- Digital AM/FM clock radio with green LCD display
- Graduwake ramp-up alarm
- Time-hold capacitor
- Memory for 10 preset stations
- 1-year limited warranty covers defects in materials or workmanship
Showing posts with label cd clock radios. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cd clock radios. Show all posts
RCA RP3721 Dual Alarm Clock Radio
Emerson Radio CKW2000 Dual Alarm Clock Radio with NOAA/Same Weather Alert System (Black)
- AM/FM radio with NOAA weather alert system
- S.A.M.E. (Specific Area Message Encoding) technology
- Digital-tuning AM/FM radio; rotary volume control; pushbutton electronic up/down tuning controls
- Sure-Alarm Battery Backup System maintains alarm settings during power interruption (requires 9-volt battery)
- Graduated buzzer alarm starts softly and gradually gets louder
Anyway, we LOVE our All-Alert clock radio. With the severe weather we've had this summer in Iowa, we wanted to be sure that something would wake us up in a tornado warning to take the kids downstairs. This has done that twice... which is well worth the money I spent. Once, I was watching our local weather newscast (severe weather was in counties west of us and was headed our way) and the meteorologist's weather alert "buzzer" in his weather room went off at the EXACT same time as this All-Alert radio, so I know that we are getting severe weather alerts when the meteorologists are.
This is a great device and potential life-saver. It's constantly out of stock at our local Super Target and it's a high-reorder item there. I like that it is a combined alarm clock it simply replaced our existing bedroom alarm clock without adding another electronic device/cords to the bedroom. I'd definitely buy it again!!
Buy Emerson Radio CKW2000 Dual Alarm Clock Radio with NOAA/Same Weather Alert System (Black) Now
This radio arrived poorly packaged, which probably had something to do with the fact that the LCD display did not function properly. Some of the fields did not display at all, and the ones that did were not that easy to view. Viewing angle is critical for this display, and if you are looking at the display on the same level, the display is not clear. If you are looking downward at the display, you can see it much better. Unfortunately, if you put this on your nightstand, you're probably looking straight at the clock which means a poor display. I returned this clock radio and got the MIDLAND WR300 Weather Radio for $45 and I was very pleased with the upgrade. I am glad I didn't get stuck with this radio, and for a few dollars more the Midland is a much better value.Received my radio a promised. Takes about 5 min to set up, and that includes the call to NOAA to get your local area weather code. Very easy and intuitive set up. Very well thought out design, user friendly. I was suprised that it has an extendable antenea (but it also comes with a small wire antenea for those who prefer). AM reception is decent, FM is OK. Sound quality is well...kinda what you'd expect from a clock radio.. Then again, I realized I wasn't buying a stereo.. I think this will serve it early warning purpose well and I am happy with the product. I recommend and am considering buying several of these for Holiday gifts for my loved ones...I bought this radio from Target for under $30! Easy to program and the alerts are timely indeed! Only problem...can't find replacement power cord. My cat chewed the original one and the batteries don't last long. Othewise, the radio's a valuable asset.Save 33% Off
S/N 70802840PH.There's currently a Tornado Watch issued in my county (019163), but the WATCH indicator light on my radio display is not working. I changed the setting from SINGLE COUNTY to ALL COUNTIES, and still nothing. Everything else works fine. Not sure if my unit is defective, or if I'm doing something wrong. Sent a note to Emerson's online 'help' page. Giving them 2 days to advise before I take the unit back to the store (Target).
Coby CRA58BLK Digital AM/FM Alarm/Clock Radio, Black
- large LED display
- sensitive AM/FM tuner
- alarm clock with sleep/snooze timers, wake to music or buzzer
- battery backup with 9V battery
You won't be able to receive many stations you can get on most radios. The tuner dial is very inaccurate. Stations overrun each other. You can hardly see the time in daylight because it is so dim. You can't see the tuner dot unless bright light is shining at it.
Let's see... could this item be worse? No, and it will cost you way too much to return it. Take the money and just burn it instead of buying this clock radio.
Buy Coby CRA58BLK Digital AM/FM Alarm/Clock Radio, Black Now
I bought this clock because I wanted something small and cheap. I was surprised with the fact the quality is pretty decent for the price range. No significant cons, I would buy it again.Read Best Reviews of Coby CRA58BLK Digital AM/FM Alarm/Clock Radio, Black Here
I bought this product because it was way down in cost at 8.50 or something, and it had 2 separate alarms on it. I concede that it works, the radio is useless of course. The 2 alarms work, but I have to set my alarms for many different times and I have to go through clicking 4 different keys to set the alarm, it is a real pain. Unless you are going to want the alarm going off at the same time every day and don't care about the radio, this thing is a real pain to use, I found myself back using the one easy to click alarm with buttons for both hour and minute and resetting it twice, rather than fumble with this thing and all its buttons. I am still in the market for a second alarm clock. This thing is going into storage.
