Showing posts with label timex clock radios. Show all posts
Showing posts with label timex clock radios. Show all posts

Sony ICF-S10MK2 Pocket AM/FM Radio, Silver

Sony ICF-S10MK2 Pocket AM/FM Radio, Silver
  • Built-in monophonic earphone jack (earphone not included); Battery Type: "AA" x 2 Batteries (Not included)
  • Antenna System : AM: Built-in Ferrite Bar Antenna; FM: Telescopic Antenna
  • Frequency Range : AM: 530-1605kHz; FM: 87.5-108MHz

BUY THREE!

I've never written an online review before but his radio is great and is worth the trouble.

I'm a Ham Operator and I restore tube radios for a hobby so I've spent a few hours listening to DX, I know crap, I know hype, and I know a miracle when I trip over one. I started looking around for a pocket radio to keep in my truck because sometimes I would be caught working away from the shop for hours without any news or music. If you're a radio nut you can guess what happened next. A month later, probably twenty hours online and more than a hundred bucks worth of pocket radios and I wasn't happy. I'd had fun and now had some radios handy around the house for "adequate" use (radios & led flashlights, can't have enough!). Even though I had run across this radio online and in reviews I didn't put it on my list of probables, It was just a $10.00 radio and I was limiting myself to vintage radios with discrete transistor designs or new IC designs over $30 or $40 dollars. After all I wanted a "good radio". I was pretty much interested in an analog radio because in this price range digital sets are usually noisey, battery hogs, and plauged by "birdies". Finally, I ordered one of these because "what the heck" ten bucks, if it sucks I'll give it away. When it showed up I plopped in a set of AA's tuned the dial and heard lots of stations, good sign. Any radio that has analog tuning with a dial thats two inches across is a challenge, but thats ok. Low and behold theres KGNC from over 120 miles away and it's 1500hrs(3pm). What the hay! Listen up buyers, This radio is TEN BUCKS and it can hear stations others can't. No one has learned how to put sensitivity, selectivity, and audio into one box this size but this radio is a miracle! Don't get me wrong this is not a Sony 2010 or a GE SRIII, but it's small enough and cheap enough to have one in every room of the house and in each car. And the speaker is good enough that you don't have to use phones. It has a telescoping antenna for FM. Some radios that cost 6X as much don't have a tele. ant., they use the headphone cables. That means even if your using the speaker you have to have the headphones plugged in or the FM stinks. Since this is still a new toy it hasn't yet made it to the glove box in the truck, I'm still playing with it. I live in the Panhadle of Texas and last night I listened to a talk show in Nebraska before bed; woke up and touched the dial and there was a great morning show in San Antonio. If this radio was $70.00 I'd give it 3 or 3.5 stars, for TEN to FOURTEEN dollars it is a true bargain! Some others may review this radio and subtract points because of selectivity or something, remember this radio cost less than a good burger and fries! I've spent thousands of dollars on radios; Collins,Icom,Yaesu,Sony, and others. I have better radios than this one but I've never had anything for >$15.00 that was this good.

Buy two or three, I did.

Jeff

Buy Sony ICF-S10MK2 Pocket AM/FM Radio, Silver Now

I'm one of "those people" that always seems to have room for one more radio, even if it is roughly the same as many others I own. After reading several reviews for the ICF-S10MK2 and seeing the $10 price tag, I couldn't resist. After spending a few days of extensive listening, it has sent a few other radios to the display shelf. The Sony is a bare-bones FM/AM transistor no clock, dial lighting, bells or whistles. The clear plastic front and splash of brushed aluminum around the dial selector give it just enough style to be noticed. Controls are kept to a minimum at volume, tuning, and band-selection. The audio quality is good, but par for a transistor radio. As long as awe-inspiring surround sound isn't expected, you won't be disappointed. The FM antenna folds out from the left side of the radio and swivels around for optimal reception. A much better option than just protruding from the top. The earphone plug on the side is mono only, and will only play in the left ear with a standard set of headphones. FM performance is good a little too good, as the signals tend to overload a bit. Away from the city areas, FM signals come in distant and fairly well. The AM band is where this little Sony really shines. While most small radios can't cope with decent AM reception, this one goes above and beyond radios 3 times its size and 6 times the price. The AM tuner has excellent sensitivity and selectivity, and gives you the option of some tougher signal catches. I have been able to listen to a small station 35 miles away at 1140khz, while almost next to the antennas of a 50,000 watt monster at 1180. The S10MK2 performs some good feats on only 2 AA batteries, with an average listening life of 40-45 hours per set. Alot of enjoyment for little money. For a quick breakdown:

Pros:

Long life on batteries

Fairly loud volume without distortion

easy to operate

excellent reception

cheap price tag

Cons:

earphone audio in left ear only without special adaptor

minimal styling. Won't stand out in a crowd

antenna arcs, but doesn't swivel

FM selectivity not all that it could be

audio quality is OK, but not spectacular

battery door isn't hinged and could be easily lost

no option for AC power. Batteries only

Although there are some radios that perform better than this particular Sony, you won't find any of them this inexpensive. For good listening on the cheap, make sure to get one...or two. Maybe 3 just in case.

