The Sharper Image ESI-B622 Relaxx Dual Bedside Audio Dock

The Sharper Image ESI-B622 Relaxx Dual Bedside Audio Dock
  • Motorized dual docks for charging two devices simultaneously
  • USB charging port
  • Aux-in for connecting non-Apple devices
  • Convenient remote control
  • Auto-set clock with dual alarm and gradual wake

Bought this at a steep discount at Kohls so figured I'd give it a try since I've never had an 'alarm clock' like it.

Bad things

Way too many buttons on the top. Hard to remember which are the volume buttons and which are the navigation buttons since they look similar. You'll have to memorize what does what unless you want to keep looking at the instructions.

Not easy to scan the radio. You'll want to make presets and leave it at that.

Confusing to set up with all the buttons. The 'auto time' didn't even work.

The grille display is completely unnecessary. Can't even read 'PM.' Cheap alarm clocks have better displays.

It has three dimmer settings, but the least brightest still lights up the room. Need it dimmer.

No AM radio?

Too many unnecessary buttons on the remote, such as the bass adjustment. The difference in its bass isn't big enough to justify adjusting it remotely.

It's relatively big and takes up a lot of table space.

Can't turn down the volume of the alarm while the alarm sounds. Hitting the volume button while it's sounding turns off the alarm.

Good things

It will charge your iphone/ipad.

You can set the alarm for just the work week and not have to worry about it going off on the weekends.

The speakers are decent. Might as well listen through those instead of using your device's speakers.

The gradual wake-up volume adjustment is nice.

Simple things could've made this a much better product and well worth the price, and I'd say it's unfathomable how Sharper Image thought that this was something suitable to release as is.

Buy The Sharper Image ESI-B622 Relaxx Dual Bedside Audio Dock Now

I had really hoped this would work so I could avoid the $240 spend on the iHome or Phillips unit. Well, it doesn't. Besides the other review's gripes about the grill obscuring the clock, and the vague buttons, this is why I'm returning the B622:

Rear dock didn't charge my iPad

Neither my iPad nor iPhone would fit with their cases on (I have the VERY small MagPul case for the iPhone and it just wouldn't seat)

The Auto-set for the clock didn't work

It was pretty big, and probably didn't need to be since it felt as light as a feather, so it was just filled with air

I did like the rear USB charging port, but I didn't see the need for the motorized iPad dock. Why spend the money on something motorized? Didn't make sense to me.

Read Best Reviews of The Sharper Image ESI-B622 Relaxx Dual Bedside Audio Dock Here

Received this unit for Christmas. Had never seen it before but I like it. These are my first impressions and if they change I will update.

First of all a feature I didn't see mentioned is a Video output jack to send video to your TV/monitor. Nice extra feature if you have it near a video device.

Now as far as the docking ports go. The iPad port is motorized sort of like a CD drawer on a computer and comes out of the Rear of the unit, most pictures make it look like it is on top. The iPod dock is NOT motorized but does flip down manually and pop up automatically. The plugs on these docks are a little tight at first so you may want to support the area they are mounted to, when plugging in my iPod the first time the dock wanted to pop back inside unit. Also should you have another device that charges via USB they have included a charging port on the rear, nice extra.

As with any new device there is a learning curve on what each switch does on top of the unit. Most of the switches are the same size except the Snooze button which is dead center just like on 99% of the alarm clocks out there. Also it is the largest button on the unit and the remote.

As noted by other reviewers the speaker grill covers the entire front of the unit which is nice for uniformity however it does make it difficult to read the PM/Alarm 1/Alarm 2 indicators but once you learn where they are it is a mute point. The time format can be switched to 24hr format which is a nice touch. As for the self time setting I am not sure how it is getting the signal to do so, mine was one hour fast so I set it back but the minutes and day were correct. Guess time will tell.(pun intended)

Oh yes it does have FM radio that tunes just like most car radios today and it lets you store 10 favorites. No AM which is no big deal, does anyone listen to AM anymore?

All in all I really like this unit so far.

Want The Sharper Image ESI-B622 Relaxx Dual Bedside Audio Dock Discount?

Pros sound is decent, and my iPhone and iPad are both able to dock and charge as advertised.

I also like how you can switch between the devices as inputs to the speakers.

Nice to have iPad and iPhone docks, plus a separate USB can be plugged in for an additional device.

Cons -

Charging: I have iPad 1 with the Apple case. As thin as that is, you must remove from the case to dock and charge. I did this a few times but then noticed the USB port on the back. So now I'm charging off a USB cable. It gives me the added benefit of being able to charge while using my iPad. (but, obviously I'm not getting the benefit of a dual charging station this way). The iPhone also needs to be removed from its case to use.

Brightness: this is why it's going back. The LEDs for the clock are so bright. I saw a reference in one review that they can be dimmed I haven't found this (not sure if there's a hidden switch? A button? A combination of the many buttons?) I end up having to completely block the display when I go to bed, otherwise it feels like a spotlight on you.

Save 30% Off

I read through other reviews before buying this product and I agree w/ some but don't agree with others. I think if you take the time to read through the manual, you will have a great deal of success using the product. First, as for the phone dock, there is no way to make the dock accessible for the many different phone cases available on the market. So if you are ok w/ removing your case to dock then the product will work just fine and charge your phone very quickly. As for the iPad dock, yes I agree I didn't feel confident using it to dock so I chose to use the back USB to charge my iPad. I don't use my IPad to listen to music but I do like the fact my iPad is next to the product. Using the controls is easy as well. Just take moment to read the manual. It will make using the product more streamlined and effective for you. I bought mine for about 38 bucks including shipping so that's probably the price point you want to be at when buying this product. Hope this is helpful. Good luck.

0 comments:

Post a Comment