, unless you view it fairly straight on. The date and temp are small, and can only be read from fairly close up.

* As others have noted, you can't read the display if you are looking up at it, as when it's on your bed's headboard. You have to sit up a bit, or twist the clock.

* The clock is smaller than it may look from the picture, and the base is narrow. It's much too easy to knock it over when pushing the backlight/snooze button.

* Unlike many alarm clocks, there's no button to push to turn off the alarm and leave it armed for tomorrow: You have to fiddle with a small slide switch each and every night and each every morning.

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I was a little disappointed after opening it and finding out it was more of a travel alarm clock for keeping appointments and such, rather than one you might keep in a bedroom to wake up to. It is battery operated and the lighted display does not stay lit. You push the snooze button to turn it on and it only stays lit for a couple seconds before turning off. And when the alarm goes off it is kind of quite for an alarm clock and it turns the alarm off after a minute or two. It is not for a heavy sleeper. But on the up side it is small and takes up little space and the display is relatively large. Also there's a switch on the back for setting time, date, and alarm but it also includes a lock position so the setting won't easily be changed accidentally. Overall I would not recommend this to someone who needs an alarm click to wake up to.

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In our family, we prefer battery-powered alarm clocks. We have 3 of these, used by our teenager, my husband and me. None of us experience the viewing problems others have mentioned. In addition, any battery-powered alarm clock we have every owned had a short "lighted" time to save battery power. It is a little annoying that if you need to change the "set" time, and you're doing so in the dark, you must let go of the LIGHT button. However, since we're used to that, from years of using battery-powered clocks, we find it's an easy issue to work around. Further, for $9.99 we have found this model to be very accurate at time and temperature.

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I bought this clock to go in the bathroom and it serves the purpose well. I love that it tells you the temperature. If you are using this as an alarm clock for the nightstand, you might find the display a little small. Great for the price though.

I have own this clock for four years. I have put only two sets of batteries in it. The tempurature gauge is nice. I use it in the Bering Sea to tell me how comfortable I am. The clock has done a lot of traveling. It started in China. Did some time in the Gulf of Mexico. I have taken on some of the road trip. The clock flew to Chile and sailed back to Charleston SC. Then back to Seattle Wa. The clock has fallen from my bed many times. Would I buy another clock, YES! Thank you for reading this.

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Sony ICFCD820 AM/FM CD Clock Radio

• Built-in CD player
• AM/FM stereo tuner
• Built-in stereo speakers
• Wake to CD, radio, or buzzer
• Dual alarm

#1 disappointment: This unit does NOT have a digital synthesized AM/FM Tuner; it uses an old fashioned tuning wheel. Sony tries to compensate by using AFC on FM, but with all of the stations here (near LA), it probably would drift into another station with changes in temperature during the night. AM is very susceptible to AM interference and not very sensitive.

The power backup only holds for one minute; does NOT have a battery backup.

Audio power is only 1.2 watts per channel (3in. speakers), but sounds adequate. (Spec is 10% distortion)

Choice of CD music track for wakeup and dual alarms are nice features.

I will upgrade to a better unit.

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iSymphony CR1 Portable Clock Radio Music System with Built-in Universal Dock for iPod (Black)

• Compatibility: iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G; iPod classic 3G, 4G, 5G; iPod touch
• Built-in Universal Dock for iPod charges your iPod while docked
• Alarm clock wakes you up to your favorite radio station or buzzer alarm
• 4-watt output power with FM stereo/AM digital PLL tuner
• Auxiliary input for any external audio player; AC/DC power (works with 6 C-cell batteries)

This is the perfect little system if you want to listen to your iPod tunes in your cubicle or work area, or at home in one particular room (bedroom, kitchen, etc). It's not meant for really large areas and at only 4 watts isn't going to crank out sound that rattles the windows, but that's not what I bought it for. The sound is crisp, clear and consistent, the clock, alarm and radio also work well. Since this is a basic system you control it using the iPod wheel rather than through the buttons on top. I've used this daily since I got it and it sounds as good as day one. I've used both a 30 and classic 80 gig iPod with this because they provide different size shims. If I wear this out for whatever reason I'd definitely buy another since it's already outlasted a previous (higher-priced) system I had by a different manufacturer. I think this great for the price and the size fits just about anywhere without being too obtrusive or bulky.

Edit 7/7/08: Still works and sounds great. The only problem I've experienced is the antenna seems delicate and broke off (probably due to user error, aka me). I don't get radio reception where I use this (my office) so it's not really a problem, but if you are going to be using it, take care when extending and retracting it.

