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Showing posts with label dream machine clock radio. Show all posts

XtremeMac IPD-LUN-00 Luna Alarm Clock Audio System with iPod Dock (Black/Silver)

Outstanding audio from two full-range speakers and powerful two-channel amplifier
Two alarms with independent source and volume controls; gradually increasing and decreasing volume options for wake and sleep
AM/FM stereo with 4 programmable presets
AUX-IN for connecting other audio devices, including iPod shuffle
Compatibility: iPod nano (1G and 2G), iPod mini, 4G iPod with click wheel, iPod Color, iPod Video

The FM radio reception has been this device's Achilles heel and has been well-documented in reviews and complaints. The company recently fixed this with the release of their newer builds (unfortunately, you cannot upgrade firmware on the original Luna's). The new ones are firmware 2.12U (original are v2.02). . The only problem is, xtrememac didnt change the packaging up on the new ones and only way to tell is to plug it in and see what firmware it displays on-screen. I dont know if Amazon is selling the old one with terrible FM reception or the fixed versions with 2.12U. Anyone who would be kind of enough to post this info, it would be greatly appreciated. I will buy one but only if the fixed models. I like my FM reception clear.

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Amazon is now shipping the updated 2.12U version of the Luna with the improved radio reception. The improved reception is so-so at best. If radio reception is important to you, I would buy something else. The alarm clock has 4 chrome buttons on top. Each one acts a bit like the click wheel on the ipod. You press it down to access a menu, and then spin the dial. To give you an idea how simple it is to use, the radio doesn't even come with a manual. It comes with a paper overlay that you put over the top of the radio telling you what the buttons do. After a couple of days it is very intuitive.

The display is very good. You can adjust both the brightness and contrast. You can spin the front-right button to adjust the brightness from completely dark to very bright. The display shows the date, the current time, and what time the alarms are set for. To turn one of the two alarms on/off, you press the back button for that alarm. When the alarm goes off in the morning it gradually increases the volume to whatever level you set using the configuration menu. The wake volume is set separately from your listening volume. This means you can go to sleep listening quietly and wake to a radio that gets gradually louder and LOUDER. Nice!

But how does it sound, you ask? It sounds fantastic for such a small unit. Much better then the iHome; I have both. Even at the lowest volume setting there is no hiss or amplifier noise making it good choice for near field listening.

The Luna takes up just the right amount of space on the nightstand. The only thing missing to make it perfect would be better radio reception. This is easily the best ipod alarm clock radio on the market. It looks beautiful and is easy to use.

Read Best Reviews of XtremeMac IPD-LUN-00 Luna Alarm Clock Audio System with iPod Dock (Black/Silver) Here

My wife and I had been looking for something that would allow us to listen to the ipod in our bedroom. The ideal choice was to replace our alarm clock. After much research I decided on the Xtrememac Luna. Several reviews of this system stated poor or average AM/FM reception. That is something I'll probably never find out as I have never listened to AM/FM on any alarm clock radio I have ever owned.

With that said let me get to my preliminary observations. Out of the box the unit is very sleek looking with its rounded corners and its four knobs/controls on the top of the unit. Whether or not there is suppose to be any manual mine did not come with one. But, there is a placard (to be removed) that gives a brief description of functions for each of the four buttons. After powering the unit up I found it to be very easy to navigate all menus and to set the clock, alarms, etc. Now on to a few of the features I like. First, I like having the day, date, time, and alarm time displayed at the same time, though I believe you can customized this to your liking. You can alternate the contrast and brightness of the display and also switch it from dark background with lighted numbers to light background with dark numbers. With the lights out in the room I found the screen to be a little to bright, but with a quick spin of the front right knob you can instantly adjust the brightness. To me one of the cooler features is the alarm settings. You can set it to beep, buzz, ring, or play the ipod or radio. The alarm feature I have come to love is you can set it to gradually get louder over a given period of time. As far as audio quality I am very pleased. It has, to me, the best sound of all the clock radio/ipod players I've tried. A feature I didn't think I'd use but have begun to enjoy is the remote. I keep mine in the bathroom so in the mornings I can switch songs according to what mood I'm in. One negative on the remote is (maybe I'm blind) I don't see a volume control button on the crazy thing.

Anyway, if your looking for an excellent alarm clock/ipod player I would recommend you give this one a try.

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Based on the good reviews I purchased a Luna clock radio with my new 160GB iPod Classic. My first impressions were good. The Luna is nicely designed, with a large bright clock display, and very easy-to-use menu system for setting the alarms, and controlling the iPod.

Unfortunately, even with the latest 2.12U Luna firmware, and the latest iPod Classic firmware, the Luna is unable to wake the iPod Classic from deep sleep (overnight) to play the alarm. (It had no problem with my older 5G 60GB iPod.) A call and an email to XtremeMac tech support were unable to resolve the issue, only noting that my problem had been forwarded to their technical team.

In the end, I returned the Luna, and took a gamble on the brand new Sony ICF-C1iP iPod clock radio. What a difference! The Sony works perfectly with my iPod Classic, and even includes instructions for using it with the iPhone. Sound from the Sony is much better quality than the Luna, with full bass and even midtones. And the radio reception is no comparison even with the 2.12U firmware, the Luna's radio is pretty poor.

As a nice touch, Sony includes a remote that completely controls the iPod menus as if you were using the click wheel. And, the Sony unit sits behind and supports the iPod with an adjustable rest, which in my opinion is a much better design. And, the Sony is $20 cheaper.

As an iPod alarm clock, the Luna is great. The only thing missing is the ability to wake to a certain playlist, though I don't know of ANY iPod alarm clock that has that capability.

Pros:

-Adjustable dimmer from completely black to blinding.

-Inverted white-on-black display is easier on the eyes

-Design is top notch

-Scroll wheels offer a good way to navigate the menu system

-Presets for radio stations

-Two completely separate alarms with customizable alarm sources (iPod, Radio, Buzzer)

-Audio fade in/out for alarms/sleep.

Cons:

-FM antenna is weak (I attached mine backwards with the loop around the pin just to get it to sound decent).

-Scroll wheels are sometimes slow to respond/not-precise

-Minimum audio level for alarm is 5, which can be a bit loud for the iPod.

Overall, I am very happy with this iPod alarm clock. After researching all the options at the time (Dec. 2006), it had the best design, best feature set, and best fit for my expectations for the money.

