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Transcend T.sonic 840 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

4 GB capacity for about 1000 songs
30 hours of music playback on fully charged battery
1.8-inch TFT LCD screen with 176 x 220 pixel resolution
Plays MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM10, and WAV audio formats; MTV video format (convert using included software); JPG and BMP image files
2-year limited warranty

A short review and basic how-to on the Transcend T.sonic 840 4G player. Good and bad points, plus update suggestions.

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I ALMOST got a bigger iPod, but I didn't feel like spending so much on it. I recently got an 8G card for my camera made by the same company and was super cheap but good. There was an advertisement in the package for their other products, including this mp3 player. I decided to look this up, looked great but had no reviews. I had to search the web like crazy to find a review. All I found was positive, but I didn't find much.

In any case, this thing is GREAT! The sound is great, it's small, pretty user friendly, and it's way cheap for what it does. I only bought it to play songs (for the most part), so that's all I've tested out. I have it connected to a pretty cheap set of travel speakers right now, and it's still great. I am so incredibly impressed so far!

And I do have an iPod shuffle already, but I just use it to run. The sound on this thing is MUCH better than the shuffle.

If I could give it more than 5 stars to factor in the value, I would!

Read Best Reviews of Transcend T.sonic 840 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) Here

I consider the deal I got on this MP3 player a pretty good one. I purchased it from one of the Amazon Gold Deals the other day and saved $26 on it. I would not pay full price for this thing.

It plays mp3s so I have yet to figure out if I can get some of my iTunes music on it but I mainly use this to listen to lectures and podcasts and such, which are usually in mp3 format, so it works for me.

It has an FM radio which is nice if you need a portable FM radioit works well and has good reception.

The voice recorder works nice as well.

Converting videos to the format that's compatible takes quite a while but the quality ends up being just finethough the screen is very small.

The controls are fine but not very handy.

This would be a good gift for a child or someone like me who just wants to listen to something while driving and doesn't want a $100 iPod.

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The Transcend T Sonic 840 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) is fully loaded with features in an all metal, compact body. Combined with an attractive mirrored finish, this power packed dynamo offers a brilliant multi-line display via a 1.8" high resolution LCD/TFT screen. The image quality is quite vivid and well framed without distortion. Coming out of the box, I would highly recommend immediate laminate protection to keep the front of the device free of scratches.

Navigation is primarily through the on board 3 phase wheel control which easily allows access from one function to the other. As with all MP3 systems and depending totally on the area of reception, the FM radio has been kind of hit and miss. With the help of the customizable equalizer, music downloads are surprisingly crisp.

The T Sonic 840 brings a lot of bang for the buck with these key features;

FM Recorder

Video Player (.mtv)

E Book Reader (txt.)

Digital Voice Recorder

Customizable Equalizer

Preset 20 Station FM Tuner

Photo Album (jpg/bmp format)

Karaoke Style Lyrics Display

Real Time Clock (Displays local & world time)

Music Player (MP3,WMA,WAV,WMA-DRM10) formats

13 Language User Support (For Song/Artist Display)

Whether you're a Linux, Mac OS X, or Windows user, this device is compatible to all three operating systems. For music service subscribers, its a no go with Napster but operates with some hiccups included with Rhapsody. While it does download music files in their entirety, one glaring issue that keeps the Tsonic 840 from receiving a 5 star rating is that it does not download play lists.

The sweetest feature is the voice-activated recorder. It gets high marks on the Cool Meter for it will automatically begin recording when it registers a sound and pause itself when it can't detect noise. In a quiet space it is one gem of a feature.

Powered by a rechargeable Li-ion battery, non stop music play logged in at a little over 20 hours. So much for the 30 hour lifespan. Accessories include the industry standard but comfortable earphones, neck lanyard, mini USB type A cable, zip string carrying bag and software CD.

Overall, the Transcend T Sonic 840 4GB MP3 Player is a cornucopia of features that value conscious shoppers will find hard to resist. However, with its inability to format and deliver playlists its three stars at best.

The Transcend T.sonic 840 is an adequate MP3 player, and a decent FM radio tuner. The other functions on the device are pretty much a waste of time and space.

The first thing I did when I turned it on was to start the radio, because I hadn't loaded any files on it yet. It immediately popped up a message requesting me to plug in the headphones. Weird... so I checked the device and the manual, and found that in fact this device does not have a speaker.

Okay, I'm not going to get really great sound out of something like this. But my Zen Stone has a speaker, and I do use it. (Mostly for audio books where sound quality isn't that critical.) So I was disappointed to find that I had to use headphones with the T.sonic.