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This product does what it says it does: allows you to dock your iPod and doubles as an alarm clock radio. While it meets the bare minimum of its claims, it has serious design flaws that prevent a favorable recommendation.

The clock on the radio can only be viewed from a very certain angle in front of and slightly above the unit. Viewed from level to the device, slightly to the side, or any distance of more than 2 or 3 feet, the display turns into an unreadable luminescent blur. Because the display is tilted upward when the unit is sitting level, it is completely useless as an alarm clock if it sits level to or above your bed.

This assumes, however, that you can use it as a clock to begin with, because the unit will display the radio frequency and not the clock anytime you have it set to the radio function including when the alarm goes off. The unit also must be turned off for the alarm to function, and the display is not lit when the unit it turned off.

If all you want to do is play your iPod at work on your desk and don't mind using the iPod's clock instead of the display on the unit, this product may work for you. However, if you plan on using it for an alarm clock, you're much better spending a little more money for another unit. You'll probably end up spending that money anyway once you realize how poorly this product was designed.

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Pioneer Premier AVIC-F90BT

• Navigation system with DVD player, LCD monitor, digital player

I've been really on the fence with this system. I love all the selling points of a GPS, MP3, Bluetooth and DVD, but it has some really disappointing downsides.

I go back and forth on whether or not I should take the system back and just have my factory stereo put back in (but who can go back when you've had something like this?). Sometimes I'm so incredibly frustrated and other times, I just simply love this system. I wish I could have researched it more, but I got it when it was brand new so no one had any reviews up. So here's the long of it (and YES I have the most recent firmware update):

-GPS works great expect for the orientation of the screen (if you are going south, the arrow points down... going north, arrow points out can be very disorienting). I love being able to type in an address and have your system not only direct you, but having several options being directed (knowing the speed limit of where you are, approximate time to destination and/or next step, etc).

-DVD function works well too. Technically you have to have the parking brake on to have it work, but its a simple connector issue you can easily bypass. I take a lot of roadtrips with friends and my boyfriend, so I had it bypassed. It is incredibly dangerous to have it bypassed and a lot of places won't even bypass it for you, so use your best judgment.

-MP3, for some reason the place I got this thing installed told me I had to buy a connector to get it to work with an ipod. I thought it would work with the usb/ipod connector I bought at apple, but apparently not. Or they were just trying to rip me off ($75 they said, I said sell it to me for $20 or I was just going to return the whole damn thing completely). I love the MP3 player. It could be more accessible having the controls on the LEFT side of the screen rather than the RIGHT side. Plus, it operates with the standard ipod controls and menus, which are limiting at times. But it shows album cover art and if you have an ipod video, it plays your vids.

-Bluetooth has been touch and go for me lately. At first it totally worked with my LG enV. Tonight it wouldn't connect at all. Not sure if its a phone issue or a unit issue. But the sound is clear, people can hear you well and it saves your contacts. The bad thing is, because its touch screen, your finger might wrongfully choose a contact and before you know it, you are calling the wrong person. Sometimes the hangup glitches and I've experienced a few times where it wouldn't even call even when it was connected. Really annoying. I hope a fireware update fixes these bugs.

Other things...

Since I have a Mazda 3, they had to remove my clock because the double dec got in the way. Well, the lack of clear and readable clocks drives me nuts. I absolutely can't stand how small and unreadable the clock is either when its in audio mode or map mode. HATE IT.

Start up is slow, I have yet to try turning off the VC but I will. Still, 20 seconds even after you fix the default setting? Lame! You have no idea how much you miss your music when getting your journey started. Its a long time!

The touch screen is sometimes really finicky. If there is a bug or a glitch, the system can lag when you touch a button. Or sometimes you have to be really careful with how precise your aim is for a button.

The radio preset is really annoying. Again, why have the buttons on the RIGHT side of the console? So weird and awkward.

I feel like this system would really benefit from a remote controller. My arm is so tired from pressing so many things.

I wish the unit focused more on the audio and even the presentation. Its so bland and boring when its rife with cool possibilities like a screen saver with a clock on it (please... next firmware update have a BIGGER CLOCK accessible!! I'm dying here!). I'm really looking forward to the next update, but I'm worried it won't satisfy its deficiencies. When you spend this much on a fully loaded system, I know it won't be perfect, but some things are just really difficult to deal with. If I can really get the start up time down to 5 seconds, I'll be a really happy camper and just glue a clock to my dash.