Read Best Reviews of Sony ICF-S10MK2 Pocket AM/FM Radio, Silver Here

I love this little radio. It gets great reception for all the AM talk radio shows I like listening to. However, like another reviewer mentioned, I too have a problem with the output jack. When I plugged in three seperate headphones they all only had sound for the left ear. If it weren't for that I'd probably give it five stars. After consulting sony's online FAQs I found that this is most likely not a defect in the product. To quote the site:

"If audio is being heard from the left side of the headphones only, ensure that the device from which it is connected has stereo output capability.

IMPORTANT: A mono device will only output sound to the left side.

NOTE: Generally, if a device has an output jack labeled EARPHONE it will be mono, while an output jack labeled HEADPHONE will be stereo. "

Sure enough this little radio does not have a headphone jack, just an earphone one. If you want this radio to use without headphones, or don't mind sound from only one ear then it's great.

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For only $10, this is quite an impressive pocket radio. I've purchased many small radios over the years, and this one is by far one of the most sensitive ones I own.

Reception on both AM and FM is terrific, with great selectivity. It easily tunes into adjacent stations which come in very clear, almost as good as on a larger radio. There is an LED on the front to show when a station is tuned in, and the FM antenna can be extended and moved from side to side to get better reception. AM tunes up to about 1630 or so, rather than all the way up to 1710, but this probably won't be a big deal for most people, since there usually aren't many stations on that high end of the band. The carry strap is convenient, and the radio is very small and lightweight so it can easily fit just about anywhere. Sound quality is good alsoit's actually a little fuller than other small radios, and has decent clarity without being tinny. I do have one complaint, howeverin strong FM areas the local stations tend to come in all over the dial, allowing for very little reception of the weaker ones. Unfortunately this is a problem where I live, and because of that I only use this radio once a year when I go on vacation to the beach. It does an amazing job there since there are no strong stations in that area, and it's disappointing that I can only get good reception there and not where I live.

Overall I would highly recommend this Sony radio. I also own Panasonic's current model, the RF-P50, and while it also has a Sony IC chip it isn't quite as sensitive as the Sony version. If you live in a weak area, definitely consider picking up one of these Sony radios. You won't be disappointed.

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These things were more or less perfected about 20 years ago. Since then, manufacturers like Sony and Panasonic have only made incremental improvements and cosmetic changes to the basic design. I have one of this model, and it lived up to my (low) expectations. Reception in both bands is quite good. Sound quality, as one would expect, is a bit tinny, but clear; far better for voice broadcasts than music. Fit and finish is decent as well, and the belt clip is metal rather than plastic, which means you can actually use it without fear of it snapping off and smashing your radio on the floor. But hell, it's so cheap that even if you do break it...well, it's just a cheap radio, albeit one that will probably outlast your CD player.

EMINENCE LEGENDGB12812" BRIT GUITAR SPKR; 50W; 8 OHMS

EMINENCE LEGENDGB12812' BRIT GUITAR SPKR; 50W; 8 OHMS
  • Hot-rodded British guitar tone
  • Has a Private Jack flavor, but with improved definition
  • Coloration: Thick and smooth with lots of mids and a very tight top end
  • Lot of definition and crunch

No joking or exaggeration here. This is a fantastic all around british style speaker.

You could use this speaker in any amp or cabinet and it would work beautifully. It is very clear and musical. Strong and powerful sound with a touch of chime.

Plus, it is huge. A gigantic magnet and frame, produces 101 decibels of volume at just 50 watts.

I am using it in an extention cabinet and playing through a 15 watt AC15VR. It is definately louder than the 60 watt speaker in the amplifier. But at the same time, when I turn down the forward pickup it is round and clean enough for jazz and finger styles.

The tone is touch sensitive, you hear everything. Crisp lows and mids and singing highs.

This speaker has a wide usable frequency range, 80Hz to 5000Hz.

