Sony ICF-C703 Dream Machine Clock Radio

• Digital synthesized AM/FM tuner
• 5 station presets
• Brightness control
• Green backlit LCD display
• Dual alarm

Don't be fooled by the slick looking design like I was. First of all, the outer metal shell is very delicate and prone to denting, thereby putting its "slickness" to a quick end. Secondly, the setting controls are not obvious nor conveniently located, especially if you are fumbling around in a darkened room and half asleep. Thirdly, and most importantly, it is unreliable. A significant amount of the time, the alarm does not come on even though all display indicators suggest that it is set correctly.

For $60, you can find a much better unit than this one.

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I bought this clock because my other sony clock died on me. I always have had luck with Sony clocks, but after this experience Sony clocks are no longer for me. I couldn't program it, so I took it back to the sales person and he couldn't figure it out either. He suggested I get another one which I did. After one month the alarm has broken. No more Sony clocks!

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I've had this clock radio for several years now and overall, I am pretty happy. It looks awesome and the buttons are all easily accessible. Once you've had it for a while your fingers learn which buttons to hit to turn the alarm on and off. The built in battery back-up has saved me many a time. My biggest complaint is I lost the directions about a year ago and I haven't been able to figure out how to set the alarm to wake up to a radio station since them. Somehow my settings got erased and now all I can wake up to is static. I'm sure it can't be that difficult but at present, it alludes me. The sound is fine for light bedside listening and the display has two settings (bright and not so bright) which is also a nice feature. It does have a limited viewing angle as stated in one of the previous review. Overall, however, I am pleased with the clock.

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To me this Sony product is a bit of a relief. I usually demand some level of aesthetic design in anything I buy. I figure if I'm going to spend money on beautiful vases, etc. for my home then why buy an ugly alarm clock to clash with all of that. I can see why some people don't care about this and I would recommend not buying this if you are one of those people. It is just a typical clock radio and has no real special features. But for me I could not stand owning one more ugly clock radio. I didn't care how much money it cost me. This radio doesn't have outstanding design but it is head and shoulders above anything else on the market. Seen the GPX clock radios? I had one of those for a while. Ugly and poorly made cheap plastic and shoddy construction. This product is well made, the interface is easy to understand even though someone pointed out they had problems setting the alarm, and it looks great.

sure, it's overpriced, but it's just so cool looking. hard to find minimalist, modern design in the "more is more" world of consumer electronics.

i find that it tunes in stations very well, and the sound is decent for a unit so small. as for the people who couldn't set the alarm, here's a novel idea: READ THE DIRECTIONS. actually, i didn't, and figured it out after a few minutes.

the buttons are sort of oddly placed, but i wake up the same time every day so i don't have to really worry about hitting anything but the button to turn off the radio. if you have someone else who needs to get up at a different time, it has duel alarms, which is a great feature.

the radio seems sturday enough, not that i put my clock radios through a obstacle course or anything. it's everything that i've come to expect from sony through the years; a fairly well thought-out, solid product.

hey, it's small, looks great on your nightstand, and wakes you up when you set it. what else does a clock radio need to do?

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Spirit of St. Louis Field Phone MK2

• Wood and chiseled aluminum closeable case
• Ringer indicator highlights the Spirit of St.Louis route across the Atlantic
• Classic aviator styling the spirit of the 1920s
• Integrated speakerphone
• Integrated clock; wall mountable

It's big, it's bulky, it's heavy; it's completely impractical-and it's terrific! This is a fully functional telephone, modeled after the field telephone carried by Lindbergh on his famous solo Atlanic flight. The top case has a working compass, and a series of lights which flash in sequence to display the route of Lindbergh's flight when the phone rings.

The receiver isn't a plastic toy-it has a satisfying heft; the cord retracts into the base; the buttons for redial and speed dial are big chunky push buttons. This is a "retro" phone in the best sense-smoothly functional and up-to-date technology without the feel of being a plastic knock-off.

If you're looking for a telephone to compliment a den, library, etc. this is a handsomely crafted & interesting item.

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I had the previous model of the st louis phone and it lasted awhile and was great, but it quit working and I got this model. Its absolutely worthless! I can hardly hear when im on the phone with someone. And, the retractable cord would be a great idea if it actually retracted properly and had enough cord to actually retract. There are also little lights in the top, I think they are supposed to work.. they don't. and they clock seems to work randomly. This is the most unreliable and useless phone I have ever owned. It looks really cool though. They should have spent more time on its funcionality instead of packaging.

