Logitech Squeezebox Wi-Fi Internet Radio and Wireless Music Player

• Lossless Formats (Apple Lossless, FLAC, WMA Lossless) and Uncompressed formats (AIFF, WAV, PCM)
• Compressed formats (MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, MP2, MusePack, WMA)
• Bridging capability allows Ethernet devices to connect to the network through Squeezebox Wireless
• True 802.11g wireless networking
• "Always-on" Internet Radio, powered by mysqueezebox.com, lets you tune in to Internet Radio streams even when the home PC is switched off

Pros:

-Amazing sound quality

-Burr-Brown DAC (pretty much the best around)

-Easy to configure

-Great interface

-Rock-solid performance (no waiting when you hit play, and no network issues)

-Created for IT people by IT people, but doesn't require a lot of IT literacy to get up and running (and their documentation is great).

-Price

Cons:

-The only thing I can think of is that it would be cool to have a USB port with USB Mass Storage Device support so you can plug a USB HDD directly in to this puppy and rock and roll. But, this is just nit-picking, and they probably didn't include USB because it would increase the price and wouldn't offer a lot of performance to a lot of people.

Details:

Every once in a while there is a product so genius that it reminds me why I love technology. I had read up about the Squeezebox and I figured it would be really cool. When I picked it up I immediately noticed that it was small. Smaller and sleeker than I expected. It seems to be made of high-quality materials, and at this point I'm feeling pretty unimpressed about the whole thing (since I figured the sound quality would let me down like most digital audio devices... *cough* *cough* *iPod* *cough* *cough*).

My brother and I plug it in to his Denon receiver and B&W speakers, and we power it on. I immediately notice that I like the interface. It's snappy, and the slide transitions actually look pretty cool. The screen is also pretty nice, so I'm starting to feel good about things at this point.

The configuration of this device was a breeze. It auto-detects networks (with broadcast SSID turned on) and I was able to get it on the network in a matter of minutes without reading the manual. The SlimServer software for the PC is also pretty easy to install and configure, and I noticed that they released the source code for the server software.

I first listened to some streaming radio, and I have to say: I was impressed with the quality of the radio stations. I hate MP3 compression (I use FLAC), but the classical stations actually sounded pretty good to my ears. The best part is that the radio stations just work. No problems. No weird network timeouts. Just on-demand radio by Genre, City, Etc.

After playing around with the radio, I decided to listen to some FLAC that I am really familiar with to get an idea of the DAC and the fidelity of the player. My brother and I were blown away by the sound quality of my FLAC files. It sounds about as good as his Denon CD player, and it puts every other digital audio player I have ever heard to complete and utter shame.

There are a lot of things I like about this product. The fact that they release the source and allow you to create custom plug-ins is cool. Everything about this seems like it's created by some friggin' good engineers that want other IT people to appreciate it.

This thing is simply amazing. For price-to-performance, you can't beat it!

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The Squeezebox is a terrific device! The Squeezebox itself stores no music, you have to have another computer act as a "server" to contain the music files. This server runs software called "Slimserver" and it will run on any Linux, and it also works from Mac OS X and Windows (including Vista.) I have over 400 CDs converted to FLAC (lossless) and they stream perfectly from my server, even streaming the average 30mb FLAC files via 802.11g no problems whatsoever. You use a remote control to work the Squeezebox, there are no buttons or anything on the device itself. You can also use a web browser to connect to the Slimserver software and perform all the same functions as the remote and more.

One drawback I found was when I tried running the Slimserver on Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit on my AMD Athlon 64 X2 (dual-core) system with 2gb RAM. The web interface was pretty pokey and would become unresponsive at times, even while the Windows machine was doing nothing else. I moved the Slimserver and music to my Linux server, again an AMD Athlon 64 X2 system running Debian 4.0 and that improved it 1000%. The other drawback I have noticed is that file format is important. The Squeezebox hardware itself can decode MP3 and FLAC formats in hardware, right on the Squeezebox. But Apple formats (MP4, Apple Lossless, etc.) and others such as Ogg Vorbis must be decoded on the *server* using supplemental software. The two biggest problems with that is, increased load on the server and lack of ability to fast-forward and rewind within a track.

Regardless, I like this device so much, I'm planning on getting another one that I can move around where I like, while leaving the first one permanently at the main stereo.

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I purchased the Squeezebox to listen to FLAC encoded files from my Olive Musica music center. After waiting for over a year for the non existent Olive Sonata, I looked at several forums and concluded that the SlimServer & Squeezebox option was the only viable option at this time. After installing the SlimServer software on the Olive, I was optimistic enough about Slim Devices to buy the Squeezebox.

The Squeezebox arrived in record time. I was impressed by its compact size, sleek look, and substantial heft. I plugged it in, and it immediately detected my wireless network (an my neighbor's) and after entering my network's security code made easy by the well designed remote, the Squeezebox displayed my music collection.

FLAC and MP3 files play flawlessly, with high quality. The larger FLAC files require a better signal strength, which is a problem only in the most remote corners of my house, and more an issue for Olive's wireless transmitter than the Squeezebox. The SlimServer web interface is a bit slow, but that's also more of an Olive issue (the Olive can be slow, and precludes the use of the latest SlimServer version).