Once I had the ear buds in (and I really dislike ear buds, but didn't want to spend time digging for headphones), the radio sound was quite adequate. I loaded some MP3 files onto the device, and again the sound was quite good for a device of this type. Navigation through folders was pretty easy.

I really wanted to see how video would look on a screen this small. Then I got another unpleasant surprise. In order to play a video on the device, you have to convert it to their proprietary "MTV" format. Ugh. So I installed their conversion utility and ripped a DVD to my hard drive. I converted one of the VOB files from the DVD and copied it to the T.sonic. The video was pretty blocky, but better than I expected. But... there was no sound. I tried the MP3 and radio to make sure the ear buds were plugged in right, then back to the video. No sound.

So I converted the DVD into a couple of file formats that the T.sonic said it supported and tried to convert them to the MTV format. Whatever format I tried, it popped up a window saying that the import had failed, and that I needed to go find and install some video codecs first.

Okay, that's pretty bad software design. If a conversion programs needs codecs in order to work, I expect it to come with those installed. Better yet, I expect a device that claims to be a video player to be able to use some of the common mobile video formats without an additional conversion.

Overall, this is a pretty disappointing device. I'll probably keep it as an MP3 player, because it has more storage and a better interface than the Zen Stone. But they would have done better to have left the video and other features off. They're just too much trouble for a barely acceptable picture on a tiny screen.

Sharp SPC026A .6" Red LED, Snooze, Battery backup-Black case

Red 0.6-inch LED display
Keyboard style case
Features alarm, snooze and battery backup
4.25 x 3.25 x 2.25 inches (W x D x H)
Two year limited warranty

Seems like a nice little alarm clock small, not too bright so it doesn't keep me awake at night, but yet the display is easy to read. Simple to use. But the alarm on/off switch is permanently on. So there is no way to turn off the alarm.

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I can't say enough good things about this little alarm clock. It has everything I want and nothing I don't want. Want: Small, battery backup yet still plugs in, red numbers, single alarm, hour AND minute set buttons, easy to use. Don't Want: Radiom, Auto-set timezone, battery only, confusing multiple alarms.

This is by far the best alarm clock I've ever gotten.

Read Best Reviews of Sharp SPC026A .6" Red LED, Snooze, Battery backup-Black case Here

Nice inexpensive alarm clock, but the alarm tone is amazingly loud. There appears to be no way to lower the volume.

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Nice, easy to use, looks good for the money. Using it in my guest room.

Timex TX40Q Rock 'n' Roll Alarm Clock With Mystery Phrases

Just to let any interested purchasers know, this clock does not, I repeat NOT have a plain Beeping function. You can only wake up by your preset radio station turning on, or a continuous loop of lame guitar riffs. Also, just to let you know, the "Mystery Phrases" are prerecorded Magic Eight Ball Answers like a girl saying "Like, No Way!" or a guy saying "You Bet!", "For Sure!", or whatever. Another flaw is that the black projection is almost impossible to see in the dark. The forwards or backwards time setting buttons do make setting the time and alarm easier, but that is the only good thing I can tell you about this clock. Enjoy!

RCA RP5600 SmartSnooze Dual Wake Digital AM/FM CD Clock Radio

Wake to Radio, CD or Alarm - This feature gives the user the choice of waking up to the alarm, a favorite radio station, or any track of a favorite CDTop Load CD - This unit has a top load CD door system for
Nap Function - Allows the user to set a quick alarm for a short interval of sleep without disturbing the alarm settings
Programmable Snooze - Turns off the alarm or radio for an extra 9 minutes of sleep or can be programmed for 1-30 minutes; you can snooze up to 2 hours
Dual Wake- Individual wake time indicators allow for two different alarm settings for two different users.
Digital AM/FM CD Clock Radio with Backlit LCD Display - This AM/FM CD clock radio has a 0.9" blue LCD display for easy readability

I just bought this alarm, so I will be updating on it's functionality soon, but here are my initial thoughts:

FEATURES This alarm has a decent amount of features for the price. One of the complaints I read in other reviews is that you cannot choose the CD track on the alarm function, it would just wake to the first track of the CD. This alarm allows you to set the track, wake to the radio, or to a buzzer. It also has two wake settings, adjustable "snooze/nap" time and gradual wake alarm (starts soft and increases over 30 seconds). It also has "sleep" mode which allows you to listen to the radio or CD with an automatic off so that you can still wake to the alarm in the morning. It has a back-up battery which allows it to run off the battery in the event of a power failure. The display has a bright (which is blue and clear enough to read from a distance) and dim (which is nice and muted and doesn't light the whole room). It was more compact in size than the Sony model that had similar features (and a bit cheaper too).