It picks up ever little articulation your guitar, pick and fingers make. Not the fuzzy, nasal brit "Greenback" type sound. But a more even, classic "Heritage" sound.

I have a Vintage30 speaker and the GB128 is better sounding with gain on blues and classic rock.

I could not find a bad review on it.

If you have a cabinet that is large and cant find a speaker that can push enough air, here it is.

I am using it in an open back cabinet.

If you need to get some volume over your band mates or just want too give some new life from your old amp, I definately do suggest the GB128. You cant beat the price either. Get four.

It would sound great with American amplifiers that use brit style speakers, too.

You will not regret it.

Buy EMINENCE LEGENDGB12812" BRIT GUITAR SPKR; 50W; 8 OHMS Now

First let me say that I have owned many, many guitar speakers. I actually owned a Legend GB128 years ago and being the tweaker that I am, sold it and went in another direction. I have tried several of the Eminence Red Coats (Governor, Wizard, Private Jack), Cannabis Rex, Texas Heat, Weber Blue Dog Alnico, Celestion Vintage 30, Celestion Gold just to name a few. This GB128 speaker is the most balanced speaker of them all in my opinion. I like mids and they are fat and present without being overbearing/shrill (Vintage 30). The mids are more of a low mid and not a high mid like a Vintage 30. There is just enough low and high end, but not too much. The cleans sound fantastic and overdriven, the speaker retains its clarity. For the price that this speaker sells for, there is nothing even close in quality. If Eminence painted this speaker frame and put some kind of catchy sticker/name on the magnet, it could sell for > $100 easily. I thought that's what they did with the Private Jack, but to me, this speaker is not only cheaper but better. Absolutely no dope on the cone, which might be part of the magic and the only difference between this speaker and the Private Jack outside of the color/name. Probably best in a low powered 1X12 amp where the speaker is not being pushed to the limit. Perfect for a Deluxe Reverb, which is what I have the speaker in.

This is the first time I have been inclined to review a product on Amazon. I'm not sure why Amazon has this speaker listed like it is some kind of generic, but if you are reading this, take a small chance on this speaker and get it.

Read Best Reviews of EMINENCE LEGENDGB12812" BRIT GUITAR SPKR; 50W; 8 OHMS Here

I replaced an Eminence Wizard in my Blackstar HT20 combo amp with this GB128.

I was looking for a great sounding speaker, which the Wizard was, but a little smoother on the highs. Not so forward sounding. Got what I wanted.

Using primarily a PRS Custom 24, a Fender American Deluxe Telecaster and a Gibson SG, all 3 guitars shine through it.

Overall smoother than the Wizard, which was more forward sounding throughout the whole spectrum, but retaining great definition. On the Blackstar amp, works well either with humbuckers or single coils.

Sound is absolutely subjective, so try it out because it is a great speaker, but if you are not happy just return it and keep trying until you find the one you like.

PS: also tried a Cannabis Rex, which was amazing, but coupled with my amp, which is already bass heavy, had too much bass.

Want EMINENCE LEGENDGB12812" BRIT GUITAR SPKR; 50W; 8 OHMS Discount?

I play blues classic rock and country. My rig consists of a Gibson Les Paul with P90's, a now discontinued Peavey Classic 30 head and a matching Peavey 212 cab which came with Blue Marvel speakers made by Eminence. The factory speakers had a spike in the mid range that drove me crazy and after much research I purchased the Eminence Legend GB128 speakers. These speakers not only eliminated the spike but are without a doubt the best speakers I have ever used. They don't have a catchy name or come with a lot of marketing hype but believe me when I tell you that they are smooth, smooth, smooth. They don't require a lot of breaking in, have a later breakup and the tones a rich and creamy. This is not a heavy metal speaker though.

As the title suggests, I bought this speaker for my 2 year old Crate V-18. Now I like this amp, but it did have it's flaws, the most prominent being the fact that it can be very muddy, as well as having almost no clean headroom to speak of. The only thing I could do for it was use a Bad Monkey Overdrive as a treble/gain booster, but this effectively eliminated ANY chance of a decent clean tone. I liked the dirty tone, but that's all it's got.

I decided to try this speaker, and WOW, what a difference. With no other changes to the amp, it suddenly has a versatility it never had before. Turning the gain down actually results in a wonderful clean tone that isn't quite Fender and isn't quite Marshall, but is it's own lovely thing.

