- 0.6-inch red LED display
- Wake to radio or alarm
- Sleep
- Snooze
- AC 120V/60Hz
Jensen JCR-150 AM/FM Alarm Clock Radio
Sangean America RCR3 Radio-Controlled Atomic Digital AM/FM Clock Radio (White)
- Radio Controlled Clock
- Large Lcd Display
- 14 Station Preset
- 4 Wake Up Timers; Pll Tuner
- Radio Controlled clock available for DCF/WWVB/MSF/JJY
- 4 alarms by radio or HWS (Humane Wake System) buzzer
- Easy to read LCD display
- Time display both on LCD and analog clock
- Time zone selector switch
I've owned many Sangean clock radios over the last few years and this one is by far the best. Many of my complaints have been addressed making me a very happy camper ;)
This radio is an update to the Sangean rcr-1. As far as I can tell it only comes in white. Improvements to this one include:
1. A change from blue backlighting to white. You can now read the display from any angle and from across the room.
2. Gone is the unsightly ferrite antenna stuck to the back of the rcr-1, rcr-2 and rcr-22.
3. They added two more customizable alarms for a total of 4. The first two are buzzer only and the remaining two are for radio alarms.
4. Humane Waking System works in both radio mode and buzzer mode. (Radio mode is undocumented) HWS in radio mode was previously ONLY available on the rcr-1 and absent on the rcr-2 and rcr-22.
5. When the alarm sounds the display lighting of the analog clock changes to amber. Nice touch!
6. Power is now supplied with what I call a wall wart, LOL. This can be a double edged sword, it has a much thinner power cord running from the wall to the clock but the transformer is rather large and can get in the way.
7. Setting and operating the alarms has been greatly improved. It is more intuitive and takes less time to setup.
The radio is very sensitive and is able to pull in stations with ease. The sound quality is very good for a clock radio. It sounds very natural and pleasing. The snooze feature lets you snooze for 5 min. at a time with no option to change the interval. I've owned several clock radios from other manufacturers that let you program the snooze duration. I also wish this clock had a photo electric dimming circuit for the backlight. It does have a dimmer button and an adjustment for brightness on the bottom of the clock. When you press the dimmer button the brightness gradually decreases or increases, another nice touch! If you leave the clock in dimmed setting and momentarily push a button the display will go bright for a few seconds and then resume the dimmed setting.
Sangean reduced the size of the digital display from that used on the rcr-1. As a result it can no longer display the time and date simultaneously. In order to see the date you must first push the date button. I'm nitpicking but in my opinion this radio is not quite perfect.
One last comment, Sangean still has not added a battery backup! In the event of a power outage the alarm WILL NOT sound. Why did you do this Sangean? Haven't you guys been listening to all of the reviewers on this site? I know someone who supposedly works for Sangean responded to my comments on the rcr-1. To clarify, the clock will maintain time for anywhere from 1 to 3 hrs if the power fails but the alarm will not sound. To get around this issue I have plugged it into an uninterruptible power source (UPS). I live in FL and can't take chances with the alarm.
I also wish it had Radio Data System (RDS) and a HD tuner. To really put it over the top it would be nice to have stereo speakers and an iPod dock. Put all of these features in a table radio and you'll have the ultimate clock radio.
Buy Sangean America RCR3 Radio-Controlled Atomic Digital AM/FM Clock Radio (White) Now
I was torn between the venerable Proton/Sangean RS-330 and the RCR-3. The RS-330 has been the de-facto ultimate clock radio, one of the last great ones from the early 90s when Proton, Nakamichi, and others produced high-end alarm clocks. At the same time, the RS-330 hasn't been updated in nearly 20 years. No CD player, no atomic clock synchronization, uses vacuum fluorescent displays which fade over time and aren't all that energy efficient (~$20/year to run the RS-330 and RS-332). So, I hesitantly bought the RCR-3 with the atomic clock feature being my primary requirement, still wishing I could get all of these features PLUS the great sound & slave clock of the RS-330.The RCR-3 is quite simply the best alarm clock I've ever had. Totally exceeded all of my expectations. The more you use this clock radio the more you realize just how much thought was put into it. I'm planning on buying two more, one for the other side of the bed and one for my office. Might even get one for the kitchen.
Pros:
4 alarms, programmable by day-of-week. Each alarm has a separate button on the face of the clock and the actual buttons illuminate to signal which alarm(s) are turned on. The alarm button currently going off blinks to indicate such. I also appreciate that the backlighting fades up to 100% when the alarm is going off. To show the level of thought put into the alarm clock, the alarm's beeper will sound instead of the radio if the radio station's signal is low/off-air. Alarm volume (beeper and wake-to-radio) is separate from radio playback (sleep) volume. Programming the alarms is quite simple as well. Push the alarm button, then push SET and just arrow up/down. No finger gymnastics of trying to hold multiple buttons down or having to go all the way around the dial because you missed the time you wanted.
The digital radio tuner is rather good. I'm picking up FM stations from ~80 miles away crystal clear. AM reception is clear, full-range audio, and rejects interference well.
Sound quality is good, great for its size. It's been many years since I've heard a Proton clock radio, but this sounds very close. Bass depth is impressive and balanced, particularly for a radio of this size. It doesn't suffer from the boxy exaggerated mid-bass many small speakers suffer from. I've heard worse sound out of much larger speakers. I work with and own many pieces of professional (Meyer) & audiophile (Bowers & Wilkins) sound equipment yet am still impressed by this little radio. It's not at the same level by any means as the sound is heavily coloured, particularly the midrange, but it's quite enjoyable.
Large analogue clock: I'm terribly near-sighted. Digital clocks usually require that I put on my glasses to read them. The clock is also very quiet when advancing to the next minute. Even the lightest sleeper wouldn't be bothered by it. No second hand ticking either.
Dimmer: Full range dimmer. From bright enough to read by to 0% brightness, only going to 100% momentarily when you push any button. There's even a night-light button on the front of the clock that will turn the backlighting up to 100%.
Energy efficient: Uses less than 1 watt on standby, even with backlighting at 100%. Compare this to my old typical alarm clock which used 8 watts on standby. I know this sounds insignificant, but considering it's using this 24/7, it adds up over time. Figure 1 watt * 24 hrs * 365 days = 8.76kWh/year , 8 watts =70kWh/year. Multiply this by the # of clocks you have plugged into the house and you're starting to talk about decent money.
Thin plug/power cord. I know some people dislike power transformers (wall warts), but I'd much rather thread a small DC power connector through things than try to fit a full-size AC plug through an already-too-crowded wire hole in furniture. It also is safer and easily replaced if it gets pinched between the bedframe & wall, etc.
The negatives?
Lack of a backup battery. See my solution below. Sure, it has that backup capacitor AND it does show the time on the digital screen while the power is out, BUT the alarm won't sound if the power's out when the alarm is supposed to start.
No line out. I've not hooked this radio up to my bedroom's Bowers & Wilkins stereo yet, but I would prefer to do so via line out rather than headphone jack.
No HD tuner / CD player. Okay, there's a line-in for this, but I wanted just one piece of equipment on the nightstand. MP3 playback via SD card would be awesome.
No remote control. Why a remote control for a clock radio? Because the sound quality on this clock radio is better than many mini stereos!
No Stereo/slave unit. Not that it's entirely needed with atomic clocks that can sync themselves, I'd love to have the master/slave clock setup that the RS-330 had, if just for the stereo sound alone. I might just buy a 2nd one for the other side of the bed. All that I'd be missing over the RS-330/332 setup would be stereo audio.
As others have mentioned, the manual is lacking in detail. Where detail is provided it over-complicates what is really a well thought-out, logical to operate clock radio.
A few useful bits missing from the manual:
When you first power up the radio:
1) The analog clock will advance until it reaches 12:00 and the radio will scan through the stations and automatically set pre-sets the strongest ones.
2) The digital clock will show a flashing -:and the antenna symbol.
3) The upper right corner of the screen will show L:0, representing signal strength of the time signal. Signal scale is 0 (weak) to 9 (strong).
This clock uses WWVB for time, located in Fort Collins, Colorado, on long-wave radio frequencies. For those unfamiliar with shortwave radio, it's basically AM radio that bounces off the earth's atmosphere and the ground. As you can imagine, reception of this signal is highly variable.
Don't worry if your radio shows a signal strength of 0, especially during the day. Most locations will get the best signal between 1-4am. Keep in mind this clock uses the atomic clock signal to sync its clock so it doesn't need to see it all the time. Once a day is more than enough.