**Now one of the main complaints on this model is sound. I think people have an unrealistic idea of what a $25 cd alarm sound should sound like. For a cheap cd alarm radio, the sound is actually pretty good. The radio reception is good, and yes you can hear the CD spinning especially during track change, but let's face it... You are not spending the $100+ that great sound systems like BOSE cost. If you are looking for exceptional sound quality you are going to need to fork out the extra money to buy a higher end model. Even RCA makes a higher end model that I'm sure has improved quality of sound.**

My only wish on this alarm is that it have the smart-set technology which automatically sets your alarm after it has been unplugged or loses power. Other than that, this is a great alarm for the money!

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Okay, one would think that the CD spinning up would not be louder than the music, but it is loud enough to wake me before the music comes on. The unit has a cylinder in the CD cover which sits on the CD to hold it down, and this rotates in a plastic housing, making an amazingly loud plastic on plastic scraping sound. But wait, it gets worse! The CD continues to spin during the snooze period, so you don't hear music, just scraping plastic. And when you look at the display to see how much more snooze (/being annoyed) time you have left, the display is showing the track number, not the time. The thing is a CLOCK radio, it should ALWAYS show the time, especially when you're debating whether to get up now or wait another minute.

I received this for Christmas, I'm going to exchange it.

Other notes: The dim setting of the display is still way too bright. You can wake up to any track of the CD, but it would be nice if the thing could pick one at random each morning.

What I'd really love is a clock with a BUILT-IN mp3 player -no moving parts except the switches...

Read Best Reviews of RCA RP5600 SmartSnooze Dual Wake Digital AM/FM CD Clock Radio Here

Two years ago my wife got me one of these for my birthday and I was skeptical. I wanted a clock radio that would play cd's and had even purchased and returned a Sony Dream Machine (Sony you should be ashamed of yourself...it didn't even have a battery backup). After having looked around for quite awhile I sort of gave up and decided to just keep my old radio/tape player alarm even though it didn't have a cd player. I was looking for something with a small enough footprint to fit on my nightstand, something that was easy to use and sounded good. It didn't take me too long to realize my wife succeeded where I had failed. She was pretty happy with her purchase, because after hearing from me about all the things I was looking for, she knew this was going to be a winner. To put it briefly the RCA RP5600 has everything a radio/cd alarm clock should and nothing it shouldn't. If you've spent anytime at all looking around at clock radios with or without cd players, you'll especially appreciate the RP5600. All the switches for setting the clock, setting the alarms, turning the radio on/off, turning the cd on/off, changing cd tracks...etc. are all simple to use, totally intuitive and LARGE. It never ceases to amaze me when well known manufacturers of electronic equipment continue to use those tiny, tiny, minuscule one-switch-does-all control buttons with the indistinguishable detents. The RP5600 has ONE SWITCH FOR EACH FUNCTION...which means no more fumbling in the dark while you're half awake trying to figure out if your alarm is set or not or if you're going to wake to your favorite cd or the alarm or if its even going to go off. Also, one glance at the display will clearly tell you what all your settings are. The sound is much better than I expected and it plays commercially prerecorded as well as recorded cd's. It wouldn't have crossed my mind to write this review, but recently my college bound daughter realized she needed an alarm clock as she headed out the door. You can probably guess who needed to get a duplicate.

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I've only owned it for a few days, but it's working out really nice on my desk at work. It's very compact, takes up very little space, but has a really nice sound from the radio and cd player. Nothing fancy, no bass boost or equalizer etc, but those features aren't really needed, after all this is not a high end product. However, I'm pleasantly surprised and very pleased with the quality of sound. Not to mention the value, I got mine at WalMart for $, usually things cost less at Amazon.com but not this time. Shop around and you can probably find a better buy than the current listing of $ here at Amazon.com on . If my current Sony that I have in the bedroom ever goes out, it will be replaced by this RCA Clock Radio CD Player, it's such a value with great sound and takes up very little space. Great value.

Well I searched high and low for a CD Clock Radio for my wifes

birthday. After looking everywhere, and all over Amazon, this was

the unit I decided on. It really is a great clock radio and she

loves it.

As far as the squeaky/scratch noise others here have mentioned

in their reviews, heres the thing, it only make that horrible noise if

you turn on the CD player WITHOUT a disk in it. Once a disc is

put in it is very quiet. As quiet as any other CD player.

The display is large, bright, and a really cool shade of blue. It also

has a dim setting for the display if it is too bright for you. The dual

alarm setting is really great especially for couples who get up at

different times.

The unit feels nice and solid. It does not feel like cheap junk. This

is definitely a PLUS. When I bought this I was under the impression

that the FM tuner was digital. It IS NOT! It is a little dial on the side,

toward the back.