Now, the biggest surprise is that this not only improved the clean tones, it also dramatically improved the dirty tone. Where before I had to dial in a touch of dirt with the amp and push it with the Bad Monkey, now I have a full and rich range with the Gain knob all the way up the dial. It didn't change what I liked about it, but rather what I didn't like about it. Kicking in the Bad Monkey simply gives it another useful voice now.

Overall, the tone is tighter, a little brighter, and overall more useful and musical. The amp is still just a touch muddy, but now turning the bass down and the treble up actually DOES something. I suspect a change to good tubes will only make it better.

I'm not gonna blow smoke and say it turned this amp into a boutique-quality amp, but it did take it up several notches up the tone ladder. I would not have thought changing just the speaker could make such a phenomenal change, but it did.

Highly recommend the Eminence Legend GB 128

Etón FR500 Solarlink (Black)

Etón FR500 Solarlink
  • Includes owner's manual, warranty card, card for cell phone tip, and USB/cell phone charging cord
  • 520-1700 KHz AM, 88-108 MHz FM, 6000-12100 KHz Shortwave
  • Can be powered from the built-in rechargeable Ni-MH battery, from an AC adapter, from 3 AA batteries, from the AC adapter alone, and from solar power
  • Dimensions - Width 7-3/4 x Height 8-1/2 x Depth 2-1/2 (196.9x215.9x63.5mm)
  • Weight - 1.9 pounds (0.86 kg)

We are pretty happy with our Solarlink and use it during power outages (our recent outage was 4 days in length), in the yard, and camping. I will break down the review by parts and attributes.

LED light: Quite bright

siren: Obnoxious, questionably useful

flashing LED: A single flashing red LED. Perhaps useful as a signal.

handcrank: Easy to use, has a green LED to indicate adequate cranking speed. Can crank in any direction.

reception: FM, AM, and NOAA station very good. SW is weak.

sound: Clear

weight: ~2 lbs., very light

LCD screen: Large easy to read numbers with backlighting option

clock: Easy to read and set (can read from across the room)

alarm: Clock radio, easy to set, has snooze button

power options: Very versatile. Solar, crank, 3 AA batteries, and AC. Does not come with DC power adapter, but can use a mini-USB charger (like the one on my cell phone) or a standard 5V DC connection. Many car cell phone chargers are also mini-USB

other connectors: Regular USB out for powering cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players. Two mini-HPJ's; one for earphones, one for audio-in (ie MP3 players).

Knobs: Inset knobs keep your settings steady when transporting.

owner manual: The Solarlink is fairly self explanatory which is good because the owners manual was not very useful. I would like a much more technical owners manual.

In short, we were looking for a radio that has many power options, NOAA stations, and is very portable. The Solarlink meets these requirements well. Probably not the radio of choice if you want SAME capability, good SW reception, or excellent stereo sound. Overall though we are very happy.

Buy Etón FR500 Solarlink (Black) Now

I bought this originally from urban outfitters. The signal reception for this radio is fairly sensitive outdoors but once indoors (I have a computer, halogen lights, and T.V.) I tested this radio and it seemed that weak stations like KPCC (the NPR station) don't get through. I live in S. California and one of the NOAA channels works. Indoors is probably this radio's only weakness (and the plastic crank, I got big hands). I tried to boost the signal while indoors by connecting an antenna with a signal booster (by binding the signal boosted antenna to the telescopic antenna of the FR500) and the clearer channels came through pretty well but the weak channels in FM were still silent (this is indoors still).

With the little gripe out of the way I just want to say that I loved this radio's slotted case (it comes apart in two halves). The manual told me not to open the machine but I couldn't help myself. I was curious as to whether this radio was moisture resistant. I found that most of the buttons I could see were slotted in a way that would probably resist a dip. I also saw a rubber covering that sealed the antenna fairly well. But this radio isn't meant to be submerged. It were to fall into a puddle chances are it would remain unscathed (except maybe the digital readout; that could be a problem, depending on how it fell). The speaker has to be open in order to have adequate sound so the water might affect it adversely (but people can always stick this radio in a ziplock bag/s; the solar panel works even when I put put it in a ziplock). But this little weak point could be reinforced with a little bit of caulk or water sealant(ones that don't corrode the plastic casing).

Please note that when opening this case (the manual warns you not to do so) be careful as to not let the top three buttons fall into the circuit boards below. It took me a while to shake out one of the buttons and I ended up pulling out a soldered wire but it was easy enough to solder back on. Also you need to get a 5v ac adapter (FR500 doesn't come with one) if you want to charge the battery at home or listen to it indoors.