4) Once the clock is receiving WWVB, the seconds display on the screen will start to tick, verifying that it is indeed seeing a signal. After a few minutes of this the clock will set itself and you're good to go. Keep in mind that under IDEAL conditions it would take the clock 3 minutes to acquire a signal. It took my clock about 15 minutes for its first sync.
Mislabeled controls department:
Light button: Should be Night Light. Turns backlighting up to 100% until pressed again when it'll return to the level you've set with the dimmer dial underneath the radio.
Tone control: Should be Loudness control. It's a bass and treble boost/cut control, similar to some car stereos and some smaller home stereos. Both bass & treble are boosted / cut at the same time with this dial.
**Back-up battery fix:**
Since I live in Florida, complete with an electrical grid only a 3rd world country could be proud of, Sangean's capacitor trick isn't going to cut it with our extended outages. Here's how I fixed this problem. I bought:
1) Ademco AD12612 alarm system 16VAC -> 12vDC power supply/charger board. (~$10-$20)
2) generic 16VAC/40VA transformer for the AD12612 (~$5-$10)
3) generic 12v 4amp-hour alarm battery (~$5-$15)
4) A spare DC power cord since I didn't want to hack apart the Sangean's power supply.
5) Some spare wire to connect the transformer to the AD12612.
So I connected all of this together, sticking the battery and Ademco board underneath the bed. Even an electrical novice can't really screw this up. The Ademco board is well-labeled (AC in, DC out, color coded battery leads). For reference, the clock is expecting 12vDC, positive tip, negative shield.
By my estimates, the clock will run for about 4 days with the backlighting on 100% 24/7. Much longer with the backlighting dimmed or off. If I bump it up to a 7AH battery that'll be 7 days, maybe 10-14 days with the backlighting dimmed. This beats out any off-the-shelf battery backup (APC et al) since everything stays in the DC domain. Those off-the-shelf UPSs won't last more than a few hours with no load connected. With the alarm system power supply there's no DC(battery)->AC(inverter)->DC(12vDC transformer) conversion and no DC->AC inverter loss. Dead silent when running too.
As a side benefit, this will be a nice hurricane/emergency setup down the road. The backlighting on the clock is bright enough to read by and certainly more than enough light for emergencies. 7+ day runtime is just icing on the cake. Want more functionality out of this setup? Hook a car cell phone charger up to the 12v output on the power supply.There are many great features to this clock. Some of the things I like the most are: 1) the ability to control the brightness of the display on a continuous scale (not just high & low like most alarms); 2) the ability to control the volume of the buzzer alarm or radio alarm on a continuous scale (but note that the buzzer alarm volume is controlled by a dial on the bottom of the clock, NOT by the radio volume control, a mistake I made & learned the hard way when the buzzer didn't sound); 3) the intuitiveness of the alarm set-up makes it easy to do & easy to remember; 4) the excellent digital reception for the AM/FM radio signals; 5) the ease of resetting the time & date after a power failure (just keep it plugged in & the Atomic Clock feature automatically re-sets the time & date); 6) the "Humane Waking System", which starts with a low volume beep & gradually increases (this is good for preventing heart attacks for those people shocked into awakening by the sound of most alarm clocks, which sound like a huge garbage truck has just backed up into your bedroom), but for those who need a real loud alarm, just turn up the volume & the initial beep/radio sound will be loud to begin with; 7) the tone quality of the radio is very good for such a small unit & there is a single adjustable tone knob (bass/treble). Other nice things about the clock are its superior looks (a combination of modern digital display with Art Deco features & analog clock display), & the fact that 4 alarms per day can be set & there is a separate alarm setting for each day of the week (including weekends). From the first night I used it, I slept very soundly, because it was the first time in years that I didn't feel like a light was shining in my face (from my previous clock). There are two things wrong with the Sangean: 1) the lack of a battery back-up, for those people who have blackouts, & 2) the operating manual. About 12 pages are devoted to operation of the clock in English; three of those pages are diagrams of control locations (very well done with clear layout). The instructions themselves are written by someone who does not have a good command of the English language. Words are misused, sentences end without the usual English structure, grammar is off, & it looks like the manual needs a thorough re-writing & proofreading. This is not a minor quibble, because this clock does so many things (& does them so well) that a better written & more thorough manual would enable the user to get much more out of the clock if its operation were better explained. It would be a 5* clock if the manual were better. Before buying this clock, I literally investigated over 100 clocks on the internet, & this looked to be the best I could find anywhere, considering all of its features. Now that I own it, it has lived up to its promise (except for the manual).
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Did a lot of on-line research and this seemed like a good product. I did see one review where the person said the analog hands continue to revolve and ended up sending the clock back. I chose to ignore that one, since all others seemed positive, figuring it was one fluke clock.I shouldn't have!! When the clock arrived, followed the instructions (not well written, BTW)as precisely as I could. However could not get the clock to set by radio or manually. The hands just continued to turn and the radio never seemed to get a signal, even thought it sat next to an older clock (another mfgr)that updates daily.
Wrote to their help desk and never got a response. Sent second note and got response e-mail from Selwyn Wynstock, VP Marketing/Sales to call him and discuss my problem. When I called, he basically said "Yes, we've had those reports and have contacted the factory. Return your clock for replacement."
A few days later, got another e-mail from their help desk saying "Oh, it shouldn't do that, you must have a defective clock, return it with $8 for replacement."
The VP's comment tells me this is a known, on-going problem and they don't control the factory (contracted manufacture?). The Help dept. just doesn't get it.....wanting 8 bucks to replace a defective clock that never should have been shipped in the first place. Doesn't this firm have a QC program?
Returned the clock today to Amazon for credit. I'll find another manufacturer.
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I have owned a Sangean world band radio for over 20 years and have been impressed by its performance and build quality. So, I took a chance on the RCR-3 in my long quest for the perfect clock radio. The RCR-3 is heavy, so it's not going to fly off the nightstand. To my eye, the design is beautiful, with design cues reminiscent of 1930's Machine Age radios. The radio reception is outstanding and the RCR-3 just sounds terrific. I like the progressive alarm feature very much since my hearing isn't what it once was, and I just LOVE the nap feature. In short, Sangean has hit a grand slam homerun with the RCR-3.
Brookstone iDesign Retro Dock for iPod and iPhone Devices (Black)
- Cool Vintage Look
- Download Free App from iTunes that includes alarm clock, 5 day weather forecast and sleep timer
- Full-range stereo speakers
- 90 degrees to position your iPod/iPhone device horizontally for viewing movies, TV shows, music videos and more
- Made for: iPod touch (1st and 2nd generation) iPod classic iPod nano (4th and 5th generation) iPhone 4 iPhone 3GS iPhone 3G iPhone iPod/iPhone not included.
For the money, this is a nice little device that allows me to charge my iPhone while I sleep, provides an alarm function that is useable, and a way to listen to music or anything else I can play on my iPhone at a level that I can enjoy with sound quality that is remarkable given the size and price.
I fully recommend it to anyone who is looking for a device such as this.
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Bad design flaw, as you put the phone in or take out the buttons are all on the tops. Pretty frustrating. Also if you use the app the phone is on and very, very bright which is cool unless you like a dak room in which to sleepRead Best Reviews of Brookstone iDesign Retro Dock for iPod and iPhone Devices (Black) Here
It looks exactly the same in person as it does in the picture and its easy to use.So cute. Great pick.Want Brookstone iDesign Retro Dock for iPod and iPhone Devices (Black) Discount?
I purchased this for my husband as a gift. He loves that it charges his IPod and also doubles as an alarm clock using any song he wishes from his Imusic.
REVO Heritage Multi-format Table Clock Radio with iPod Dock - Black
- Internet Radio requires broadband Internet and a router
- High sensitivity DAB and DAB+ digital radio
- Advanced internet radio with Wi-Fi and wired LAN connectivity
- Easy access to over 11,000 internet radio stations
- Wireless audio streaming from PC or MAC
This radio provides DAB, but was unable to find any stations in my area (Colorado).
FM radio performance is acceptable, but does not pull in weak stations well. An external antenna is NOT available. Ok, so most (non HD) FM stations are available by streaming, anyway.
In order to use the 'favorite locations' and other features on the internet radio user interface, one has to sign up at LAST.fm, a disadvantage. On the other hand there are five station presets that operate independently, so each stream mode, radio, internet, DAB, music server, etc, has 5 presets.
The ipod interface works well, and as an alarm clock, functions ok. Just remember if you want to wake up to RadioParadise, it takes a while to connect...