It is a joy to have such quality, easy to use access to my music collection anywhere in the house. I'm ready to buy a second unit for my bedroom.

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I've been running my Squeezebox on my wireless network for a month now and have had no issues whatsoever .

There are many ways to stream music but not that many to do it at the highest possible quality . It reads Itunes Playlists and uses Rhapsody so will work with most peoples libraries. It has no built in amp so need to connect to one .

In short this unit is excellent especially for the price (but not perfect). See the bottom of the review for pros and cons .

Setup

It connected to my WEP encoded wireless network with no problems and reconnects every time with no problems when I restart my music library PC.

You install Slimserver s/w on your PC/Mac (or Ip addressable NAS)and point it to 1 music location (in my case Itunes library = s/w default location). Once slim server is running let the streaming (wireless or wired) begin

Streaming

It has never stuttered let alone dropped the stream even when the laptop that is running Slimserver (with my mp3s on it ) is downloading and also using bandwidth . As mentioned in other reviews make sure your home network is solid before blaming devices . The quality of the sound is exactly as good as the mp3 due to lossless streaming .

Playback quality

The playback quality is amazing . I stream to the Squeezebox and then send the music out of the optical digital out of the unit (few devices in this price range have a digital out ) . So the digital music file I am playing on my PC is not altered / compressed in ANY way . The receiver I use has a high end 24 bit digital / analog converter which sends the music to my speakers = I get the highest quality wireless and lossless playback for under 300 bucks !

The unit also has analog outs ..so you can let the unit do the d / a conversion and send an analog signal to your amp . So if you don't have a high quality d/a don't worry ..Squeezebox has included a 24 bit one . Again great for under 300 bucks !

Mp3s played on this unit sound MUCH better than an Ipod attached to the same amp whether you send them digial out or analog out of the Squeezebox. The d / a converter seems much better .

Interface : unit and browser interface

The unit looks small and sleek . The display is bright and the remote is intuitive but due to it's size the unit will display 1 line of info at a time . This can be a pain with a large music library so the web interface built into the Slimserver becomes a must . This runs on the PC/Ip device you have your music on and is accessed in a browser ( http://PC_address:9000) . It displays Itunes Playlists and you can search by Album/Artist etc as you'd expect . For me the browser tool sometimes hangs in IE but never in Mozilla .

Pros :

Understands 16 and 24 bit digital files (many high end devices only handle 16 bit) .

Understands lossless/high quality format files as well as mp3 .

Supprots Lossless streaming (FLAC) .

Wireless and wired .

Analog and Digital outs .

MP3s sound much better than played on an Ipod .

All this for under 300 bucks !

Cons :

Web/browser interface is not very sexy and sometimes hangs IE (not Mozilla)

Unit only displays 1 line of info at a time ( has to for the size) .

Remote is easy but basic (compared to Sonos for example) .

Summary

For the price this unit is unbeatable for quality and functionality .

It can stream digital files without loosing any digital quality .

The built in digital to analog converter is very good and better than most for under 300 bucks (much better than an Ipod for example so mp3s will sound much better coming from this compared to your Ipod) .

Some less advanced users may opt for a sexier looking choice ..Logitech has some for example .

Or those with cash to burn may go for a Sonos solution ( sexier but 3 x the price) .

The web interface is essential if your library is big . It works fine but is not the sexiest .

for many years i have been a bit of an "audiophile snob", thoroughly enjoying to high quality recordings (kevin mahogany's "pride and joy" is a great test vehicle) on an accuphase cd player and amplifier system that feeds into tuned high end speakers. you know the ritual: walk up to CD stand, look for the CD, find it, check it's clean, grab it by the edges, inster in cd player, walk back to favorite listening chair, enjoy... while thinking about what to listen to next, then repeat the above...

along came the Squeezebox. very simple premise: rip your music to a computer, install squeezecenter software, which scans it and streams it to the squeezebox, and the squeezebox connects to your sound system of choice.

the Squeeezebox offers

fantastic sound quality for the price, and furthermore the ability to tune it to your system and requirements

extreme convenience: a great user interface that allows you to access your entire CD collection with just the remote, and listen to it in CD quality if you have ripped the CDs accordingly...

the build quality is great. and the price is right the audio RCA analog sound has no right to sound this good on a $299 device, really, excellent DA conversion is built in. but if you have a high end reference system the SB gives you the digital interfaces to connect to an external DA converter and achieve truly outstanding sound quality paired with extreme convenience. enjoying your entire music collection and reconnecting with it has never been this easy. it changed the way i listened to music, i hardly ever have touched a CD again, which is a shame given the fact i own a $6k CD player i only use as a DA converter. :-)

make sure you rip your favorite CDs into a non-lossy format, i'd recommend FLAC open source, which the SB handles natively. that will save your music in perfect condition forever. make sure you use good CD ripping software, i have made great experiences with dbpoweramp. make sure you back up your collection it is a lot of work and you never ever want to do this again.

in a nutshell: this thing rocks and works very well.