Read Best Reviews of Etón FR500 Solarlink (Black) Here

I've spent the whole day and late into the night testing the Eton FR500 Solarlink and I am impressed. No, it is not comparable to my Grundig Sattelit 800 Millennium that now is considered a classic and weighs 14lbs without batteries.

Grundig/Eton has united their minds to produce (or reinvent) a really decent quality emergency radio the FR500 Solarlink. Housed in a sturdy, mar-resistant and water resistant case, this radio is well protected and easy to operate. Getting a weather report is as simple as turning the radio on and moving a knob a few clicks to find the closest emergency weather broadcast. It can also be setup to automatically turn on and play emergency weather broadcasts.

AM and FM reception, and local weather broadcast bands, are strong and clear as I would hope for. However, the shortwave setting does not meet my standards. but reception can be improved by stringing a long insulated wire from the telescoping antenna to an insulated and properly positioned object like a tree or a strong shrub. A signal boosting antenna will improves all FM and shortwave radio reception. Anyway, this is an emergency radio and owners will be primarily interested in local weather alerts, local AM, FM, and all local emergency broadcasts. For these purposes, the Solarlink is more than adequate without adding improvements for the antenna system.

Also of importance is that the radio can be powered four different ways. The solar panel (built into the handle) will power the radio from sunshine only, and will even charge the Ni MH battery while playing the radio. The crank-able electric generator (dynamo) also charges the Ni MH batteries. However, unless the radio is plugged in via a 5-volt transformer, the radio should should have 3 AA Alkaline batteries installed. This is a good idea because rechargeable batteries go flat when not regularly recharged. Without the alkaline batteries, or sunshine during an emergency, you might be reduced to using the dynamo crank. The dynamo works, but is kind of tedious to use. However, a 5-Volt AC adapter (not included) will power the radio while it charges the NiMH battery so you will not need alkaline batteries. I know this works because I happened to have a 5-Volt transformer in my junk drawer. For the price of this radio, I do not actually understand why an AC adapter is not supplied. One can just leave it plugged-in and you would have all power requirements needed to immediately use when an emergency occurs even without sunshine or alkaline batteries.

The digital clock appears to keep reasonably good time. I set it with my Atomic Clock, and 24 hours later it was correct within a few seconds.

It is also a full featured alarm clock with a five minute snooze. And it includes a time adjustable shutoff timer so that the radio can lull you to sleep and then turn itself off.

To set the clock, you hold down the time button on the face of the radio while you press hour and minute buttons just below the solar panel that doubles as a handle. A third button, under the handle, is for lighting up the display handy when trying to check the time in the dark.

I don't use a cell phone, but the Solarlink is able to charge them with only power from the sun. To accomplish this, it is necessary to write, telephone, or contact Eton on the Web, and ask for the type of connection that is appropriate for your cell phone. Instruction on how to do this is enclosed with the unit. The appropriate adapter will be sent without charge. I use a PDA and an MP3 player. The FR500 is supposed to be able to charge these too. I haven't tested these features because I have other means of protection and use.

The LED flashlight works and is sufficient to find your way in the dark.

The siren is awful sounding and very loud. It should attract attention if you need to be rescued.

The emergency blinking red light (LED's) certainly could be useful, especially if your car is stalled or you are walking on a road or highway at night. Even if the batteries have only a fractiion of power, the FR500 LCD's will blink for many hours.

One could plug in an MP3 player to the FR500, but the radio plays in mono only even when using stereo headphones. Yet, the speaker on the radio is pretty good and will allow a group to share both the emergency information and all the other features.

The rubber seals are supposed to make the radio resistant to water. I think I would walk in the rain with it, but I would try to keep it covered as much as possible. It should never be submerged. If you are worried about a little rain, you could enclose the whole radio into a zip lock bag.

I've had other emergency type radios, but they didn't come near matching the quality and functions of the FR500 Solarlink. Although it has shortcomings, I would confidently recommend this radio even to my best friends. In fact, I think it would make a great gift to anybody you really care about.

Just one more thing: This radio is also available with the American Red Cross logo. . . as if they manufactured it. Anyway, it is the same radio, selling at the same price. And since the American Red Cross endorses this radio, it suggests that they agree with my evaluation. I'm buying and making gifts of this radio to as many poverty stricken fiends as I can afford. Everyone in the world should own an FR500 Solarlink radio. "The times, they r a change-in."

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I bought the Etón FR500 Solarlink in black from Amazon, think that it deserves demerits instead of _any_ stars, and I am writing this review minutes before returning the radio.