Operation in wired and wireless mode was stable and had no problem with dropouts, etc.
Only complaint is sound quality which is only fair. I believe it uses a 3" dia speaker, popular these days, and while the midrange and high frequencies are acceptable, but somewhat colored, the bass is limited and bass boost only muddies the sound. I have a number of radios from all vintages, the best sound quality award goes to the Tandberg TP43, an amazing radio but over 40years old!
The older Grundigs and Tandberg radios have sound quality that is simply unequaled by any recent radio I have heard. That is unfortunate, and in my mind, unacceptable given what is possible these days. Just don't get it.
Is it worth $400? Well... probably not. I like the overall style and operation a lot, but if the sound quality measured up, it really would be worth it. As is it is only acceptable.
I have listened to other self contained radios, both internet ready and not, from Roku, Tivoli, Boston Acoustics, Sangean, and others, and they all seem to use the same 3" speaker and sound pretty much the same to me. Until some manufacturer is driven to improve the sound quality, we're stuck with this. For now will be fine for a nighttable radio if you want high quality sound use a separate amp & speakers.
Downrated for value and sound quality.
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Hi All,I bought a Revo Heritage Radio G 1 a number of years ago direct from the store in the UK. 2 years in I had some difficultly with the display though every other aspect of the radio was stellar including the incredible sound quality, streaming capability, iphone docking just to name a few of it's many outstanding features. The problem I had with the display was not easily fixed and when Dan Sawyer of Modern Digital USA heard about my difficulty he offered me some of the best costumer service of my life. If you are planning to buy a Revo product do not go through the UK store /website buy it from Modern Digital USA you will receive (as I did) top notch advice and stellar costumer service.
Philips Fidelio DS7550 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Speaker Dock
- Supports most iPhone and iPod models with Universal Dock Connector
- Elegant, slim, and compact design to fit into any briefcase
- wOOx technology is a revolutionary loudspeaker concept that allows you to hear and feel profoundly deep bass; tweeter ensures smooth transitions from low-mid to high frequencies; dual suspension and a totally symmetrical sandwich construction
- Dynamic Bass Boost maximizes your music enjoyment by emphasizing the bass content of the music throughout the range of volume settings--from low to high--at the touch of a button
-Build quality. Both are very solid and seem like they will hold up well. The Logitech seemed slightly more substantial, but I see no problem with tossing either in a suitcase for traveling. One thing to note, the Philips will accommodate an iPhone 4 in a bumper case while you have to take the phone out of the case for the Logitech.
-Size. While the dimensions don't look that much different between the two, the Logitech is substantially bigger and somewhat heavier. I can't picture carrying the Logitech in a daypack, but it would be doable with the Philips.
-Sound quality. At low volume levels, the Logitech had a slightly fuller sound. At high volume levels operating on battery power the Logitech again had a slight edge. At high volume levels while plugged in, there was no comparison. The Logitech rocked louder and with a much deeper bass. It seemed as though when you unplugged the Logitech that the bass boost was shut off.
In the end I chose the Philips. Since both will be plenty loud for a hotel room where most of my listening would be done, I chose the Philips for it's much smaller size and portability. For poolside where they'll be running off battery, the sound difference wasn't substantial enough to choose the larger Logitech. However, if you're going to be using mainly AC and want the best sound, choose the Logitech. While it's larger than the Philips, it's certainly not too large to bring to a party at a friend's house or similar usage and offers a fuller sound. For air travel and packing in your luggage though, the Philips is a much less bulky package.
Buy Philips Fidelio DS7550 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Speaker Dock Now
I was skeptical when I ordered this product: after all, how could something so slim-line and small compare to my full-sized stereo? I was floored. This product not only gives a clear, sharp sound it also holds its own in the bass. My iphone easily pops on and off for easy access, but doesn't slip off (preventing damage to the phone). When there's an incoming call I can answer it and use the speaker feature to leave the phone on the dock or pick it up. When I leave the phone on the dock it resumes my music where I left off before the call. The angle of the phone is easily accessible to change the tunes or utilize the phone. The amount of sound which can actively be produced from the speakers is excellent: Loud and still clear as a bell. The added features include a sleep timer, alarm, and a clock. The apps to run this hot ticket item are completely free! I highly recommend this product for anyone looking for a portable, great sounding iphone-music docking/speaker device.Read Best Reviews of Philips Fidelio DS7550 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Speaker Dock Here
My family loves music and bass is a very important part of it. We tested the Philips Fidelio DS7550 Rechargeable Portable Docking Speaker for iPod/iPhone (Aluminum/Black) against our Bose Wave using Michael Jackson's Thriller. We found that the DS7550 had a touch more bass than the Bose Wave, but we could hear more instruments with the Wave. Even though my hubby doesn't think the DS7550 has the best bass he's heard, he says it's good for the size of the unit. As he walked by while I was writing my review, he asked me if he could use the Philips docking speaker with his 4th generation IPod Nano while he paid the bills. Did it matter to him that I had the speaker hooked up to my ASUS laptop listening to my favorite worship music on youtube? I guess not. Two hours later, he returned the speaker. He said it sounded even bassier (is that a word?) when he listened with his Bose mini earbuds.Philips Fidelio DS7550 Rechargeable Portable Docking Speaker for iPod/iPhone (Aluminum/Black) is designed to be portable. It has a built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery that will last up to 8 hours (we've tested it for 5 hours so far). Included in the box are two, very nice, padded carrying cases...one for the speaker & a smaller one for the AC adapter and the 3.5-mm auxiliary cable. There are three buttons on top of the speaker: On/Off; Volume; Bass (with dbb). You can turn the DBB (dynamic bass boost) on or off. On the back is the stand (pull out on the smaller dk. gray, rubbery piece to open stand), an AUX input, and a 9v connection for the AC adapter. The AUX in allows other electronic devices to be hooked up to the speaker. Right now, I'm listening to my hubby's old IRiver MP3 player. I hooked it up to the speaker's AUX in, using the included auxiliary cable. The other end is hooked into the MP3 player. And, I want to tell you that the sound is absolutely incredible!!!! I love it!!!! Earlier, I had the speaker hooked up to my laptop and listened to music on youtube.
My daughter downloaded the free Fidelio app for her IPod Touch & tried most of the available functions. The check battery function didn't seem to work properly. It showed the battery life at 100% power, but the battery had been in use for 3 hours. The next time she tried to check the battery life, the function was missing. We didn't have time to check it out any further. The alarm worked & has 4 sound settings, birds, church bells, ocean waves and rain forest. The sleep timer also worked. I think it's a useful/fun app; hopefully the battery life check will be updated. We forgot to check the sound settings using the Fidelio app. I'll update my review with our findings when we test the sound setting feature/function.
Our entire family likes the Philips Fidelio DS7550 Rechargeable Portable Docking Speaker for iPod/iPhone (Aluminum/Black). I can visualize lessons in sharing in our future.
UPDATE (1/12/12): I recently received an IPod 4G. I protected my IPod with the OtterBox Defender Series Hybrid Case for iPod touch 4G (Black/Red). Because the DS7550's dock is spring loaded, I am able to dock my IPod 4G with the case on it. I pull the the dock on the Phillips DS7550 forward. (It's a bit frustrating to dock it with the Otterbox case on, but it can be done).
Also the Fidelio app doesn't seem to be as functional as it was with my daughter's IPod 2G. I can't seem to find any reference to the battery life or the sound setting feature mentioned in the product review.
UPDATE (3/5/12): I'M USING THIS WITH OUR KINDLE FIRE. When I stream Amazon movies to our Fire, I hook this speaker to the Fire. It's great!
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Overall, a nice sounding unit but if you have an ear for quality sound, this is a bit underwhelming. I'll explain in the Cons section below.Fidelio PROS:
+ First thing that struck was how 'tiny' this unit is compared to the sound it gives out. You wonder where is this bass coming from (although the bass itself is a bit on the lower side)
+ Sleek looking
+ Tight construction, metal grille cool looking device
+ Nice sound, not great, not audiophile, but not bad.
+ Used it outside and inside the house.
+ Plays same sound plugged in or not. Other units tend to not when running on battery.
+ Portable has a rechargeable battery.
+ The kickstand is nice and made the unit stand upright well
Fidelio CONS:
The sound is ok, just ok. I wish I could hear a little more treble (high side) and a little tighter bass but given the size of the unit, I can see why it struggles to produce more bass
Battery ran out quite quickly when I was playing for some time without being plugged in didn't run the advertised 8 hours for me
No remote control
No Bluetooth
No AirPlay
The unit along with the hot weather ended up heating up the iPhone 4 pretty quickly and shut the iPhone down with a Temperature warning
All in all, returning it because of the underwhelming sound, the time it took the battery to run out, the lack of a remote, the lack of bluetooth.