This brings me to the only drawback to this machine. THE QUALITY

OF THE FM TUNER IS HORRIBLE! I can NOT get ANY stations in

clearly on the radio at all. There is a horrible buzz over all the stations.

I don't know what they were thinking when they made the radio part

of the clock radio. Luckily for me, my wife did not want this for the

radio part of it. She wanted it for the CD part and the alarm part.

All in all this is a GREAT CD clock radio and I recommend it to anyone

who is looking for a CD Clock Radio. Just remember that the radio in

it is useless.

iHOME Id50Bzc App-Enhanced Bluetooth Dual Alarm Stereo Clock Radio Speakerphone

Wake To iPad/iPhone/iPod, Playlists, Am/Fm Radio, Custom App Alarms Or Buzzer
Wirelessly Streams Music Within 30 Ft From Bluetooth-Enabled Phone, iPad, Pda Or Computer Computer
Plays & Charges iPad/iPhone/iPod

After researching and trying a few different clock radios, I was pleased to finally find the iHome id50.

Super adjustable display brightness, can be turned down to a very low (but still can be read in the dark) setting for those who cannot sleep due to light sensitivity.

AM/FM tuner works extremely well. AM tuner works best when the included AM antenna is connected. AM tuning comes in handy for sports radio.

Bluetooth syncing works flawlessly, and can be used to play music from non-Apple devices, i.e. had no issues syncing the iHome iD50 to an SG3.

The iHome iD50 can be used with or without iPad/iPhone and iHome app. The radio is fully functional without them and can be completely setup manually.

Sound quality is decent for it being a small clock radio, has EQ settings, including SRS wow, bass and treble.

Intuitive and easy to set radio presets.

It has 2 alarms, and they are easy to setup, it has both weekday and weekend settings.

Nice snooze feature for sleeping in.

Has an aux in if needed.

Sleep mode lets you sleep to iPad/iPod, bluetooth or radio. It will gradually lower the volume and shutoff.

Power supply brick is pretty small and lite.

Backup battery, so you do not have to worry.

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I bought this clock radio a couple weeks ago. I wanted a Bluetooth clock radio to use in the kitchen, so I could stream music from my iPad as I sit at the kitchen table 15 feet away. The clock radio functioned well overall, but I am returning the unit.

Pro:

1. I really liked being able to set the time by docking my iPhone to the unit. You just dock the iPhone and a second later the time was set. That was really slick. The unit has a 30 pin connector, so YMMV if you have a newer iPad or iPhone.

2. It has nice sound, is well made, and the Bluetooth feature paired with my iPad easily.

Con:

1. The clock display is too small and too dim to see without my glasses, even with the brightness turned up to max. The display just isn't as visible as the one I usually have in that room. I can't make out the numbers at all without my glasses on, and my eyes aren't that bad. I can drive easily without my glasses. My sister complained about it too, tho I must admit, her eyesight is bad even with her glasses.

2. I was really intrigued by having an iPad app available for the unit to make it easier to set alarms and such. Unfortunately, the app only works when an iPad or iPhone is docked on the unit. The app doesn't control the clock via Bluetooth. The clock only uses Bluetooth to stream music from your mobile device and act as a speakerphone. That is a real detractor for me, tho possibly not for others. Maybe my expectations are too high.

I am going back to my old clock radio, the one with the 3 inch brightly lit display that I can read even without my glasses from across the room, and buy one of those little Bluetooth speakers for that location.

I am very interested in what iHome will produce in the future. This unit didn't work out for me, but I think with their app enabled clock radios they are on the right track.

Read Best Reviews of iHOME Id50Bzc App-Enhanced Bluetooth Dual Alarm Stereo Clock Radio Speakerphone Here

System was easy to set up and synch with Bluetooth devices. Sound quality is good. Unit is small and stylish. Perfect for our needs.

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Sounds incredible. One of the few, if not the only one that worked with the OtterBox case on the phone.

Save 32% Off

Worked as advertised........ for the first 90 days. One day I pressed the power button and ....... NOTHING. I am now in the market for a different brand.

Samsung F480 Unlocked Phone with Touchscreen, 5 MP Camera, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--Inter

i buy this phone for my sister, she is very happy whit it, is a cool phone... i prefer the android plataform, but for my sister this is ok..

By far the worst phone ever!

Hard to use, slow, and very user UN-friendly!

Save your money! Do not buy this phone!

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No 850 WCDMA (3G), GSM only so useless in the US unless you can find a WCDMA 2100 cell site..

Read Best Reviews of Samsung F480 Unlocked Phone with Touchscreen, 5 MP Camera, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--Inter Here

What a lovely phone. What do you do with it? Who supports triband phones in US?