The instruction booklet that comes with the radio tells you to plug the rechargeable battery pack's connector into the radio, and it tells you that you must either turn the crank or expose the solar panel to sunlight to charge the battery, although any bright light will also charge the battery.

The radio's controls suffer from bad ergonomic design. For example, the band selector ring and tuning knob are mounted concentrically, but turning the knob with large fingers can easily move the selector ring because it doesn't have firm detents to make the ring stay put on the band you chose.

The booklet doesn't tell you _how_ to use radio although it tells you how to turn on the LED flashlight, the red flashing LED, the anemic siren, and the weather radio alarm. It also tells you how to set the LCD clock, the alarm, sleep, and snooze functions as well as how to turn on the LCD display's light.

To use the Etón FR500 Solarlink as a radio, you must do _two_ things: You must press the power button, _and_ you must turn the power selector knob to DYNAMO to draw power from the rechargeable battery.

As a multiband radio receiver, the Etón FR500 Solarlink is a low quality device with a low gain radio frequency amplifier and excessively wide tuning filters in the FM band. At the low end of the FM band, low power stations may all be heard simultaneously.

Across the Hudson River from New York City, with a line of sight to the Empire State Building, where most radio stations in NYC have their antennas, I was able to tune in only a few of the strongest FM stations in the middle of the band!

On the AM band, I was able to tune in only strong stations anywhere on the band. On the shortwave band, I was not able to tune in any stations. Of the seven weather band channels, only the last one was active and came in loud and clear. As the instruction booklet recommends, I used the tiny, useless, whip antenna for the FM, shortwave, and weather bands.

If you tune in a station on the low end of AM band, the radio won't retain that station's tuned frequency when you switch to another band and tune in a station at the high end of that band.

On the shortwave band, the one foot long antenna is too short to be effective, and it's very difficult to move slowly and smoothly either up or down the shortwave band because too many frequencies are covered by the tuning knob and because the tuning knob springs in the opposite direction you were turning it after you release it. You may be able to live with that lack of resolution in the AM and FM bands but not in the shortwave band.

Also, while the frequency display is digital, the tuning knob turns the controls for an analog tuning circuit. The consequence of that is poor stability and a display that shows frequency drift on the AM, FM, and shortwave bands.

A selling point of Etón radios is that they have a crank that turns a dynamo, but their advertising doesn't tell you that their dynamo doesn't have a flywheel to keep the current running after you stop turning the crank. Clearly, a crank driven dynamo with a flywheel is the only way to build this kind of radio, but to be good a flywheel would have to be heavy. Of course, a heavy flywheel would require a much sturdier case than the Etón has.

Instead, the Etón dynamo uses rechargeable batteries to store charge. Of course, rechargeable batteries may be recharged only a finite number of times before you must replace them, and they might be dead during an emergency.

As a device for emergency use, the Etón FR500 Solarlink relies completely, and to your detriment, on three, small, rechargeable batteries, and the instruction booklet helpfully informs you that you may order new batteries from Etón.

The crank is flimsy, light, plastic and looks and feels as if it may break long before you have any emergency that calls for an emergency radio that is able to run off the power grid.

Don't buy an Etón FR500 Solarlink!

this radio does everything it is supposed to do. After only 90 seconds of cranking, the radio played as advertised. it is compact and seems hardy enough to use in emergencies. it would be great to have made this waterproof too. And, i entered the warranty info online and sent in the model of my phone and within about 2 weeks, the correct charging tip came to fit onto the supplied USB cord to charge my Motorola phone.

Duracell Coppertop MN1500 AA Batteries , 100 Pack Count

Duracell Coppertop MN1500 AA Batteries , 100 Pack Count
  • Duracell is the World's No. 1 Brand - Based on Nielsen Worldwide sales data 2007-2008
  • Made in the USA
  • Mercury Free
  • QTY = 100 Count

***BEWARE*** I received the batteries very quickly...however I was expecting a factory sealed package of 100 batteries...instead I received a bulging box of 100 individual batteries randomly dumped into a box.

(ADDITON TO MY INITIAL REVIEW)Don't let the great price fool you. I have had the batteries for 10 weeks and discovered that more than half of the batteries were defective. I will not order from them again.

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The description of these batteries did not include the fact that most had already past their expiration date. Good price, bad product. I cannot recommend this item or its source.

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these batteries are not in a retail package of any kind. they ship in a mail bag inside an overstuffed box. All the contacts are touching each other. This is no way to sell / distribute retail merchandise. The batteries are not safe after they contacts touch each other. they can short out and/or even leak. Please DO NOT BUY this item unless it has a UPC number and not just an ASIN number. The later is an amazon number. The UPS assures you are getting retail merchandise.