Logitech s715
PROS
+ Great wholesome (bordering on audiophile for the price) sound with nice treble/highs and tight bass. Same caliber sound as some high end units.
+ Remote control
+ Just ok looking, a little dry in my opinion kinda like a boombox from the 80s, 90s
+ Battery life is great
+ Nice bass woofers not too big but enough to move air and produce good sound
The bass goes down by design when unplugged
No bluetooth
Kickstand has trouble staying up at times.
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The Itouch is a great MP3 player, but has some awful speakers. This product is perfect for a person on the go. It's lightweight, and the sound it produces is fantastic. I couldn't believe the amount of bass that was being produced. It was very impressive.The only downside I saw was there was no indication how low the batteries or how long they would last on a charge. It would be nice if they added an LED that would flash when the batteries were low so we would know we need to charge the device.
Other then that small complaint, it's completely worth a buy!
Nokia E6 Unlocked GSM Phone with Touchscreen, QWERTY Keyboard, Easy E-mail Setup, GPS Navigation, an
I have owned Nokia Symbian smartphones since the 6682, and in the E-series, I have owned the E71 and E72. I loved both the E71 and E72 phones, and I had very high expectations for their successor. Many of my expectations were met, but the phone has several serious issues that prevented me from giving a higher rating.Form Factor & Build 10/10
Nokia really did their homework when putting together this phone. Symbian Anna is a nice evolution for a hybrid hard key and touch interface. I was skeptical at first, but I'm now seamlessly using both.
The phone feels very solid, and it feels a little stronger in my hands than even the E71. It is certainly sturdier than the E72.
Battery Life 10/10
Battery life is fantastic. As with previous E-series phones, this phone was designed to go the distance.
The battery is proportionately large and makes up more than half the width of the phone. I think that it was a good move on Nokia's part to get the extra hours and is a definite advantage over most touch screen phones. As they were still able to keep the phone small, I would say it was worth putting in the larger battery.
Keyboard 6/10
The Good:
I am a hardware keyboard addict, and I loath the cell phone industry's move to all-touch phones.
In terms of feel, the E6 has another solid portrait layout keyboard from Nokia.
The Bad:
I can't believe they put the apostrophe as a function access on the `L.' I would much rather have a thinner spacebar if I could still have a functional apostrophe no question. Though not as important as the apostrophe, the double quote and parentheses were relegated to function accessed keys as well.
The `Ctrl' key now has its own, coveted bottom row position, but what's the point? The entire user guide only mentions it once, and it is supposed to help with copy and paste functionality. I didn't even remember that my E72 had this key (it was a secondary function to the `silent mode' shortcut something foolishly done away with in the E6).
The E6 has slightly raised keys, but Nokia got rid of the domed keys from the E72 which I preferred for typing speed.
The keyboard backlight has taken a step back from previous models. By default, the backlight won't turn on in seemingly random situations and never turns on when entering the lock code even in pitch black darkness. When I first drafted this review, I gave the keyboard a 3/10. After lots of digging and playing with settings, I found that the keyboard backlight is controlled by Menu>Settings>Phone>Display>Brightness. If you turn the brightness setting above 50%, the keyboard and screen backlights work 10x better, and the keyboard backlight is on when typing the lock code!
Screen 9/10
The screen is beautifully detailed, the color appears accurate, and the black levels are very good.
The touch interface is remarkably good. I have found it to be one of the more accurate touch screens I have used, and multitouch gestures work consistently.
I had to mark it down slightly because the default backlight setting is much too dim and gets even dimmer when the sensor deems it appropriate. The screen is beautiful when the backlight is well-illuminated, but it's hard to read when it's often too dim at the default setting.
I immediately deactivated the touchscreen vibrations as they felt cheap and were noisy.
Notifications 5/10
I really miss the `breathing light' from the previous two phones. This made the phone brilliantly easy to watch for the status of emails, sms, and calls even when the phone had to be completely silent during a meeting. There is a menu setting to enable the breathing light (off by default), but it seems to have respiratory problems as it is dim and hard to view off-axis.
I have not had any problems with the vibration as reported by other users. Symbian tailors vibrations to match audio tones even when the tones are turned off, and they might just need to make a tweak to get it working properly again.
The charging light is annoying, bright, and cannot be turned off in the settings menus. I have to cover my phone when I place it on my nightstand.
Email notifications are abysmal More on this later.
Sensors 8/10
GPS: Seems to work well as in previous models and is able to quickly lock on a signal.
Electronic Compass: This is a pretty slick new feature, but it seems to be a little off. I have retried the built-in calibration every way I can think, and it still seems to be about 10degrees off. It also doesn't notice if I turn the phone 180degrees.
Accelerometer: I haven't found many practical uses for this feature on the Symbian Anna phone, and I quickly disabled the feature to deny calls or turn off my alarm by `turning' the phone. This seems like a recipe for missing calls and oversleeping, and I'm surprised it is enabled by default without warning the user.
Camera 6/10
I would rather have fewer megapixels in exchange for better picture quality, and unfortunately Nokia decided to pack an unwieldy number of pixels (8MP) in the little E6. To be honest, a close inspection of the pictures makes them appear as if they have been upconverted, but this could simply be a result of trying to rescue an image from a sensor with such tiny pixels. The camera would be far better with half the megapixels, the E72's autofocus lens, and newer low-noise sensor technology rather than an 8MP pixel density on such a tiny chip.
The autofocus camera from previous models had far superior contrast and sharpness compared to this "endless depth of field" camera. This is important to me as I like to be able to use my cell as a document camera when traveling, something EDoF cameras are notoriously poor at. Some reviewers have reported better results with this camera when shooting portraits and landscapes, but I rarely take a photo of something further than an arm's length away.
Email 1/10 => Abysmal (I would give the E72's email an 8.5/10)
Though the interface is similar to previous models, the email on the E6 has taken a huge plunge. As a reference point, I have pushed the capabilities of Nokia email for several years using four or five different accounts of various types at any given time. Nokia sold their push email company due to financial problems, and they have already removed true push capabilities from the E6.
This causes a multitude of problems:
Emails take so long to arrive that carrying on an email conversation is impractical. I have conducted tests on Exchange, Gmail, and imap accounts, and the fastest arrival time was 4 minutes, the longest was 13 minutes, and the average was about 8 minutes. Compared to the E72's nearly instant email around the clock, this is a huge disappointment. It doesn't sound like long on paper, but it's a huge pain in actual use.
After buying a new phone or performing a hard reset, the phone will no longer download all settings from Nokia's secure servers. This made setting this phone up frustrating.
Unlike the quick configuration of the E72 and E71 email clients that utilized Nokia's push service, setting up all my accounts has been a nightmare on the E6. Though it quickly accepted the settings of one imap account, it still refuses to accept another. When I got into the settings, it had reset the incoming server to the smtp server (a result of sloppy coding), and it still won't work after reconfiguring all the settings. I had no trouble configuring this account on my E72.
As on previous models, only one Exchange account is allowed. This is quite frustrating for anyone who has more than one, and the workarounds (the aforementioned imap account) are ineffective and very limited.
SMS 9.5/10 (I would have ranked the system in the E71 or E72 a 3/10)
The sms interface is much improved over any Nokia device I have previously used.
The threading not only replaces free-isms which I had used previously but works even better with a cleaner interface.
I have to mark it down a half point as there are aspects of the interface that still need a little tweaking. While it has improved a great deal, the user experience design still has a little ways to go to streamline message replying, forwarding, and flow between senders, time, and the homescreen.
Browsing and Tethering 9/10 (8/10 for Browsing and 10/10 for Tethering
Symbian phones have never had great browsers, but I have always found them functional. Like previous models, the browser is a little outdated and weak, but it works for 95% of the internet. I admit that this is very frustrating in the 5% of time that demand more, but I haven't ever worried much about it as I always have a laptop to tether nearby.
The browser on the E6 is an improvement over previous models, and touch speeds up browsing.
I have to lower the rating because there are several features that are poorly designed Several features that wouldn't make any sense to a user who hadn't previously used the keyboard only version. For example, RSS feeds can only be removed using the D-pad and backspace key, something I found immensely frustrating using touch until I remembered the keyboard way to do it.