TECSUN PL660 Portable Radio FM/LW/MW/SW/SSB/AIRBAND PLL World Band Synthesized Receiver, LCD Display

Dual Conversion, AM, SW-SSB, AIR Band reception
SYNC detector for AM with selectable sideband reduces adjacent channel interference and fading distortion at night
Convenient rotary dial or Auto Tuning Storage Function (ATS) For FM, MW, LW & SW Band; six tuning modes in all
Built In Dc 5v USB Jack, Earphone Jack, FM & SW Antenna Jack, Built-In Charging System To Charge the supplied Ni-Mh Rechargeable batteries
Includes stereo earphone, wire antenna, and carrying pouch

I can't see anything wrong with this radio, its like have a high quality receiver in a small package. I have listened to SSB as if the people were standing in front of me talking. I have stretched out long wires in my yard for 80m,40m,20m and 15m and this radio shines. I previously went through 3 other portable all within 3 weeks and sent them back and gave this one a try. No looking back with upper and lower SSB it's awesome. Don't let the stand stop you, if you want to see what is on the air get this radio. I have listened to Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, China, Cuba etc. Now when you do get this radio, try it for a few days because if sun spots or storms were involved you may think there is something wrong. Wait for the weather to clear up for a good opinion of this radio.

Buy TECSUN PL660 Portable Radio FM/LW/MW/SW/SSB/AIRBAND PLL World Band Synthesized Receiver, LCD Display Now

I have tried the Tecsun 600, Tecsun 390, Grundig 350, Grundig 450...I liked this Tecsun 660 better than all of them...

I liked the extreme sensitivety on all bands along with the SSB sync. USB/LSB and broad/narrow band filters...None of the above come close in sensitivety..My first night of scanning it picked up 38 SW stations inside a 2 story house from the bottom floor using only the built in antennna on DX at about 10 ft. from the nearest window...It also scanned 17 AM stations and 43 FM stations...Considering the nearest station is 35 miles away I was impressed at the results...

The Sync. for both USB and LSB seperately is very sensitive and very impressive at removing unwanted noise and hiss...Even better than just using the standard USB/LSB filter...

Only the Grundig 350 has a better speaker but not by much...The dual 390 speakers obviously sound more stereo like but they are tinny, IMHO...The 660 speaker has a deep pleasant sound which exudes quality...Keeping in mind of course the size of the speaker and the entire price of the radio...

On a whim I decided to by these amplified speakers and they are superb:

Now I have a super sensitive radio with a truly awesome sound for $135...Can't beat it!!!

I liked the raised buttons as they are easier to find in the dark once their positions gets memorized...

I like the external charging of the internal NmH batteries...

I like the smooth rotary tuning, volume, and BFO knobs...

One can sync. lock on a station and rarely does another signal leak through...

I could keep going on and on about all the little things I like about this quality radio..Even the smooth pigskin like soft case is high class...

Also, the Amazon description indicates it has a 5v USB jack, but it doesn't...Not important to me but thought I would mention the error for others...

This entire radio just exudes quality...Buy it and don't look back..

Read Best Reviews of TECSUN PL660 Portable Radio FM/LW/MW/SW/SSB/AIRBAND PLL World Band Synthesized Receiver, LCD Display Here

Just an awesome little radio, I originally purchased a Sony ICF-SW7600GR, did not like it at all, Sent it back, and got this radio. My first experience with this brand and I must say I am impressed with this radio. It has a lot of added value with the in radio recharge, the large backlit screen, the rotary tuning and volume, SSB upper and lower,etc. Check this radio out, reception is very good on all bands, I recommend it. Its a winner!

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Pros

1) SSB + Synchronous detection

2) Sensitivity is decent

3) Battery life is great

4) Best bang for the buck on the market

Cons

1) Do NOT had a Line-Out jack (for me this is a show stopper)

2) Flimsy plastic on the back

3) Potentiometers are lower quality than expected, probably will be a problem within next 3-4 years

4) Speaker sound is low quality, it is possible to achieve quality sound even within a limited space but this is not the case here

Overall, this is a very good radio in terms of available features for the money.

In terms of Shortwave, SYNC detection circuitry works well on stronger signals in minimizing adjacent station interference. Single Side Band reception remarkably stable for a radio of this size and price. Being able to select between Upper and Lower side bands is a definite plus. Sensitivity is good with built-in whip antenna and much better when using supplied external antenna wire. Selectivity is average. Two supplied bandwidths are well-chosen and make an audible difference in reception quality.

AM and FM sections of this radio are well above average in terms of sensitivity though both suffer, to some extent, from ghost images meaning selectivity is about average. Audio quality is OK.

Long Wave not an issue at my location since most stations that can be heard are navigational beacons.

AIR band reception is fair, at best, and really requires a SQUELCH control for best reception.

PROs:

Lots of features for the money including SYNC detector, selectable Upper/Lower sidebands, and bandwidths

Built-in NiMh charger with included batteries means you will not need to purchase batteries for a long time

Multiple tuning features and huge memory storage capacity

Above average sensitivity on SW/AM/FM bands

Informative LCD display

CONs:

Some concerns about build quality

Selectivity average but considering price of radio a minor issue

AIR band reception below average

Wish the radio had a LINE OUT jack

Minor quibble: Wish the knobs on the side of the radio were recessed inside the cabinet a little bit. I had the tendency to bump into them and change the frequency.

All-in-all, a very good radio with many useful features. In many respects, this may be one of the finest SW portable radios on the American market today.

Sirius SR4000 Orbiter Receiver Satellite Radio

Easy-to-read 6-line LCD display automatically adjusts brightness to conditions
Displays channel name, number, category, artist, song title and time simultaneously
Satellite-updated real-time clock with alarm and sleep timer
Song-Seek/Program alert prompts you when your favorite song or programs are playing on another channel
Includes a full-function wireless remote control (requires 2 "AAA" batteries for operation, not included); Radio subscription sold separately

This is one of the older (to my knowledge) Sirius units. I've had mine 3+ years. They are bigger and clunkier than many of the new models, but to me with the larger display and button size it is far easier to use and preferable. I have 5 of these in my family and have not had trouble with any of them. Mine is used in my car on my daily commute and then taken into the office to be used all day in the compatible boombox. I've looked at the new ones and while they do appear a bit more slick and sophisticated, I've decided for now I'll keep what works very well for me. FYI In two of our cars, I have the unit hidden out of sight in the center console with the antenna on the rear deck inside the car and it works well if you make certain the antenna has a good view of the sky. To me the trade off of a possible very slight degradation of performance is more than offset by the convenience of a totally inside the vehicle installation.