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Sangean America WR-3 Digital AM/FM/CD/SD/USB MP3 Table Top Radio (Black)

• Radio Data System with radio text, program type, station name, and automatic clock time (where available)
• Compact disc drive supports MP3/WMA playback on CD-ROM/CD-R/CD-RW formats
• Dynamic bass compensation for high-quality rich bass
• Full-function IR remote control
• Alarm and sleep timer
• CD MP3 Playback
• Menu System
• SD Card/USB MP3 Playback
• Search and Manual Tuning

After much deliberation, and as much research as the Internet would afford me, I decided to buy this radio and try it firsthand. As always, I felt safer buying from Amazon because of their fair return policy and outstanding reputation. I knew I was going into this somewhat blindly because there are precious few reviews of this piece anywhere online, and even fewer by real folks like me.

Anyway, I got the product yesterday and test drove it in depth last night. Its first impression is an excellent one. The substantial heft and gorgeous "piano" finish would probably sell a ton of these radios if they were more readily available in stores. Set up was expectedly simple, and the user's manual wasn't needed until later on. Personally, I liked the metal, telescoping antenna mounted on the rear of the unit (where, by the way, you'll find a clean array of additional I/O plugs and the "3-D" sound selector. From every angle, this is a beautiful radio.

The first thing I did after plugging it in, was check a few local FM stations. They all came in very well, which was no surprise given Sangean's radio heritage. Be certain of one thing about this unit: it is a radio first, and then a CD player, audio file player, etc. The RDS feature was a novelty, but not as intuitive or lavish as I was hoping for. I'm not entirely familiar with what RDS normally provides on most equipment, though, and I don't fault this unit for anything in that respect.

It wasn't until I put in the first CD (a standard "red book" audio CD) that I experienced that all-too-familiar consumer electronics letdown. It didn't play. The unit acknowledged that it read the CD and recognized how many tracks were on it, etc. But I could not get it to play any of it. The CD was not suspect; in fact, I deliberately started with a CD that was playable on every piece of CD equipment I've owned. Subsequent discs, however, did work, and apparently with no further problems.

It was while I was waiting for the first CD to play that I removed a promotional sticker the factory had stuck on the front of the unit (advertising what types of media it can play). Where every other manufacturer I've seen has used a static-cling or no-residue adhesive to make sure the sticker comes off cleanly, such was not the case on this radio. The sticker came off with much effort and left behind quite a bit of very stubborn adhesive. This might've been negligible had this radio not been so beautifully finished, and the sticker not been put in so prominent a spot on the front. While this had no bearing on the player's performance, this was pretty disappointing to me.

In playing with the sound options--the part of this unit I had the most interest in and curiosity about--I ultimately realized that even the fine design and speaker capabilities of this radio/CD player are limited by the direction of the speakers and bass firing. In a very specific listening zone, this sounds pretty good. And by specific I mean, I found that directly facing the speakers from a distance of about 6 feet, with some peripheral area to either side, was ideal. Step much further outside this cone of sound, and the overall listening experience is compromised significantly (though the 3-D sound effect lessens the degradation a bit). This is more a limitation imposed by the direction of the speakers, and not by the design or components. But it's reason enough in my opinion to consider a radio/CD player with detachable speakers, unless you're using this on a nightstand or a very small room.

The USB and SD card input options are really fun novelties, and I wish more manufacturers would get hip to this simple technology. But in the end, when you have a unit that already plays MP3 CDs, these additional formats aren't as needed.

In the end, after only a day, I'm sending it back for a refund because of the fickle CD player issue. I'd rather not take my chances on this one. In a nutshell:

Pros:

-product feel and look

-simple set-up and easily moved

-excellent radio capability

-clean inputs and outputs on the back

-telescoping FM antenna

-full function remote

-SD card and USB drive options

Cons:

-Small "ideal listening zone"

-Unnecessarily bright display

Too bad these aren't in your local store where you can play around with them in advance. Hope this helps.

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Originally I had been eyeing the Tivoli radio brand because of their tuning sensitivity. I listen to late night AM radio and unfortunately most radio manufacturers produce poor quality radio receivers nowadays; from what I read on HD radio it didn't sound that beneficial to me, signals are said to cover less territory. I also wanted a CD player which meant the Tivoli would come in three pieces too large for my night stand and I assumed it would not play MP3's because the literature made no mention. To top it off I felt the Tivoli was too expensive so I searched for other makes and found the Sangean. Surprisingly, I could find only one professional and one personal review which made me cautious why so little mention/notice? I am also leery of professional reviews as many times they won't say anything negative about a product due to advertising relationships.

After reading the reviews and specs, and finding a refurbished unit, I took the risk and made the purchased. What a pleasant surprise. The radio has a nice gloss black finish and is heavy, actually nicer than the pictures. Sound quality was better than expected even to my audiophile ears. I download favorite Internet radio MP3 interviews and load them to a USB thumb drive which plugs into the front of the Sangean. Control is mostly made from a thin card-like remote control. I highly recommend the item.

ImprovementsSome notes on what I thought could be changed or didn't like but is true with most table top radios these days: blue lit display will dim but is still too bright, wish it had the option to turn off altogether. I think the USB slot should be in the rear of the radio so the cable or drive isn't hanging out front. I don't particularly like being dependant on the remote control, just in case it gets lost. It would be nice to have controls all on the unit. No battery back-up for presets and clock. If you lose power, guess what? You lose clock time, radio presets, and the clock alarm. So, if you set the alarm, lose power in the middle of the night, you might be late for work. Not too smart. Needs a battery backup. One other comment Sangean makes an interesting wireless Internet radio. I would have been tempted to purchase that if it had all the other features of the WR-3. Why not combine Internet radio with AM/FM CD USB?