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Was surprised to see so little in the way of reviews on the web; so I submit descriptions other than the list of 'features'. This company spares no expense in craftsmanship. It is a well built piece. Anyone who is fond of retro will like this. As described, the handset is hefty just like the bell shaped phones of the 40's.Everything is hefty especially buttons and switches. This makes a handsome addition to any decor other than the featureless, barren desert of 'moderne' the look of all black, white or grey...like your silverish-grey, non descript car, that you can't tell who manufactured it by looking only at the side.( shudder )( where did all these vapid grey peopleand their boring grey cars come from? Is it some kind of national psychological malady? No one can think for themselves anymore? They have to be told what to buy..mostly by looking around them and "buying what THEY buy " ?)Ah , but I digress...

This IS a land line; plugs into the wall phone jack -with a 25 foot extension, perhaps, placed next to your leather/wood chair for TV. You have two choices when you hear the ring pick up the handset of olden days-or push the spring loaded 'Ball Bat" switch for "Speakerphone"...which "answers" the call; you then talk hands free, thanks to the speaker for the caller, and a mike for your voice. Push the speakerphone switch again, and you just hung up!

It is easy to operate, and to store numbers. AA battery required for the clock ( also cool ). I could not see the polarity marks-made two guesses, and discovered the positive goes to the left as you face the front of the phone...goes into the top of the lid. Two AA batteries for the LED lights for incoming calls...they go into a compartment on the bottom, requiring a very small phillips. The phone itself, is powered by the phone line itself, as all land lines are-and why a land line works , often, when the house power is out!

I have long admired and enjoyed my Spirit of St Louis (large version ) Boombox inn the same handsome style and superb craftsmanship. I would give them both 5 stars except that the audio electronics leaves a bitt to be desired. Good audio amps can be had for under $30,which I would gladly pay for. Speakers of very wide frequency range and decibel level can be had for a reasonable amount too. I would gladly have paid more for these finely made pieces, if the company had spent more on the audio portion. Since that is my hobby, I will no doubt upgrade the audio myself. I'll come back later to report on that experiment

A clue:...you can't find the Boombox for sale now, and the cool Radio they made...these things do sell out. I would not dilly dally if I were you.

For now, the price of them IS competitive, so be wise , be informed...and TRY thinking for yourself ...you know it is okay to be a unique individual.This isn't high school anymore where the bullies beat you up because your mom dressed you funny.

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it's looking quite decoratively and it works like a charm, it has a marvellous sound quality, it has memory function and doesn't need any power-supply just a perfect "phone-on-a-cord"

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DBTech Big Oversized Digital Green LED Calendar Clock with Day and Date - Shelf or Wall Mount (12 in

• Easy to read in bright sunlight as in darkness, comes with 3 levels of brightness (currently available on the Blue & Green LED model only).
• Very convenient for the visually challenged, shows clearly the time and date no need to convert numbers to day and month.
• Show AM / PM status with a light underneath the letters, no need to guess what the dot stands for (currently available on the Blue & Green LED model only).
• No need to be reset if it loses power. Powered by AC adapter (included).
• 1 year limited manufacture warranty

Great clock for the elderly especially with memory issues. Large bright lit numbers are easy to read even across a large room and the month and day are in word format which is a big plus. So far everyone that saw it wanted one too, I also enjoy the blue LED instead of the traditional red because it is less strainfull on the eyes. Would highly recommend for the elderly or people with poor vision.

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My Dad is bedridden and sleeps on and off all day. With this clock, he knows if it's the same day now... Helps him with his Meds too.

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This is a really big clock with really bright numbers!

It's a veritable night light! Perfect for my daughter's

room. We love it that the time stays current, even when

the power goes out and comes back on (which happens A LOT

where we live)!

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My original feedback is below. I must say that I am impressed with the seller, because after they read my review, they contacted me directly to apologize for sending an older model, the deficiencies with which have been corrected in the newer model (dimmable display and no leading zero on the time display). They replaced the old model with a new one, and sent the new one before asking me to send the old one back. Very accommodating, and impressive service. Nice to know there are still some sellers out there who care about customers getting what they expect. My mother, who is aging and becoming increasingly forgetful, is the envy of the floor in her retirement community for having a clock that tells her the day and date. She loves it and thanks me for it every time we visit.