Sony ICFCDK50 Under Cabinet Kitchen CD Clock Radio

Bass reflex sound system for rich, deep bass tones
Built-in audio cable for digital music players
CD player that accepts burned CD-R/RWs
Digital FM/AM tuner with 15 presets; one-touch cooking timer
Magnetic remote control for attaching to fridge

I have been looking for an inexpensive radio for my work bench for quite a while. What I really wanted was an AM/FM radio that I could mount out of the way and that also supported an input for my MP3 player. I was starting to think that no such item existed until I came across this radio so I bought it and mounted it under my work bench.

The sound quality is good for a radio in this price range and there is a handy battery backup for whenever the power gets cut momentarily (which is fairly common out there just because I'm always dinking around with stuff). I also love that my MP3 player hooks up so easily, which gives me acces to pretty much all my music when I don't feel like listening to the radio. I kind of doubt I will ever use the CD player.

Unfortunately, I immediately found that the quality of the FM reception was so poor I couldn't stand to listen to it (AM was fine). After a couple of days of playing around with the position of the power cord, I realized that the problem was feedback from the battery charger for my cordless drill that is plugged into the same outlet. Once I realized that, I changed how everything is plugged in and now the FM reception is very good :). It's too bad this doesn't just have an external FM antenna so people don't run into this problem I docked a star just for this reason.

I'll make one more comment about the more expensive version of this radio, the ICF-CDK70. When I was having all the reception issues, I thought I'd go give that one a try and I realized that this model (ICF-CDK50) is better in pretty much every way as long as you don't care about the CD changer. The ICF-CDK70 is bulkier, it does NOT have a battery backup, it still has the FM antenna in the power cord, it uses the same speakers, and it doesn't have the handy preset buttons for radio stations. In some ways, I can't believe they call it an upgrade! If you are considering one of these, I highly recommend sticking with this model.

Overall, I'm very happy with this purchase.

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I installed this in my kitchen underneath a cabinet and it looks great. It's only about 4 inches in height or seemingly less, and was easy to install with the paper hole alignment guide provided. You put the paper guide into the cabinet and then you use a drill to make the holes through the bottom of the cabinet. I countersunk the screws into the wood by using a slightly larger drill bit to make small areas for the screw head. I didn't use the provided spacers, and instead just mounted the unit flush against the cabinet, and it looks great!

Now about the unit, the sound is great for our kitchen. I always leave the megabass setting on, without it it does not fill them room as well. I can crank this unit way up and hear it in all the rooms of my house, and it does not sound bad or like the speakers are going to break. So that's great, you can crank this baby!!!

The CD player works great, just like you would expect. Clock is fine. Timer is fine. Also hooked up to my ipod through the audio-in cord provided and that worked great as well.

Five presets buttons (actually 10 FM and 5 AM) make it really easy to switch around. The remote controller is neat, but don't really need to use it as I can reach the unit just as easily. Controller does not reflect off walls or anything like that, so you need a clear line-of-sight to make it work.

Overall, this is a great product and my wife and I love it!

Read Best Reviews of Sony ICFCDK50 Under Cabinet Kitchen CD Clock Radio Here

I purchased this radio after review of comments and other shopping services. It's being returned due to very poor FM performance.

A FM radio can be judged by a number of parameters the most basic of which are sensitivity (how well can the receiver pick out a weak signal) and selectivity (how well it rejects adjacent channels especially when a strong station is adjacent to a weak one on the dial). This radio performs poorly on both scores.

Sensitivity: All other radios in our home have no trouble picking up KPBS on 89.5 MHz in San Diego. In every location in our kitchen the ICF-CDK50 barely pulled the signal out of the static with the power cord extended full length. With the cord neatly stowed no signal was audible at all. There's no provision for an external FM antenna.

Selectivity: When tuned to XHFZO on 92.9, a weak Baja California station, the radio pulled in KMYI at 94.1 (6 channels away!) instead.

On the plus side the performance on strong to very strong stations was excellent modulo the limits of FM broadcasting. AM and CD performance was excellent. Sound was deemed very good.

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The installation of the ICF-CDK50 is a 20 minute task using the adjustable spacers to compensate for front lip of cabinet, screws provided and template to drill four 3/16" holes. The Aux input is a 10" pigtail stereo audio cable well concealed that can be used on any MP3 type player left in a clip-on hanger or any other device with an audio output jack. The sound, with the built in Bass boost far exceeds typical table top radios with speakers of this size, enhanced by facing down and being reflected by the counter top, sort of a bass reflex effect. In a 12x16 home kitchen, any volume level above 50% is excessively loud. The manual tuning is very slow, be sure to program favorites in the 5 preset's. The timer function is easily used, set to even minutes; it counts down in seconds and sufficiently louder than the radio volume to gain your attention. The remote thankfully is not a credit card type, it is more like a roll of nickels and while IR, it has a full 180 degree range, likely not used in an active place like the kitchen but convenient if kept beside the telephone if more than an arms reach from the K50. In store comparisons with the twice thicker and expensive Sony ICF-CDK70 model proved it to be total overkill unless used in a work environment like a machine shop or sheltered outdoor/patio location. The 4+" thickness of the K70 vs the 2+" of the K50 reduces the typical 16" counter top to cabinet space to 12-", a significant consideration where Canisters or counter top appliances must exist under it. Other brands found at local store's sounded like pocket transistor radios while the K50 is comparable to a quality boom-box of 4~6' speakers. The rear of the case includes dogs to wrap excess power cable if you must power it from a receptacle in the counter backstop. However, from a performance standpoint, it appears that the FM/AM antenna is embedded in the power cord and coiling the excess length reduces signal strength, routing it up though or outside the cabinet to above, ideally if a gap or plate rail exist atop the cabinets routing the cable up and extending to any available power (like in a range hood) greatly enhances performance. The CD player is adequate, easy to use and when installed under a cabinet with a lower lip, easily accessed. The K50 is the optimum choice as a kitchen AM/FM radio, while offering excellent CD and MP3 player compatibility in a kitchen environment. Of note; there are other radios presently on the market that offer AM/FM/TV/Weather. None advertize the fact that the TV is an NTSC tuner that will be obsolete in Feb 2009 when TV moves to digital ATSC or that the weather alerts become terribly obnoxious after the "new' wears off.

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This Sony radio/CD player has a wonderful sound and is able to get my favorite radio station, where other radios that I tried could not. I love that it goes under the cabinet and frees up counter space. It looks great also.