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I bought this radio for my kitchen, which is a high traffic, high use area. It has great sound but the features are the real sell. I was frustrated because most everything out there was focused on the iPod which I will never own. Also, most of the CD players will play mp3s but not wma format. My collection of thousands of songs are wma. This radio plays mp3 and wma formats from 3 different sources (USB drive, SD card or CD). It also has an aux jack so I can plug my (non-iPod) player in. Now, my kids and I can each have our own music on whatever media we like and just plug it in. On top of all this, it has RDS (Radio Data System) that tells you the names of songs and groups from radio stations that participate. I have always loved this feature on my car radio.

Now for the downside. All the functionality is on the remote. All you can do from the radio is power and volume. I would have liked a little more functionality available on the radio. Also, there does not seem to be a way to make it so the RDS display is the default. I have to hit the mode button when I switch to a station that supplies RDS. This radio is a little pricey but well worth it and much less expensive than the Bose Wave radio that has nowhere near the features.

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No problem with reception or sound quality, those were excellent as other reviewer's have stated. The remote as noted by others is required to do anything at all, and if anything the flimsy feel is worse than others have stated. Worse yet is that one large volume knob in front of the unit, this thing overall is built like a tank, but that knob in front feels like it will break off very quickly.

We still would have kept it even with these flaws, but the video display went to all exclamation marks after only about a week or so of use, seems to me like it burned out because it was very bright, abnormally bright from an electronics design point of view. Something voltage or current wise is not calibrated correctly there, I suspect.

It's like, they were 88% done making a really great product, and cheapened out on the last few details, and compromised the whole thing. We sent ours back for a refund, and Amazon return policy is NOT that easy, major pain shipping back because the original box they used to ship to me fell apart.

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My wife and I recently decided to rearrange our living room. Part of the problem was a large entertainment center full of audio components and flanked by two large floor speakers that dominated a complete wall. This made it tough to arrange things how we wanted. The solution was to lose the entertainment center, upgrade to a wall-mounted flat screen television and replace the stack of component audio gear with something simple, self-contained and compact. I had originally planned to replace this "mission control" audio gear with a Bose Wave radio, having marveled at the nice sound from one owned by a friend some years ago. Upon researching the available choices among the competition, I discovered the Sangean WR-3. I suspect Sangean is virtually unknown to most folks. Sangean has long manufactured portable shortwave radios with which I'm well familiar. I also purchased a Sangean WFT-1 wifi internet radio last year and was very impressed with the quality of this product. This afternoon, I received my new WR-3 from Amazon and quickly unpacked and set it up for a test run. This product is quick and intuitive to setup and didn't require any help from the owner's manual. I was completely astounded by the "presence" of sound from this relatively small box. The only similar product I had to compare it to is a friend's Bose Wave radio. Both have fine sounding full audio, but the Sangean has a "3D" switch on the rear panel that when enabled, made a profound difference in stereo separation. It's uncanny how the sound of this product emulates that of a much larger system with much larger speakers. The Sangean WR-3 has separate bass & treble controls which are lacking on my friend's Wave radio. Bass response is strong but not "boomy" and obnoxious. The WR-3 is quite loud at full volume too and has a complete lack of distortion. So, are there competing products that sound better? There may well be, but the WR-3 must certainly rank among the best. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed in the way it sounds. Indeed I suspect most users will be just as astounded as I.

The other thing that struck me is the obvious look and feel of a quality product. It's quite an attractive piece with it's highly polished black plastic case and fabric-covered speakers. The display is bright and automatically dims itself after a short time after the last button is pressed. Still, the blue illuminated ring around the volume control and the display backlight remain on even when the radio is off. "Off" therefore may be more accurately described as "standby". For those intending to use the WR-3 as an alarm clock/radio, the constant display illumination may be an issue. Another quirk is that the RDS function of FM reception must be manually enabled by a button press on the remote before it displays artist/song, etc. The included telescopic FM whip antenna works well in my suburban home and I found the tuner to be quite sensitive and selective. AM reception sounds great as well. This model is one of the few that features a real internal ferrite loop antenna for the AM (MW) band. The ferrite MW antenna design performs far better than the plastic-frame wire loop external antenna supplied with nearly all competitor's radios. In fact, the provided antennas became one of the key features that prompted my choice of the WR-3 over the competition. The downside of a built-in ferrite AM antenna is that they are quite directional and may require that the entire radio be rotated for best reception of weaker AM stations depending on the direction from which the signal arrives relative to the radio. For me, this was only a problem with very weak AM stations located well beyond a reasonable listening distance. It's simply much cleaner to have the antennas built into the case than to have unsightly external antennas and their connecting wires. The telescopic FM antenna provided with the WR-3 may be extended just enough to offer good reception in metro areas and may be rotated to hide it if desired. Fully extended, the telescopic whip enabled good reception of normally weak stations well beyond their intended listening area. The FM telescopic antenna provided simply screws onto the 75-ohm type-F connector on the back panel, so a much more substantial external antenna may be used for rural area users in tough reception areas. The tuner itself is most certainly well designed and capable of good performance of weak signals with a suitable antenna. CD performance is excellent with a motorized disc transport mechanism that operates just like an automobile CD player. The WR-3 features an auxiliary audio input jack mounted where it belongs on the rear panel. I connected the auxiliary input to my Sangean WFT-1 wifi internet radio with excellent performance. The combined package is still compact and quite an entertainment package! The 1/8" (3.5mm) auxiliary jack may be driven by audio from a myriad of sources such as a multi-CD changer, portable audio player, etc. A press of a button on the included remote control selects the auxiliary input and the volume is adjusted normally with the large front-panel volume control or by the remote. Incidentally, nearly all functions and features of the WR-3 are controlled by the remote control. The radio itself has controls only for power on/off, volume and CD eject. This may be an issue with some users but appears most of the competing models are designed similarly. The thin-profile remote control included with the WR-3 is comprehensive with all control buttons intuitively layed out.