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Sucks, most of them are very low batteries and fake. When you find these u are happy but when u got them disappointed

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These came in three seperate boxes, inside another box. I am beginning to believe these have been setting around to long. The time they last is not good. Probably will try some other place or battery. Spending too much money on nothing.

Sangean America WR-3 Digital AM/FM/CD/SD/USB MP3 Table Top Radio (Black)

Sangean America WR-3 Digital AM/FM/CD/SD/USB MP3 Table Top Radio
  • Radio Data System with radio text, program type, station name, and automatic clock time (where available)
  • Compact disc drive supports MP3/WMA playback on CD-ROM/CD-R/CD-RW formats
  • Dynamic bass compensation for high-quality rich bass
  • Full-function IR remote control
  • Alarm and sleep timer
  • CD MP3 Playback
  • Menu System
  • SD Card/USB MP3 Playback
  • Search and Manual Tuning

After much deliberation, and as much research as the Internet would afford me, I decided to buy this radio and try it firsthand. As always, I felt safer buying from Amazon because of their fair return policy and outstanding reputation. I knew I was going into this somewhat blindly because there are precious few reviews of this piece anywhere online, and even fewer by real folks like me.

Anyway, I got the product yesterday and test drove it in depth last night. Its first impression is an excellent one. The substantial heft and gorgeous "piano" finish would probably sell a ton of these radios if they were more readily available in stores. Set up was expectedly simple, and the user's manual wasn't needed until later on. Personally, I liked the metal, telescoping antenna mounted on the rear of the unit (where, by the way, you'll find a clean array of additional I/O plugs and the "3-D" sound selector. From every angle, this is a beautiful radio.

The first thing I did after plugging it in, was check a few local FM stations. They all came in very well, which was no surprise given Sangean's radio heritage. Be certain of one thing about this unit: it is a radio first, and then a CD player, audio file player, etc. The RDS feature was a novelty, but not as intuitive or lavish as I was hoping for. I'm not entirely familiar with what RDS normally provides on most equipment, though, and I don't fault this unit for anything in that respect.

It wasn't until I put in the first CD (a standard "red book" audio CD) that I experienced that all-too-familiar consumer electronics letdown. It didn't play. The unit acknowledged that it read the CD and recognized how many tracks were on it, etc. But I could not get it to play any of it. The CD was not suspect; in fact, I deliberately started with a CD that was playable on every piece of CD equipment I've owned. Subsequent discs, however, did work, and apparently with no further problems.

It was while I was waiting for the first CD to play that I removed a promotional sticker the factory had stuck on the front of the unit (advertising what types of media it can play). Where every other manufacturer I've seen has used a static-cling or no-residue adhesive to make sure the sticker comes off cleanly, such was not the case on this radio. The sticker came off with much effort and left behind quite a bit of very stubborn adhesive. This might've been negligible had this radio not been so beautifully finished, and the sticker not been put in so prominent a spot on the front. While this had no bearing on the player's performance, this was pretty disappointing to me.

In playing with the sound options--the part of this unit I had the most interest in and curiosity about--I ultimately realized that even the fine design and speaker capabilities of this radio/CD player are limited by the direction of the speakers and bass firing. In a very specific listening zone, this sounds pretty good. And by specific I mean, I found that directly facing the speakers from a distance of about 6 feet, with some peripheral area to either side, was ideal. Step much further outside this cone of sound, and the overall listening experience is compromised significantly (though the 3-D sound effect lessens the degradation a bit). This is more a limitation imposed by the direction of the speakers, and not by the design or components. But it's reason enough in my opinion to consider a radio/CD player with detachable speakers, unless you're using this on a nightstand or a very small room.

The USB and SD card input options are really fun novelties, and I wish more manufacturers would get hip to this simple technology. But in the end, when you have a unit that already plays MP3 CDs, these additional formats aren't as needed.

In the end, after only a day, I'm sending it back for a refund because of the fickle CD player issue. I'd rather not take my chances on this one. In a nutshell:

Pros:

-product feel and look

-simple set-up and easily moved

-excellent radio capability

-clean inputs and outputs on the back

-telescoping FM antenna

-full function remote

-SD card and USB drive options

Cons:

-Small "ideal listening zone"

-Unnecessarily bright display

Too bad these aren't in your local store where you can play around with them in advance. Hope this helps.

