Metra MDF-8217-1 In-Dash 7-Inch Double DIN Touchscreen Car Receiver with Bluetooth and Navigation (2

• In-dash AM/FM, CD, MP3, WMA Receiver with Remote, Full-color 7 inch LCD touchscreen display
• Playback of DVD, VCD, MPEG-4, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 and WMA, Playback of region #1 DVD discs
• NavMate Software, 11 million Points of Interest (POI), POI and address search capabilities
• Built-in Bluetooth technology for hands-free talking and audio streaming, Bluetooth version 2.0 +EDR certified
• Bluetooth range up to 32.8 Feet.

This navigation system works fine and does everything the description says, no bugs or errors so far. I installed the radio my self on my jbl Rav4, only need to weld 3 wires to the metra adapter. In a regular Rav4 the installation will be just plug an play. The steering wheel buttons worked without further configuration.

After I installed the new navigation I noticed a whine noise synchronized to the engine rev. I solved it installing the Legacy LN77 35 Amp Noise Suppressor and isolating the navigation from the lower scrubs that hold the navigation to the to the car.

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Altec Lansing M302 Moondance Home Alarm Clock Radio for iPod and MP3 Players (Black)

• Supports most iPhone and iPod models with Universal Dock Connector
• Enjoy crystal-clear sound in a compact design that fits easily on your nightstand
• Wake to your iPod, radio, or alarm with progressive alert volume
• Auxiliary input also lets you connect a CD, DVD, MP3 player, or other external audio devices
• 1 Year limited warranty

I hate alarm clocks. I tried for a long time to avoid getting one because let's be honest they're ugly, they're big and a waste of space, and they never have all the functions you need in one reasonably priced package. You think the way they make cell phones these days, someone could have figured out how to make a decent alarm clock.

Putting that in mind, here are my lists of pros and cons of this product:

PROS:

1) relatively smaller and lighter than most alarm clocks that charge ipods and allow you to wake up to an ipod. So I don't feel like I have this huge thing overtaking my nightstand. But it's also not so small that i can't even tell what time it is.

2) sound is pretty good for its size. Most alarm clocks when they turn on have poor sound quality, which sounds even more irritating when you're not a morning person like me. thankfully this alarm clock has warm sound quality which is more bearable to wake up to.

3)relatively tasteful, subtle design that doesn't stick out as the first thing you see when you walk into a bedroom. It's not super fancy and somewhat overstyled like some timex models, or tacky like the Hammacher Schlemmer or anything that illuminates stuff in midair, or cheap the popular models of iHome. It doesn't try to "look nice". It just looks like what it's supposed to be, just slightly more efficient, which I think in in of itself creates a more authentic "nice look".

4) numbers are big and clear enough to see across an average bedroom, but not so huge and bright that it screams "hi look at me, I'm digital and easy to read!"

5) does allow you to choose the volume and the track on your ipod you want to wake up to.

6) I LOVE that this clock allows you to adjust the brightness of the display. It really does do down to an acceptable level of brightness where you can sleep without being disturbed by the light.

CONS:

1) not the most intuitive to set up or buttons. however, the instruction manual covers about everything and if you take the time to read through it, you'll get it. But the steps of trying to for example set your alarms is not obvious or super user friendly without the manual.

2) doesn't tell you ahead of time in product description which models of iPod it does not fit. None of the iPod adapters fit my 4th gen. iPod nano. However, it does fit and work just fine without any of the provided ipod adapter.

3) doesn't allow you to set the span of time the snooze should last. You are stuck with 5 minutes as your snooze time even if 8 minutes might be your optimal snooze period.

4) the lowest volume is still not low enough for me. It should be about 1/4 of what level 1 is, and then have 4 increments in between before it gets to what is considered "1". However, their "1" is still lower and therefore better than many other alarm clocks out there.

5) though it allows you to wake up to a song on your iPod, it doesn't allow you to wake up a playlist.

6) no ramp up option

So many cons...so why 4 stars? Because relative to the overwhelmingly lacking-in-function and fugly alarm clocks that exist in this world today, it actually is probably one of the better ones I've used. This is coming from someone who has tried out and experienced the following alarm clocks most recently:

Philips AJ3980 AM FM CD Clock Radio

Digital Zen alarm clock from Now and Zen (E tone)

Retro MP3 Alarm clock http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/lights/a334/

Sleep Tracker watch

My LG Dare cell phone

My iPod

as alarm clocks. And I would say that of all of them, while it could be improved, it probably functions the best for what an iPod alarm clock is supposed to do.