JENSEN SAB50 PLL Stereo Radio with Adjustable Armband

Full range AM/FM stereo receiver, PLL tuning with 10AM and 10FM presets
Multi functional LCD display, Clock with alarm, FM stereo indicator
High quality "wrap" style stereo headphones, Adjustable armband holder with keyring
Battery operated: 2 x 'AAA' (not included)
Size: 3-1/2 in (H) x 2-1/8 in (W) x 5/8 in (D)

This item was much more than expected for the money. I am well satisfied and

enjoy the radio each time I go for a walk. This is an amazing value product.

Kng 028616 Mater Alarm Clock Radio

Backlit LCD digital alarm clock
5 alarm phrases featuring Mater's voice
FM auto scan radio
Wake up to radio, voice, or alarm
Oil barrel snooze and setting buttons

So many things are wrong with this thing. Most have been mentioned before.

* Some control switches are on the BACK!

* The buttons are iffy when they work.

* The buttons are labeled poorly.

* Nothing makes sense.

* The manual is both useless and necessary.

* I had to hit the 'Reset' button a couple if times to have the thing accept new entries. ??

Hopefully the previous reviewer looks are my review because I can help him out about the 'alarm' going off every hour. For the past month I actually had not powered the thing because of the same problem and I couldn't find the 'manual'. That isn't the 'Alarm' going off every hour, it is actually the 'Chime'. Certainly sounds like the alarm though, HA, what do I know. From the manual:

"Pressing the 'MODE/ALARM OFF' during the normal display will enter the alarm mode setting. ("AL" will be displayed on the LCD panel) Pressing 'SET' will cause the following sequence: Alarm off & Chime off ** -> Alarm on & Chime on -> Alarm off & Chime on -> go back to **: (Alarm and chime icon will show on the LCD panel)"

The reason I am out on the internet looking for information about this stupid thing is that I can't tell which icon is 'Chime' and which is 'Alarm'. Dollars to donuts it is going to wake up my son at 9:00. :-( But then I will know.

Buy Kng 028616 Mater Alarm Clock Radio Now

This clock-radio looked like a good idea, but after receiving it and setting it up, that idea quickly faded. First, there is no radio tuning knob, only a button that scans through the FM dial with no indication what the frequency is. Second, setting the clock is an exercise in non-intuitive design as the buttons are not labeled logically. Third, the switch to turn the radio on and off, the switch for alarm radio/alarm sound, and the switch to change Mater's phrases are all on the back of the clock-radio. Even with all these issues, I would have tolerated them (because my son did enjoy it), but ended up returning it because the time display was failing (some clock digit segments were disappearing).

Read Best Reviews of Kng 028616 Mater Alarm Clock Radio Here

horrible product...impossible to set time...a huge waste of money and time...disney should be taken to task for putting their name on this piece of junk

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Okay, it's a great looking clock and it's funny!

'Wake up sleeping beauty'!, in Mater's voice. HA.

Unfortunately, though it is set for 9AM, it goes off every HOUR.

The clock is perfect for a CARS lover. My 7 year old can use it with no problems. The construction if the clock is good. Feels very light. I really did expect something a little bit heavier. But so far its holding up to lots of button pushing. I had to read the instructions to figure out how to make it say more than one thing. It was a immediate hit once plugged in and he could hear it. Kids will have a blast waking up to the sound of Mater screaming WAKE UP SLEEPING BEAUTY! Among all the other phrases. Overall the product is really self explanatory. A perfect addition to a CARS collection.

iCraig Alarm Clock Stereo Radio- CMA3004

Innovative design supports iPod, MP3 player, and other digital audio players
Great accessory to any bedroom
Wake to iPod, radio, or alarm buzzer
LCD clock display
Powers and charges all dockable iPods

I bought this the other day as I fried my old alarm clock. I found this in a local store, and thought it was cool that I could use this in combination with my iPod. However, after 2 days I am ready to return it as:

1. The display is brighter than the sun. I've actually had to turn the face of it away from my bed as it casts an unholy blue glow over the entire room. It reminded me of that scene from Poltergeist where Drew is sitting in front of the giant TV. I am an adult, I don't need a nightlight, and besides this isn't like a nightlight, it's like a laser beam, or a spot light, or one of those flashlights cops carry, or stage lighting during a particularly mellow song at a Kiss concert.

2. Not only is the display bright, it is almost unreadable from any angle except head on, where I am pretty sure after prolonged exposure it will burn your corneas.

3. The alarm doesn't work... at all. It also doesn't tell you when it's set (which is sort of table stakes for a frikkin alarm clock right?)

4. It must have been designed by a kindergartner. There are buttons all over the top, with every conceivable function, except... none of those buttons actually set the clock or the alarm. Those are tiny buttons on the back of the unit. Which are only handy now because I have to turn the entire unit around as it is brighter than the sun.

5. The sound quality makes everything sound like circa 1970's AM radio.

Buy iCraig Alarm Clock Stereo Radio- CMA3004 Now

I bought this product about six months ago and have to admit that it is the best ipod product I've bought yet. It has adapters for all ipod models, which is awesome. I have the video ipod and use this radio at work. I keep it on my desk and while I'm working I have a slideshow of pictures playing while a customized play list plays music all day. I love it!

Read Best Reviews of iCraig Alarm Clock Stereo Radio- CMA3004 Here

I scored one of these for just under $35.00 shipped. Can't beat the price especially for an alarm clock with ipod dock and remote. Great product! Alot of people complain about it being too bright, but I think it's perfect...acts like a small nightlight if you need to get out of bed in the middle of the night.

No CONS here.

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This product was purchased for my 11 yr old daughter to be used with her first i-Pod Nano.

Pros: Non I can think of at the moment.

Cons: Neon blue light is too bright and there's no dimmer switch...also the color scheme make the it difficult to read from any distance over 5 feet or so. Ours does not charge the i-POD as advertised. Sound is terrible...She gets better sound from her i-Dog. The alarm doesn't work...we set it for a time and the alarm either goes off minutes after the set time or it doesn't go off at all. The radio antenna...what's with the wire. I haven't seen that since the 80's. Why can't they make a better internal antenna? My clock radio doesn't have that and I get fantastic FM reception. All told, I would suggest selecting another brand or paying a little more and getting something better.

True, the clock doesn't have a dimmer switch but light doesn't bother me. Could always put a sticky note on it if it did. Plays my iphone great! Can take to work and it charges and plays my audio books, can stand it on end and watch a movie while working but listening works the best since it's mostly made for ipods.

Inexpensive and not bad sound, it isn't a Bose but it's good.