---------

If this was one of the first digital clocks ever made, I would be impressed, but two major flaws I see within a minute of plugging it in: 1) During the 18 hours of the day when the hour should be a single digit (1-9), this clock displays a leading zero -e.g., 09:21 (not 9:21 as shown in the prodcut photo). Really? I have owned dozens of digital clocks and watches since the '70s, and they had that complicaed algorithm figured out already back then. 2) The brightness of the display cannot be adjusted it is permanently set to the "retina burn" setting. Again, the concept of a dimmable display is not new, but aparently not in the $80 per unit budget. Disappointing at best. I am amazed there are not more (better) options for clocks that display day and date.

Clock was good size. Letters and numbers show even when direct sunlight falls on the face of the clock. Accurate even when you lose power. Might be bright for a small room that you need to sleep in, but we use it in an office and it works very well there.

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Sony DSXS100 Digital Media Receiver

• Text Displayed : Source, artist, track, playback time, menu and clock
• The DSX-S100 digital media receiver features an integrated Tune Tray to securely store your iPod® or Walkman® MP3 player neatly within the receiver, eliminating loose wires.
• Includes reminder alert, which insures you don't leave your iPod or MP3 Player in the car
• Use ZAPPIN function to play 6, 9, or 30-second music clips until you find the song you want.
• The DSX-S100 delivers 52 watts of peak power to all four speakers while DSO and EQ3 stage 2 lets you adjust the mix for a dynamic sound experience.

So far I have been very happy with this unit. I am not much of an audiophile so I won't review the sound quality other than to say that it meets my needs. It plays my music in my car and I'm satisfied with the sound.

I find the ipod controls to be logical and easy. You get basic control of the ipod, being able to scroll through artists, songs, albums, playlists, podcasts and genres using the volume knob the same way you would the click wheel. I haven't had any difficulty with it. There are other units that have better interaction with the ipod but they cost twice as much. Besides I would hope most people wouldn't be dinking around that much with their stereo while they are driving. The charging feature is excellent since I purchased this stereo I have never had my ipod die on me.

One slightly annoying thing regarding the browsing controls when you are using the ipod directly you can back up to the screen for the album, then back to the artist and so forth, basically the reverse of the route you took to get to whatever you are listening to. This is helpful is you just want to see the track listing or switch to another album by the same artist whatever. With the stereo, you always start from scratch at the home screen so at times it can be a touch tedious.

So far I have been happy with radio reception mostly listening to AM.

A few more small complaints sometimes the stereo will turn on automatically when I plug in the ipod and just start playing. Not a big deal though I just try and make a point of making sure the volume is turned down low when I turn it off. I wish it had come with a carrying case for the faceplate but these can be obtained for ten dollars or less. The faceplate itself is kind of difficult to put back on to the stereo I wish they had designed that aspect to be a little bit easier.

If any of you are audiobook listeners I have encountered this strange occurrence. If anyone is an Audible member you are familiar with the extremely helpful resume feature that takes you right back to the place in the book you left off. I have found that if I listen to an audiobook while hooked up via the USB port something about how the stereo is interacting with the ipod makes the audiobook reset and forgets my place. If I use the external audio in jack instead of the USB port, this is not an issue.

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Hey y'all. this is my video review of the sony dsx-s100.

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I received this on a Thursday and installed it with no problems on Saturday. I have been enjoying my new stereo all weekend. I decided to just keep a USB stick in there and not muck around with my iPhone since it does cause some interference with the radio that is annoying. One thing that I didn't realize is that this does not have a CD player. This is fine for me but might be a surprise if you click through too quickly, like I did :)

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Shipping was fast and easy. The Reciever is high tech for the low price. Quality is second to none. It takes a bit to learn the controls, but once you do its a breeze. I dont use cd's any more so this was perfect with my ipod. I highly recomend it!! PLUSS you get a free 3.5 audio cable, ipod usb adaptor and a XPLODE catch all. Cool!!!!

great product, easy installation, i really like how even though it says made for ipod it also plays and charges my iphone. i would definitely recommend to a friend.

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GMRS Emergency Radio DynamoCrank

• Brand Name: WMU Mfg#: 1167034
• Shipping Weight: 1.00 lbs
• Please refer to SKU# PRA25308383 when you inquire.
• This product may be prohibited inbound shipment to your destination.
• Residents of CA, DC, MA, MD, NJ, NY - STUN GUNS, AMMO/MAGAZINES, AIR/BB GUNS and RIFLES are prohibited shipping to your state. Also note that picture may wrongfully represent. Please read title and description thoroughly.

i love this radio. had one for many years and survived ice, rain and baking sun. the price tagim looking at is not right. average price of unite is $50.