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There must be an agreement amongst manufacturers of anything designed to dock with an iPod that it must cost at least $75. While the Altec Landsing Moondance Home looks good, the design department and the engineering department really need to get together and figure things out.

I bought one of these and put it together when I got it home. As far as looks and components this product is first rate, however once you plug it in the adventure begins. The setup is pretty difficult, even for gadget nuts like mysself. It comes with four different iPod adaptors and you have to figure out which one works with your particular iPod by trial and error. Get the wrong one and docking connection might not be secure enough to allow communication between the iPod and the dock. Setting the clock, dates and radio stations is not really explained well in the manual and is also very difficult to do.

Once that was all taken care of the first thing I noticed was the sound. Definately not crystal clear as described in the marketing literature, I found it very muddy with little to no high-range; though it filled the room it was very DULL. EQ settings from the iPod can not be heard on this unit and no advanced iPod functions can be controlled from the remote. Also, communication between the remote and the unit were kinda spotty as well.

I returned this two days after I got it and found a similarly priced Sony unit with much better sound, easier setup and full control between the unit and the remote. I could use the remote to control all iPod functions (search songs, create playlists, change iPod settings AND EQ settings could be heard through the docking unit.

Pros: Looks great, small footpring, substantial sound but horrible range.

Cons: Muddy sound, very difficult to program, limited control of iPod with remote and too expensive for its quality.

I would gladly pay $40 for this item, however for the $79 asking price at most retailers I was very dissapointed with the sound and functionality. Definately NOT what I've come to expect from Altec Lansing.

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When I decided I wanted an alarm clock that included an iPod dock, I spent some time looking around and weighing available options and prices -this unit seemed to be the best bang for the buck, and I was very excited to have found it. I really, really wanted to like it -in some ways I did, but overall it proved just too problematic for use as an alarm clock.

Right out of the box I found setup to be very unintuitive and difficult. I work in IT and generally don't have an issue with setting up electronics, but I still had trouble even after resorting to looking at the instructions -this did not bode well, but once I'd gone through the intial work of setting the time, alarm, FM presets, etc., I figured the struggle was over and I could just proceed with everyday use.

Generally speaking, after fighting my way through setup this wasn't altogether a bad clock radio. I liked the design (nice small size -didn't hog a lot of space on my nightstand), LOVED the "set it and forget it" weekday alarm feature (coming from a 10 year old alarm clock, this seemed like a miracle to me -though, of course, it is pretty standard among present day alarm clocks), I thought the sound quality was decent, and the FM reception was very good -it did everything on a day to day basis that I needed it to do, and life was good, until...

Watch out if the power goes out! Not for the reason you'd think -of course there is a battery backup, which saves everything so you don't have to go through the hassle of setting up all over again. What I found, though, was that although the desired volume of the alarm can be specified when setting up the alarm, after a power outage the alarm goes off at the highest volume setting -AAAGGGHHH!!!!!!! I am the epitome of the non-morning person and reeeeeeeeally need to ease as slowly and easily as possible into my period of morning awareness -my alarm of choice is to wake to radio, where I can listen to approximately an hour of music, weather, and newscasts through my varying stages of wakefulness (I say approximately an hour, because rather than cutting off exactly an hour after the time the alarm is set for, this cuts off after 1 hour and 4 minutes -huh????????!!!), and the progressive volume feature of the alarm was a little piece of heaven to me. So all was really pretty good between setup and the first time the power went out here. That first power outage came and went before bedtime and I never thought another thing about it, but I had the shock of my life when my alarm went off the next morning -the music was UNBELIEVEABLY LOUD!!!!! I came to an immediate stage of full consciousness that just doesn't work at all for me, and in my state of panic couldn't find the appropriate button to MAKE THE NOISE STOP!!!!! Now, mind you, I didn't know why this happened -I just wrote it off as a weird glitch and went on with life, and the alarm proceeded to perform as expected in the following days. Until the next power outage... Unfortunately, it took me several months and a handful of power outages before I saw the pattern, at which point it was too late for me to return this for something else. Even at this point, having figured out what was going on I could have worked with this by resetting the alarm after I knew the power had gone out -but once in a while those momentary outages occur that don't necessarily set all of the electronics in the house blinking to be reset to tip you off. After the fact, though, and after I'd been blasted out of my bed by the ungodly volume level of my alarm a few times and asking around to find that the power had indeed blinked for a microsecond during the day, I just couldn't deal with this quirk anymore...