For the record, I don't use Opera because I don't like my data tunneling through 3rd party servers just a personal preference due to privacy management.
Tethering on this phone is top notch. Assuming you have a laptop nearby, it makes up for many of the browsing shortcomings.
Tethering speeds are much higher than speeds on the built in browser. I don't know why the built in browser is slow, but the tethering speeds are nice and fast!
A note on JoikuSpot Premium: I have been a paid user of JoikuSpot Premium for several years, and I was excited to see Nokia include this package in the default lineup. This application and off-the-grid tethering are one of the E6's greatest selling points. Nokia was very wise to put this on the E6, and secure WEP tethering is really slick on the E6.
Included Software 9/10
Disclaimer: I'm no app junky, and as a business user, I don't care about games.
Maps: A surprisingly robust, well written, functional application. This is definitely one of the selling points of Nokia Ovi phones that include unlimited, free navigation using Ovi Maps. It has timely information for route planning, it nicely integrates satellite and map views, and it has a great interface. With touch, I find this to be a 10/10 application. That being said, I still use Google maps for finding local businesses.
Adobe Reader & Quickoffice: Both solid programs that come in handy from time to time. 10/10
Social: This isn't a feature I have used or played with. I did try to open it briefly while writing this review, and it wouldn't die when I pressed exit. I had to turn the phone off and on to exit. meh/10
Ovi Store: The appstore is awful. If Nokia would just filter out the junk, it would be far better, but unfortunately most of the store is junk. I'm still offering a 9/10 for the software as I don't really need much more out of a cell phone than is included by default. I occasionally see something cool I wish I had (like the night sky augmented reality programs on iOS and Android), but I don't think about this often.
Interface 4/10
Home Screen: This is an unfortunate step back from previous models. To be honest, I preferred the E72 with a single homescreen to the 3 I have configured on the E6 due to the E72's responsiveness. The E6 homescreens take several seconds to update when I switch between them, and this makes flipping between them impractical. You can actually see the email application marking emails read before loading new emails as you wait to see if anything new has arrived. If you flip at a normal pace, you can flip past the screen before it has even loaded new emails.
Widgets: The E6 has added additional support for Widgets, but they aren't particularly effective. To test their functionality, I downloaded several from the Ovi store. The Accuweather takes 4 or 5 seconds to update once you flip to its homescreen (15 seconds after restarting the phone sometimes), and newsfeeds have to be manually updated. While this sounds trivial, this is something that could be easily done in the background. Complaining about 5 seconds sounds silly, but it's very frustrating to spend 15 seconds to check my three homescreens for email, the outside temperature, and my calendar.
Multimedia 10/10
Radio: I have never used the FM radio on any Symbian phone I have owned.
Music Player: A surprisingly good interface, and the 8GB of built-in storage + microSD allow for carrying a nice music collection. As an mp3 player, I'm surprisingly pleased and sound quality seems very good.
Video Player: I think video playback looks really good! The high resolution screen really shines with video playback, and I haven't noticed any playback hiccups. However, I should mention that I'm not one to watch anything longer than a few minutes on my phone.
Streaming Media Nada
The lack of steaming multimedia options isn't Nokia's fault entirely, but it's something worth considering when buying a new phone.
Streaming Netflix: This is becoming a pretty standard feature on other platforms, and it's noticeably absent when the Netflix app only allows you to modify your queue.
Streaming Music: Spotify is supposed to offer some support for Symbian (haven't tried it myself), but all of the other major players including Pandora do not.
Security 9/10
I'm pretty zealous about protecting my laptop and cell phone from data theft even though it's never been a problem for me. When I consider how much of my life and identity is accessible via my mobile devices and email, it makes this an important enterprise class feature.
The E6's support for encrypting the phone, built-in mass storage, and microSD memory is commendable and really stands out. It doesn't take long to activate, and I assume it's pretty effective.
I marked down my security rating because the lock out code is so darn hard to access in the dark with the default backlight setting (you can't see the keyboard at all). This is the third time I am marking off points because the default backlight setting is too dim to see the screen or keyboard backlight.
Bottom Line 6.97/10 => 3/5 (SEE END OF REVIEW FOR UPDATED 2/5)
I loved this phone when I first got it, but aspects have becoming disappointing with more use. In fact, I loved this phone so much in the first few days that I wanted to order another to replace my wife's E63! There were a few little things that were annoying at first, but I was sure they would work themselves out over time. Unfortunately, some of those irritations have become larger problems. The slow interface and asinine email service are by far the worst of any Nokia E-series device I have owned, and it's feeling like the E-series designers jumped ship with the Microsoft takeover looming.
I am giving a 3/5 star rating based on increasing the backlight setting a great deal, but I would have given a 2/5 had this option not been available considering this effects so many aspects of the interface and usability. Overall, my feelings on this phone fluctuate between 2 stars (don't recommend) and 4 stars (recommend with caution), an ambiguity I don't normally feel. On one hand I love the touch/hardware hybrid, new sms interface, security features, tethering, battery life, and media player. On the other hand, I hate the email client, homescreens, notifications, widgets, streaming media, and camera. Though I have stood by the Nokia Symbian platform for years and really wanted to love this phone, I have begun to reconsider my loyalties after owning the underwhelming E6.
UPDATES:
To address concerns of other reviewers concerning the vibrate mode, I put my phone in a custom 'vibrate only' profile. Though I agree that the vibrate is not particularly strong, I have found it to still be reliable. A weak vibrate has pros and cons it's quieter, but it's also easy to miss. Remember that sometimes Symbian requires you to keep an audio ring that's turned all the way down for vibrate to work properly.
I have to tone back my glowing review of the new SMS interface. For each contact, only the last 12 messages are stored in the conversation queue (which translates to only 6 messages each). When "Show Older Messages" is selected, the most recent messages disappear, and dumping messages from new to old occurs automatically even when you're trying to read them. I would expect much better functionality from a phone in this class. I also believe that the SMS interface requires too many presses to navigate from a user interface perspective.
I have noticed that the touch screen doesn't work on hot, humid days. I don't know how this compares to other phones, and I don't understand this defect very well. I have found this problem to be most apparent after removing the phone from my face on humid days outdoors. The touch screen is inaccessible until the phone has sat in air conditioning for a few minutes.
RETURNED:
Deciding whether to keep or return a cell phone is a very personal decision, and it's not one that I can make for anyone else. Based on my demands for an enterprise class phone, the Nokia E6 couldn't hold its own. The irritations became problems, and the problems became deal-breakers. I've ultimately decided that the means don't justify the ends. The E6 fell short of my expectations after owning previous Nokia enterprise phones, but I don't know that I would have been happier if I hadn't relied on the E71 and E72 for several years. To be honest, I think I would have liked the phone even less not knowing the legacy commands, menus, and settings. Last night I ordered a "like new," store returned E72 to replace my E6, and I'm looking forward to sliding it in my pocket.
UPDATED NOTE ON CALL QUALITY:
I have found the call quality of this phone to quickly deteriorate with use. After a month of use, calls are often either disconnected or the other caller could hear me while they sounded as if they were at the end of a long tunnel. Other phones using the same service had no trouble calling from the same location while I was losing calls or had hopeless call quality. The call quality was solid when I first wrote the above review, but use during the final two weeks of my return period showed rapid loss of signal quality.
DUE TO THIS SERIOUS ISSUE, I am lowering my rating of the phone to a 2/5.
I really became tired of toys posing as phones. How many of you are sick of smart phones which fail the basic premise of being a phone? I know I am and that's what brought me back to Nokia. Simply put, Nokia makes the best phones.
There's a myriad of criticisms I could throw at Nokia, more specifically Symbian. But despite it's short comings, it still manages to offer a compelling device in the E6. Any criticisms you read about the E6's email handling are absolutely true. It's rubbish. However, I have found ProfiMail which brings the power of desktop email clients to the mobile platform better than anything else. Its UI is questionable, but it's an excellent email client. I've never seen a client that handles IMAP boxes this well with incredibly fast and accurate searching. So if you're considering the E6 just go ahead and factor in the $24.99 to include ProfiMail in the price.
Beyond that, all I have to say is VoIP. The E6 is a powerful SIP/VoIP device. This along with it's penta-band antennae/tuner make this an invaluable tool for the globe trotters out there. It's kinda painful to set up, but once you do you can have nearly free VoIP international calling in your hands.
The other "amazing" aspect of this device is the battery life. With moderate use I need to charge my phone once every 3 days. Now you can carelessly install/configure software to suck your battery dry, but if you're conservative with the configuration you can have quick access to data intense applications and "amazing" battery life. I say "amazing" because the current standard for smartphones these days seems to be around 12 hours of moderate usage.