Save 60% Off

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iHome iH15 Color Changing 30-Pin iPod Speaker Dock

• Supports most iPhone and iPod models with Universal Dock Connector
• Translucent cabinet changes color at the touch of a button; four color change settings
• Charges your iPod while docked
• Reson8 stereo speakers with passive subwoofer for full sound
• Includes: iHome iH15W, AC power adapter, iPod dock adapters, and user's manual

I too had read a million reviews for a million products. I decided to risk it with this since most of the reviews were good. I have A 4TH GENERATION NANOand yes there is an adapter for it. We listen to it everyday. IT CHARGES YOUR IPOD WHILE DOCKED. The sound is great. The color change is cool. I wanted something small that sounded great. I use it in every room of the house, especially the kitchen while I am preparing meals. The sound is great for such a small cube. I would recommend this to anyone of any age. In a day where most things don't do what they say in the advertisement, finally something that exceeds those promises. You won't go wrong with this one.

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Overall, 4-stars, pretty good.

The sound is pretty decent. Forget deep, rich bass that others describe. Sounds better than most "mini-speakers" systems, though. Sounds like a small boom-box. At least the sounds are well balanced and articulated, not muddy or distorted.

It can also get pretty loud. Surprisingly, the bass response seems better at high volume levels.

The look of the cool, color changing cube is awesome. It has three modes:

> solid color of your choice;

> revolving colors, changing every few seconds;

> constantly oozing through the whole spectrum.

It's the third mode that's the coolest. It's dim enough to make a nice night-light without lighting up the whole room. And the light stuff works whether the sound is on or off, and it's easy to turn the light off when the sound is off as well.

CON It has no clock, and no "auto on" feature. I had expected to leave it on and use my iPod's alarm to turn on, thus playing music to wake me up. However, it does not appear to work. When docked, the iPod's alarm does not go off. Maybe I should try it again with the iPod on, but not playing a song.

So overall, it's very nice.

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I've had this for 3 months and have become obsessed with it -I use it in a 300 sq-ft room, and it sounds great -PROS/CONS follow.

PROS

Compact and lightweight -it's just under 6"x6"x6" and maybe weighs a pound? Very easy to transport. It has little rubber feet that grip it to a flat surface.

Surprisingly good, rich sound quality -I'm not an audiophile by any means, but would rate this very highly for the size and especially for the price. You can't adjust the bass or anything else, but the default is just fine.

Works overseas (100-240V) -I took this with me while living abroad, and it works great with a simple Euro-plug converter. The plug is also relatively small and light (about 3"h x 2"w x 1"d), and easy to pack.

Charges iPod in its case -I have the Griffin mirrored case (open bottom) over a 7G classic iPod, and it just barely fits, but it does fit. Also there are several dock adapters so you can use it with other iPod models.

Versatile -The 3.5mm auxiliary jack allows you to use this with any device supporting a standard male-to-male input cable. It would be nice if a cable were included, but at this price, I can't really complain. Sound quality remains high across devices (I've used it with a Sharp tube TV and MacBookPro). It works with an auxiliary device plugged in, while the iPod is charging in the dock (w/the iPod turned off/paused). So you can use it as a laptop speaker, and keep the iPod docked to charge.

CONS

iPod alarm doesn't work with it -I've had this problem with other speakers too, so I don't penalize this one too much for what could be an iPod-related problem. I use the speaker with my Mac laptop alarm, via a long (20') 3.5mm inline aux cable, and it works well.

Volume buttons are a little sticky -You have to press them a few times to register a perceptible change. I prefer the touch sensitive buttons that JBL uses on my OnStage and Harmon Kardon sticks. It also takes a few seconds after turning on your iPod for the sound to "catch up" to the existing speaker volume.

No mute button -You have to press the off button. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning.

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

Color light -The stock photo that iHome uses is a bit deceptive. The colors don't change into solid "flat" colors, but into glowing color-lights. You can let it cycle through the colors or freeze it on the color of your choice. It's fun for 5 minutes, or, if you're 8, 5 years. Then you turn it off completely.

Carrying handles -The handles are incorporated into the speaker as a curved piece protecting each of the 4 grills. This is a clever concept, but it's kind of disconcerting to scrape the grill fabric with your fingernails when using the handles.

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I loved this product. LOVED IT. I never had a problem with it, and, in my small office, it had great sound. However, four months after purchase, it stopped responding. None of the control buttons work although the unit still charges my iPod and lights up. It is past the 30 days I could return it to Amazon.com and iHome will only look at it for $25.00. Consequently, I am out of luck and would not recommend this product due to spotty longevity.