Overall, the WR-3 is a well-made, visually attractive product that features outstanding sound. It's a great option for those like me who prefer a simple self-contained audio system that compares favorably with the average component system yet doesn't take over the room. There are some very nice competing products from the likes of Bose, Polk Audio, Cambridge Soundworks, Tivoli, Yamaha, etc but the Sangean WR-3 compares very favorably yet is among the lowest priced. It includes some design elements of the best competing models the provided antennas being one most noteworthy. It will be interesting to see if Sangean offers a future version that integrates wifi internet radio reception with AM/FM & CD audio into a single unit. In my opinion, the WR-3 leads the pack where value is a fundamental criterion.

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Sony Walkman Digital Tuning Portable Palm Size AM/FM Stereo Radio (Black) with Weather Band, 20 Stat

• Exceptional Reception from all near and distant stations within range
• 5 Direct Key Preset Memory
• Low Power Use, with over 50 hours on only 1 AAA Battery
• Digital Clock and Battery Indicator

The only down side is the battery life isn't that great. But I really like the lock that keeps you from inadvertantly turning it off, or changing stations.

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Travel Tranquil Moments Alarm Clock Sound Therapy Machine

• Dual-time alarm clock with calendar
• Eight sound therapy programs
• Records and plays back a 15-second message
• Uses AC adapter (included) or 4 AA batteries (not included).
• Sounds play continuously or with 30, 60 or 90-minute auto shut-off

When it works, this noise machine/clock is pretty nice. It keeps time and has a few nice sounds to choose from. It's a little pricey at $100, but if it would continue to work, I'd be fine with it.

The problem is that we've had three of these, and every one has died after a few weeks of use!

We bought the first one at a Brookstone in Vegas. It worked for that trip, but only lasted a few days into our next trip. The display went completely out, and it wouldn't respond at all fresh batteries didn't do anything, plugging it in didn't do anything. I returned it and got a second from the Philadelphia airport this one lasted a few weeks and died again! We returned that one at the King of Prussia Mall (Pennsylvania), and the same exact thing happened with the replacement they gave us after a few weeks!

I'm baffled that we've gone through 3 of these things, all gotten from completely different locations, and all have died after a few short weeks of use. This really is the worst quality item I've ever had. I would think that every one of these ever purchased would be returned, based on my experience with the three that I've had. I suppose it's possible that we just received 3 bad ones, and the majority are fine, but it seems extremely unlikely. There's no other constant with it we've used different batteries, and have used them in different locations. We've kept them in their box, and haven't been rough on them at all. It's an alarm clock with noise it's not like it's that complex of a piece of equipment. I truly am baffled at this piece of junk.

My advice is don't even consider buying one of these. I'm sure there's plenty of other choices out there at this price point that will do the same thing but will last longer than a month.

***EDIT 7/19/11

I've been able to bring this back to life a few times, thanks to a comment on this post from "E. Mead". He points out that there is a small reset button inside the battery compartment that can be pushed in to get it past the issue with the display blacking-out. I've been able to bring my what I thought was a dead unit back to life several times using this button. It continues to "die" about every 3rd time it's plugged in but at least now I can get it back. I bumped it up from 1 star to 2, but it's a close one... Still very unimpressed with this, but I am pleased that I can get some more life out of it. Thanks Mr. Mead for the info on the reset button!

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I bought this product at the local Brookstone. The first one broke after one week. The second one broke after two weeks. The manager at Brookstone tried to blame it on me rather than accept that they sell junk.

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I've had some trouble sleeping and my brother, who is an expert in these things, recommended the Sound Oasis. However, we got a gift card to Brookstone so we decided to give the Brookstone one a try. It's small and good for travel, worked fine out of the box, and is easy to use. I push one button and the sound comes on. I haven't played around with the alarm yet. My only negative points are that the face is a little too bright on the nightstand, but it is very readable. Second, the number of usable sounds is very limited. Pretty much I like the rain, thunderstorm and the white noise. The others are a little too New Age-ish for me, but some people may like them. I would prefer a greater range of sounds. You can also record a 15-second one of your own, which we haven't done. The sound quality is fine. I haven't noticed any distracting repeats in the sounds. It is more expensive than some sound machines out there, but since this is the only one I've ever bought, I can't say if it is better than the others.