Additionally, the bluetooth stack on this device is so much more advanced than anything out there. It's Bluetooth 3.0 and supports these profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, BIP, DUN, FTP, GAP, GAVDP, GOEP, HFP, HSP, OPP, PBAP, SAP, SDP, SPP. It's the only phone I've had that I could get to work with AcuraLink (Acura's in car messaging system). I know some others have mentioned issues with Bluetooth on this device, but my experience has been flawless.
I have had problems with the E6, but they are on par with problems I've had with every single smartphone I've ever used (more than 30 different devices). The software is not perfect. It will occasionally lock up. You will have to reboot the device when this happens. I recommend being judicious with 3rd party software as this seems to be the root of most of those type of woes.
Overall I'm considering purchasing a backup E6 to have when this device is lost/damaged/worn out. That's how much I'm appreciating this phone. I would also like to hedge my bets on Nokia's brain dead corporate direction in moving to the Windows mobile platform (Did the CEO even look at the amazing N9 before canning it?). If you keep your expectations reasonable and really want a smartphone that excels at being a phone, then you really can't go wrong with the E6.So I basically buy a phone a month. Androids, lg's, samsungs, every nokia (except the n8 and n9 no keyboards) and I keep praying that one will be the one. This e6 is it so far, even with the most serious Nokia problem ever.
why? because so many other things have been fixed but not all.
I will try to list all issues with e6 especially as compared to older e72, e63, n97, n97mini, e7, astound (c7)
This e6 does have Anna from factory. Only 8gb of internal mem. SDhc slot. Ultra fast boot up, screen shows main screen in about 10 seconds, tho it does continue to load more in background such as bluetooth and wireless (wifi) connection. Very handy since you will experience random reboots (biggest problem ever! with any nokia!) Reboots happen most often when using the gps and phone is not mounted in a shockproof mount!
Dont mistake the shockproof mount as the quality of the phone is superb as usual for nokia. This phone is by far the most useful phone ever made; especially from nokia.
Main reasons this phone is the most useful:
Speed menus are almost instant!
Change screens -instant!
Email eyecandy is finally tolerable!
menu key is instant!
Stupid bug if you don't properly complete the factory setup questions, gives error everytime you start it complaining it cant find setup wizard which just dissappears quickly.
Best parts of this phone:
FAST
Not windows, not ios, not android!
Has almost all the google software as separate apps like maps and email!! Awesome.
independent browser! Works awesome! (minus the pinch to zoom, which I hate. The volume controls do not operate the zoom-lame.)
More space to hold phone at bottom beneath keyboard!
directional nav key!
No optical thumb dumb thingy as 'new' phones use so no headaches in useability!
Full capacitive touch screen which adds ultimate in efficient and speedy usability!
nearly all touch buttons are intelligently sized and positioned!
Full 3.5g speeds! (10mbs approx!)
Tmobile full support, with free internet programability! No high speed data 'tax' (ie blackberry plan etc)
Yes, I have it on my phoneweb plan for $10!
Awesome nokia browser
very very good email program including full mail for exchange imap support (but only one mail for exchange acct : with speed keys for navigation!
Intelligent contact manager AND calendar fast very efficient and most useful as compared to any 'new' smartphone!
Very intelligent navigation when done in one app such as looking at a calendar event by pressing calendar key inside of contacts, it will take you back to where you were in the contact! AWESOME
very bright dual leds for flash and flashlight.
Full keyboard, but space bar removes some needed keys as it is too wide! E72 keyboard was much better.
Main problems with this phone:
Random reboots when in motion outside of fixed location when driving, biking etc) mainly when using gps/music, but does happen with nothing other than mail for exchange / email on homescreens
CAMERA SUCKS for important pics! IT is fast, but there is NO Auto Focus! the N97 cameras kill this P.o.s.
tight camera lock slide, grinds plastic after several days of constant use.
phone auto locks after phone call is disconnected even if you are in the middle of typing a calendar event/contact etc (retarded)
Phone still beeps annoyingly when other end of call hangs up before you do, I have been told over and over again that this is because of tmobile, um but this is an unlocked phone right ? so where is the setting??? Nokia? Do you ever listen??? No. Cause you are so awesome with your $6 stock price right?
Go Stephan Elop! (nokia ceo)
Bottom line:
Best Business phone EVER. So incredibly sad that I have to plan on it rebooting while driving. Good thing it reboots in 10 seconds, almost fully in 15 seconds! (almost like they knew it has to reboot fast) hahaI recently bought the NOKIA E6 and have to say that its all I wanted from a combination touchscreen and qwerty. The Symbian Anna OS is very responsive and precise, the browser is superb and easy to input URL address, save bookmarks and scroll between open pages. It supports one exchange account and multiple gmail and other services emails, push email is easily enabled in the settings for both exchange and gmail accounts. The keyboard is superb, better than E71, as the buttons are somewhat wider and tactile perception is superb. 8 MP camera pics are great and easy to share to with social networks and by email. Overall I am highly satisfied with this touchscreen qwerty combo in the E71 form.After being a user of Nokia E71, E52 and E72, i was looking for a replacement of my Nokia E72.
This is a good option, since i tested a Motorola Milestone with Android to see if Milestone 2 could be a winner. And it didn't seduce me.
So, i bought this Nokia E6, installed the Lotus Traveler PushMail client, Nokia own client with HTML support, and went to the road. :)
Excellent battery life!
Excellent quality of audio over bluetooth (i have an A2DP car stereo).
Awesome screen quality. Resolution could be challenging at first, but it's great with very good legibility.
The same excellent quality of audio in phone calls, and great signal reception.
The only not so good point is the notification light... It's VERY weak... But, with Remind Me for Symbian i solved the problem.
Regards
Mac
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Sony DSXS200X Digital Media Receiver with iPod Direct Control via USB
- AM/FM radio, MP3/WMA/AAC, USB, iPod receiver with Tune Tray for concealing media players
- 4 x 52 watts maximum power with 4V front, rear, and subwoofer preamp outputs
- Four-line white OEL DOT matrix display shows source, artist, track, playback time, menu, and clock
- Includes front-panel USB port, iPod control; SAT-/HD-radio-ready
- Selectable blue or red key illumination; one-year limited warranty
---UPDATE---
What is the difference between the s200x and s300BTX? Nothing in appearance, or sound. They are the exact same thing except the s300BTX has bluetooth, that is it.
---UPDATE---
Here is my situation (this may similar to yours):
I wanted a new car stereo that:
1.
----Controlled the iPod while bypassing the internal iPod DAC---(Digital Audio Converter)
which, in newer models (basically everything past the iPod Video 5.5g), has an inferior Cirrus chip (much discussed about with loss of quality outputting your media sound files). The s200x has a 24-bit DAC that outputs a life like sound quality (testing with ALAC--apple lossless) that just does this. More on this point: if you want your car stereo to bypass iPod's DAC (a must for any audiophile, or for the absolute best sound quality), then you will have to control the iPod through the stereo itself. Moreover, if you want to use your iPod/iPhone as a controller, you can just insert the USB sync cable into the front of the Sony. However, if you use the latter method, you will no longer be using the DAC bypass, resulting in lower quality audio from the DAC of the iPod/iPhone.
2. Almost as important as #1, and directly ties into above:
----A fairly intuitive navigation of the iPod through the receiver----.
The s200x loads up almost instantaneous (possibly 1 or 2 seconds), and changes tracks even quicker. Actually, it feels quicker using this receiver than it does using the iPod itself. Moreover, you can control everything, and I mean everything, from the remote. This helps because the dial in the middle of this unit is hard to press, and harder to press correctly (meaning, in the absolute middle). It navigates just like the iPod does through its own program. You can also search by Letter, so that you can limit tedious scrolling.
3. Again, as important as the above two:
----The ability to see the display in daylight----
Although sunlight directly on this device does saturate the brightness a bit, it does not enough so that you cannot read the display. More succinctly: when exposed to direct light, the whites are not as white and the blacks are not as deep, however the most important aspect still retains: The Display is readable in daylight.
4.
----Having a fairly sophisticated EQ. ----
Much to the chagrin of Alpine's x305s, this device lets you fine tune your sound environment within your car, without buying two hundred dollars worth of extra equipment, while not being inferior in sound. Yes, the Alpine has the Burr-Brown (name brand) DAC. Will you tell the difference if your sound files are converted, ripped, or compressed well? No.