We bought this for our daughter for Christmas. She just loved it and we were completely satisfied with the sound and the ease of use. 6 months later it just stopped working. It will no longer charge the IPOD or play music, only the color changing feature remains functional. After looking through the reviews again I see that this is a recurring problem with this speaker system. In my opinion the poor reliablility of this system outweighs any of the positives.

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Pioneer Electronics Duo Series XW-NAC3-K Docking Station for iPod (White)

• Charge and play two iPods/iPhones simultaneously
• Shuffle playlists between two docked iPods, or listen to streaming Internet radio
• Built-in support for Bluetooth sources
• Composite video output and sleep/wake timer
• "Works with iPhone"-certified and DLNA-certified

...if you can find it at a reasonable pice. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is a bit of a joke. Pioneer is selling it directly to consumers at less than half the MSRP, and I found it at my local big box members-only store for 70% off MSRP. I bought it on impulse, and I'm keeping it despite my three-star review, because I like it and I have the technical skill and patience to manage its ease-of-use issues.

If you want to get the maximum value for the features of this product, you had better be a geeky sort of gadget enthusiast, or have such a person handy. To wit:

* Bluetooth audio is neat, but setting up the connection is not a task Aunt Susie is ready for. And you'll probably never guess how to put it into pairing mode. "No device connected, press play to pair" in the display would have helped.

* Internet radio is neat, but it has a small screen and a clunky interface for browsing available stations. You can add custom stations to your radio by registering at a special website. That's neat, but not for the technologically meek.

* It has two distinct systems for bookmarking Internet radio stations. And the buttons on the remote for accessing these systems are labeled "CLASS," "T.EDIT," "PGM" and "CLEAR." I had to read the manual to understand how they work, and I'll have to spend 10 minutes explaining to my wife how to listen to NPR with this radio. This is a particularly disappointing shortcoming.

* Internet radio is achieved via a 10/100 ethernet connection. That's cool, but WiFi would have been nice.

* Since this is marketed to Apple people, it would be good if Apple's "it just works" AirPlay technology was supported. I imagine it is possible for this feature to be added via a firmware update, but I am not optimistic this will ever happen. That's a pity: this would easily be a four-star product with AirPlay support.

* It has the ability to wake you up in the morning. But setting this up is not trivial, and I suspect it doesn't make a reliable alarm clock. I won't be using it this way.

* Here's now you know you're in the future: this thing doesn't even have an FM tuner. Who needs radio: we have the Internet!

* It claims you can plug it into your "HDTV" to display photos or YouTube videos stored on your iPhone. This is accomplished using a composite video connector, which is guaranteed to look rather poor on an HDTV. Don't buy this for its video capabilities.

* Its support for DLNA is nice. But Apple doesn't have any interest in DLNA, so you can't use this feature to get access to your iTunes library, which is probably what you want if you're considering an Internet-enabled iPod/iPhone-compatible radio like this. Instead you have to set up a separate DLNA media server on a computer on your network and that's not something just anybody can (or wants to) do. Again, AirPlay support would make this a non-issue for the customers Pioneer is obviously targeting with this product (namely, Apple people).

* It has no battery backup for the clock. And even though it's on the Internet, it doesn't know how to use NTP to set its clock automatically.

* Most of the radio's features cannot be accessed without the remote. The designers probably felt fewer buttons on the unit would make it more attractive. I agree, but I still think it was the wrong decision.

Enough criticism. Here's what I like about this product:

* Two docks for iPhones/iPods. That's pretty neat. It can crossfade in shuffle mode between each one. That's kind of silly, but might be cool for parties or something.

* The sound quality is adequate, especially for its size. Unless you have very high standards, this can fill your room with music or news.

* Its fit-and-finish is quite good. It's a very attractive product.

* Although the setup process wasn't as easy as your Mom might like, it's really great to be able to listen to podcast or Internet radio stations on this. Our local NPR station's program stream sounds great, and no more FM static.

* If you use this device to listen to music on your DLNA server or on a USB drive, it claims support for a wide variety of formats, including FLAC. I don't need FLAC support myself, but I suspect there are certain people who will appreciate the device's wide format support.

* It doesn't specifically claim to support the iPhone 4, but it works fine.

So to summarize, it's a cool radio that--just like me as a schoolchild--doesn't quite live up to its potential. If you can find it at a bargain price, go for it.