I still use this unit -as long as I'm not relying on it as an alarm I still find it a completely acceptable radio and iPod dock, and I've set it up in a different room for this purpose and am still enjoying using it. But as far as an alarm clock radio unit, I replaced the Altec Lansing with the iHome iP90 Dual Alarm Clock Radio with AM/FM Presets and Dock for iPod and iPhone (Black) -I passed this over initially because it was more expensive, but I wish it I'd gone with it to begin with. While it's a bit bigger than I'd prefer, it's very intuitive to set up and in continued use -and after having gone through a power outage, I can report positively that the volume level stays right where it should!!! :-)

So in closing, in my final review ranking I took a star off for the non-intuitive, difficult setup; a second star for the problem with the volume of the alarm after power outages; and a third star because in the end I just couldn't use this unit as an alarm clock, which was my true intended purpose for it. But the 2 star ranking notwithstanding, if you're looking for an iPod dock and radio that you don't need to use as an alarm clock this will serve just fine -and with the price having dropped from the time I first purchased it, I'd certainly recommend it in that capacity. Hope this helps!

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Pros: The unit has a nice solid look and feel. The weight makes it feel like a quality item. There is no thin plasticy feel anywhere. The sound seems pretty good for a clock radio, I'm no audiophile but I would say it sounds rich.

Cons: I consider myself to be very good with computers and electronic gadgets. I found the instructions were required for almost every step of the setup. Nothing about the controls is intuitive. Even after having the unit for several weeks i had to refer to the instructions to change the alarm settings.

The buttons are very small and the type is even smaller! Definitely needed the bedside lamp on to make adjustments.

The radio stations can only be changed via the remote control, so if you lose that I hope you like the station it is tuned to.

The buttons and type on the remote are small, keep your reading glasses handy.

No AM radio.

Lowest volume setting is too loud.

Conclusion: returned the item for another brand, glad to be rid of it.

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I've been looking for a new clock radio for several months now, so when this item showed up as a Lightning Deal, I jumped on it. Altec Lansing has a great reputation for sound, and this did everything I was looking for two alarms, iPod dock, FM radio, etc. It arrived quickly and in great condition. I didn't have any trouble setting it up I'm good with gadgets and the instructions were clear. It wasn't an intuitive set-up, but with the instructions I had no issues. However, the sound... dear Gods, the sound. No matter what I listened to, it sounded like the speakers were hidden under a heavy cloth or under water. A DJ talking sounded like the teacher from Charlie Brown. It was muffled, muttered, all-low sound with none of the excellence I expected from a unit that originally would have cost nearly $100. I thought perhaps there was a blown speaker, but there were none of the tell-tale signs of that. Just bad quality. I tried this with the iPod, radio stations, different locations... nothing helped. It was honestly bad enough that I've returned the item. I'll suffer my ancient Memorex alarm clock for a while longer and keep looking for something else.

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Sharper Image Sound Soother Cd Player Clock Radio Si585

This has decent sound, if somewhat flat and neutral. Maybe not worth the asking price, but try to find one on clearance. One criticism is that the volume control between 3 and 4 is much too great, it needs to be less of a jump. Also, the clock illumination is very bright even on the dimmest setting. Still, the sound is pretty good for a clock radio. However, the price should include a CD player or should be less expensive.

there is not a good volume for falling asleep to....level 1 is too soft and level 2 is way too loud. needs to be more gradual. but the unit looks very nice and performs well other than that.

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I was searching for a specific product that included every feature I needed in an alarm clock; the Sharper Image's EC-B145 Clock Radio iPhone/iPod Dock featured exactly what I needed and more. Although a little pricey, I felt as if 100 dollars was a decent deal, at the time. For six months I enjoyed all the luxuries that this clock radio promoted which included great sound quality, a simplistic yet modern design with a straight-forward display, and a perfect size to display on a desk.