Sangean RCR-9 AM/FM-RDS Digital Tuning Atomic Clock Radio (Black)

AM/FM-RDS Stereo Digital Tuning
18 Station Presets (9 FM, 9 AM)
Radio Controlled Clock Available for DCF/WWVB/MSF/JJY and FM RDS-CT
Dual Alarm Timer by Radio or Buzzer
HWS (Humane Wake System) Buzzer

I have to say, I'm impressed with the Sangean RCR-9. Here are the highlights of my experience.

PROS

Easy to set up and operate

HWS (Humane Wake System) Alarm

Radio sensitivity, sound and FM RDS system

Back-lit clock display and dimmer control

Aux-In and headphone jacks (nice, but haven't tried them yet)

CONS

Takes longer than anticipated for atomic clock to set out-of-the-box and after long power outages

No real battery backup for long power outages

Instructions some of the English translation needs to be reworked, booklet type is small

(NOTE you can download much larger instruction manual from the Sangean website)

The two main reasons I purchased it was because Humane Wake System (alarm gently awakes you, buzzer starts at a low volume and progressively gets louder), and the atomic clock (automatically sets itself). I've had a Sharper Image AM/FM clock radio for about 15 years that also had the same kind of alarm; a "progressive alarm system" that starts low and progressively gets louder. For me, it's the best way to wake up after years of getting "jolted" out of bed with a regular loud alarm.

OUT OF THE BOX:

Very easy to set up. I put the clock on my night stand next to a large window, attached the DC adapter to the back of the radio and plugged into the wall electric socket, and extend the wire antenna straight out from the radio. The clock hands came set at 12:00, so I set the time zone to central time (per the instructions) and waited a few minutes for the atomic clock signal to be received. (This was at 2:30 p.m., and I noticed the clock finally set itself at 12:00 a.m. (midnight). The date (month, day, year) was also automatically set too. But 9 ½ hours to automatically set itself? I didn't know if this clock would be worth it.

The next morning, I set the alarm by first setting the clock to from 12 to 24 hour format, then the alarm time. It's also easy to set the brightness of the back-lit clock, from off to very bright.

AM/FM RADIO:

It took me awhile to find the radio "on/off" button (per the instructions). I finally realized the instructions were referring to the universal power button symbol that was very difficult to see (it is light blue on the black background). The instructions label it as the "Standby button-Sleep timer button".

Very easy to operate. The RDS (Radio Data System) works great. The clock automatically displays the frequency, call letters and other information transmitted by the station, such as station format (news, sports, classic rock, etc.), and even current song title and artist.

For its small size, this has to be the best sounding FM clock radio I have ever heard. The sound is rich, and you would swear you were listening to a larger radio. Sensitivity is very good on both AM and FM. I live on the west side of Houston, and I could pull in weak AM and FM stations with ease, and on AM, could pull in KLBJ in Austin that sounded loud and clear. I haven't tried the radio station programming yet.

ALARM:

It's very easy to set and operate the alarm. The alarm can be set to wake you to AM/FM radio or buzzer every day, or weekdays only or weekends only. The alarm buzzer will start softly (soft "beeps", actually), and will progressively get louder, then change to two quick "beeps" until it reaches the loudness level you set (yes, you can set how loud you want to buzzer and radio alarm to go). Very nice. Then you can either hit the snooze or turn it off.

ELECTRIC POWER OUTAGE UNPLUGGING THE CLOCK:

Ok. I wanted to see what would happen to the clock when the power was cut off, either by a storm or power outage. I unplugged the clock and waited 15 minutes and plugged it back in. The clock immediately reset itself to the correct time and date, and all of my settings were saved. Sweet!

Then, I unplugged the clock and let it set unplugged for 2 hours. Not so lucky this time. When I plugged it back in, it reset itself to the "out-of-the-box" 12:00 time. After an hour, I noticed the clock was still trying to find the atomic clock signal. I came back to the bedroom two hours later, and it was automatically set again and working great. All of my settings seemed to be saved including my alarm time.

All-in-all, this is a very good alarm clock. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars only there is no real battery back-up and it took the atomic clock signal longer than expected to sync itself out-of-the-box and after long power outages.

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I love this product. I've looked at several clock radios and this one is by far the best. The analog clock display is very viewable at night and during the day. The radio sound is excellent and reception is very good. Also, unlike other radios I looked at, the controls are straightforward.

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My old analog-face clock radio died and I wanted an analog clock radio to replace it. This one is very easy to set up or it was for me. It found the correct time right away. I had to go through the instructions which seemed clear to me to set the alarm the first time but now I will be able to do it forever. The radio reception is very good and I like that at night I can dim the light on the clock face. The only negative for me is that there is no tactile cue as to which is the alarm button so when it goes off in the morning I have to hunt to find the right button to turn the alarm completely off as opposed to putting the alarm into snooze mode. I have recommended this to a friend.

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Had difficulty setting it up, as manual is way too simple and missing essential pieces...Sangean Tech Support totally unhelpful, in fact, wrong, with their advice, telling me that radio is defective and I should return to dealer. Turns out radio works as it is supposed to, however, it took a fairly long time for the atomic clock to "adjust" itself...Radio is good quality sound on most FM stations, however, it is very poor on pulling in even the strongest AM stations...and I live in NYC.

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I bought this clock radio as a present for my 85 year old mother and she loves it. The setup is straight forward enough that she can handle it by herself. The radio part sounds really good for it's size and has good reception. A really nice feature is the adjustable back light that makes for a good light light.

Philips DCM109/37 Cube Micro Music System Dock for iPod/iPhone

Enjoy your favorite music; iPhone or iPod music playback and recharge; Play MP3 or WMA-CD, CD and CD-RW; USB Direct for easy MP3 music playback; FM digital tuning with presets.
Superb sound quality, Dynamic Bass Boost for deep and dramatic sound, 2x5W RMS total output power
iPhone compatibility Compatible with: iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS
Audio Playback; Playback Media: CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3-CD, WMA-CD; Disc Playback Modes: Repeat or one or all or program, Shuffle Play, 20-Track Programmable, Fast Forward or Backward, Next or Previous Track Search
Convenience; Alarms: CD Alarm, Radio Alarm, Sleep timer, USB alarm, iPod Alarm; Clock: On main display; Display Type: LCD; Backlight color: WhiteAccessories; Included accessories: Guarantee booklet, MP3 Line-in cable

I've had this thing for about a year because I needed some kind of stereo system in my room; I like to have music playing when I sleep. One of those things. I've used it mainly to play mp3 CDs and occasionally hooking an mp3 player or my computer through the auxiliary port. Oh, and the radio. All these things have worked well. Maybe the sound isn't spectacular, but if spectacular sound was that important, I would've spent more money on a sound system. I've never used the iPod dock, because I do not own an iPod and have no care to.