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Sony RDPX60IP Premium Speaker Dock for iPod and iPhone

40 Watt (20W + 20W) stereo sound output with MEGA BASS
Use your dock to charge your iPod or iPhone and get a snug fit perfect for your iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS with the included adapter
Bluetooth Audio Streaming functionality
Full-function wireless remote control
Auxiliary audio input for additional audio sources

I just purchased one of these for the 1) Sound Quality excellent with great bass 2) Look it is elegant and beautiful to look at, 3) Design I could dock my iPhone 3GS with a case on it (if you have a case on your phone trust me, you don't want a dock that requires you to remove your case) and it does come with three different dock adaptors for various phones but leaving them off lets you use you phone without a case, and 4) the Bluetooth capable.

This unit gets A's in the first three categories but may completely fail for you as it did me, in the Bluetooth area. The ability to stream music from an iPhone or iPad, and even your laptop (which has a more limited bluetooth range than a iPhone or iPad) without docking is wonderfully useful feature as this lets you use your device while listening to your iTunes, and apps like AccuRadio, TuneIn Radio, Pandora... Here's the problem, the Bluetooth feature just didn't work with my iPhone 3GS. I read the manual and tried everything on both my iPhone and MacBook Pro at close range but neither would recognize the dock. After an hour of trying I went online to Sony's support chat. I spend another hour online with a tech trying everything but nothing worked. It just would not see the device at all. I asked if there are any known problems and was told, No. The Sony tech concluded that 'we tried everything so it must be broken you can send in your (new) dock for repair'. I simply returned it. Now, it is easy to conclude that either I got a bad one or my phone is at fault the BT on my phone works as I have two other BT devices I use with it and my laptop could not see it it either.

Anyway, I returned the unit and decided not to get a replacement because I then went out to not one, but two, Best Buy stores to test their demo units. At my local store the same thing, my iPhone 3GS could not see/discover the dock but it did pick up five other bluetooth devices in range. I found one of the sales reps and asked him to try it with his iphone and his would not see it either (I think but I am not 100% sure his was a iPhone 4). I then went to another Best Buy store the next day to try it again and as I was taking out my iPhone a sales rep walked by and said, "Oh, it won't work with that phone". I tried it anyway and my phone noticed a bunch of other BT devices in range but couldn't see the Sony.

Bottom line, this is a wonderful speaker dock but it may or may not work with your phone/ipad/laptop. I strongly recommend that before purchasing that you go to a local store that has one to play with, like a Best Buy, and try it out first. If it works with BT then play a few tunes to test our the sound make sure you press the Mega Boost button for a deeper bass. Sound is great and aside from the potential BT problem my only other nit is the same as the first reviewer there is no way to see the volume setting just a On/Off light and the Bluetooth Light.

Okay, you've been warned so try before you buy. Sony claims there are no known issues and the instructions state compatible with my phone but it wasn't, and I tried three units. If you own or have tried one and it works please add a comment to this review to help out others. In the meantime I has a LG LSB316 Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer (see my review) which has BT streaming so I am simply using that in my living room to stream music a very cost effective solution.

Edited to add In the end I decided to purchase the Altec Lansing M650 Speaker System. This system does not include bluetooth but it does include a dedicated subwoofer and a remote with plenty of options. The sound is exceptionally full, partly due to the subwoofer (instead of a Mega Boost setting to amplify bass) plus the twin 3" drivers. I think this model sounds better than the Sony but the Sony is no slouch and offers the convenience of bluetooth. I have used it for two months with no regrets

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Excellent product overall. The sound quality was great and the volume was loud enough. The only thing I don't like about it is that you can't see your volume level. It doesn't have a little LED screen showing your current volume level. Although it has a button that blinks when it reaches its maximum volume.

Read Best Reviews of Sony RDPX60IP Premium Speaker Dock for iPod and iPhone Here

I'm a former DJ and something of a minor audiophile. I received a small catalog from which I could select an Holiday/Christmas gift from my place of employment; the choices were nice but I didn't really need anything offered. I finally decided on these speakers because I knew I'd at least use them and I've had really good luck with just about everything Sony I have ever purchased. Most of my music is called Florida/Funky Breaks and Electro-Bass, which grew out of a genre called Miami Bass. As the names hint, these types of dance music carry an incredibly heavy load of low end spectrum waves. Any of the aforementioned genres can VERY easily overload or completely fall below the frequency ranges of low or mid grade speakers. I had a very small/modest pair of portable speakers I used for my ipod that never did my bass rich music any justice. I was fine with that because I mostly listened to podcasts on the speakers while cleaning, opting instead to invest in super-high end headphones for my computer and running.