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The settings are a bit confusing--could be made easier to set the alarm, turn it on/off, etc. The sound was decent, but not great. But after a year, it just died on me...i changed all the batteries (including the small internal one) and it's just dead. At this price, it should last a lot longer!

I purchased this travel clock to use for, I know this sounds strange, traveling. The first country I travelled to was England. 30 seconds after plugging it in, the adaptor shorted out the clock. The adaptor, it turns out, was only for the use in the United States 110v electrical.

Why would anyone spend $75 for a travel alarm clock that cannot be used anywhere in Europe or the Middle East? Why would a clock that expensive not have an adaptor that works for both 220v AND 110v?

I was extremely disappointed that on my six-week long trip through Europe and Israel, I never got to use this clock.

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Hello Kitty KT2052 Sleeping AM/FM Clock Radio with Night-Light

• Hello Kitty_Clock Radio

This item is as described and arrived in the time promised. Used it a couple of days now, with no issues. My two year old is able to turn on/off the nightlight and radio. The only item I would like to change is probably add a dimmer to the light. Very bright....

Buy Hello Kitty KT2052 Sleeping AM/FM Clock Radio with Night-Light Now

So, I used to have a common black alarm clock....but.....it meet an early end(the wall didn't like it much). I figured I'd find one that I wouldn't be tempted to throw...I'm not a morning person.

I looked around at the stores didn't find anything, so I figured I'd look around here, and tada! Hello kitty to the rescue. I really love this alarm clock, since I can set it to radio or the beeping noise if I really need to get up in the morning, and I like the fact that it has a built in light on it, very helpful if I have to find something and I don't want to bother my brother(his room is right across from mine so any light in either of our rooms bothers the other).

Still going strong today and still works like when I first opened it.

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Very cute clock! I can't say that I am a fan of Hello Kitty and I wasn't planning on buying anything from this collection. It doesn't even match my nursery decor, but I love it. I hope my daughter will too someday. I have it for the couple of months and it works perfect.

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Yep, it's a little difficult to get channels to come in clearly, but it does work for some. It's adorable, the night light is very bright, so we cover one of the bedposts. My granddaughter loves it!

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cute clock. no instructions with it, so it took me a few minutes to figure out how to operate it. I'm sure my grand daughter will love it!

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Pyle PLMRKT13BK In-Dash Marine AM/FM PLL Tuning Radio with USB/SD/MMC Reader

• AM/FM-MPX PLL Tuning Radio - 2 Channel RCA Line Out - Blue Illumination
• LCD Display - USB Interface (Decode MP3 WMA) - Clock Function
• Volume/Bass/Treble/Balance/Fader Control - SD/MMC Slot - 6.5" Speaker System
• 30 Station Memory - Aux Input - Weather Band Function
• Power Output 4 x 50 Watts - Remote Control Marine COating

This radio is unsuitable for use in a motor vehicle, as far as I can tell. I went through TWO of them, and both of them SHUT THEMSELVES OFF and FORGET EVERYTHING in the presence of ANY electrical noise. Since the intended application is Marine, one would think that this radio would be at least as robust as a CAR radio, but it's much, much, worse. DO NOT BUY THIS RADIO unless you are confident that you have a VERY LOW NOISE electrical environment. (My qualifications: Masters in Electrical Engineering from Cornell and many many years working with vehicle electrical systems.) I'd give zero stars but Amazon won't let you give less than one star.

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As a gift, my son can ride in his golf cart around the lake community and enjoy music from his iPod or just from the radio from a local station.

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bad

Reception = poor, often static even wiht good signal stations

Clock cannot be left as the visiable display'clock minutes apparently cannot be set (no instructions ant where on setting clock)

good

The box appears to be solid enough to return the unit... hopefully for some resaonalbe refund.

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works great, just what i wanted and more. the only thing i wish that it had with it would be a waterproof cover

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During the summer, we like to take the deck boat out to the middle of the lake and have cook outs. For a while we just brought along a little boom box, but I finally decided it was time to move up. I already had a receiver from a friend, and I just needed some speakers, so I bought these. These Pyles were easy to install, and since I've used them I've noticed that they produce a very high quality of sound. I turn the volume up to about 3/4 max capacity and have yet to hear any crackling or strain. They're supposed to be waterproof too, and although I haven't been unfortunate enough to see if this is true, it's nice to have that promise.

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Magnasonic MAG-MM176K AM/FM Projection Clock Radio with Dual Alarm, Auto Time Set/Restore, Temperatu

• Automatically Sets the Time/Date & Restores Alarm Settings after Power loss
• Projects the Time on Your Wall or Ceiling; Dual Alarms with Optional Weekend Skip
• AM/FM Radio with Digital Station Display; Temperature & Calendar Date Display
• Connect Your iPod or MP3 Player; Blue Backlit 3.6" LCD Screen
• Wake to Radio/Buzzer/Time Projection

I am happy wit hthis product except one things i.e battery operared mode. This piece runs only with 120v AC supply unit. There is battery backup option mentioned in the product ddescription, but running this on Battery only Mode is not available and no where mentioned this in the mannual. Apart from this I love he projection mode and nice alarm tunes and AM/Fm radio and Nice LCD display.