However, after those six months, the Sharper Image's EC-B145 Clock Radio became unreliable. The first complication that occurred, which sparked a domino effect, was that the remote suddenly stopped working; the clock radio ceased to respond to the buttons being pushed on the remote. It created a bit of a hassle and was very inconvenient to manually control the product. After the problem with the broken remote, the dock for the iPod bent forward making it impossible to connect the music player to the dock. In other words, the main component for this clock radio was now inoperative. My choices to replace my soothing iPod music that I normally wake up to was either the cloudy FM radio channels or the piercing beeping noise that mimicked the annoying sound of a smoke alarm. I had to resort to the alarm on my phone to awake me so as to wake up to a sound that won't be an irritation or give me anxiety. After the dock broke, I noticed that the buttons didn't always work correctly. The machine didn't respond until after the button was pressed several times, and even then it may confuse your command with what button was actually pressed. For example, often times I would attempt to reduce the volume by pressing the appropriate button yet the display screen read that I increased the volume. This product's value spiraled down quickly after all of those complications.

What was once gratifying to have is now defective and worthless. This clock radio turned out to be just another product that seemed great while still in the box, that is, until you use it. The proficient sound quality still remains but I refuse to listen to its fuzzy radio stations or its unpleasant, high-pitched noise. The sleek yet contemporary design still prevails but its modern lay-out is irrelevant if it's defective. At least it still doesn't take up too much room on my desk. Overall, this product ended up being a disaster to deal with. Other than its ability to show the correct time of day, the Sharper Image's EC-B145 is not worth the buy.

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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,

21 Dec 2010 update: 4 star rating: I took off a star because the clock function is not reliable. It resets itself too often with the display showing what would be expected from the product right out of the box with no time set. I cannot rely on this clock radio as my only alarm, since, even though it has a backup 9v battery, it resets itself to "original factory setting" without keeping up with the current time for no apparent reason.

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.

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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.

After recently purchasing a new iPhone 3G I decided it was time to upgrade my old JBL iPod music player to something compatible with my new phone. At first thinking my search would be relatively easy, I was surprised to see that many of the available sound systems weren't compatible with the iPhone 3G. Reading many of the reviews of various music players that claimed compatibility proved to be the most help. That's how I came upon the Logitech Pure-Fi Dream.

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!

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Tenergy Centura AA Low Self-Discharge LSD NiMH Rechargeable Batteries, 3 Card 12xAA

• Very slow self discharge maintains 85% residual capacity after 1 year of storage and 70% residual capacity after 2 years of storage
• Apr. 4 time more shots than with alkaline batteries. High performance even at low temperatures down to -10 C during your winter vacation
• Designed for enhanced performance for high drain applications such as digital cameras, CD players, portable audio devices, hand held games, 2-way radios, PDAs, and other portable high drain digital electronics
• Can be recharged for up to 1000 times, providing big saving by replacing hundreds of throw away AA batteries.
• Can be rapidly charged with any quick charger, smart chargers, plug in charger or universal chargers

this batteries are great,they are ready to use and the charge last for a long time and when they finally run out of juice,you just have to recharge them,so, so far so good

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Fortunately, I have a La Crosse Technology Alpha Power Battery Charger, BC1000 so I am able to see the juice value in these batteries. After a couple of discharge/charge cycles I got readings of between 2100 to 2300 mAh, well above the 2000 mAh listed for these batteries. (Note that with new rechargeables you may need a couple of discharge/charge cycles before you get stable mAh readings).

So in summary (at least for the batch I got):

AA's are on average 2200 mAh which is well above the 2000 mAh listed for these batteries.

This mAh value is similar to the older and less expensive Tenergy High capacity NiMH Rechargeable battery package: 8 AA 2600 mAh + 8 AAA 1000 mAh; which are listed as 2600 mAh but average about 2000 mAh. However that is where the similarity ends. The new Tenergy Centura are still able to hold 80% of their full charge (of 2200 mAH) after a month (which if adjusted for 2000 mAH would mean they hold 90% of the the 2000 mAH). This is in marked difference compared to the older Tenergy "Blues" that fall to 80% of their charge within a week of being on the shelve. Since I general replace my batteries in about a month I am unable to test the shelve life of the Centura over a longer period but given that they are at an adjusted 90% of their full mAh at about a month, it would be a stretch to accept the manufacturer claim that they "maintains 85% residual capacity after 1 year of storage".