Just recently I gave the USB port a go, and I've had some problems with that. First of all, the connection feels really lose, like the flashdrive could just fall right out. It jiggles around in there an awful lot. But the music played just fine, the sound was equal to that when played through any other way... until I realized it was skipping some songs. I came here to see if anyone else was having this problem, and apparently it doesn't recognize songs purchased from Amazon. Now, I get a lot of my songs from Amazon because I don't care much for iTunes either. I don't know why this happens or how I could fix it. It's not like I'm going to take this thing back because generally I like it, but I want it to play all my music too. I just want to let everybody know that it does have a problem with certain kinds of music through the USB. Four stars because really, everything else about it is perfectly fine, I'm just annoyed at this USB thing.

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I bought this unit because it has the functions I wanted, and it's dimensions fit in my constrained space on my kitchen counter better than the Sharp, Teac, and JVC units that have my required features, even though I think all the other brands are probably better in many ways. This Philips unit sounds pretty good even with the included speakers at low volume, but I actually use the headphone out going the several other amplified speakers for really great sound. First the other good points, before I go into several aspects that are seriously stupid! It looks good, has a very nice display readable from across the room (when powered on; in standby it's not so easy to read), it has low standby power which if you know how much money you can waste powering things in standby is very important, it has a quality remote control, and can display lots of information about the MP3 tracks. Now for the stupid: 1) If you switch from USB to Tuner (or anythign else), and then switch back to USB, it doesn't remember where you were on the USB, it doesn't remember that you were in Shuffle mode, and takes a long time to "Read" the USB drive before starting over at the first file on the USB drive!?!?. 2) Same thing if you are in USB, and turn it off and back on!?!? 3) In order to navigate to a desired track (file) you must know either the Folder Number, which it assigns in some order, and the Track Number within the selected Folder, or what it considers to be the Overall Track Number (which is different and never displayed so you don't know what it is) for all files on the entire drive, because when navigating, it doesn't display the File Names of Folder Names, or anything else you would recognize (just the numbers). Once you stop navigating and stop on a track (file) it will display the file name ONCE only then display it's default screen of the track number within the folder, along with the elapsed time of the track, which it has now begun to play. 4) there is no way to navigate to another track while playing the current track, as soon as you start to navigate, it stops playing the current track, and starts playing a new one as soon as you stop navigating, instead of wating for you to press Play, like it should. 5) All the time a track is being played, instead of scrolling all the wonderful information it has on the screen, it only shows you the track number and elapsed time (like who cares?), and in order to see all the track information, you have to press the Display button, 1 or more times, and then it only scrolls the information ONE TIME, then back to track number and elapsed time!?!? 6) Every time you power the unit on, it goes back to having DBB (bass boost) ON, instead of OFF if that's how you left it. 7) Like others have mentioned, it won't play many MP3s from Amazon, but I was successful in getting almost all of them to work by converting them using Easy CD-DA Extractor into 128bps MP3s. That's enough said. I continue to use it, because it basically gets the job done, but some really easy-to-do software improvements from Philips could make this unit way-way better!!!

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I just received the product on Friday after ordering Tuesday evening. I was pretty excited about the prompt delivery. After I removed it from the box and set it up I immediately started playing all different types of music. After only 2hrs. of play the speakers started distorting. I never turned the volume past 16. I will be repackaging the radio and shipping it back. Not to happy.

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I ordered this for our daughter for Christmas. Arrived last night and I had a chance to play with it a little bit to make sure it worked OK. I did not test all functions, as I did not have time... so please consider this a partial review. I just thought I'd post what I know right away in case anyone else is considering this as a Christmas gift this year.

Easy to set up. All you have to do is plug the speakers into the main unit and plug in the power cable. Don't have to be an audiophile to figure that out. When you first turn it on, it asks you to initiate the auto-tuning of the FM presets. This takes a few seconds, during which it finds the strongest FM signals in your area and presets them. FM reception seemed pretty good actually, especially considering that I was doing this in our basement.

CD player seemed to work fine. The thing I was most interested in was USB playback. Here's the thing... if I were to buy a music player that integrates ONLY with the Apple iPod, then my daughter would have to actually own an iPod to use it. Personally, I think iPods are overrated, and I certainly couldn't justify buying one for over $200 for a 9 year old kid. A USB stick is much more economical, and if she loses it, no big deal, as they only cost a couple bucks. We're also buying her a cheap Coby MP3 player, which has a direct USB connection like a USB stick, so she can take her music with her or listen to it on the Philips Cube. So anyway, USB playback was important to me. I tested with my own USB stick, preloaded with a bunch of different songs, some downloaded from Rhapsody, some ripped by me, and some downloaded from Amazon. The Rhapsody songs and those I ripped played back just fine, but for some reason it would not recognize those from Amazon. Not sure what's up with that. After Christmas, I might try transcoding them to WMA files or different bitrate MP3s... I think there are free tools on the web to do this.

I was able to set the clock, but didn't have the time to play around with the alarm function. I'm sure she'll want to wake up to music, so I hope this works well...

Generally, the sound quality was decent. At this price range, you have to have realistic expectations. The speakers are not good if you try to turn the volume up very loud... the volume doesn't seem to go very loud to begin with, and they start to distort at higher volume levels. But at reasonable listening levels, the quality of the sound isn't bad. There's actually more bass than I expected. High frequencies are lacking, but the mid range sounds decent. There's a little bit of hiss at all times, but it's not too bothersome. Again, you have to have realistic expectations for a machine that does so much at this price range.

Anyway, for the price this is a pretty good deal. I don't know why more manufacturers don't make music players that take a USB stick. It's such a convenient and inexpensive media. I'd like to see Philips make an upscale version of the Cube... give it better speakers (make it a little bigger to accommodate those better speakers), a little more power, and wood cabinetry instead of plastic. I'm sure the price would be higher than the $99 they get for the current model, but you'd have a really nice little system.

I'll try to post more information after she opens it and gets it working this Christmas.