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In order for fast boot up, make sure to turn VR CATALOG MODE off in audio options. You don't need this, an its on by default.

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Overall great product: You wont get this much bang for your buck with any other similar head unit. If your willing to wait 30seconds for everything to load then you wont have any regrets.

Bluetooth:

The hands free bluetooth is one of my favorite features. My contact list from my cell phone synced without any problems. You can even have your music play while your talking to someone on the phone and they cannot hear it! You can even make calls without looking at your headunit by issuing voice commands such as "call [persons name here]".

Navigation:

The navigation is pretty decent. It lets you save favorite locations and choose from your GPS history. There is even a feature that can tract where your car has been. The GPS can warn you if your speed. You can download additional information for your maps from sites like POIfriend.com such as speed traps and red light camera locations.

Music interfaces:

You can do everything from AM/FM to HDradio to IPods to Sat. radio. This headunit comes with the ability to control it functions using your voice. You can say things like "play the artist aerosmith" or "play the song poker face" or "play the album the blueprint". You can play movies and music from an SD card. You can even buy an external hard drive and use it via USB to store music and movies.

MSN Direct service:

It works pretty well with the GPS as far as avoiding traffic goes. Sometimes Movie data isn't available but everything else (weather, traffic, gas prices) is always there. I got 3 months free to test out the service. I'm pretty confident I am going to order the subscription.

GUI and Touch screen:

Honestly, the GUI isn't all that great however its one of the best out-of-the-box GUIs for a product in this category (Kenwood's last GUI was ugly....). For example, the time displayed on the GPS map is very hard to read because it is almost the same color as the background. Sometimes when the head unit is multitasking the touch screen response is very slow. Most of these issues can be taken car of via software modifications. I used the site avic411.com.

Regarding slow boot times:

For all those complaining about slow boot times: Always research the product before you buy. I don't mind waiting 30seconds for my navigation and GUI to load. Most people don't realize that this headunit runs Windows CE and has the equivalent computing power as some small laptops and hand-held devices. My reverse camera is visible during the boot process. In addition whatever music I was playing before shutdown starts playing during the boot process. Some of you people are lazy and impatient. Last and most important: turn off the voice recognition catalog feature after you update your ipod. It takes about 2-4 minutes off the boot time (time dependent on size of your IPod library).

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EDIT:

After owning this for a while, touch screen responsiveness has really deteriorated. It's very finicky after the first touch, to the point of being extremely distracting and annoying. And believe me, I've tried everything to improve it, from the recommended screen recalibrations to adjusting settings, to reloading software. I've had the unit sent back to Pioneer and returned to no avail. And it does have the most current software. Another annoying habit this unit has is a tendency to reboot (evidently a vagary of Windows, yes it has a Windows operating system, and a hyper-sensitivity to voltage fluctuations I can almost always count on it happening at least once during a drive. Anyway, at this point, despite my earlier enthusiasm, I have to give this model a thumbs-down which is too bad, since I really loved the feature set and performance (when it did work).



I installed the AVIC-F90BT about 2 months ago and continue to be impressed by its features it has everything I was looking for in an A/V/Nav/Bluetooth, etc. unit.

Direct iPod and USB connectivity (cables included) along with a front-loading SD card slot to serve as yet another music/video source and also readily handle firmware and nav updates (which Pioneer will send to you on an SD besides making them available for download) are plusses. Bluetooth pairing with my Blackberry Curve and use with my iTouch (and my daughter's iPod nano) has been flawless. The unit is readily bypassed (at your own risk) to avoid a parking break warning when trying to watch DVD's, etc. And springing for the "Premier" F90BT vs one of the other F-series Pioneer units gets you another year (for 2 years total) on the factory warranty and beefed-up 4.0 volt pre-outs (for those interested in speaker/amp upgrades as well). And just as it is, the internal amp actually improved sound quality (depth and separation) over the stock head unit (it actually sounds like I upgraded the speakers).

I've also got the unit accessorized with XM and HD radio tuners, and a PAC SWI-PS adapter that allows me to use my steering wheel controls. I'm going to intall a backup camera soon, just because I can. If there's a bell or whistle missing, I haven't realized it yet :-)

And maybe even cooler is how customizable it is. Pioneer provides an AVICFeeds download which allows you to easily manipulate things lke your splash screen or POI's (Points of Interest). And if you're willing to go into its WinCE environment you can change looks and functionality (yes, even a bigger clock!) to your heart's content. There's a very active hacker community already devoted to this and similar Pioneer units (check out ).