Overall though, I find the Tenergy Centura to be a decent rechargeable battery especially given the price. I would actually rate it a 4.5 star battery.

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Low discharge batteries are the way to go!

Don't just buy the highest mAhr you can find. They go flat way faster than most.

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While the batteries work fine in most applications, be aware that they are slightly larger than regular batteries. This means that they do not fit in some devices.

I've bought a total of 16 Tenergy AA batteries and have been very happy with them. I've measured the capacity of all of them using my LaCrosse BC-700 charger and the average is 2030 mAh, which is slightly above their rated capacity of 2000 mAh. The internal resistance is 0.10 ohms, which is the same as some Eneloops and AccuLoop AA batteries that I have. I also measured the voltage for over a month and the discharge rate is the same as the Eneloops and AccuLoops. I think these batteries are very similar to the Eneloops, but they are cheaper. Compared to the AccuLoops, they have a little less capacity, but they are much cheaper, so these Tenergy batteries are now my rechargeable battery of choice.

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Sony SRF-M35 Walkman Portable AM/FM Radio

Thought I was going crazy!!! So happy I read reviews on Amazon site re: Sony Walkman Digital Radio, Model SRF-M35.

Have had almost identical experiences as other reviewers... failure of performance, hissing, etc. I have been unsuccessful in getting ANY response from SONY after sending registered letter to Administative Offices. What happened to the great SONY company? Poor quality, poor service etc. Even retailers are reluctant to refund/exchange this item.

Coming from Sony, I expected a very good product

however I was disappointed. The unit is quite

light and compact but the FM reception is very

bad. In Local mode, the audio keeps fading in and

out. When switched to DX mode, there is unbearable

hissing and static. Got fed up after using it for

3 days, am returning it. I used to be impressed

with the general quality of Sony products but

nowadays I'm going for other brands like Panasonic.

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i wanted something light, small, and easy to deal with at the gym while i work out. this product turns out to be near perfect. its very lightweight and has a belt clip that i can attach onto my shorts. i would have hoped that the headphones were the more 'sport' type, but they are the bigger, old-fashioned headphone. there is no arm band, but i prefer the belt clip to an arm band when i work out. overall, i would recommend this am/fm radio walkman because of its size, versatility, and good price.

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I returned the SRF-M35 shortly after I bought it. Interference from other stations prevented me from using it: I would get the station I wanted for a few seconds after turning the radio on before another station drowned it out. None of my other radios share that problem, so I concluded that the SRF-M35 was at fault. It may be specific to my locale or my local stations in combination with this unit, or I may simply have gotten a bad unit, so your mileage may vary.

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I bought this unit for work. I get good FM reception but no AM reception in the building where I work, but then again either did previous walkmans. For the abuse this walkman has taken it still works just like the day I bought it and it doesn't seem to eat the batteries like my previous walkmans. I would recommend this unit to anyone....I have really enjoyed mine....

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Varta V4906121414 High Energy AA Alkaline Battery - 4 Pack

• Powerful energy for power-hungry devices, e.g. portable radios, MP3 players, CD players, toys etc.
• 10% more energy due to new Triple Energy Fusion Formula
• Single Press Out" packaging solution allows you to remove each battery separately and to distinguish new cells from used ones
• Up to 10% better than comparable batteries

For some strange reason my digital SLR decided one day that it no longer would work on the batteries I had pruchased so i took it to a camera shop who uses these batteries and now it works. I like them because they are alot cheaper that purchasing a new camera.

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EXCELLENT BATTERIES VERY GOOD PRICE. The only thing better is VARTA PROFESSIONAL BATTERIES. I will buy them again and strongly recommend others to buy.

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added this as a filler item for the free shipping. works fine so far. no problems. Not sure yet how long the charge lasts. Might last longer than those crappy rayovac batteries.

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The batteries arrived fresh (expiration date 2016), and all 4 were fully charged.

The packaging is basic "tear open from the back along the perforated lines", but there are 4 separate tear-openings so you can remove the batteries one at a time, and even put them back for loose storage.

No rated amp-hour capacity is stated on the packaging or the batteries.

I'm using these batteries in a flashlight, and it's still working 2 weeks later. What I like about these batteries is that they are SLIMMER than most AA batteries. I have a defective tripod flashlight that needs skinny batteries, so I'm glad I added these to my cart to qualify for free shipping! :).