So while you get nothing from Alpine without extra money when wanting to tailor your sound, the s200x from Sony will let you adjust Time Delay from your speakers (adjusted for the distance you are away from each speaker), the full spectrum of frequencies (low, mid, high), and your speaker's ability to either act as a subwoofer, or not (have 6x9's in your back seat but no independent sub? The s200x will let you turn those speakers into a sub, and a sub only).
5. And finally, not as important, but still a constituent with the s200x:
----Price----
Needless to say, you cannot go wrong with the features, and quality, of the s200x for well under 200$. Alpine's color display? Not much more than a low resolution LCD screen (the navigation and presentation of the s200x is much more fluid and appropriate).
What is more is that the 'iPod Tray' that I am sure you have read about, is a must, and a new standard. It is as ingenious as it is innovative. In light of the plethora of hanging 'USB' cables plaguing many a car, the Sony is like going completely wireless.
Oh, if you have not already figured it out by now this DOES NOT comes with a CD player. Hence the 'Digital Media Receiver' title. However, with the iPod tray, your Media Player takes it seat appropriately where a CD player would have went. Needless to say, you have never had a CD player that could play, or have access to, in less than a second, 20,000 lossless quality music files.
As I was looking around at every available receiver on the market, each one had a downside. Alpine did not offer anything to adjust the sound (except if you...ya know), Kenwood's controls were awful (which was the receiver I was replacing), and Pioneer did not offer a 24bit DAC and/or navigation was sluggish. With all of those features lacking in every other device, I, in a moment of serendipity, happened to discover the s200x.
What will your receive with the Sony S200x? Exactly what you want, and nothing less.
Buy Sony DSXS200X Digital Media Receiver with iPod Direct Control via USB Now
Just got this unit installed, replacing a JVC KD-HDR1 receiver in my '03 Sentra. I have stock speakers and subwoofer as well as an additional amp and set of subs connected to the sub out of the unit. Here are my initial impressions:Beep sound is very loud, and there doesn't appear to be a volume control for it. At least there's an option to turn it off, which is what I had to do. I'd like to have some audio feedback, but if it has to be that loud then I don't need it.
I hear static from my speakers, whether it's playing from an FM station or my iPhone. I would have at least expected the iPhone to be virtually static-free, but the amp in this unit seems to be rather noisy. On certain FM stations I also hear pops and clicks through my tweeters which are mostly noticable when the unit volume is very low. At this point they are much louder than the music itself. I thought I might have a bad connection, so I reconnected my JVC unit for a minute (using the same wiring harness) and there was no static or popping and clicking at low volume.
The dimmer signal isn't dimming the display. It worked on my JVC with the same harness, so not sure why it's not working on the Sony. They both appear to use the same pin for the dimmer connection.
You can't leave an iPhone's cell service on when putting it in the unit, unless you want to hear the GSM 'tones' that you hear when you put a GSM cellphone near any stereo receiver's amplifier. The phone has to be in 'airplane mode' in order to not be annoyed by it the whole time. Not a huge deal for me as I have an extra iPod Nano that I'll put in the unit instead, or maybe just get a cheap USB memory stick so if it gets fried I won't care.
There are at least 3 different places in the documentation they warn you not to leave a device in the unit and to disconnect the device before powering the unit back on. This is annoying since I mainly want to just keep a device inside it connected and remove it sometimes to update the songs on it. Seems like in particular they have the most issues with USB drives getting erased since they also mention making sure the data on the USB drive is backed up when using it with this receiver.
Menu system is reasonable, if you can figure out what does what. You HAVE to read the manual to know what some menu options mean, or even how to get to them. Maybe it's more intuitive if you came from a Sony receiver, but at least for me it'a s learning experience.
I'll have to play with browsing a songlist a bit more to get a feel for it. At least one of the modes didn't appear to be populating the list well (I think maybe by Artist mode had a lot of blanks for artists). This could be because not all my music came directly from iTunes and maybe some of the ID3 info isn't filled out.
Overall I'm not quite impressed yet. I'm going to be contacting Sony about the noisy output of the device as well as the dimmer not working.
Read Best Reviews of Sony DSXS200X Digital Media Receiver with iPod Direct Control via USB Here
I'm sure auto car stereo makers are asking, "Why didn't we think of that?" The biggest advantage is not having to plug and unplug a flash drive. Also not having a flash stick sticking out like a sore thumb. In addition, you can leave it inside the unit. That means last position, etc should be saved when you get back in the car. I don't plan on buying a Ipod anytime soon but it's yet another clever option.It's a bold move to get rid of the standard Cd player but when I thought about how often I've grabbed on of my 500 CDs (which hasn't been very often), it makes sense. It's not that big of a hassle to rip the CD into folder files. I've bee burning CDRWs for the past 10 years and building of a few CD cases of songs under the seat. NO MORE! 45 Mp3 CDs which are 700MB each is equal to 1 32GB flash stick!
The only this I wish it had is built-in HD radio. Why on earth Sony didn't put HD in even the top of the line DSX model is beyond me.
Although the face is detachable, it's not the usual flat face but rather a somewhat big slot in the middle. If a thief knows about these models and what may be in the slot, it defeats the whole idea behind the detachable face concept. Let's hope they aren't that desperate or that smart.
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I bought this sterio for the soul purpose of getting rid of the the CD player and got a whole lot more! I have had this Sony player for 3 months now, and still find new things about it. The quality is what I expected with the Sony Brandhigh. This player blows my old Pioneer deck outta the water. Not only is it easy to use, it makes my speakers sound better than ever. I bought a 16GB USB and dragged all my itunes library over to it. Now I don't have to be paranoid about someone stealing my ipod, only a $30 USB drive. It is so easy to navigate through the songs with the knob dial. Its nice to have it Ipod ready incase I need a quick recharge on my ipod or iphone. Highly recommended. No regrets.
Sony ICF-CD815 AM/FM Stereo CD Clock Radio with Dual Alarm
- CD player with CD-R/RW playback and analog AM/FM tuner
- Audio line-in for MP3 players with included cable
- Large easy-to-read 1.4" green LED
- Dual alarm with extendable snooze
- Easy-to-use large buttons
Buy Sony ICF-CD815 AM/FM Stereo CD Clock Radio with Dual Alarm Now
I read the positive reviews on this Sony so I thought I would buy it for my 18 year old daughter who is going off to college in about a month. While this Sony does sound good and has a decent alarm, CD player, and MP3 input, the radio is not only analog, but the dial is off to the side is very tiny. It also has no battery backup!!! If listening to the radio and tuning in stations is not important to you I say go ahead and buy this clock radio. I expected that the radio part of this clock radio would have been much easier to both see and use for the price.Read Best Reviews of Sony ICF-CD815 AM/FM Stereo CD Clock Radio with Dual Alarm Here
This product has really been a great asset to my bedroom. The controls are easy to use and I can receive most of my favorite radio stations. This clock/radio/cd player allows you to select specific tracks and setting the alarm is very simple. You can wake up to your favorite track, radio station, or the buzzer. The only thing I may not like about this product is the fact that the buzzer has a low pitch sound, but it increases in intervals. Specifically, the alarm sounds in five seconds and then gradually goes to three, and finally every second. The product also allows you to adjust the brightness of the clock in three settings. Overall, I'm happy with this product.Want Sony ICF-CD815 AM/FM Stereo CD Clock Radio with Dual Alarm Discount?
The cd player skips at the least bump or vibration, it's much larger that it looks in the picture, much larger than it needs to be and the multifunction switches are trouble. And last but certainly not least, Sony has set a new low in alarm clock technology...where every other manufacturer in the world has a battery backup in case of a power outage...the Sony Dream Machine does not! I guess they figure if there is a blip in the power you should just go on "Dreaming". Oh and by the way, make sure you have the instruction manual handy, once the power goes back on you'll need it to go through the process of resetting everything. If you're looking for a really good and less expensive radio/cd player alarm, check out the RCA RP5600.Save 3% Off
I actually bought this at a flea market for a much lower cost for a quick clock to put in the daycare I was working at at the time. Wow... The sound was good & I was able to play sleep time music for the kids at nap time. I have since brought this clock radio home & have been using it to wake up with. I love that it has dual alarms so that I can set mine to wake me when I need to get up & my husband has his time to get up. The only downfall on that is I like to wake with music or radio but my hubby needs a loud alarm feature so I have to change it after I get up but other than that this is a very nice clock radio. I love that the snooze button is large enough so I won't hit the wrong button and turn it off instead. This alarm clock is very easy to set & I would recommend it for anyone.