12/9/2011 Edited to add: Pioneer has just announced the X-SMC3-S Music Tap and X-SMC4-K Elite Music Tap, each of which has WiFi and AirPlay support. They'll be available in October but not at blowout prices.

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Once I upgraded my iPhone to iOS 6, the unit started displaying 'Unable to Communicate'. Bluetooth no longer works either. I have 2 of these XW-NAC3-Ks, they both fail in the same way. Emailed Pioneer customer support on the issue and I have not received any response at all after a week. Thumbs down on the product and thumbs down to Pioneer in general for not replying to customer inquiries.

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I've been using this for last 3 weeks and I can really say that this dock has a superior quality of sound with a good build quality. I have 2 ipods, and so far I only tested with my ipod touch 3rd generation and some little issues I could realize. If I turn off the ipod, and stay with the dock turned on, the ipod stays flashing turning on and turning off. Another issue is if I turn off the dock and the ipod attached in it, the ipod don't get charging, ipod just charges if the dock is turned on. But beyond that is an excellent double dock with quality materials used in construction and a very good sound and refined as it is inherent in Pioneer.

Pioneer Electronics Duo Series XW-NAC3-K Docking Station for iPod (White)

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I have had this XW-NAC3-K Pioneer unit for about 3 months and am very pleased with its function. Now, it is not going to fill a room with orchestra quality sound like large speakers will. But it is very capable as a bedroom, kitchen, or small to midsize room music system.

Yes you can dock 2 iPods or iPhones to it and listen to music for hours depending on your music files but I think the unit has other strengths beyond this.

The best part is built in Bluetooth capability. This makes for easy syncing from an iPad or smartphone from across the room. Then you are free from the docking port. Works well with a Pandora app also or any other smartphone music app wirelessly.

It also will play internet radio stations or network music but it must have a direct Ethernet connection to your home network since there is no built in Wifi.

Don't dismay if your home is not fully wired with CAT5e or the most advance CAT6 jacks and switches. Netgear makes a nice wireless bridge that can establish a WiFi connection between the Pioneer unit and your wireless router. Powerline adapters that use your home electrical wiring might also be an option but I have not tried these.

Scrolling through internet radio stations is done by geographic location or alphabetical by country or music type. It is not the most convenient but you get used to it. This is more hit and miss but when you find a station you like you can easily save it to a "Favorites" folder.

Since the display screen is small you only see a few lines of text. No album art can be displayed.

If you have music files on a network drive the device also will recognize them. You can scroll by artist name or album. iTunes files are not playable via a networked Apple computer as far as I can tell.

If you are looking for a music system that can play internet music from around the world plus have Bluetooth and iPhone (iPod), and other network music play this is a good unit for under $200.00 now. I would not pay more than this.

The sound is good but not great. Best for small to mid size rooms but not for any cavernous dance hall.

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Eton FRX2 Hand Turbine AM/FM Weather Radio with Smartphone Charger - Black (NFRX2WXB)

• Receives AM/FM/Weather band
• USB smart phone charger
• Hand turbine and solar powered
• LED flashlight
• Glow in the dark locater

I bought the Eton FRX2 for my bug out bag, but with so many blackouts from storms I use this radio a lot. This radio has already proved its worth. The light lasts for hours without much cranking. Being able to charge the radio on laptop or in sun helps me be prepared before rain storms or for trips to the beach. I have used it a few times to charge my smartphone, and it charges pretty quickly.

My favorite thing about the radio is the reception. I accidentally broke the top of the antennae one night. I was afraid the radio wouldn't work as well, but I was surprised to find that it still worked. I can get the weather band radio very easily. I can get almost any local station were I am, broken antennae and all.

The only thing I wish this radio had was a way to know how much battery was left. I would go a day without charging the radio and it would lose power. I would have to crank away. The radio body is kinda clunky, but how it preforms over shadows how it looks. That's a good thing.

It's sturdy enough for frequent use. I've dropped it without much problem too. Great radio for your needs.

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We have the American Red Cross FRX2 Hand Turbine AM/FM Weather Radio with Smartphone Charger Red (ARCFRX2WXR) version of this radio (just branded different) and it is a very good choice for an emergency AM/FM Weather Radio that is suitable for home use, camping, car emergency kit, or as part of a "bug out bag". Here are my observations:

Pros -

+ Many Charging Options; can be charged by placing it in sunlight via the built in solar panel, by using the integrated hand crank, or via a mini-USB cable (not included)

+ Acts As Charger; can charge cell phones via a standard USB cable (not included)

+ Bright Flashlight; the 3-LED flashlight is very powerful and lasts a very long time

+ Weather Radio; includes 7 NOAA weather channel presets

Cons -

Plastic Construction; unit looks and feels "plasticky"

Radio Sound Quality; while not really detrimental to getting information, the internal speaker leaves a lot to be desired but using the earphone jack makes a big difference

This is a decent emergency radio that is also useful for camping and hiking.