Now, with all this said, this unit may not be for everyone. With all of the features involved, coupled with glitches due to its Windows software environment, it can be sometimes frustrating to users. Bad initial impressions are sometimes left with "slow" bootup times (although not really slow considering all of the features being dealt with my bootup time is on the order of 30 seconds), finicky touchscreen (actually much improved if one just goes through the screen calibration procedure), etc. Spending quality time with the unit and the manual (bring your laptop to the car because the huge manual is provided on a CD) does yield dividends.

If you're looking for absolutely state-of-the-art features and customizability, this unit has no peer.

I returned the Kenwood DNX-5120 for this unit, and I am happy that I did. For the price, you can't beat what you get integrated iPod controls (with supplied cord), integrated Bluetooth, and MSN Direct service (when it works, which is usually for me I live in NYC). The sound quality blows away that of the Kenwood it's not even a contest. The voice recognition software is fantastic for iPods, although it sometimes doesn't work with Bluetooth (names only saying "Call 212 555 1212" works every time.) There is an entire website dedicated to this line of producs (www.avic411.com), which gives you millions of different ways to modify the head unit to your liking. It also helps to have tons of users at your disposal when you run into troubleshooting problems.

Of course, there are a few cons. The system takes awhile to start up, depending on the state you leave the car in. For example, if you are listening to the radio when you turn the car off, startup time to audio is less than 7 seconds. With CDs, its about 10. With an iPod, it's about 30. But if you were watching/using the map, it could take up to a minute to fully become functional. A second flaw is the touch screen it is a bit slow and finnicky for my tastes (nowhere near as fast as the Kenwood). However, the wait times and touch screen response times are nowhere near as bad as people think.

As this can be had for less than $600 online, it is truly a fantastic deal. I returned the Kenwood and its Garmin interface because I was actually using the navigation much less than I thought, and the A/V interface was clunky and confusing, at best. The sound quality and ease of use, coupled with a better-than-portrayed navigation system, makes this a no-brainer.

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iLive iCP101B 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Alarm Clock Speaker Dock

• Dual alarm clock/radio plays and charges docked iPhone/iPod (iPhone/iPod sold separately)
• Dock to play and charge most iPhone and iPod models
• 10 FM radio presets with digital volume control
• 3.5mm audio line input
• AC adaptor included, batteries sold separately

I just ordered this and was hesitant because there were no reviews. Still, it was what I wanted and less expensive than others. When it arrived I set it up only to learn that my iPod and my iPhone don't work. They don't fit on the base at all. It is shaped different than the iPhone charger. How can they advertise this as being compatible? It went right back but was very, very frustrating. Went ahead and got another, more expensive iPhone compatible alarm clock. I wish there had been more reviews. I even contacted iluv customer service and all they said is that there were several complaints with this product and to return it to amazon. Really? Thanks for nothing...

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First off, I must warn anybody with an iPhone: If you have a cover/case on your phone, you will more than likely have to remove it for the phone to fit into most devices.

That being said, I started off being pleased with this product. I did say I "started off". Sure, having to remove my case everytime I want to dock it was annoying, but I can't blame them for this design flaw. I thought it was great that it wasn't big and bulky like other systems on the market and it came in colors (mine was purple). Then I noticed the time kept changing on the clock. I did not buy this item for use as a clock (only for charging and the speakers for listening to internet radio), but if it's going to have a clock, it should work. The speakers aren't great, but they're not awful, either. Then the alarm started going off at midnight. I didn't even have the alarm set (the little alarm icon was NOT on). That was it...back to the store it went.

I have not purchased another dock/speaker/charger system yet...still looking...

Read Best Reviews of iLive iCP101B 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Alarm Clock Speaker Dock Here

I have an iPhone 4s with an Incipio case. It isnt a bulky case either. The phone seems like it fits on the charger, but it won't charge. I remove the case and it works fine. I won't be taking my phone out of the case, so back to the store for this clock radio. It was only $30 (though the original price was $60). Pass this one up if you have a case and want to keep it on. otherwise, it may be worth a try provided you don't have the same issues the other people had.

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I have this for my office to play my iphone music and charge. It does exactly that, no thrills, but it does charge SUPER quick!