This turned out to totally be a wonderful gift. I thought I was getting something superfluous but I'm totally in love with these speakers. Unlike other reviewers, I've had zero problems connecting bluetooth from my Macbook, my phone, or my iPod to them. As long as I stay in the same room I don't get audio drop-outs. The bass is all there with a decent amount of power behind it. It's not a club system but it would be fine cranked up, even at a noisy house party. The highs are quite crisp and clear. At least with Electronic Dance Music, the processors equalize the sound pretty close to how I would adjust it if I were spinning the tracks live.

I had a Bose Sounddock a few years ago, I can't remember which model, but it was several hundred dollars when I bought it. Is the sound on the as good on these speakers? No, but it's damn close. The biggest difference is the Bose had a tiny bit more power behind the bass and richer reverb on the high-end frequencies. These speakers have a some of that effect, but it doesn't feel quite as deep. In simpler terms, Bose really made the sound expansive, as if you were listening to it in a large concert hall designed from the ground up with nothing but acoustics in mind.

However, if most of your music is in MP3 or from the iTunes store, that effect would be noticeably less dramatic anyways. Given the massive price difference, I would actually recommend these speakers over the Bose (though if money really isn't an object, I'd probably go for Bose). Compared to other sound docks I've heard at a similar price point, these blow all of them away.

For daily, run of the mill, bedroom dancing or head-banging while mopping, this will far surpass your needs and expectations. They would easily fill a garage/rec room or pool patio area when turned up. I really wish it came with a rechargeable battery though. That's my 1 biggest gripe. I am way more in-love with the bluetooth thing than I ever imagined. I have about 8 male-to-male cords around my apartment so it's not like I ever had any trouble hooking in my various devices before. However, once you have the bluetooth up and running you may want to run around screaming "OMG IT'S PLAYING MUSIC BY VOODOO AND IT'S AWESOME!!!!!!" I'm fully aware of how bluetooth protocol works, but that doesn't lessen the fact that MAGICAL DEMONS ARE TRANSPORTING MY MUSIC ON INVISIBLE PIXIES TO THE SPEAKERS!

Another suggestion would be a small screen to manage multiple connected devices. It's not that lacking this detracts from the unit functionality, but adding it would make it that much cooler.

I hope this helps!

Funk 4 peace.

PS I doubt my neighbors would write a very good review of these given how I'm always blasting my music now. Ooops. ;)

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I did some researches and found this one on top 10 of iPod Speakers. I got a Harmam-Kardon go+play before this. Sound from both are same good, but this one is way smaller and the remote is way better, more responsive and easier to push in dark. Bluetooth works like a charm. When u change song on iPod, it doesn't take anytime for this speaker to respond. BUY IT !

Buy the way. It is $149 at Costco.

Most buyers will compare this Sony 20W + 20W output iPod docking station to competitors from BOSE or Altec; for overall quality-for-the-price the Sony is a star buy.

The BOSE system might have slightly richer sound in the higher frequencies for an obsessive audiophile. What you get with this Sony RDP-X60iP is a beautifully designed, quality unit at half the price (or less) with good sound through all frequencies, particularly strong in delivering deep bass with a `Mega Bass' function to accentuate low frequencies even more. The sound easily fills a large room and can be clearly heard throughout a medium-sized house, though won't be enough for a house party if you want it loud.

Set-up is easy: very intuitive, requires no instructions (though they are provided for technophobes) and only takes a few minutes. The iPod slots right into the mount; alternative inserts are supplied for different models and a simple lightweight remote control works perfectly, first time. It's compact and stylish and looks the business on any desk or shelf.

There is a Bluetooth function if you want to keep the speakers separate from the iPod, though I personally have not used this feature and some buyers report problems with it, especially with the iPhone.

In summary: fabulous sound with very strong bass delivery, easy set-up, compact, quality feel, nice design, very good value. The only minor gripe might be that there is no volume indicator; but you'll know when it's loud enough by listening. In short: a winner, highly recommended.

Sony ICF-M1000 Table Top Radio

High-fidelity AM FM Table Radio
Digital Tuning w/ Clock display
Built-in high quality Monaural Bass-Reflex Speaker
Stereo output via Headphone Jack
Line-in & Line-out jacks

This radio from Sony is placed to compete with similar products from Tivoli (Henry Kloss Model One) and Boston Acoustics (Receptor Radio). All of these products are single speaker (mono) AM/FM radios that contain no CD or cassette players and have no remote control. If that is not what you are looking for in a radio, this product is not for you; however, if you are looking for a simple tabletop radio, continue on.

