iHome iA90BZ App-Enhanced Dual Alarm Stereo Clock Radio for iPhone / iPod

iHome iA90BZ App-Enhanced Dual Alarm Stereo Clock Radio for iPhone / iPod
  • App-enhanced Dual Alarm Stereo Clock Radio for your iPhone or iPod with AM/FM Presets.
  • Wake to iPhone or iPod playlists, AM/FM radio or buzzer.
  • Works with iHome+Sleep and iHome+Radio apps.
  • Plays and charges iPhone and docking iPod models.
  • Bass, treble, 3D and Balance controls.

Preface:

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Updates: As time passes I will add updates, especially any failures or problems.

Review:

I bought this are Costco on sale for $70. Costco generally tries to select best of breed products / brands. Note: I can't find this product on Costco's website I only found it in my local Costco on Market street in San Diego, CA. At that price I think it is an excellent value. At first I was shocked by the prices on iPod clock radios (I have been using the same alarm clock radio that I got as a free gift for opening a checking account 20 years ago. But as I soon found out this thing ROCKS in many ways...

WORKS WITH MY 4G (Fourth Generation) iPod Touch. comes with adapters for various size ipods and iphone. Fully compatible with iOS 5.1

PROS:

Bright display with 7? brightness levels including so dim you almost can't see it in the dark for those bothered by light at night.

BIG display that contains Time, Date including month and day of week!

LOUD Stereo (2) speakers with impressive bass (like a small "Boom Box" aka Old School Stereo so it is fun to listen to music like Rihanna (Rude Boy) lol.

You can raise and lower the volume and skip through songs on the ipod by using the controls on the ihome.

There is a FREE App in the iTunes store that you can download called iHome and you can configure any preference setting, wake up alamrs (2), time, date, etc on the clock radio from you ipod! How cool is that!!!!

You can even configure the volume of the wake alarm.

Presets there are 5 presets for AM and 5 for FM. One button toggles you through them.

Sync the time can be synced with your ipod at the touch of a button from the radio or your ipod using the iHome App. Can use GMT time and daylight savings. You can download and update the Firmware (software that runs the clock radio) so bugs can be fixed by using your ipod!!! How cool is that!

contains Line In so ANY phone or brand of divice that accepts headphones can be used with this Clock radio I think it comes with the male to male mini phone jack cord if not go to radio shack, or almost any electronic store best buy etc.

Gives radio a whole new meaning I listen to audio books, I listen to music in the morning and you can wake to your favorite song, Comes with a wire for FM and a "donut" thing for AM. Scanning is fairly for radio stations is fast.

iPod / Pod casts: now I listen to all kinds of radio shows by downloading them via wifi / wireless internet and then play them as I have time all while relaxing in bed or stretching. I can pipe in Pandora too without turning on the computer. Also, I downloaded an App for my iPod called "Sleep Machine" it will play tons of relaxing sounds like waves, rain, wind etc. This clock radio + your iPod consolidate many devices into one: music player, sleep noise maker, audio book, tape recorder, radio, mini stereo, etc.

-Batteries it takes two AAA instead of the traditional 9v battery which has a very short life span, about one year. When the batteries are low the screen displays an icon to warn you.

CONS:

iPod dock could be more supportive I am afraid that my ipod might snap off or my cats might rub their lip on it and break something. This is a weakness of many iPod docks. See the Memorex MI4604P Mini Alarm Clock Radio for iPod and iPhone (Black) it is much safer BUT it is not easy to see when in bed.

Controls only work in the iTunes song App. I bought and audio book app and it works but you must touch the iPod to make it play or pause vs using the play/pause button on the clock.

Some buttons don't work right sometimes. This is minor. If I press the power button on the clock radio in iPod mode the volume changes on the ipod. Not sure why this happens minor software glitch.

NO BLUETOOTH, this is an inexpensive add on that the manufactures are holding out on. It is easy to work with your ipod / phone and there is on connection to ever wear-out and you get full stereo sound.

Stars: 4.7 / 5.0 there is still room for minor improvements in this product.

Buy iHome iA90BZ App-Enhanced Dual Alarm Stereo Clock Radio for iPhone / iPod Now

I totally agree with the previous reviewer. The radio alarm used to work for the first few weeks and now nothing. I have not been able to find help anywhere. Avoid at all cost if you want to use the radio.

Read Best Reviews of iHome iA90BZ App-Enhanced Dual Alarm Stereo Clock Radio for iPhone / iPod Here

In theory, this is exactly what we wanted. In practice, 3 of the buttons didn't work right out of the box, making it impossible to set the alarm. What we got to work was good: good sound & radio reception, good visibility of the time. I'd regard this as an anomaly if it weren't for the other reviews, which makes it sound like they just have poor quality control.

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First this thing is large. Personally I don't think the sound that this unit puts out justifies how large it is.

The setup takes a while and what amazed me is that you can't set everything on the clock radio by using the ipod app. There are actually physical buttons on the clock radio that you have to push to set time and such. This seems really weird to me.

Having to doc the iPod was a pain for me as well. I have my iPod in a case and the dock doesn't fit through the case so I need an extender. It would be better if it wirelessly connected with Bluetooth or airplay.

It is not easy to work the iPod when it is in the doc.

The alarm is loud and buggy. I am worried it won't go off as other reviewers have reported.

I feel bad, but I just don't like this unit.

First impressions: This thing is massive. I was surprised by the size of the box when it arrived. I had thought it must be something else; it is only a clock radio, after all.

It is rather plain in appearance. There is literally nothing striking about it save for its monstrous size.

Among the pro's are that the face is very easy to read. I wake up groggy. I am not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. But my schedule demands I be up and functioning by 5 or 6 am, depending upon the day. If I open my eyes to check the time, it is nice to be able to see it without having to wake up too much to make out the numbers.

It also has nice sound. The radio stations are easily programmed and though the antenna wire is a bit short, I was able to stretch it most of the way to my bedroom window, and that seems sufficient (it is within about a foot). It does, however, take up a great deal of space on my nightstand, which is a definitely negative. My Kindle fits in front of it and a battle of water and that is about it.

The fit of iPod devices seems inconsequential. It doesn't matter if they fit snugly since iHome is not going to be moving much. It really does not get bumped where it sits next to my bed. Another nice feature is that you can hook up other mp3 players to it by purchasing an adapter cable for a few bucks, so you don't actually have to own an iPod.

Overall it's a decent clock radio, and it's biggest advertising are the large clock face and the sound quality. I really don't know if I would pay $70 for it, however. I have not really studied the market to see what sorts of compatible devices are out there so I don't know if there is anything better, but it is certainly sufficient. On the whole, the plusses outweigh the minuses.

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