RCA PCHSTA1R Home Charging Station with Device Cradle and USB Plugs for All Electronics
- Home charging station holds up to two portable devices while they charge
- Organizes charging cables with built-in cord wrap
- Three traditional AC outlets and two USB ports for charging
- 1.0 A at 5.0 V specifications safe for iPod and iPhone
- Holds portable devices such as iPhone, Blackberry, iPod, Nintendo DS, Game-Boy, and small digital cameras while they charge
Buy RCA PCHSTA1R Home Charging Station with Device Cradle and USB Plugs for All Electronics Now
This thing is great. You get 2 charging ports, it has 4 plugs so you can still plug stuff in and a cord wrap with a place to stick your phone. If I had to pick a negative, it would be that its rather large but if it weren't you wouldn't have anywhere to put your phone.With this charging station in the kitchen on the counter we can plug in the phone, iPad, e reader , and you can plug in 4 items and 2 USB items, so you have 6 charging stations in one place. You can even rest your iPhone on the top to get it out of the way.This device allows us to charge multiple iphones, Kindles and other electronics without having to take up every outlet in our kitchen area. This was a good purchase.Save 43% Off
This was a better option than getting wall outlets that had USB in them. Works like a gem but at times I wasnt able to charge my iPad with my android at the same time. you would have to disconnect it and plug it back in. But other than that it works
Samsung Exhibit 4G Android Phone, Black (T-Mobile)
I got this 3 weeks ago on contract from T-Mobile for $80 with rebate. I had looked at the other premium Android-powered smartphones they had (LG G2X, Samsung Galaxy/Vibrant 4G, HTC Sensation, My Touch 4G, Sidekick 4G), but their prices turned me away to the Exhibit 4G.Here's the run-down on the Exhibit 4G...
This is my 3rd Samsung handset and like the others it is high-quality and loaded with features. It's compact for a smartphone just 4.6 in. tall, 2.2 in. wide, and .5 in. thick, and lightweight at 125 grams. It's made almost entirely of plastic, but that's not all bad because it has great heft, and is easy to hold thanks to a soft-touch coating on the battery cover and part of the front and sides.
Hardware-wise the Exhibit packs some features found on high-end devices. The 3.5 inch, 16 million color support 480x800 LCD capacitive touchscreen looks great and has very high pixel density. The resolution and color reproduction and saturation is very good for an LCD unit, I'd say on-par with the HTC Sensation's S-LCD display. Pictures, graphics, and videos look great. Granted, it can't go blow-for-blow with the Super AMOLED displays, but for the price you'd be hard-pressed to find a better one. It is also very sensitive and responsive to inputs.
The Exhibit has a 1 GHz ARM-A8 Cortex Hummingbird processor, 512mb of RAM, and 1 GB internal storage, expandable to 32GB by a MicroSD card. There's also b/g/n WiFi, multi-touch input, an accelerometer for UI autorotate, gyroscopic sensor, and compass, proximity sensor to lock the display, and an ambient-light sensor to adjust display brightness.
There are only three physical hardware buttons and they are responsive and sturdy. The up-down volume rocker on the left side, a power/lock/unlock button on the right, and a large home button on the front. Interestingly, unlike other Android phones there are just three capacitive Android keys for menu, back, and search under the screen. Another plus is that the memory and SIM card are both accessible through a spring-loaded slots. The SD card is on the left side, and the SIM is just under the battery cover, so you don't need to remove the battery to access them. Way to go Samsung!
The software feature set is also impressive for a sub-$100 smartphone. Thankfully, the Exhibit isn't loaded down with bloatware like some other handsets. You do get exclusive T-Mobile software like AppPack, T-Mobile Mall (to browse and buy T-Mobile apps), Highlight, Name ID (costs $3.99 a month), T-Mobile TV (to watch popular TV shows), and Quix Video Chat. You also get the preloaded Google Apps like Maps with Navigation, Places, Search, and other Apps like Slacker Radio, TeleNav GPS, navigation,The Exhibit is feature packed, almost bursting at the seams when it comes to software.
It runs "Gingerbread" Android 2.3.3 with Samsung's Touchwhiz interface, which is a good one. It's easy to use and I got the hang of it pretty quickly. It's well-laid out and arranged so all the functions, menus, and "Widgets" are easy to find and use. Thankfully Samsung didn't choke out and destroy the stock Android OS, so it's customizable as well.
The small-for-a-smartphone screen does make typing on the portrait keyboard a little difficult. I have ham hands and it took me a while to get used to it. the landscape keyboard is a different story though with large keys. You do get Swype input functionality though, which is useful. There is also voice text input which works pretty good!