Sony hoped to cash in on the popularity of simple table radios, however their offering falls short of its competitors. The radio is gloss black with a black fabric front that hides the speaker. It is significantly larger than the other radios in this class, about double the size of either the Kloss or the Receptor. Despite the size of the cabinet, the speaker is roughly the same size as those found on the other radios. The LCD display is small and somewhat hard to read from certain angles (there is an acrylic prism sitting on top of the LCD that reflects the image forward and upward). There are three knobs on the front that control tuning, volume and tone. The radio is built well, but I think the black fabric makes it seem a bit cheap. Removing the fabric cover exposes the cheap wood interior and lowers the aesthetics even further.

By itself this radio has a decent sound, and the tone control allows for tweaking of the sound quality. However when I compare the sound quality to that of the Kloss and Receptor, this product again falls short. This radio lacked the bass response of its competitors, despite its much larger size. Midranges were decent, comparable to the others (talk radio sounds almost the same among the three radios). Trebles were decent, although slightly muddled unless the tone control was set to high. On the plus side, the tuning was accurate and the reception clear, probably the best of the three, although all are very good.

The Sony radio has line-out/line-in 1/8" jacks in the rear for connecting to an mp3 or CD player (as does the Kloss, but not the receptor). There are no alarm-clock functions on this radio, which further limits its usefulness.

In conclusion, this would be a very decent radio if it were fifty dollars. However, Sony has set the price so that it competes with radios that are far superior to it. If you are to spend this kind of money on a table radio, I suggest you look elsewhere (I recommend the Receptor Radio).

Buy Sony ICF-M1000 Table Top Radio Now

I'm a happy camper now that I have this Sony ICF-M1000 radio. For years, I've always sought out the best in table radios and this Sony is the top of the heap. As an employee of a radio station, I've long been fascinated with how good or how poorly particular radios work. My first foray into this world was an ancient (circa 1977) Sony AM/FM table radio with a tuned bass port. It was always quite the conversation piece in the office as fellow employees would marvel at the sound it produced. As digital tuning radios came along, I found myself a Sony Megabass clock radio that not only sounded good, but had stereo reception and sound reproduction as well. Sadly, that radio worked better in my home than in the office, since our station is located in an office building not too far from the transmission towers. The stereo receiver, the proximity to the towers, and the building itself contributed to a lot of "multipath" a phenomenon of terrestrial FM analog radio. I continued to experiment over the years with other radios I'd come across, finally settling on a Tivoli Model One in 2001. That radio has served me well in the five years since I purchased it. Monaural and simplistic, it was compact in size and performed well. Again, fellow employees commented on the sound it produced. While shopping recently, I happened upon this Sony ICF-M1000 radio in a store in a shopping mall. Attractive in design it looked very much like my center channel speaker at home and adorned with simplistic function knobs and display, I could tell right away, before I even heard it, that this would be a radio that I would just love. This particular radio was located in a store in the center of a mall and got virtually no reception, but I could even tell that the static it produced sounded like hi-fidelity! Later on, in the same day, I found this radio in another store, and was able to get reception since they were closer to the outside of the mall. I knew then and there that I had to have this unit, and began my search on the Internet. Prices varied widely, but I settled on a good price with no shipping charges. Today, I'm sitting in my office, writing this review, and listening to the marvelous sounds of the Sony ICF-M1000 radio. It's replaced my Tivoli Model One, as the reception is not only better on FM but AM as well a difficult feat inside an office building. I'm quite impressed with this Sony radio. Highly recommended.

Read Best Reviews of Sony ICF-M1000 Table Top Radio Here

The Sony M1000 is currently being used on my desk at work as a radio I can listen too during the day at very low volumes and then at normal volume during after hours work. This environment is the basis for my review.

First, looks, this is entirely personal preference; I love the high gloss finish and the prism display. It looks high quality and everyone who has see it so far has commented on how sleek and high tech it looks.

Second, build quality, the radio is solid, the finish is flawless, the tuning dials are solid and very smooth. The cloth screen cover that you see in the pictures is a must. If you remove this, the finish underneath is simple plastic and will not impress anyone. With the cloth cover on the radio maintains it sleek look and makes everything seem more complete. The push buttons on top are smooth and do not feel cheap or brittle. Over all I think the construction of the radio is very good and very solid.

Third, and most important, sound. This is really what everyone is looking for when they look at these tabletop radios (See comments on Tivoli Model One below). The Sony's sound is very good. I have heard the Receptor, the Tivoli Model One (again, see below), and the Sony all side by side. My opinion is that the Sony and the Tivoli are comparable in sound quality. The Receptor in fact may have a slightly better sound quality. This is of course my opinion.