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Tecsun PL398BT DSP Digital AM/FM/LW Shortwave Radio with Dual Speakers & Bluetooth, Black

• PLL Synthesized AM/FM/LW/SW Radio with DSP (Digital Signal Processing) Technology
• Portable wireless speaker for Bluetooth compatible cellphones, tablets and other devices
• Dual 2.5" Speakers provide FM broadcasting in stereo
• 12/24 Alarm clock with C/F thermometer + Sleep timer + Built-in battery charger
• Kaito Electronics, Inc is the only authorized Tecsun Distributor in North America, Only the Tecsun radios sold by Katio come with English user manuals

Tecsun am.fm.short wave radio. This product is _absolutely awesome! For it's small compact size, the sound is surprisingly good. Now, granted, it's not going to have a "booming base like a big subwoofer, but the F.M. reception is wonderful, and you can bump up your base and trebble seetings, and, if you decide to get the radio that is blue tooth capable, you can even play your iphone, ipod, or any other device that that allows that feature. It does have some good volume, and the sound is quite clear that is produced by this radio. The buttons all have audible beeps, which, by the way, can be enabled or disabled. It does have jacks on the left hand side for headphones, A USB port for the optional ac charger _sold separately, and a jack for connecting it upto an external speaker such as the bose or a Jam box by Jawbone, or any other type of external speaker. To protect your radio, there is also a nice carrying case as well, where you can store the _provided headphones, and speaker cable. So, with all this said, if you're looking for a compact radio, maybe for your bedroom, to take to the beach, or have in your garage or just sitting out on your dedk, _this! my friend is the "bomb." And, as usual, Amazon had it to me within just a couple days. Yeeeeah Amazon! You all rock! Keep up the excellent work! And, my sincere thanks to all of you who read my review! I hope it will help you in your purchase. Thanks again.

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Purchased this because the ETM feature sounded good, well now I'm spoiled rotten with it. No need to scan the bands, radio does it for me in about 3 minutes for SW,

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Gpx IT209B 3.1 Channel Home Music System with Ipod

• 37 in Wide, 3.1 Channel Home Music System with Dock for iPod
• AM/FM Radio with Digital Tuning and Station Memory Presets and Last Channel Memo
• SRS TruSurround XT and Integrated Subwoofer
• Auxiliary Input for iPod Shuffle and Other Audio Devices
• Composite Video Inputs and Output, S-Video Output, Integrated Subwoofer Output

I ordered this because my TV sound seemed to be off. The room I have the TV in is always being used during the day by our toddlers, so surround sound was not an option. I mainly bought it because the TV sound wasn't projecting voices in movies very well, but picked up the music fine, so if you turned up the tv to hear the conversation, you got your ears blown off when music came on.

Problem solved. This speaker system works wonders for sound. It is crisp, clear, and balanced. Best of all it is easy to use. I really have not used it for the ipod docking station at this time. This speaker packs a lot of punch too. I have it set fairly low, and it reaches really far. Movies are better, TV is better as well.

Pros:

Inexpensive (relatively compared to what I have seen in stores)

Easy to install

Great Sound

Cons:

The remote seems to be limited in range or sluggish to respond I have replaced the batteries, etc

The antenna that comes with the bar, has a limited length of cord, so I can't really get it to where it picks up a good signal

Its pretty wide and takes up the entire width of my TV stand. If you have a smaller TV or TV stand, this may be a little too long/wide for you.

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Tao xm2go Portable Satellite Radio Receiver with Home and Car Accessory Kits

• Offers 150 channels of the XM satellite radio content
• Memory mode can store up to five hours of XM programming
• Built-in FM transmitter makes any FM radio an XM radio
• Includes home and car accessory kit, headphones, remote control, belt clip/stand, carrying case
• Measures 2.8 x 4.5 x 1.2 inches (W x D x H)

I have been having a great deal of fun with the Tao xm2go. I even look forward to the daily jog! No more horrible music from broadcast stations. No more listening to my limited library of music. Now I have the largest variety of music, news, and information that one could ever hope for. Reception is great (apparently I'm near a repeater). The unit is a little larger than a pack of smokes. Easy to carry. Don't like the earbuds.....but they do have an inline volume switch. Any other standard headphones will fit it so I'll probably use some others. Nice to have a large disply. The buttons are easy to understand. Each button nicely lights up and is easy to read in the dark. Designed very well. An amazing array of accessories (most any other company would nickle and dime you to death for these). EXCELLENT gift for joggers, bikers, fishermen, gardeners, beach-goers, etc.