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We got our daughters iPods for Christmas. Great gift... We also got each of them one of these been just over a month and the first one has now become about worthless. The cheap plasticky feel and sharp buttons suck in general. But last week the screen blanked out and will not come back on. Can't see a thing on the screen. Last night I figured out that someone had hit the alarm button and didn't know it BECAUSE the screen stopped working. Guess what DOES work? The freakin ALARM, as it went off at midnight! Who knows if it's still activated. Or even what time it is. I might find out sometime in the middle of the night.

Oh, and one last horrible feature. When you turn this on at night the volume defaults to 20... Really? Trying to put someone to bed and the volume is 20? Couldn't it be 5 and make me turn it up? Much rather that then forgetting and waking the baby.

P O S

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2nd generation Degen DE1125 Ultra-Thin AM/FM/SW Radio with 4GB MP3 Player/Digital Recorder

• Pocket-size world-band radio with built-in speaker & digital signal processing (DSP) technology
• 4 GB flash memory MP3 player for music, radio program & voice recording for up to 150 hours (32 kbps)
• 255 preset memories + built-in charger + LED back-lit display
• Digital clock + Sleep timer + Key lock + Numeric volume indicator

November 3, 2009:

Stay tuned as I will update this review shortly with more technical details to follow. I took a chance and ordered this Degen DE1125 from overseas ($78.99 shipped by registered airmail) despite some poor reviews that I have seen recently, but my unit is just fine and once again the overall quality control of electronics production in Chinese radio factories looms its ugly head! My unit is the Degen brand and not the Kaito version so it has sw capability instead of the USA weather band channels. It is excellent on the fm and good on sw bands despite relatively low sensitivity ratings compared to several other Kaito and Degen radios. To boot the unit is very well made and extremely small and pocketable and just what I was looking for by the way. I like it much better than the Sangean DT-200V and DT-400W units and it can even pick up routine weather broadcasts on my local am government sponsored emergency preparedness station. It does need a tone control that is certainly sorely lacking, but other than that I have no great complaints at this point, except perhaps for a more precise frequency control in smaller increment steps (see further below). The AGC (automatic gain control) does oscillate so that the signal strength fluctuates quite a bit for weak am stations as noted by other internet reviewers, but the stronger sw stations come in just fine as do all fm stations that I have listened to. I am very pleased overall with this radio/MP3 player, especially at this asking price!

UPDATE: November 18, 2009:

PROS:

1) Very fine quality MP3 player (comes with two songs, one by the late and great Karen Carpenter (Its yesterday once more) and another classic, the Hotel California). Both are excellent for demonstrating the MP3 capabilities available on this system.

2) Good quality voice recorder/microphone system with ability to record directly off the air (better at lower speaker volume).

3) Tuning is through either the very fine tuning knob or using the Auto+/Autokeys on the keyboard so it is a much improved system (compared to the Kaito KA1123 or the Degen DE15 units).

4) There is excellent sensitivity for fm with very good selectivity

5) Fair to good sw sensitivity and good selectivity

6) Fair am sensitivity and good selectivity

7) High quality MP3 player with 2 GB of onboard mempry available.

8) Good quality ATS (Automatic tuning storage) preset capability on all bands with 255 presets available (adjusted using the Auto +/keys). These presets are easy to play back too using easy to locate keys (can be used to either advance or backtrack frequencies) on the right hand side of the unit.

9) There is a very detailed and highly readable, quality LCD screen with a (green) high quality backlight.

10) The LCD screen details are different for the "off" position versus each of the three modes of operation (as listed under 1) below under Cons). The clock can be displayed in all possible screen displays and so it is very easy to set accurately.

11) There is a very nice on-screen digital signal strength meter that is displayed whenever the digital volume levels are adjusted.

12) It has a very long lasting and very flat rectangular battery (Lithium-Ion: Nokia cell phone type). The battery is charged using a USB to unit cable (provided) that goes directly to a PC (with automatic charging capability). The same USB cable is also used for quickly downloading songs from a PC.

13) It is a very small and pocketable, very nice looking unit with a high quality build (with a black rubbery surface with a nice feel). It has a nice support stand that opens up from the back and exposes more of the speaker to the air as well (see below).

14) The unit also has an extendable (nonrotating) vertical antenna about 15 inches in length that is good for fm and sw signal detection.

15) There is also a lock slide switch to keep all controls fixed when needed.

16) It also has a very good sounding speaker.

17) The printed manual is in both Chinese as well as in English and is not very hard to understand.

CONS:

1) There is no tone control for any of the three basic modes (am/fm/sw radio, MP3 player and voice and off the air recorder).

2) The tuning capability is fixed and does not have adjustable frequency step controls.