Why I chose the Sony is for a couple of reasons. 1. The Line-In so I can connect my XM radio was crucial. The Receptor does not have Line-In and therefore was not an option for me. So my choice was Sony & Tivoli. 2. The Sony, unlike the others, has a Tone Knob. This allows a modification of the sound quality to your individual taste. While this is not critical it is important. If anyone has experienced XM radio, you may have realized that different channels have different sound quality/EQ. Thus, some music sounds clear and well balanced and others sound a bit flat. With the Sony I can make those flat channels sound a lot better. 3. I actually chose the Tivoli Model One first and this is the basis for my next comments.

The Tivoli Model 1, probably the most recommended radio when you read reviews anywhere. Here is my experience: I ordered the Model 1, Walnut case, and set it up on my desk at work. When I turned it on and tuned a station, at low volume, the background noise/static from the radio was annoyingly present. To the point where I kept trying to tune the stations better. However the tuner was spot on and the stations were as clear as could be. It was the radio itself creating noise. To make sure it wasn't something else I tried the radio at various other power outlets and locations, I added a `filtered power strip to eliminate electrical noise and still the radio buzzed slightly at low volume. To test the quality of the radio further I performed this test: I set the radio to AUX (Line In) with nothing connected, I turned the volume way up and the noise from the speaker was horrible. The internal amplifier of the Tivoli is total junk. The speaker and cabinet design is amazing and the potential is there for top quality sound. But the electronics are poor at best. I went to the local Target (which actually carries Sony, The Receptor, and Tivoli) and performed this test with all the radios available. The Sony made no noise at any volume level, every Tivoli (model 1, 2, and 3) made a lot of static noise, and the Receptor is hard to tell because there was no way to set it to a "line-In" to test with no input. After seeing this I immediately returned the Tivoli and bought the Sony. I have been very happy with my decision.

Lastly price, the price of the Sony is acceptable. I paid $140 here on Amazon with free shipping. The Tivoli (which everyone seems to recommend as better) is 120. For $20 more I feel I have the better radio. It makes no static, it has a digital tuner (not a dial with light), the line-in works great, and it looks more high tech and looks like better build quality then the other two.

So in summary, If you like the looks of the Sony and can fit the slightly larger size, then I recommend you go for it. The Tivoli is junk, and the Receptor does not have Line-In ability. For the price I think you are getting a very nice table radio that performs well from very low volume to normal listening volume.

Want Sony ICF-M1000 Table Top Radio Discount?

Judging from the price drop this little piece of retro from Sony will soon disappear and that is a shame.

It's a radio. It's not an alarm clock. It doesn't make coffee or even grind the beans. It doesn't have a small screen with Wifi or Bluetooth. It doesn't buzz, tick, or chime. Sure you can plug your mp3 player into it via the headphone connection but there is no dock, no external screen, and not even a place to rest your player.

It has three beautiful knobs that turn like diamonds on glass. Tuning, Volume, and Bass/Treble. And two buttons Power, and Band or Line selector.

It is simplicity. It is elegance. It is a fine radio. Wax nostalgic or just listen to a sound richer than it has a right to be. It is pleasure recaptured.

Sometimes Sony gets it right.

I just read N. Schweitzer's review of this radio and I feel he is a little to harsh and missed the mark on his review. After having owned this radio for about 6 weeks I feel qualified to review it.

For the record I also own a Tivoli Model Two with Sub and CD Player. The Tivoli does sound much better in stereo mode but unplug the sub and right speaker and I feel that it is no better than the Sony.

About the Sony, It has a very high gloss finish with a deep shine. It reminds me of the finish on a fine piano. I personally feel that the cloth speaker grill gives it a classy look as compared to the look of the Tivoli.

The knobs have a silky smooth feel to them and the display is very easy to read. The Tuner is easy to operate and locks onto weak stations with ease. It is easier to find your station on Sony's digital tuner than it is with the Tivoli's analog tuner. One nice feature of this radio that the Tivoli lacks is the tone control. It allows you to fine tune the audio to your personal taste.

I feel that Sony fell short on a few things though. They could have included some presets for the tuner. It also would have been nice to have the option to add a stereo speaker and a sub woofer similar to the Tivoli Model Two. The Sony does have a stereo headphone jack but who wants to listen with headphones on? If you keep this radio in your bedroom be warned, the display is bright and cannot be dimmed.

True the cabinate is not made of cherry wood like the Tivoli but with the type of finish on this radio it doesn't matter. One thing the sony is better at is the way the electronic PC boards are constructed. The Sony uses Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and is a much cleaner and better assembled than the Tivoli.

Bottom line, if you want a modern looking Mono Table Radio and have the money to spend, you will be very happy with the Sony.

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