I really like the organizer, plus you can sync your calendar and event notifications to other Android-powered phones and Gmail accounts as well as share media and files (you can't share ones you had to buy) through the AllShare app. As a plus, T-Mobile lets you allow the installation of virtually every 3rd party App on the Market.
One area you can tell Samsung cut corners to keep costs down is in the Exhibit's camera. You don't get a 5 or 8 MP camera, and you can't shoot 720P or 1080 HD video from the Exhibit. You're stuck with a 3.2 MP (2040x1536) camera and D1 (720x480) video recording, which isn't too bad. Pictures in daylight come out good. Colors are a bit soft and you don't get nearly as many details as with a 5+ MP unit, but they are good enough to print. Low light photos suffer from lots noise which destroys pretty much all fine detail, but thankfully the LED flash is very powerful, illuminating out to 10 feet, so you can take some servicable images. Thre's a front-facing camera for video calling or photos as well.
The flash is also a video light, so videos are also servicable, but only out to about 5 feet. Like all of the Samsung devices I've used, you get a good camera interface with 13 scene modes(candle light, WDR backlight, firework, text, sports, etc.), 3 shooting modes (single, panorama, burst), exposure metering, negative, monocolor, and sepia mode, image quality, adjustable color balance and saturation, exposure value, contrast, and sharpness. Most all of those are also found in the camcorder interface as well.
There's no physical camera shutter button (like most Android phones, touch to focus and shoot), or digital zoom, and the shooting performance really needs improvement. It takes about 3-4 seconds to acquire focus and shap the picture, and I've noticed that shot-to-shot times are a bit slow, so don't count on it to get fast follow-up shots. But remember this cost $80.
The Touchwiz media player is very good and easy to use. There are 9 settings (one customizable) for equalizer, visualization, effects, and file management. Sound quality with media and calling were pretty good. It does what a phone is supposed to do and does it well with good voice quality and clarity. The earpiece and speakerphone could be more powerful though. I have to turn the volume up high to hear callers over the speaker even indoors. Although it's adequate, the media volume could also use some improvement as I had to turn up the volume when listening to a video or song. Plug in the headphones and it's a different story. I enjoyed the sound quality and loudness.
Web browsing is very good. The Exhibit supports both 3G and HSPA+ 4G connectivity which is a theoretical 21 mbps, but I only saw 6 down and 2 up using Speed Test app running on the network with good signal strength, and about the same on WiFi. It has full Flash support as well, but sometimes pages with lots of Flash content load slow and even stall. To avoid this, you can set the Flash setting to on demand.
Battery life is great. You get a 1500 mah. Li-ion battery that gave me about 3 days with moderate use before it beeped at me. Heavy calling, camera/camcorder flash use, Web browsing, and media player useage will quickly drain the battery, but you'll still get a day and a half out of it which is impressive.
So there's the major stuff.
Pros:
Ridiculously low on-contract price
Samsung's Touchwiz interface is customizable and easy to use
High quality construction and good feel
Impressive handware and software feature set
Camera flash/video light
Android 2.3
Adjustable camera settings
Good display
No need to remove battery to access MicroSD and SIM card
4G support
Competent Web browsing
Good call clarity
Good battery life
Front-facing camera
1 Ghz processor
Cons
Smallish screen makes using portrait keyboard difficult
3.2 MP camera and subpar D1 video
Poor shooting performance
No digital zoom
No AMOLED display
No physical shutter button
Web browsing could be better
Wished it had Dolby's DNse 5.1 audio enhancement feature
Speaker phone, earpiece, and media volume could be louder
I am being a little picky here, but for $80, you can't beat it. If you want a high-end phone but don't have or want to shell out $200 or more, take a look at the Exhibit. You will find most of the premium features for a very un-premium bottom shelf price. I was sold and after living with it for a few weeks, I am glad I chose the Exhibit.
Buy Samsung Exhibit 4G Android Phone, Black (T-Mobile) Now
I just purchased my phone and I just have to say that I love it! I've been a Blackberry user for quite sometime, however my Blackberry was starting to fizzle out with me. My text messages were being deleted BEFORE I could read them and several other problems. This phone is just the right size for me. I'm still tinkering with it to get it to my specifications but I have time, no rush. As long as I can call out and hang up when necessary, I'm good. The web is pretty fast which is great asset. I'm not really big on tech speak but I recommend this phone for the look, the size and especially the price!Read Best Reviews of Samsung Exhibit 4G Android Phone, Black (T-Mobile) Here
I'm old fashioned and the primary function of a phone for me is for making voice calls. Smart phone functions like having a calendar, calculator and camera are nice extras and being able to check email and do web searches and check weather updates is nice too. But it all has to start with good call quality and that's where the Exhibit really shines. Another plus is that the battery life is very good if your primary use is as a voice phone, just keep wifi turned off when you don't need it. I actually bought a used Exhibit on eBay to keep as an extra phone but the call quality was so much better than my HTC HD7 that I'm using it all the time. I have to say that I prefer the Windows Phone 7 os much better than Android, but Gingerbread is more stable and usable than earlier versions of Android. For a relatively inexpensive smart phone the Exhibit is a keeper.Want Samsung Exhibit 4G Android Phone, Black (T-Mobile) Discount?