-Sreekanth

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Tranquil Moments White Noise Sound Machine for Baby

• Six exclusive, clinically proven sounds provide soothing, therapeutic relief
• Simply press the Sleep Enhancement button, and over the next 20-minute period the therapeutic sound program will gradually slow down to gently lull babies and young children to sleep
• Sleep Center research has proven that a gradual slowing of sounds promotes better sleep and relaxation
• Sleep timer with auto shutoff
• Gradual-off volume control

We have used this sound machine every night for 4 1/2 years. Our daughter can't sleep without it. We use it ourselves if one of us wants to take a nap while others are at home and awake. After all that use, the only physical problem we're having is sometimes we have to wiggle the AC adapter to make it work. No big deal really. The biggest problem with this sound machine is that if you turn the volume all the way up, it has that weird crackling sound that you get when a speaker is maxed out. That sound grates on my nerves. I don't turn it all the way up, but my husband and daughter do. The only sound we use now is the white noise. We experimented with all the other sounds when our daughter was a baby. Only the white noise sound is really effective at blocking out household noises, and only if it's all the way up. I definitely recommend a white noise machine for anybody who has trouble sleeping, just maybe not this one.

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Bought this only for the white noise feature, which is way to quiet (even on the loudest setting) to block out normal household noises. The Conair is much louder so we switched back to that.

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This is the second white noise machine we've gotten from Brookstone and I am very pleased with its performance. I like the variety of sounds available and my personal opinion is that the 'white noise' sound is still the best overall for blocking out unwanted noise. Our daughter really enjoys the 'lullaby' mode. I think that the sound output is reasonable but if you need extra sound from the device, I would recommend hooking up a small set of external speakers to the headphone jack, located on the lower right side of the unit (PC speakers will do). This way you can get all the sound you need. This was an excellent purchase.

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We have two of the previous models that are dark green in color. They are more user friendly and twice as loud. We've had the previous ones for maybe 10 years. Both of them died recently about the same time with the same symptom will no longer play continuously, only for an hour at a time which wakes us up when it turns off. This why we bought this one since it looked like they just spruced up the old model. Not the case here. This white baby one is quieter which doesn't work so well to hide my snoring. Also, to turn it off you have to use the volume knob. Not as user friendly in the morning when you wake up. The previous model turned on and off by a press of the center button on the top. The volume knob was the master on-off. Needless to say I'm trying to fix the older models that I have since this one is not as loud which really is the main complaint. Might be good for a baby, but not for a snoring adult. If you need a loud one, buy something different, that's my suggestion.

We purchased this "baby-specific" model over the other simpler models because we liked having the idea of having various sound choices. The generic white noise sound was all that really seemed to work so the other sounds were only a novelty. Unfortunately, after 6 months it stopped working. It turns on just fine, but the sound dissipates to nothing within 30 minutes. Instead of forking out another $70, we bought the simpler (and cheaper) Marpac model. We've had that for 2 1/2 years now and it's still going strong and works beautifully. We only own the 2-speed model so I don't know about the other one, but we also only use the lower speed option. I'm sure there are other options besides Marpac, but I would avoid this product.

Just in case you're in a spot, in between this unit dying and before our Marpac arrived, I downloaded a white noise track off iTunes, put it on my iPod speaker dock and set my iPod on repeat. . .that worked pretty well too!

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Grundig G3 Globe Traveler Radio

I thought I received a defective Tecsun 660 unit, because even plugged in, the unit was behaving erratically (hence I didn't expect it was the batteries). It had been plugged overnight, but the unit was turning itself off after 20 seconds or so, and a few icons were flickering. Resetting the unit, using a pin, didn't work. I requested a refund and went out to buy a Grundig G3 at a local HAM radio shop and to pick up some alkaline batteries. When I got home and inserted the alkaline batteries, the Tecsun appeared to operate normally. I then compared the reception and sound quality of both units across the Air / SW / AM / FM bands. The Tecsun has noticeably better reception, superior sound quality and depth (with a tone control for either bass or treble), less static buzz, and the volume seems 2 3 times as loud as the G3. The Gundig has a nice RDS (Radio Data System) feature that displays the station, song and artist. It also has a rubberized body that some may prefer to the Tecsun's plastic finish. Both units have a quality feel about them. Unfortunately, both units can hardly pick up any SW stations during the day here in San Jose from my 3rd floor porch, even with the external Sangean ANT-60 antenna plugged in. I understand that ionospheric conditions favor the night due to higher bounce, but I expected more stations during the day nonetheless (disappointment for both radios). The Sangean antenna would work better if I could string it optimally. I was encouraged by the alkaline batteries, and remembered that I had a battery charger stashed away. I loaded the rechargeable batteries from the Tecsun (the recharger indicated that they were dead even though I had them plugged into the Tecsun the prior night), and after a few hours they were fully recharged. Once re-inserted into the Tesun, the unit is working fine as with the alkaline batteries. I would recommend the Tecsun 660 (four star review) over the Gundig G3 but caution buyers not to expect the Tecsun unit to work right, even plugged in, until the rechargeable batteries are fully charged (use an external charger if necessary the first time). I'll monitor this radio and report back if the unit isn't properly charging so far though so good.