3) The radio senitivity is best only for listening to major stations, except for the fm operating mode and to a lesser extent sw. I think the Kaito version with all USA weatherband channels may prove to be a better buy overall if the sensitivity for these is adequate. There is some hiss to be heard in the background on am and on the voice recorder.

4) It has a lone bandwidth and no DX/local attenuator, but can register fm stereo through the earphones. It does not have an external antenna jack either.

UPDATE: November 19, 2009:

Apparently the weatherband reception option instead of sw reception (2.3 ~23 MHz) has been dropped by Kaito (Degen) since it no longer appears listed on the Amazon website (it was listed there until very recently however!). Even today on their own website it is still listed as the Kaito KA800 with am/fm and weatherband reception capabilities and an orange backlight!

Buy 2nd generation Degen DE1125 Ultra-Thin AM/FM/SW Radio with 4GB MP3 Player/Digital Recorder Now

Like another reviewer (Ann) I bought this little radio by mail order inspite of other negative reviews elsewhere on the internet. I got mine from a seller in Vancouver, Canada. Overall I am very pleased with this radio. I think the fit and finish is very nice and FM reception is excellent even with the aerial antenna fully down. AM reception is also quite good and at night I easily receive stations for Los Angeles and the SF bay area. On SW the performance matches my older Panasonic RF-2900 which is just fine. Certainly a real SW enthusiast won't use this as their only radio, but the portability and versatility of this little radio is really pleasing. I love the size, features and the USB charging method. I've loaded lots of MP3 songs into the 2GB of FLASH (it appears as standard "disk drive" on your PC) and it charged while I did that! The English owners manual is adequate and the radio is easy to operate. I haven't used the headphones since I already had a decent set. The MP3's sound fine to me with reasonably rich sound, though it would have been nice to have a tone control or EQ settings to select from. I also like the green LED backlight. The display is easy to read in the dark. Also, I think this model must be preferable to the older DE-1123 because that model doesn't have the jog control which works great! Don't be afraid to buy one of these. You'll be very pleased, especially for the money spent.

Read Best Reviews of 2nd generation Degen DE1125 Ultra-Thin AM/FM/SW Radio with 4GB MP3 Player/Digital Recorder Here

Good build quality. I'm technically challenged, so after a few evenings of learning MP3 download basics, I'm happy with this versatile product. 24+ hours of music, downloaded so far. Sound quality is decent. Tons of great features in a tiny package. I ordered mine from Hong Kong...mine takes 3AAA batteries (rechargables that arrived with the unit, seem faulty, so I switched to standard alkaline for now). Packaging was for 1123 model with 2GB of storage. My only dislike so far, is that the MP3 controls are a bit "delayed". Radio reception on FM is excellent, AM fair, and SW good. You'll want to upgrade the headset.

Not quite perfect, but definitely recommended. I don't think there's another product that offers all these features, in a quality pocket sized product, on the market.

Want 2nd generation Degen DE1125 Ultra-Thin AM/FM/SW Radio with 4GB MP3 Player/Digital Recorder Discount?

I have been using the product for about a week.

There is no auto-record functionality, which is a bit disappointing to me. I was hoping to be able to set it to record certain AM shows everyday of the work week. But I have to make sure to turn it on every morning before I leave for work. I do that so that I can ensure it records while being able to leave it at home and not have to carry it around with me (potentially getting it stolen or lost). I am a teacher, so I cant just leave it lying around on my desk, and some of the schools I am in get very poor AM reception. So, all in all, I find it best to leave it at home and have it record a certain station all day. Of course, it pretty much saps the battery and records a bunch of stuff I dont want, but I still get what I want eventually (and I have gotten in the habit of recharging it everyday).

It would be much nicer to have the auto record ability, much like my DVRs. That took it from a sure-fire 4 star to a 3 star product, imo. If it would have that functionality, and it was easy to use, and reliable, maybe even a 5 star product.

Other than that, nice product. I like that it has a "lock" button, good speaker (for listening w/o headphones), it's designed so you have to "double-check" before deleting a file, and you can adjust the auto-tuning so that you can most likely pick up all stations (see manual for how to do that).

I enjoy this radio/player very much. It has great reception and gets stations my larger radios can't. I had some questions and the people at Kaito Sales were very helpful. I am in Florida and so being in Eastern time, I was still able to speak with them after 6PM when I got home from work, since they are in California on Pacific time. Lee was extremely helpful.

I look forward to seeing any new products they may offer in the future.

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