As a full-featured Android touch-screen smartphone, I was impressed with the features. Fast web browsing, good quality photos and videos, the ability to upload attachments at will, voice operated text, a million apps to choose from and all for a really low price with contract.I wanted this to be everything, but it still falls short. I've had it about six months now, and it freezes fairly often, which is nothing short of frustrating. The battery has half the life it once did. (I suspect the tethering feature killed it don't forget to turn it off when you're finished using it!) The touch screen keyboard is annoying and awkward, but I suspect it's no worse than most other Android phones. The camera, I realize now, isn't THAT good it has no zoom capability, and captures low light/shadows terribly. More significantly, all the pictures have a subtle fish-eye lens tendency to them, which makes none of them actually accurate! (It also makes your face look too big!) That's probably the single most annoying characteristic of this phone, next to the system freezing of course.
So, judge for yourself I guess. I chose it as the best compromise between ratings, price, and radiation level. I'm sure you have different options now.
Benchmark - DAC-1 -HDR - Preamplifier / DAC / Headphone Amp BLACK
- IR remote control with adjustable 'Dim'and 'Soft-Mute'High-Dynamic Range Volume Control with custom-built, motor-driven Alps volume potSix Stereo Inputs: Analog RCA, USB,TOSLINK optical, and three digital coaxialUtilizes 24-bit, 192-kHz DAC1 D/A conversion systemBenchmark's phase-accurate UltraLock technology provides total jitter immunityAdvancedUSB computer audio interface for native 24-bit / 96-kHz USB audioCompatible with Windows Vista/XP/2000 and Mac OS X without driver installationState-of
After subscribing to Stereophile for decades I have noticed a recent trend that virtually every DAC they review is compared to the writer's Benchmark DAC1. Some are better, some are different and some just don't compare, but they're all compared to the Benchmark. So if every Stereophile contributor owns a DAC1 maybe I should just buy a DAC1?
A call to Benchmark suggested that I retire my trusty CJ SC-26 pre-amp and just go with the HDR. The reasoning was that the extra interconnect and redundant pre-amp would be detrimental to the sound versus just using the HDR. They also told me, confirmed by Stereophile, that the DAC1 PRE and DAC1 HDR do sound better than the straight DAC1. I purchsed direct from Benchmark as I figured that nothing was good enough to satisfy me and I would be taking advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee. Nope.
Yipes is this thing good. Clean, fast, tight, smooth, uber-imaging, yada yada yada. It's fed by a Logitech Squeezebox Touch (from Amazon). Really.
Buy one. Now.
Kaito KA1102 AM/FM Shortewave Radio with SSB, Color Silver
- AM/FM/SW/Single Side Band Receiver
- Dual conversion technology, wide/narrow AM filter
- Four tuning methods: direct, manual, scan and preset
- Built-in alarm clock + Sleep timer
- 1 Year Warranty
Post Script: In the ensuing months I've bought the lesser priced Kaito 1101, almost identical to the Kaito 1102, and have found that the 1101 gets even better FM sensitivity. Many have expressed the same experience with the Kaito 1101. Thus I must conclude that for a PLL synthesized portable radio with presets, the Kaito 1101, which cost me thirty dollars less than the Kaito 1102, is the king of digital portable radios.
Update: In spite of its awkward ergonomics, which include two-step preset choice and strange push-button volume control, the Kaito 1103 amazingly gets even better reception than the 1101. The 1102 is last of the three but has the best ergonomics.
Buy Kaito KA1102 AM/FM Shortewave Radio with SSB, Color Silver Now
The Kaito KA1102 (Degen DE1102 in Asia) is absolutely fantastic! It certainly lives up to all the positive things reviewers have said about it.It is as good as my 14 year old Panasonic RF-B45. The Kaito outshines the Panasonic with its 'wide' and 'narrow' bandwidth. The shortwave frequencies match the Panasonic for selectivity, although, perhaps, it's reception is a bit clearer. MW is a bit better overall. In Malaysia however the selection of MW stations is not as numerable as in the US; nevertheless, I was able to pull in a station in Vietnam that I could not get on my Panasonic, plus several Thai, Indonesian and Chinese stations. FM is more selective than the Panasonic as well. Bass and stereo reception may be heard with the earphones on FM.
Some reviewers fault the ergonomics (i.e. paging system), but I find it no more confusing than some 3G cell phones. As for the push button volume control, well, again, it's like so many cell phones; you get used to it. I only find that it's not as loud as the Panasonic, but I suppose after-market speakers could remedy this. The blue backlight and rechargeable batteries are an asset too.