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iHome iP16GX Portable 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Alarm Clock Speaker Dock

• Wake or sleep to iPhone or iPod or buzzer alarm:Start or end your day with favorite sounds & sleep to iPhone or iPod with selectable sleep timer
• Universal dock charges and plays iPhone or iPod while docked - Enjoy your music while keeping your iPhone or iPod fully charged
• Operates on 4 AA batteries or standard AC - Charge and play your iPhone or iPod while connected to an AC outlet
• Reson8 speaker chambers :High fidelity neodymium micro drivers in specially designed Reson8 chambers

There are several companies making alarm clock/speaker docks for the Apple iPod/iPhone lines. I have two, the XtremeMac Luna Voyager and this iHome iP16GXC. Both provide a docking port for the iPod/iPhone on the top panel. Both then sync with the device so as to display the time. The XtremeMac, which is just a few dollars less expensive than the iHome model, has a blue florescent digit display for the clock while the iHome has a backlit LCD display. While the XtremeMac looks cooler, the iHome is actually more legible from a distance and easier to read at a glance.

Both, at the touch of a button, start playing music from the content of the iDevice. The iDevice is then accessed to change songs. Volume is adjusted from the iHome. Both units have an alarm clock capability, with the iPod/iPhone utilized for the musical accompaniment.

The big difference in the two units, beyond their appearance, is in sound quality. Both units are small, with similarly small speakers. The iHome, however, has markedly better stereo separation as well as bass level. When I first listened to the XtremeMac, I thought there was only a single speaker. The iHome's stereo reproduction is clearly superior. Vocals have greater clarity with the iHome as well. The speakers of the XtremeMac are built into the unit, out of harm's way, and this is advantageous in a dusty environment or one in which small children might poke and prod at the unit. On the iHome, the speaker domes are out in the open at the end of the unit. They can be easily damaged if poked. Obviously, one of the advantages of this design is the improvement in sound quality, but there is the disadvantage as well of potential damage.

The iHome has a watch-type battery to hold time if the power goes out. It takes four AA batteries if portability is desired away from an AC line while still using the built in speakers and amplifier.

My vote goes to the iHome for producing a highly portable, easy to read, and clear sounding stereo amplifier for the iThings. I tested it with the original iPhone, the iPhone3GS, and the iPhone4 (ATT) and had no problems with any of these sources.

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I liked this product except for the fact that you have to take your case off to get it to fit into the notch at the top. I tried the thinnest case I have and it was still too thick. Apparently they sized it so it fits a naked iphone only. I have a 3gs, so I don't know ahout the iphone 4, but I'd be hesitant if you're a lover of cases.

The sound is great.

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This is a dock for the the ipod, ipod touch, and iphone. I use it with my 2nd genreation touch and it works well. It doesn't work as an alarm clock without an ipod/iphone product. You place the iphone/ipod in the dock, there are adapters provided with it. Once the ipod/iphone is in the dock you can set the alarm on the dock or the phone. It will awaken you to a buzzer or to your music. There is a snooze. You can also use it as speakers and just listen. I use it at night to listen to the white noise application I have on my ipod touch. It has a timer and will turn off at the interval you set. The sound isn't stero quality but it is ok to listen to for general purposes.

Pros:

Adapters are provided for ipone/ipod products

Clock stays accurate, is easy to set

Alarm is easy to set and easy to turn off in mornig

Small, takes up 6-7 inches in length and maybe 3-4 in width on night table

Has a battery back up

Cons:

Back light, even set on dim is like a night light. (It can be turned all the way off, but then you can't see the time if you awaken in the middle of the night.)

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The product works as stated. It is great to travel with. If you do not have mini speakers for your Ipod or Iphone, then this works well. It doubles as an alarm clock, but it does not have a radio. Not does it advertise as having one. The sound is good especially listening to audio books, but is weak as a stereo. The Bose Portable Sound Dock fits that bill, but much more expensive.

Since the Ipod stands in it, it is somewhat protected by the Ihome's body. This makes it somewhat better than other speakers or alarm clocks where they just have a wire to plug into the Ipod, and it rests on a table or something else external to the speakers.

For the price, you get what you paid for.

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We love music and like to have the ability to play it in every room of the house. The living/dining/kitchen area was the one room without a reliable solution. We needed something that would carry the music clearly throughout the room (a space of just over 400 square feet) and would work with iPods of various sizes. This iHome system has been a perfect solution.

Pros:

The sound easily and clearly carries through the room without forcing us to maximize the volume. In fact, the volume can even be turned low for a great background music option, while still providing sufficient clarity for our purposes. While I might not necessarily call the sound "astounding" as mentioned in the technical details, I would definitely rate it as good quality for a speaker system in this price range.

We have run this system all day nearly every day since receiving it a little over two weeks ago. Whichever iPod we have used in it has been nicely charged and has maintained full charge whenever it has been placed in the dock.

The size allows a great deal of flexibility in placement, which has proven exceedingly useful.

The alarm works wonderfully, with the ascending volume option and a reliable snooze.

Cons:

Every now and then, the music skips. It's never more than a second, if that long, and it doesn't happen very often at all. It is simply something worth mentioning, even though it is a practically negligible issue.

I wish the system had a protective case for portability, since it does claim to be portable. I would be uncomfortable packing it in a bag with other items.

Neither of these things, however, lead me to drop the system from a five-star rating. We've been very pleased.

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