LG KP500 Cookie Unlocked Phone with 3.2 MP Camera and Digital Media Player--International Version wi
I travel frequently back to the UK so this phone works great for me. It is quad-band and GSM phone which means it has a removable sim card that I can use a pay as you go sim card when I go back to the UK, and then switch it back while back in the US. Unfortunately your limited to AT&T or T-Mobile in the US as the other carriers don't use GSM phones, not sure why?. The phone itself which I bought in the UK has an adapter for 110/220v for charging in other countries which is a nice touch from LG (I once fried a US adapter by plugging it into a UK socket, duh!). It comes with a screen protector and the casing feels nice and not too cheap. The touch screen itself is bright and easy to navigate and the inclusion of a stylus that fits in the base of the phone makes it very handy when texting. The phone houses a slot for a micro SD card up to 8gb, which is ample for mp3's and photo's or video's. I don't like that you have to use the supplied headphones in order to listen to music as they aren't that good and would have preferred the ability to use third party phones.Camera quality isn't that great, but like most phone cameras the quality is grainy, I only use it rarely as I have a good quality digital camera for that. Overall it's a great little phone that is considerably cheaper and less bulkier than the i phone. And if you need accessories then eBay is the place to go, I picked up a great leather case that fits perfectly, and a car charger. I have had the phone now for 7 months and am pleased with it so far.
Update: I recently flashed the phones firmware to the latest version which is V10n and the phone is so much better.
The touch screen works a lot better than before and the slide bar can now be used without having to press hard.
The firmware install is a little tricky and can only be done on a windows operating system, but is well worth the time as the phone's performance is so much better. Do a search for KP 500 firmware v10n update.
great design not big and bulky like the iphone, its easier to handle when you are speaking.
The only downside is that you need to push a litte hard sometimes in order to move things or activate things, i dont know if it is only my case or thats the way the is. I own it now for three weeks and im loving it, and the touchscreen is getting more responsive over time.
The phone has a lot of features but at least im gonna mention the ones I like the most.
favorite contacts screen
it remembers the number you dial or the ones that call you, so it suggests every time you start dialing.
nice camera
widgets
grat music player
up to 8gb micro sd
Nice phone I highly recommend it.This is a very nice phone with great features. It has a rubbery feel to it (doesn't scratch easy) and a beautiful screen. However, if you buy it unlocked for U.S. use, the MMS (picture, mp3 messages) will not work! I was surprised. Everything else works though, even text messages. I talked to AT&T to try to make it work, but after an hour on the phone they said it cannot be done because this unlocked phone is not available in the U.S. Therefore not all features will work. But if you can live without MMS, this phone is awesome.
Pros: Clear and bright screen even in direct sunlight, Build quality, Features, Customizable, Built in stylus, Micro SD slot up to 8Gb
Cons: Camera (no auto focus, no flash), small qwerty keyboard, FM radio cant be played without headset attached.UPDATE 3-12-2013 Still have this phone at 3 years and it still works great!
To start with, I've had this just one week so far & for basic/casual use only. Will not use it for the 'net & haven't tried the camera yet. Edit 4/15 I like the camera, it works great & pics are clear, with fun editing options. With that said, I absolutely love this phone! It has the functions I was looking for and more. It has many features all explained in detail in the thick booklet it comes with...thanks to LG...I suggest reading it thoroughly with phone in hand to check it all out. It has lots of -helpful tips& many features with detailed information.
It came with a charger for 100-240v and an adapter that fits well. It's all you need to charge in the US or in other countries. More accessories are included but I suggest -nottrying the screen protector they added separately since it has residue AND it's a bit thick which would make the touch screen less responsive. Also ---> the phone already has a screen protector on it when you take it out the box (the right kind of protector for touch screen), so if you look closely you can tell it's there and no need to remove or replace it. Just wipe clean when needed.
This phone looks a lot nicer then it appears in the pic shown. It has good quality hardware and easy to hold on to, not slippery. The touch screen looks really nice & is very responsive & brings up the menu or whatever you need quickly. Mine does anyway, and there are settings for every thing (I do mean every thing) so you can adjust to your preference. Easy, intuitive, & has many features that make it so nice and capable of doing a lot.
Edit (4-11-10) -Someone else reviewed saying they could only listen to music with the headphones, but... that's if you start from the widget. If you access your music from the entertainment section instead, you can play it loud and clear w/o the headphones & the info as well as cover art appears on the screen. :)
The side scroll bar takes some getting use to but it works well after practicing a bit. Edit 4/15 sliding the bar from fingernail works better. The backlights longest time for inactivity is 60 seconds, but you can just press the on/off button once and it will be back on & in the same screen/function you were using. That's all minor stuff imo. I got more then I expected for the current price and with a year warranty from cell concepts (ordering directly from Amazon), it is a great deal in my opinion.
I use T-Mobile and pay as you go service. I find this phone to be reliable & -nota cheap quality cell that the phone companies offer w/o a contract. An unlocked 'non-branded' phone is much better then a phone directly from the phone companies & retail stores. What I mean by non-branded is, for example, AT&Ts name is not on the hardware, only the manufacturer...like LG is on this phone. I have had an LG flip phone for the past 6 years & it still works, I just wanted to try a newer more functional phone and this one is very nice.I have been looking for a new phone for the last year, since my old T-Mobile Blast was becoming outdated. So, when I took a trip to Germany and found the LG KP500 there, I was quite curious. I looked up reviews here on Amazon, and after some consideration, bought the phone from a German electronics retailer... And I am sure glad that I did!
Let's get started with the Pros and the Cons of this phone.
PROS:
-Unlocked, Quadband World Phone.
-Inexpensive. I bought the phone for 89, which is comparable to the price here on Amazon.
-Good Quality. Although the phone is small and made of plastic, it has an extremely durable feel.
-Signal Quality. I normally have no signal with T-Mobile's To-Go plan in my house, but I usually have at least 3 bars with this phone. By comparison, my last three phones constantly lost signal in my house.
-Great features. Many features, including a Movie editor, 3MP Camera, Music Player, Video Recorder, Games, Accelerometer, and drawing pad.
-Stylus. Not really necessary, but it really helps with texting and making notes.
-Multiple Apps and Task Manager. You can run more than one app at a time, like Music Player and Camera
-Widgets. On the home page, there is a selection of widgets to choose from. These include: Music Player, World Clock, Clock, Calender, FM Radio, and Notepad.
-Speed Dial Widgets. With a swipe of the finger, the home page changes to a speed dial home page with up to 10 contacts and images.
-Downloadable Apps and Games. The phone is Java based, so you can download .JAR apps from a number of sites to transfer to the phone.
-Expandable Memory via microSD slot (Up to 8gb)
CONS:
-The interface, while very sleek and refined, can become slow due to multiple apps running at once.
-Texting in QWERTY format is a bet annoying at first, due to the small keyboard. But after a while, you get used to it.
My recommendation: If you are looking for a new, unlocked phone at a cheap price, the LG KP500 is for you.
NOTE: I own the silver version of this phone, which doesn't have the rubbery texture.
UPDATE 10/2010-
The phone is still working great. I actually received an update from T-Mobile to allow MMS messaging and internet web-browsing, so the phone is actually better now than it was 6 months ago! Plus, after accidentally dropping it face first into concrete, it still works with no scratches! So that is another plus!
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Disney Toy Story Alarm Clock Radio - TS380ACR
- To infinity and beyond! Wake up your little spaceman with this adorable Toy Store Alarm Clock Radio. Featuring an LCD Display for clock with backlight, single alarm with snooze function, wake to buzzer or radio functionality and analog AM/FM radio your little one will get up and get going in a flash. Also features an FM antenna, AM built-in ferrite bar antenna and rotary volume control.
Boss Audio Systems 870DBI Multimedia Receivers
- USB and SD memory card prot
- Compatible with audio output of iPod and other MP3 players
- Subwoofer output
- wireless remote control
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nice player good price the only thing about this player that didnt like is the bluetooth is kinda weak but over all a good buyRead Best Reviews of Boss Audio Systems 870DBI Multimedia Receivers Here
This device can play only 999 songs from the usb or sd card you put in it. This is very unexpected from a device that exhibits such number of good features. I realized of this problem until I got it installed, should they mention this detail in the specs on Amazon or Boss web site and I wouldn't have purchased it.Want Boss Audio Systems 870DBI Multimedia Receivers Discount?
The only thing I don't like is the time want stay and when I try to hook my bluetooth on it, I have to reconnect it everytime.