The deciding factor for me over the Kaito KA1103 Worldband Radio/Degen DE1103 was its continuous tuning (3.10-30.00 MHz). The KA1103/DE1103 tunes only international shortwave bands, i.e. 75 meters, 60 meters, 49 meters, 42 meters, 31 meters, 25 meters, 21 meters, 19 meters, 16 meters, 13 meters. With continuous tuning, the KA1102/DE1102 catches stations outside these meter bands.
As for cons, it overloads when an external wire antenna is hooked to the whip aerial, but this may be because it is amplified. When using an internal wire antenna of similar length plugged into the antenna jack there is no overload. With the Panasonic, it does not matter whether it is hooked to the whip or jack.
The radio is about the size of a postcard. Reminds me of the old pocket transitor radios back in the 1960s. It will definitely be a keeper whenever I travel overseas.
As for the price, it's definitely worth it. You get a lot of radio for the buck. I bought mine (Degen DE1102) from China and it was a lot cheaper than what you'll find elsewhere on the web. If you opt for this and you live in the US, you might consider getting a 110 volt power adaptor.
My only hope now is that it gives me as many years of listening pleasure as the Panasonic RF-B45.
POST-SCRIPT (30 March 2007)
Six months on and this little dynamo is still functioning...and I have been pretty aggressive with it. From Malaysia, I have logged shortwave stations from Austria, Canada (CBC), Czech Republic (Radio Prague), Ethiopia, Egypt, Turkey (Voice of Turkey), the Netherlands (Radio Nederland), South Africa (SABC) Sweden (Radio Sweden), North Korea (Radio Pyongyang) and South Korea (KBS), New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International), Iraq (Kurdish speaking station), Voice of Africa (Libya), Iran and Taiwan -all rather difficult to receive at times. Of course, BBC, Voice of Russia, China Radio International, NHK, Deutsche Welle, Radio Australia, Radio Thailand, Radio Indonesia, Voice of Vietnam, Radio Singapore, All India Radio are flame throwers in this part of the world. The single greatest asset of this radio remains its wide/narrow filter; it does a superb job of reducing powerful stations next to weaker ones. This portable SW PPL radio is still No. 1 in my book!!!
POST-SCRIPT (20 March 2008)
This little dynamo is still active and pulling in stations all over the world. Still the best buy around!
POST-SCRIPT (11 APRIL 2009)
The radio is still functioning and pulling in amazing signals. Just a few weeks ago I logged Spanish National Radio, Madrid, Spain. Still one of the best portable shortwave radios in its class.
POST-SCRIPT (19 FEBRUARY 2010)
The radio is still working and pulling in some rather exotic stations in this part of the world (Malaysia). In the past few weeks I have logged the Voice of Mongolia, Radio Bulgaria, Radio Tirana (Albania), Radio DMR Pridnestrovye (Moldova), Radio Romania International and Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Everything is functioning, even the batteries still hold a good charge for hours. It remains an excellent buy for anyone interested in the hobby of short-wave listening.
Read Best Reviews of Kaito KA1102 AM/FM Shortewave Radio with SSB, Color Silver Here
Being a novice at shortwave listener, I really shopped around to find the biggest *bang* for my dollar. Having experienced shortwave first with an old Zenith Transoceanic (which still sits in my livingroom), and then with a mid-80's Unitech, this purchase went above and beyond my expectations...Despite the cheapness the photo might imply, this is a solid piece of technology...it certainly looks sharper when it's in your hands... Though it's much smaller than I thought it would be, it definately lives up to the hype. Within minutes of installing the batteries, I was receiving Radio Beijing with astounding clarity.
I primarily purchased this radio to listen to at home, but because of it's portability, I take it to work every night...although I work in a pretty high radio interference call center, my AM reception is dimished, but I still get all the major local broadcasters...the FM is absolutely solid (when many of my co-workers can only receive one or two FM signals on their cheap AM/FM/CD players, I can recieve all the channels, and because this unit goes all the way down to 70.0 FM, I get a handful of TV channels also...)
At home, AM/FM reception is stellar...in the evening hours I switch to the shortwave and I can pull in MANY major broadcasters...I've been able to pull in stations as far away as Italy, and India...
Although sound through the speaker is weak, it is acceptible...through the headphones it ROCKS (though not as loud as I would like), and at home, I use the "line-out" jacks to connect to my amplifier..the tuner on this unit is precise...with it's ability to pull in weak channels make it more valuable than my Kenwood receiver...I have yet to find anything on SSB to listen too, but given the reception I've received thus far, I doubt I'll be disappointed...
I would certainly recommend this receiver to anyone who is curious about Shortwave radio, and would like something that's portable. **Also, the rechargeable batteries are a SUPERBIG plus...this radio will actually recharge the batteries! A really big incentive if portability is your thing....
