RCA RS2696i CD Audio System with Dock for iPod

• Sound system with iPod dock, CD player, audio line-in, and digital AM/FM radio
• 100W total power - full range speakers
• Universal dock for iPod - plays and charges iPod while docked
• Clock/Timer function ? wake to Radio, CD, or iPod
• Backlit display - blue LCD

I have had this system for a month now and I think it's great. I purchased a Sony ModelHCB-BX201 system a little over a year ago,which cost 40$ more than this RCA & the Sony is no where near as good in my opinion. If I have flourescent lights on I get static & interference with the Sony but not with the RCA I also have under the cabinet lights which creates a buzzing sound on the Sony but not the RCA.When I first set the Rca up my wife was in another room & she remarked how much better the Rca sounded than the Sony. All of this was done in the same place & room,so it was an apples to apples comparison. I took the Sony & put out in the garage where it won't be used as often.Both systems were purchased from Amazon, of which I have no complaints with, they only sell the product, they don't make it. I would definitely recommend the RCA. I have an RCA tv which I purchased in 1995 & it still has a great picture & knock on wood I have not spent a penny on repairs since I bought it.

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I looked all over... but stopped looking when I found this because it was the ONLY unit on the market that gave me all of the features that I wanted and at a great price. I was NOT disappointed.

100W is plenty to power a party in the average size living room/kitchen area. The sound is clear and reasonably true (not tinny or boxy or like listening to a car radio). The notes in all ranges come across well. Also: It has a good remote control that works at a fair distance, the iPod plays and charges while docked, the clock has a timer function & wake to Radio, CD, or iPod. Tne unit also has 5 equalizer settings for different types of music.

The iPod dock works extremely well and this unit also has an input jack in case you have some other type of MP3 player or want to use another external source. It also has a headphone jack; which is great for use in a bedroom, dorm room or home office. Don't be fooled by the picture that makes it look like your iPod will sit in front of the control knob. That is actually a rocker switch and easily accessed with the iPod in place.

Sound is equally great from the iPod dock, CD player, audio line-in, and digital AM/FM radio. The unit comes with an AM loop antenna (for anyone who still listens to AM) and an FM antenna (a long wire). This unit is pretty good at tuning in and holding weaker FM stations in my area.

So, are there any cons? Well, yes. The blue LCD screen, which is your clock, is hard to read from an angle and the backlight that activates when the power comes on makes the display harder to read, not easier. The speaker wires are small gauge and look like they could break if the unit was knocked off the shelf (that's just my perception, not a fact). It would have been nice if the buttons were illuminated; they are a little hard to see if the unit is placed in a dark corner. My son overcomes that problem by using the remote control that comes with it instead of the buttons on the unit itself. Some may think the remote control, which is barely larger than a credit card, to be too small (easy to misplace) although the buttons are good sized and work well. Despite the 5 preset equalizer selections, the unit is a little heavier on the bass than other units on the market. Still, I'm a mid-range guy but the bass level doesn't bother me.

The unit case is made of heavy plastic and it feels solid, not cheap. I cannot speak to duribility yet because I have only had the unit a month... but so far so good.

As to the other reviews for this unit here on Amazon... The guy who did the one star review must have been reviewing the wrong model. His complaints were: it's not powerful (but it is), it has no audio input jack (which it does), and the bass was weak (the bass is a little excessive). The guys who made the 2 and 3 star reviews had no complaints about the unit so I don't understand their ratings. Okay, complete audiophiles may want to spend hundreds more for specific performance and are willing to berate this model, but for the rest of the world, this is the one to buy.

The bottom line is that I checked out several similar units and the only one that beat out this one in my opinion (more even sound balance across tthe entire treble/base spectrum) would have cost me 4 times what I paid for this one. All of the cons that I have listed here together might drop my rating to 4-3/4 stars if that were possible, but 5 stars is fine with me. That pretty much says it. I'd buy this again and I recommend it to you.

I bought this through Amazon.com because I found the best price there.

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I bought this for my mother after spending some time researching shelf systems that have (1) a radio, (2) a CD player, and (3) an auxiliary input. Both of us were blown away by the quality of the sound. It's rich and crisp, with a surprising amount of bass. Think it isn't powerful enough? Then I suggest having your hearing checked, because this system easily fills the entire 2 bedroom w/basement house by a wide margin. It's probably capable of filling most houses. There are several EQ presets that are probably more than enough customization for the vast majority of people. I don't think there is too much bass as another reviewer mentioned, and I don't like an excessive amount. The styling is nice and the compact remote is a nice feature. The headphone jack is appreciated. The only improvements I can think of are a customizable EQ and a method of latching the speakers to the main unit for easier portability, but those are both nearly negligible. In a market that seems to have shrinked considerably this is a welcome product. Now if only something like it was still made in the USA.

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Radio system has plenty of sound for the price fills my whole condo if turned up. Speaker wires aren't as good as expected. Wish buttons were alittle bigger or illuminated. Use this in bedroom at nite with headphones so won't wake others.

For the money it is a great product so far.(2 months)

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This system is loud in a small room, but its not what I would consider "powerful" by any means.

CD player has been decent, but some CDs that are made on a computer skip from time to time.

Ipod doc would not work with iphone 4...I'm assuming a basic ipod would work which is a nice feature.

The remote is small but works from a good distance away.

Radio is decent depending on the channel.

Overall it's a decent product, it doesn't feel very sturdy, but for the price, it's what I expected. For a little more money, you probably get a lot more stereo.