I purchased this unit a couple of days ago from a local merchant. The quality of the sound is up there, but the directions in the manual is in the new short hand. It does not disclose that you will have to reset everything you do every time you turn the machine on. And, well, the machine never actually turns off...it goes into standby, I guess. This they also forgot to disclose, unless I am missing a page. Will it last for at least six months, or will all the lights burn out? At $110 what should I expect? It's hard to say.

iLive CI3807 Dual Alarm Clock with iPod Dock (Black)

Compatibility: iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G; iPod classic 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G
Apple-certified dock recharges and plays iPod
AM/FM clock radio with digital display and dual alarms
Alarm wakes to radio, buzzer, or iPod
Auxiliary input for external audio devices

While this alarm clock looks nice and shiny, it actually works terribly. The round volume and tuning buttons on the top are imprecise, feel cheap, and difficult to use. The AM/FM radio in this alarm clock is also sub-standard. Whether it was the knobs or the radio itself is hard to say, but I couldn't get a fix on a station. The final blow is that the radio I received failed within 12 hours of me owning it and had to be returned. All in all, a terrible, disappointing purchase.

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I have an iPod Nano 4G and was a bit hesitant about ordering this product since the Amazon info doesn't list the Nano 4G as a compatible product. The iLive site doesn't say anything about his model (probably discontinued). But, considering the price, I thought it was worth a risk since it was shown as working with the newest Classic.

As it turns out, it is fully functional with my iPod and really seems to be a pretty good product. The display is backlit and has three different brightness settings. The only complaint I have is that the radio tuning knob is really stiff and hard to adjust precisely to the desired frequency. The controls are easy to figure out and the sound is actually pretty good for the price, especially with the bass boost turned on.

So far I am very pleased with this product.

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I simply wanted a good ipod compatible alarm clock, and this works just fine. The one I received is black, and it's very easy to set up. It works just fine, and it's a reliable alarm clock. I'm not sure what happened with the previous reviewer, but this item works just fine for me!

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Price is right and sound is ok but the radio tuner control is awkward. But then I bought it for the iPod interface. The buttons are a bit confusing as each one does several things and the markings are hard to see just pressed into the glossy black surface.

Sound quality is bad. Tuner is analog very hard to tune-in radio stations. Overall, the system has a very cheap feel. The light from the display is incredibly bright, even after adjusting the dimmer had to turn the clock to face the wall. The display would not show radio stations after the first day (defective) returned it.

iHome iA90BZ App-Enhanced Dual Alarm Stereo Clock Radio for iPhone / iPod

App-enhanced Dual Alarm Stereo Clock Radio for your iPhone or iPod with AM/FM Presets.
Wake to iPhone or iPod playlists, AM/FM radio or buzzer.
Works with iHome+Sleep and iHome+Radio apps.
Plays and charges iPhone and docking iPod models.
Bass, treble, 3D and Balance controls.

Preface:

I'm a real verified reviewer not a stealth or robo-reviewer click on my profile and compare my reviews to the other reviewers of this product. Look at the number of reviews and the time span.

Updates: As time passes I will add updates, especially any failures or problems.

Review:

I bought this are Costco on sale for $70. Costco generally tries to select best of breed products / brands. Note: I can't find this product on Costco's website I only found it in my local Costco on Market street in San Diego, CA. At that price I think it is an excellent value. At first I was shocked by the prices on iPod clock radios (I have been using the same alarm clock radio that I got as a free gift for opening a checking account 20 years ago. But as I soon found out this thing ROCKS in many ways...

WORKS WITH MY 4G (Fourth Generation) iPod Touch. comes with adapters for various size ipods and iphone. Fully compatible with iOS 5.1

PROS:

Bright display with 7? brightness levels including so dim you almost can't see it in the dark for those bothered by light at night.

BIG display that contains Time, Date including month and day of week!

LOUD Stereo (2) speakers with impressive bass (like a small "Boom Box" aka Old School Stereo so it is fun to listen to music like Rihanna (Rude Boy) lol.

You can raise and lower the volume and skip through songs on the ipod by using the controls on the ihome.

There is a FREE App in the iTunes store that you can download called iHome and you can configure any preference setting, wake up alamrs (2), time, date, etc on the clock radio from you ipod! How cool is that!!!!

You can even configure the volume of the wake alarm.

Presets there are 5 presets for AM and 5 for FM. One button toggles you through them.

Sync the time can be synced with your ipod at the touch of a button from the radio or your ipod using the iHome App. Can use GMT time and daylight savings. You can download and update the Firmware (software that runs the clock radio) so bugs can be fixed by using your ipod!!! How cool is that!

contains Line In so ANY phone or brand of divice that accepts headphones can be used with this Clock radio I think it comes with the male to male mini phone jack cord if not go to radio shack, or almost any electronic store best buy etc.

Gives radio a whole new meaning I listen to audio books, I listen to music in the morning and you can wake to your favorite song, Comes with a wire for FM and a "donut" thing for AM. Scanning is fairly for radio stations is fast.

iPod / Pod casts: now I listen to all kinds of radio shows by downloading them via wifi / wireless internet and then play them as I have time all while relaxing in bed or stretching. I can pipe in Pandora too without turning on the computer. Also, I downloaded an App for my iPod called "Sleep Machine" it will play tons of relaxing sounds like waves, rain, wind etc. This clock radio + your iPod consolidate many devices into one: music player, sleep noise maker, audio book, tape recorder, radio, mini stereo, etc.

-Batteries it takes two AAA instead of the traditional 9v battery which has a very short life span, about one year. When the batteries are low the screen displays an icon to warn you.

CONS:

iPod dock could be more supportive I am afraid that my ipod might snap off or my cats might rub their lip on it and break something. This is a weakness of many iPod docks. See the Memorex MI4604P Mini Alarm Clock Radio for iPod and iPhone (Black) it is much safer BUT it is not easy to see when in bed.

Controls only work in the iTunes song App. I bought and audio book app and it works but you must touch the iPod to make it play or pause vs using the play/pause button on the clock.

Some buttons don't work right sometimes. This is minor. If I press the power button on the clock radio in iPod mode the volume changes on the ipod. Not sure why this happens minor software glitch.

NO BLUETOOTH, this is an inexpensive add on that the manufactures are holding out on. It is easy to work with your ipod / phone and there is on connection to ever wear-out and you get full stereo sound.

Stars: 4.7 / 5.0 there is still room for minor improvements in this product.

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I totally agree with the previous reviewer. The radio alarm used to work for the first few weeks and now nothing. I have not been able to find help anywhere. Avoid at all cost if you want to use the radio.

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In theory, this is exactly what we wanted. In practice, 3 of the buttons didn't work right out of the box, making it impossible to set the alarm. What we got to work was good: good sound & radio reception, good visibility of the time. I'd regard this as an anomaly if it weren't for the other reviews, which makes it sound like they just have poor quality control.

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First this thing is large. Personally I don't think the sound that this unit puts out justifies how large it is.