The only detractor I can find is that the manual that came with the radio is a bit hard to understand, and not very clear...but I've had the radio for a week now, and many of the functions are intuative, and became clearer to me with regular use...At this point I don't refer to the manual at all...
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I like this radio. The sensitivity is terrific. I compared it with my Sangean ATS 909 and Icom R71A. It was much better than my Sangean and almost as good as the Icom in sensitivity. It's about half the size of the Sangean and with no protruding controls to break off. A really solid feel to the case. There are some operational features that are at first odd, one page only where you can activate SSB e.g., some pages that support auto scan and others that don't. But You quickly sort out the pages the way you want, store your frequencies how you want. The built in charger and the backlite are neat too. Really an outstanding radio.Save 35% Off
The KA1102 is my first shortwave radio and I am definitely satisfied. I read several reviews before purchasing, so I became familiar with the user interface quirks (e.g. page 9 has to be used for single sideband).Positives:
* Great feature set for the price
* Includes a wire antenna, which I hang outside to improve reception
* Easy tuning via scanning, stepping, or direct frequency entry
* Nice blue backlight (although it could have better coverage)
* Very brief muting when changing frequencies (other radios mute for up to a second)
Negatives:
* By default, pressing the on button will keep the radio on for 60 minutes (aka sleep mode). This definitely seems useful when operating on batteries, but I mostly use AC power.
* Frequencies can change when switching pages (e.g. from page 1 to 9), even though I just want to activate SSB on the current frequency
* I forget what position the dx/local switch is in, and may be scanning but not picking up signals because the switch was set to local. If dx/local was shown on the LCD, perhaps I wouldn't forget about the setting.
* The use of english in the user manual could be improved.
* Delicate plastic flip stand (I'm planning to get a slanted stand to put it on)
* Warbled sound when using SSB (my SW7600GR doesn't experience this)
Sync detect might make this a better radio, although that usually only appears on more expensive models. It would be nice if this radio included longwave (just to satisfy my curiosity). For anyone seeking a portable or entry-level shortwave radio, I would recommend the KA1102.
Update: Here are additional specs that appear in the manual:
Noise limit sensitivity
FM
RCA RS2625 Bookshelf System with SmarTrax
- 150-watt shelf stereo with 5-disc CD changer, dual cassette deck, AM/FM tuner, and 2-way speakers
- Supports CD, CR-R, CD-RW, and MP3 (on CD-R) formats; 32-track CD programming, random play, and repeat play (1 and all)
- Dual cassette deck records from CDs and radio; digital AM/FM tuner offers 32 station presets
- 5 preset equalizer settings (pop, flat, jazz, rock, and classic); SmartTrax MP3 navigation technology
- Measures 12 x 12.2 x 15.4 inches (main unit) and 9.4 x 12.2 x 7.8 inches (speakers); 1-year warranty
The two major design flaws relate to the MP3 player.
1. The player will drop the last two to three seconds of an MP3 file and go to the next one. While this is not a big deal for songs that fade out, if a song remains strong to the end, or if you are trying to listen to speech (say, the Bible on MP3, which is my purpose), it is kind of annoying.
2. The other flaw is this: the MP3 player only supports 16 directories. If you have a CD with more than 16 directories, it will only play the first 16. This won't work for my Bible on MP3, which has 39 directories for the Old Testament, and 27 for the New Testament. And putting all 900+ files in one directory won't work either: it just sits there "Reading" forever.
So, keeping those limitations in mind, this unit is certainly worth considering. Especially for the price!
Buy RCA RS2625 Bookshelf System with SmarTrax Now
This really is a SUPER Audio System. The Price is GOOD, the Sound is fabulous, and it is a big plus that it plays both MP3s, and WMAs. The Remote is very well layed out, and offers almost all comon features right in the palm of your hand. I Deffinently recomend this System.Read Best Reviews of RCA RS2625 Bookshelf System with SmarTrax Here
I bought this stereo for 3 main reasons: alarm clock (I know it's a little big for an alarm clock, but it works PERFECTLY), MP3 CD, and a radio..As an Alarm Clock: The alarm clock works very well. You can choose the time it turns on (obviously) the source (CD, Tape, Radio) it turns on to, and what time it turns off. It's very efficent because when my stereo turns off, I know I have to get up then. Also, if you need a little bit more sleep, you can turn off the sleep function for 120, 95, 60, 45, 30, 15 or 10 minutes.
Alarm Clock: 5/5
As an MP3 CD Player: I actually have not have much experience with this, but I know that it is very easy to surf through your MP3 collection with such selections as: Artist, Song, Genre, Your Selection and Album. All sorted alphabetically except for Your Selection. The sound quality is great, no complaints.