Highly Recommended!

CFH

Read Best Reviews of Eton FRX2 Hand Turbine AM/FM Weather Radio with Smartphone Charger - Black (NFRX2WXB) Here

So far so good. I wish battery life was better but it does live up to the adds of 3 hrs on a full charge with low volume.

I wish it did let u know when it is fully charged insted of timing it at three hrs on the computer.

It has good sound for a little radio.

Want Eton FRX2 Hand Turbine AM/FM Weather Radio with Smartphone Charger - Black (NFRX2WXB) Discount?

I bought this primarily for backpacking and only just received it today, but am impressed with it so far. It is compact, lightweight and has very good reception. I am able to get noaa weather and radio stations that have poor reception. The speaker is very good for its small size. I can clearly hear it from the other room. I am not sure if it will charge my cell phone but it does charge my kindle (with a different cable that I had). I have it sitting on a windowsill in direct sunlight and it has been playing for several hours. There are 3 ways to charge it, with the solar panel, the hand crank or it has a usb port so you can charge off your computer. You can't listen to the radio when you are charging a cell phone (or kindle) off it, which is the only thing I didn't like, but not really a big deal. Overall a very nice compact radio that can be used without relying on an outside power source.

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This radio is just what I wanted. It goes to the beach and on vacation. It plays anywhere. I don't have to worry about batteries.

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iHome iH52 Bookshelf System with AM/FM Radio and Dock for iPod (Black)

• Listen to iPod, AM or FM radio, auxiliary audio sources
• Subwoofer and 2 speakers with 32 watts total power
• 3 line display shows what's playing on iPod
• Full function remote allows you to change songs or stations from around the room
• Compatibility: iPod nano (1G only), iPod mini, 3G iPod, 4G iPod with click wheel, iPod Color, iPod Video, iPod shuffle (1G only)

I bought mine at Target. I put by iPod in the display model in the store, hit "play" and man...what a sound! No hiss, awsome bass. (Perhaps some other reviewers should take theirs back while they can and request an exchange.) With sound this good, I couldn't justify paying $150 more for the Apple HiFi.

We brought it home (paid $199 in the store) and my 12-year-old was able to direct installation with no difficulty. Yes, there ARE lots of cables, but they are logical, color coded and really not difficult to manage. You'll need a phillps or nut driver to attach the FM antenna.

It is designed for a bookshelf, but we set it up with the subwoofer (that big, heavy speaker mentioned in another review) under the bed and the speakers on opposite nightstands.

Sound is wonderful, the remote works perfectly...very intuitive. We did have to refer to the manual to set the clock, but that made sense first time round with the directions.

Only one "I wish"....I wish it had an alarm clock. And I wish I'd known they come in white. I'd have looked elsewhere for one to match my iPod. (Which is a 30G video model. Adapters for all the models were included. Check the package before you buy, mates.)

Happy listening!

Buy iHome iH52 Bookshelf System with AM/FM Radio and Dock for iPod (Black) Now

This is about the only system of its kind that I can find, and I research obsessively! If you are looking for an iPod dock with good sound and the option for radio and aux input, and is NOT a blaster-style single unit, this is about it. I paid $160 at Linens n' Things, and I am pleased that it works as well as it does doing what I want it to do.

Both white and black look sharp (I chose white to match my iMac). The "receiver" is really small and compact, due mostly to the lack of a disk player. The sub is also small and demure, and, yes, it suffers from logo-itis with a large iHome displayed prominently. The satellites are perfectly sized for a desk, and sound crisp. The remote is simple and does what it should.

The Good:

Looks sharp, unique feature set.

iPod dock that controls SOME iPods and displays SOME iPod info and synchs right through the receiver to iTunes for updates.

Good sound with limited (but effective) pre-set EQ settings.

Set-up was generally easy and straight forward.

Hooked up my iMac through Aux port and it sounds great. No general hissing as some others have mentioned (with the FM exception mentioned below).

The Bad:

The Remote batteries were pre-installed in the factory (who does that anymore) and were thus stone dead upon purchase. There are also AAs pre-installed in the receiver for clock backup, which will almost certainly leak and cause issues in some units during shipping.