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The Tap XM2Go is about the best you can get for portable XM. It seems to be much more rugged than the other portables. I expect this to be a long-lived unit. Case looks like it can take some punishment.

The number of accessories included with the Tao XM2Go means that you're not going to be spending more on essentials to get you going. It includes both home and car kits, both of which are very complete. The home kit includes charging cradle, AC adaptor (with an innovative brick that doesn't block unused outlets), XM antenna w/ 25 foot cord, earbuds, a soft case w/ belt-loop, remote control w/ batteries, audio cable, and a snap-on portable stand. The car kit has car power adaptor, car cradle, car antenna, swivel mount, flush mount, vent mount, cell phone mount, cleaning kit, and an alcohol prep pad. I don't think any of the other units come with as complete accessories. This guy is ready to go.

Nice features include built-in FM modulator so you can broadcast to any FM radio, both in the car and at home. This works very well, but a direct connection sounds better. It also can record up to five hours of encoded audio. You can either record instantly (actually starts a couple of seconds after you press the button) or you can schedule a recording. Unfortunately, you have to have the unit turned off to schedule recording. Also, too bad you can't plug in an SD memory card to expand the amount you can record. Oh well, maybe the next model.

The controls and the remote control are easy to use. There are so many features that it takes a little practice but the learning curve isn't too bad. A little trial and error after error gets you through it. The manual could be a bit more descriptive, but it isn't bad considering that it is quite small. The only complaint I have is entering numbers on the unit is cumbersome. The remote control has a much better control layout.

There is no battery charge indication while the unit is charging. Tao claims five hours on a charge. I haven't had it enough to test this. If you use this unit mostly as a base/car unit, that should be plenty. I like the idea of using it outdoors on its batteries w/o an external antenna. My cursory testing shows that this works fairly well as long as the path to the satellite isn't blocked too badly. It would be nice if the unit had "skip protection" for those cases when connection is intermittent.

I rated this guy five stars because it is probably the top of the line. My review of competing units lead me to conclude that the Tao XM2Go was the most rugged and had the best features. If you want an XM radio, this one certainly should fit the bill. It's incredibly adaptable.

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I live in New Orleans and FM radio choices became very limited after the hurricane. So after months of audio purgatory I made the plunge and subscribed to XM.

WOW. XM is great and the Tao XM2Go works like a charm.

I connect the Tao to my belt and take it everywhere. I didn't even bother hooking up the car receiver. I just sit the little fellow on my dashboard and use the headphones. Reception is fine. It does lose the signal when you go under power line or an overpass, but it's only out for a fraction of a second.

There are a few minor things about it that I don't like though. 1) It takes a few tries and some maneuvering to attach the Tao to the charging base. Things just don't seem to lineup right. 2) The carrying case covers the LCD display and the control buttons. It would be nice if there were an opening that would allow access to the control panel without pulling it completely out of the case. 3) The head phones are painful 4) Control are stiff and a little difficult to work (especially when driving). I now leave the Tao's remote control in the car and use the remote to change the station.

Also TAO has apparently gotten the message about the battery problems. I purchased mine on March 12, and there was a replacement battery taped to the inside of the box.

Go XM!

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Tao xm2go is a great satellite receiver for music lovers. The five hour record feature makes the receiver similar in function to an m3p player. The antenae for the home base allowed reception through an exterior south facing wall. The only drawback is the reception on the unit is spotty without an external antenae.

I bought this as a gift for my boyfriend and then offered to install it. I will cop to being less than gifted in the technology department. Still, some think me an intelligent woman. It took me HOURS to install this in his car. The instructions were so vague I had to figure it out through trial and error. Things got better when I decided to put the antenna at the back of the car and run the wire through the trunk and under the carpet to the bottom of the dash. Also, I followed the advice of another reviewer who said to use the remote for programming the preset buttons. He was so right.

It was all worth it. This is such a great product. I was worried about the reception in our semi-rural locale. It is better than I hoped for. I will say that the signal is not strong enough to listen to live with headphones, but who needs that when you can record five hours of programming?

I researched a lot before making this purchase. For the money, I think this is the best and most versatile XM receiver on the market.

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