MP3 rating: 4.5/5
Radio: Great for the main stations, but it might not pick up all the signals for all the stations in your area. However, all the stations that you can get, you can get good quality. I haven't used the AM radio, just FM.
Radio rating: 4/5
Overall: Buy this stereo. At a good price, reasonably good sound, good MP3 CD playback and all the other features I mentioned, it is a very good deal.
Overall rating: 5/5
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This is my second bookshelf system I have purchased. I would have preferred to buy another Sharp ES-600, but they are no longer available so I read up and decided on the RCA RS2625. I had to return it due to the CD player failing to play CD's. It worked for a week and then it wouldn't read any CD's. The drive unit is a pain. In order to get the CD's out of the unit, you have to continually close the door, hit skip disk, open it back up, and repeat this ridiculous operation until your CD is in the proper location to remove it. The tuner reception is awful, I didn't have a chance to use the cassete deck, but I guess if you don't plan on listening to CD's or use the tuner you might be interested in the RCA. I'll be skipping the RCA's when searching for a replacement.Over time, the tape player started having problems; I suspect that the heads need to be cleaned, but I never use the tape player anymore, so whatever. I am still able to change the volume with the remote, so I am satisfied with this stereo.
Homedics Envirascape Sound Spa Alarm Clock Radio
- Wake to AM/FM radio, alarm or soothing sound
- Powered by AC adapter (included) or 3 AA alkaline batteries (batteries not included)
- Six natural sounds - choose from Wind, Brook, Night, Rain, Falls or Ocean
- Selectable timer modes - choose to play sound for 15, 30, 60 minutes or continuously
- Easy to read - large-digit LCD display is illuminated by a glowing backlight
It's far more compact than the flying saucer or the slicer, which is great when space is at a premium. There's a retractable antenna, so you don't have to fool around with those long wires that I find so annoying. The controls are very simple; you can be operating this unit right out of the box without a moment's hesitation. The sound quality is decent; it's not going to be great with any tabletop unit, but it's as good as most of the other, more expensive tabletops. If I have a quibble, it's that the display is hard to see in the dark. Not impossible, just a little small and dim.
If you're looking for an inexpensive AM/FM clock radio with a handful of "natural sounds" you could do far worse. Believe me, I have done. Recommended.
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I've had the Sound Spa for a couple weeks and there's good and bad to report. The good: The antenna allows it to pick up stations that my old clock radio could not get reliably. Also, the rotary dials used to select the station and volume are faster and more direct than other radios, where the station dial moves a little selector bar through a separate display window and the volume dial has no feedback mechanism to tell you how loud it is set. I also like that the clock uses batteries so that you don't have to reset it if the power goes out. (I live in California, after all.)The radio and nature sounds are what you would expect for $20 -not great but sufficient to drown out the crazy guy next door who makes chicken sounds all day.
The bad: First, I could not figure out how to turn the alarm off until I emailed Homedics. The little booklet doesn't tell you anything about it. If you do nothing, the alarm will go off at midnight! Homedics replied to my email and I now know that you push the AL Mode button until none of the options (Buzzer, Sound, or Radio) are displayed. But be careful...that's classified information that cannot get into the wrong hands (like customers).
Second, the speaker points out THE BACK of the unit, so my neighbor has an easier time hearing All Things Considered than I do (well, when he isn't clucking and cooing ). Third, forget about checking the time in the dark unless you get up close and personal with it. The LCD display is too faint to be any good. Finally, it's cheaply made. The stand broke as I tried to attach it to the unit.
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Like most sound machines, the sounds choices are limited and most have a very noticeable cycle. The brook sound actually had a click at the end! However, the ocean and white noise had a good cycle.Unfortunately, only after a year, it broke. Now, I'm looking for a better one with more sounds.
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I suppose this clock is ok for the price, but the repetitiveness of the sounds makes it useless for relaxation while falling asleep. With the lights out and nothing else going on, it takes surprisingly little time to realize that the sounds repeat every six seconds or so. A real babbling brook may be relaxing but the same glub-glub-gurgle-BLOP--glub-glub-gurgle-BLOB--glub-glub-gurgle-BLOP over and over again isn't.On the other hand, I do like this clock as a part of my waking-up routine. I have this thing start up a half-hour or so before my regular alarm clock. It's a nice, gentler way to wake up.
Another thing -this clock must be plugged in to use most of the features, but it uses batteries to keep the time. It's nice to have one clock in the house that isn't flashing 12:00 when the power goes out!