The setup takes a while and what amazed me is that you can't set everything on the clock radio by using the ipod app. There are actually physical buttons on the clock radio that you have to push to set time and such. This seems really weird to me.

Having to doc the iPod was a pain for me as well. I have my iPod in a case and the dock doesn't fit through the case so I need an extender. It would be better if it wirelessly connected with Bluetooth or airplay.

It is not easy to work the iPod when it is in the doc.

The alarm is loud and buggy. I am worried it won't go off as other reviewers have reported.

I feel bad, but I just don't like this unit.

First impressions: This thing is massive. I was surprised by the size of the box when it arrived. I had thought it must be something else; it is only a clock radio, after all.

It is rather plain in appearance. There is literally nothing striking about it save for its monstrous size.

Among the pro's are that the face is very easy to read. I wake up groggy. I am not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. But my schedule demands I be up and functioning by 5 or 6 am, depending upon the day. If I open my eyes to check the time, it is nice to be able to see it without having to wake up too much to make out the numbers.

It also has nice sound. The radio stations are easily programmed and though the antenna wire is a bit short, I was able to stretch it most of the way to my bedroom window, and that seems sufficient (it is within about a foot). It does, however, take up a great deal of space on my nightstand, which is a definitely negative. My Kindle fits in front of it and a battle of water and that is about it.

The fit of iPod devices seems inconsequential. It doesn't matter if they fit snugly since iHome is not going to be moving much. It really does not get bumped where it sits next to my bed. Another nice feature is that you can hook up other mp3 players to it by purchasing an adapter cable for a few bucks, so you don't actually have to own an iPod.

Overall it's a decent clock radio, and it's biggest advertising are the large clock face and the sound quality. I really don't know if I would pay $70 for it, however. I have not really studied the market to see what sorts of compatible devices are out there so I don't know if there is anything better, but it is certainly sufficient. On the whole, the plusses outweigh the minuses.

Sony ICFC05iPBLK Clock Radio for iPod (Black)

Compatibility: iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G; iPod classic 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch 1G, 2G; iPhone 1G, 3G, 3GS
Wake or sleep to iPod/iPhone, FM radio, or buzzer
Digital FM radio tuner with 20 user presets
Sleep timer adjustable to 15, 30, 60, or 90 minutes
Backup battery keeps time in the event of power outages,Power Requirements: 110-220V, 5VDC

Love it, and it is even better than the description makes it sound. I love that I can set the volume for the alarm itself so that I can listen to music while I fall asleep and not have to worry about it being to low in the morning to wake me up. I also love that I can turn the backlight off at night. The only issue I have with it is that it is really easy to accidently snooze for longer than you would like. If you push the snooze button more than once it increases the snooze time, so be careful with that.

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After trying a really crappy iHome iA5 and a confusing Jensen JiPS-250i, I went for simple-but-elegant with this Sony. Worked beautifully right out of the box. Don't want apps, don't want bells and whistles, don't need concert hall-quality sound. Just want an iPhone clock radio that will reliable charge my device and let me listen to my podcasts in bed at night without generating a bunch of error messages about how "this accessory is not optimized" for use with my iPhone. This one does the job. Small footprint on bedside table is a nice bonus.

Highly recommended.

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It's good for what it is. Reasonable sound and has nice features such as the ability to wake to a different volume level than you went to sleep with. Works on 240v also.

It claims to have dock adaptors. Note that this covers only the iPhone. There are no adaptors for the iPod. I didn't see this warning anywhere and since the adaptors cost $9 for a set of three (I doubt they cost more than 5 cents each to manufacture) this is a considerable extra cost. Since it boasts of being able to work with iPod and iPhone, it's somewhat dodgy that they don't include the iPod adaptors. It would have had 4 stars if not for this.

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When I went to the different stores I was looking for a small, minimal space occupying alarm clock that I can put by my bedside that would charge my iPhone, an adjustable buzzer volume that would wake me up with the buzzer, and not illuminate my whole room. If you're looking for that, then this is the product you need. In my shopping in stores I found them all to be too large, or the clock too bright, or the buzzer wasn't loud enough and didn't give you the option to adjust the volume to a level suitable for yourself. If you're looking for a high quality sound system, I doubt this is product for you because even though I didn't test the sound, I can't see it being used to provide music for a house party because it is so compact. I also really like that the ability to adjust the brightess of the alarm clock is real easy to find because it doubles as the snooze button when the alarm isn't going off. So, if it happens to be too bright you can adjust it easily. It has 3 levels of brightness and the option to completely turn the backlight off. I also am going to like the one touch button on back that will adjust up and back for daylight savings time. So basically my need for an alarm clock-iPhone charger was finally met in this product. Set up quickly and so far very happy with it.

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Like other reviewers note, this clock does what it should in a compact form. The tradeoffs for such a small package are no AM reception and a speaker that won't blow anyone away. Overall, this is the best clock radio with built-in iPhone / iPod functionality for under 40 dollars.

A couple of clarifications I've not seen in any other review:

1) The clock radio's power unit *is* capable of accepting up to 240v, which means it can be used in most countries with just a cheap plug adapter. This was important for me, as I needed something that can work in both the US and overseas. Strangely, Sony does not specify the voltage information anywhere in its advertising or its website. I had to buy the item and hope for the best.

2) Big props to Sony for building in a backup, as it saves a lot of hassle if you are in an area with irregular electricity service. Note that the display goes completely blank during power loss, so you won't be able to even tell time by it during those periods. When the power comes back on again, however, your settings are still there.

Timex T254W Jumbo Display Alarm Clock with Radio

Wake to AM/FM radio or buzzer
Gentle Wake Alarm wakes user up peacefully with ascending volume
Alarm reset button turns off alarm & automatically resets alarm for next day
Extra-large, 1.4 custom LED display
Sure Alarm battery backup system in case of AC power failure

Works great and is easy to read. Easy to set the time and alarm and change the radio station as well!

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About 6 hours delay every 24 hours, it will never gives you the correct time.Don't buy it.

The radio is working fine though.

SDI Technologies iP90BZ Desktop Clock Radio

ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING WITHIN THE USA

I love this clock radio that works with my Iphone and my Ipod. The remote control is a nice feature. The sound is very good. I would buy this again.

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I purchased and iH55 dock/alarm clock for my daughter last year for Christmas and it has NEVER worked. It began loosing time right away. The manufacturer charges for repairs and doesn't cover shipping costs. And worse yest, it was returned to me still not working. It is currently running 18 minutes behind and the company still wants to charge me to fix it and ship it AGAIN. I don't think so. I'll be taking my money elsewhere.

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