This unit does NOT work with all iPods equally, INCLUDING the newer iPod video versions! My 4 month old iPod video will play OK through the speakers, but will not show any track details on the screen (which is explained on a small note INSIDE the box). There is NO dock insert for the video iPods, either, and there is a small note explaining that you should order some small $3 inserts from the iHome website for the iPod video (c'mon, iHome folks, the iPod video has been out for a YEAR now! At least give us a coupon for a free insert).

The FM reception is poor, and then when you install the included FM antenna, you pick up stations the SETI array cannot find I get overlap from some previously unknown station on that wavelength! I have settled on a minor amount of static as the best case scenario. My prior JVC system picked up the same station just fine in the exact same location. I have tested the AM briefly, and it doesn't sound all that great either. (UPDATE: I have a much clearer signal now, after laying the AM antenna over the FM antenna input port!)

I don't think the speakers are shielded. If they are, the company sure doesn't like to brag about it. This shouldn't be too big a deal if you have an LCD display and stopped using floppy disks, but keep in mind there be magnets here (UPDATE: I have been informed by the company that the speakers are shielded)

sub levels are changed via the ol' knob-on-the-back-of-the-speaker method. It seems to me that a receiver up on a desk close to the user would have been a more convenient location for this adjustment to take place.

This system gets 4.5 stars for promised features, 4 stars for performance, and 2 stars for all the lies, darn lies, printed on the box and on the web! Through all my bitterness, I'm glad I got it. It is real close to being great, and gets an "A" for effort, but close those loopholes, iHomeys!

UPDATE: One month later, and all is well. I sync my iPod via the iHome without any difficulty, and iTunes sounds great thru the AUX port. I'm a big fan of FM radio while hearing the system sounds on my computer, which I have.

Read Best Reviews of iHome iH52 Bookshelf System with AM/FM Radio and Dock for iPod (Black) Here

The sound sound quality & features on the iH52 are pretty good, but it has some minor flaws (no alarm clock, no ability to navigate menus/choose playlists on iPod) and one serious flaw with the remote when using newer iPods (specifically, the Nano, the Video, or the Classic), where the forward/reverse buttons on the remote don't work reliably. After a year of grumbling about those buttons and wondering if maybe I was just too stupid to use a remote correctly, I finally called iHome and got someone on the phone who knew exactly what I was talking about before I finished explaining the problem.

Apparently, there's an issue w/ the hardware of the iH52 that means that it can't reliably send the correct instructions to skip tracks or scan within tracks for those newer iPods from the remote--some people have the "skip tracks" function work, others have the "scan within track" function work, and some (like me) have neither work reliably so we have to schlep ourselves over to the iHome to use those functions via the buttons on the main dock. He noted that people w/ older Nanos or Videos have reported being able to revert back to the original factory firmware and get them to work correctly w/ the iH52, but not users of the Classic (whose factory firmware is new enough to not recognize the codes that the iH52 sends when using the remote to control it).

(Apparently right now the only iHome product that can reliably control the skip/scan functions of newer iPods from the remote is the iH9 (IH9 Black Alarm Clock for Ipod), which doesn't have the external speakers or subwoofer of the iH52. The iH9 reportedly also has the ability to control the entire iPod interface (including navigating menus) via the remote, and has a line-level output that could in theory be connected to a stereo system for folks for whom the lack of external speakers is a deal-breaker.)

Want iHome iH52 Bookshelf System with AM/FM Radio and Dock for iPod (Black) Discount?

I purchased the iHome bookshelf system for my husband for Christmas, and we absolutely love it. The reason that I purchased it was (1) it accepts the iPod Shuffle Gen1, and (2) the small profile of the base unit. The design is very slick and clean, and it fits well in our space. And, the speakers don't take up a ton of room either.

We also use the unit for the FM Radio, and the sound quality is very good. The only drawback that I see is that the interface is not as good with the Shuffle as it would be with a normal iPod. That is, you have to physically walk over and move between songs on the iPod, while it is docked in the system, and you can't use the remote for anything other than volume and on/off when the iPod Shuddle is playing. But, I knew when I got the shuffle that it wasn't as robust as the regular iPod, and went for the value price. So, it is really not a big deal.

Great product, I would buy it again!

I bought the iH52B Bookshelf System for iPods for my husband for Christmas. As a non-ipod user, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but my husband was quite thrilled with it. The one thing I did not like about it, was the speaker was huge and there were so many wires. But the sound is great and the look is sleek

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