I've had this item for about two weeks and hands down, it is the best Ipod Clock Radio I have had. I have bought and returned the IHome, JBL On-Time, ZipConnect Isoother, and the Teac GR-10i Clock Radio for iPod.All of the above were great in their own way, but in looking at sound, flexibility, and price, this is hands down the most balanced system, it's a keeper.
Side by side, this compares very well to the IHome and Teac in regards to price as they are very closely priced (within $10 of each other, typically). In comparison to the IHome and Teac, one thing that was a big deal to me was the dock. I have an Ipod Video with a plastic case around it. With the Ipod Video, you will have to take the case off to use it on the IHome and Teac, with the Fisher, you do not have to take the case off. In regards to size, the 3 are very similar, but where you will see the biggest difference is in regards to the sound. The IHome gets distorted when you turn up the volume and the bass cannot compete with either the Teac or Fisher. The Teac is a great product, at a great price, but the deal breaker for me is the inability to use the Ipod Video without taking off my plastic cover. In regards to crisp highs and bass, the Teac and Fisher are comparable.
In comparing to the ZipConnect Isoother and JBL On-time, the Fisher beat the ZipConnect hands down in sound. The Isoother is more portable, but just cannot compete in louder sound level as you will hear the distortion. The Isoother is typically about $50 more than the Fisher. The only advantage I see with the Isoother are two things, the ability to use it with other MP3 players other than the Ipod and the portability. With the JBL On-Time, it is the most expensive of the items I bought. The JBL does have the best sound overall, but it also costs double the price of the Fisher. What turned me off about the JBL is for some reason whenever the unit turns on, including when the alarm triggers it sets the ipod to start playing the library (i.e. all songs) rather then continuing from where you left it. This means you lose the playlist selection, the current playing song etc. The manual states the ipod should start from the last played songs, but its not so. Its annoying as its impossible to set to wake to a specified playlist for example. My workaround is to use the ipod built in alarm feature in addition to JBL's alarm. But that shouldn't be so.
Keep in mind that if you have the Ipod Video with a plastic case, it will not fit in the IHome and the Teac. The Zipconnect Isoother and JBL On Time are the most expensive and do not have remote controls.
I hope this info helps as each product is great in it's own way and based on what you are looking for. But if you are looking for the total package in price, sound, and flexibility, the Fisher is the best, hands down.
Pros:
-Good Sound
-Compact body design, will be easy to travel with
-Every kind of snap in attachment to fit any ipod size, even Gen 5
Cons:
-only one, you can't change albums from the unit or the remote, you need to do so from the ipod directly. Not a problem if you have playlists already setup, but if youare like me and jump from artist/album to another, you have to be near the unit.
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I researched this purchase for a while because I didn't want to get stuck with a dud. This is a great ipod clock radio.It has VERY good sound, much better than most clock radios and that horrible Bose. It could use a TOUCH more treble. The bass and midrange are absolutely present in a balanced fashion. I docked 1 star for missing the tiny bit of treble. However, as I said, it's still the best sounding clock radio i've heard.
Other than that it has great features and a handy little remote control. you can go to sleep with the ipod and you can also wake up to a pre-set song on your ipod. can't ask for more than that. it's also quite attractive--a bit "space age" look with a smaller footprint that my previous clock radio.
now, i can listen to any of my 11,000 songs right in my bedroom!
strongly recommended. if you aren't an ultra-audiophile, accept this as a 5-star review....
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Compares well with the competition and a nice, solid unit.Two complaints (ditto for all the others I've tried):
1) Clock display still TOO BRIGHT, even at lowest setting (that is, the setting above "off").
2) Display contrast not adjustable (?). I can't see it from below, which is where my bed is located relative to the shelf the clock sits on. This seems to be a very common problem with LCD displays on clock radios. They're all aimed up at about 45ยบ, with no provision for adjusting it (which is DUMB).
Other than the above, I like the fit-and-finish, sound quality, remote and appearance of the Fisher.
I've tried everything BUT the iHOME iH5, based on the complaints I've read about it.
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I did a lot of research before asking for one of these fancy-schmancy ipod alarm clock things for Christmas. At first I kind of laughed at how expensive they were for a dumb alarm clockuntil I compared it to what I already had (I've been living in the alarm clock stone age). Among the things that I chose this product for were:-Charges my Ipod. I didn't buy the stupid AC adapter so I've been doing it on my computer all along, which has been annoying
-Good sound quality. It's actually not that bad. I haven't had my audiophile boyfriend listen to it yet, but at the very least it doesn't get you out of bed just to turn off the distortion of your favorite songs. I actually listen to it as a regular stereo.
-Backlight dimmer. I need COMPLETE darkness to sleep. I agree with another reviewer who says that the lowest setting is still too bright, but you CAN turn the backlight off completely. For me, this is an extra plus because if I wake up in the middle of the night and look at the time I usually get depressed about how little sleep I'm getting. If I can't see the time, I freak out less and get to sleep faster!
-Dual alarms! Woo hooo! The other good thing about the alarms is you set them with separate volumes than the thing plays at
-Batteries, so when the power goes out it still stays on and wakes you up. Amazing! (yes, I said I was living in the alarm clock stone age) Even after you take the batteries out I found it at least keeps your settings.
The only thing I think I would change is to make it so that you can fall asleep listening to one playlist and wake up to another. I don't know how hard that would be to do, but it would slightly improve the product.
That's about it for its cool features. The other thing I wanted to comment on was the exceptional service I got from the Sanyo Fisher Company. The first unit I got was defective in that the Ipod would play normally, but when I wanted to wake up to the alarm, the unit would not turn on the iPod and I wouldn't wake up. Normally, the unit does have a feature where if the iPod is not plugged in the buzzer will sound, but I guess this specific unit was broken with that too. I called their toll-free customer service phone number and was able to speak to a knowledgeable service person right awayno confusing menu mazes, and I wasn't put on hold for hours. I had to send the unit to their service center (and that was not free, but...) and the guy told me it would be 7-10 business days. I tracked the package and it was received by them on the 10th. I received a brand new replacement on the 12th. Now that's service! I would highly recommend this product and this company.
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