GPX D516 AM/FM Digital Clock Radio with Memo Messaging
- AM/FM radio
- Memo message feature records a 10 second message
- Adjustable 120 minute sleep timer
- Battery back up -9V
- Wake to music, message, or alarm
Sony SRF-M85V S2 Sports Walkman Armband Radio
- Lightweight digital radio with armband for joggers, skaters, and other active users
- Picks up AM/FM radio, VHF TV channels 2 to 13, and weather bands 1 to 7
- 30 station presets (5 TV, 5 weather, 15 FM, and 5 AM)
- Built-in stopwatch and split and pitch timer; easy-to-read angled LED display
- Includes armband, belt clip, and stereo headphones; 1-year parts warranty
I was looking for a small earbud AM/FM radio that I could use while biking and working out. I typically only listen to AM talk radio. So when I first tried the S2, the AM worked fine on the 2 stations I usually listen to. I figured I was right, the other reviewers were goofy. But, even though I don't listen to much FM or TV, I want it to be able to pull in those bands for the rare occasion that I might want to listen to them.
That's were the S2 fails MISERABLY. I couldn't believe that I couldn't pull in even one single FM station! It was all just hissing and static. I could only pull in 2 TV stations!
I wondered if it was just a typical problem with all of these little tiny radios. So I decided to get the less expensive Sony SRF-M37V to test against the S2. Wow! What a difference.
The M37V is AWESOME! It seemed to pull in everything with excellent fidelity. All TV stations came in without a problem and all AM/FM stations that I tried came in perfectly. I immediately returned the worthless S2. Good riddence!
Since the M37V only comes with these huge over-ear headphones, I decided to buy some really cheap JVC Gumy earbuds (HA-F120-A) for $9. Wow! They really work well. They blow away the earbuds that come with IPOD's. They work so well my wife swiped them from me and I had to go get another pair. I can't believe they sound so good for only $9. They sound as good or better than earbuds that cost over 5 times more.
I highly recommend the Sony SRF-M37V with JVC Gumy HA-F120 earbuds for anyone looking for a tiny radio setup with great reception, great sound, and comfy earbuds.
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I have recently used the Sony SRF-M85V S2 arm band radio...as soon as I got home from my walk, I found all the packaging it came in, packed it all back up and sent it back. The reception is HORRIBLE, it is even worse than horrible. I live in an area where reception is never a problem, but when on my walk, I was lucky if I had a total of 60 seconds of clear reception. There is a button for local versus further away stations, that made no difference in the reception. Maybe if you were standing in the lobby of the radio station would you be able to actually tune it in. I have had much cheaper radios that worked far better than this one. The only good thing I can say about this product is that I really l liked the armband.Read Best Reviews of Sony SRF-M85V S2 Sports Walkman Armband Radio Here
The previous Sony S2, model SRF-M80V had two AAA batteries. This one , model SRF-M85V, has only one. I presume this is the reason for the terrible FM reception. Hay Sony, isn't the primary purpose of a radio to BE a radio?Want Sony SRF-M85V S2 Sports Walkman Armband Radio Discount?
I had this radio for only a day before I got fed up and returned it back to Amazon. I did read the other reviews but bought it anyway hoping it would work fine for me and because I've always seen Sony as making reliable products. Well, it turns out the other reviewers were right for this particular product and I regret not taking their advice before purchasing this.The reception was horrible. I'm in Southern California and I could not get a clear signal from even the strongest broadcasting station. All the stations had either a lot or a little background static, audible at all times. The reception improved slightly while outdoors but not greatly. Note that this was with the FM stations. The few AM stations I listened to sounded fine. For the TV reception, I could not get channels 2, 4, or 5 at all; all I would hear is buzzing and humming. I will hand it to Sony though for including TV station reception; it was what sold me on deciding to get this model. I want to listen to the news or talk shows on the go. Too bad it didn't work very well. I was able to get reception on the remaining TV channels though. For the weather channels, I could barely hear one of the seven bands.
The look and feel of this unit are fine. It is a good compact size. It runs on a single AAA which is convenient. Did not have a chance to try out the armband as I was intent on returning it soon. My biggest gripe is the reception. For its cost I expected it to perform a lot better than it did. I have an old AM/FM walkman from the 80s that gets better reception than this.
On another note, after returning this, I went to a store and bought another Sony walkman radio (I really wanted the TV feature). I ended up buying the Sony SFR-M37V, based on reviews that I found here. That unit has much better reception and I can actually hear all the stations. It is about the same size as this unit and less expensive, but does not have an armband. I am satisfied with that model. If you are still thinking about getting this SRF-M85V, try to get your hands on one and hear for yourself the reception quality. Also consider the other model (SFR-M37V) if you still want AM/FM/TV/Weather but don't need the armband.
I opted for a Jensen SAB55 armband radio that gives wonderful reception outside and decent reception in the gym. The weight of the Jensen radio is acceptable for walking. The Jensen armband, however, is barely tolerable. I have not tried running with it. I give Sony credit on the armband...it's great. However, if I cannot get reception, what's the use???
Also, in between the Sony SRF-M85V and the Jensen, I tried the Sony SFR-M37V radio. The Jensen still gives me the best reception of the three at about half the cost of the M85V.