Buy Sangean America WR-3 Digital AM/FM/CD/SD/USB MP3 Table Top Radio (Black) Now

Originally I had been eyeing the Tivoli radio brand because of their tuning sensitivity. I listen to late night AM radio and unfortunately most radio manufacturers produce poor quality radio receivers nowadays; from what I read on HD radio it didn't sound that beneficial to me, signals are said to cover less territory. I also wanted a CD player which meant the Tivoli would come in three pieces too large for my night stand and I assumed it would not play MP3's because the literature made no mention. To top it off I felt the Tivoli was too expensive so I searched for other makes and found the Sangean. Surprisingly, I could find only one professional and one personal review which made me cautious why so little mention/notice? I am also leery of professional reviews as many times they won't say anything negative about a product due to advertising relationships.

After reading the reviews and specs, and finding a refurbished unit, I took the risk and made the purchased. What a pleasant surprise. The radio has a nice gloss black finish and is heavy, actually nicer than the pictures. Sound quality was better than expected even to my audiophile ears. I download favorite Internet radio MP3 interviews and load them to a USB thumb drive which plugs into the front of the Sangean. Control is mostly made from a thin card-like remote control. I highly recommend the item.

ImprovementsSome notes on what I thought could be changed or didn't like but is true with most table top radios these days: blue lit display will dim but is still too bright, wish it had the option to turn off altogether. I think the USB slot should be in the rear of the radio so the cable or drive isn't hanging out front. I don't particularly like being dependant on the remote control, just in case it gets lost. It would be nice to have controls all on the unit. No battery back-up for presets and clock. If you lose power, guess what? You lose clock time, radio presets, and the clock alarm. So, if you set the alarm, lose power in the middle of the night, you might be late for work. Not too smart. Needs a battery backup. One other comment Sangean makes an interesting wireless Internet radio. I would have been tempted to purchase that if it had all the other features of the WR-3. Why not combine Internet radio with AM/FM CD USB?

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I bought this radio for my kitchen, which is a high traffic, high use area. It has great sound but the features are the real sell. I was frustrated because most everything out there was focused on the iPod which I will never own. Also, most of the CD players will play mp3s but not wma format. My collection of thousands of songs are wma. This radio plays mp3 and wma formats from 3 different sources (USB drive, SD card or CD). It also has an aux jack so I can plug my (non-iPod) player in. Now, my kids and I can each have our own music on whatever media we like and just plug it in. On top of all this, it has RDS (Radio Data System) that tells you the names of songs and groups from radio stations that participate. I have always loved this feature on my car radio.

Now for the downside. All the functionality is on the remote. All you can do from the radio is power and volume. I would have liked a little more functionality available on the radio. Also, there does not seem to be a way to make it so the RDS display is the default. I have to hit the mode button when I switch to a station that supplies RDS. This radio is a little pricey but well worth it and much less expensive than the Bose Wave radio that has nowhere near the features.

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No problem with reception or sound quality, those were excellent as other reviewer's have stated. The remote as noted by others is required to do anything at all, and if anything the flimsy feel is worse than others have stated. Worse yet is that one large volume knob in front of the unit, this thing overall is built like a tank, but that knob in front feels like it will break off very quickly.

We still would have kept it even with these flaws, but the video display went to all exclamation marks after only about a week or so of use, seems to me like it burned out because it was very bright, abnormally bright from an electronics design point of view. Something voltage or current wise is not calibrated correctly there, I suspect.

It's like, they were 88% done making a really great product, and cheapened out on the last few details, and compromised the whole thing. We sent ours back for a refund, and Amazon return policy is NOT that easy, major pain shipping back because the original box they used to ship to me fell apart.

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My wife and I recently decided to rearrange our living room. Part of the problem was a large entertainment center full of audio components and flanked by two large floor speakers that dominated a complete wall. This made it tough to arrange things how we wanted. The solution was to lose the entertainment center, upgrade to a wall-mounted flat screen television and replace the stack of component audio gear with something simple, self-contained and compact. I had originally planned to replace this "mission control" audio gear with a Bose Wave radio, having marveled at the nice sound from one owned by a friend some years ago. Upon researching the available choices among the competition, I discovered the Sangean WR-3. I suspect Sangean is virtually unknown to most folks. Sangean has long manufactured portable shortwave radios with which I'm well familiar. I also purchased a Sangean WFT-1 wifi internet radio last year and was very impressed with the quality of this product. This afternoon, I received my new WR-3 from Amazon and quickly unpacked and set it up for a test run. This product is quick and intuitive to setup and didn't require any help from the owner's manual. I was completely astounded by the "presence" of sound from this relatively small box. The only similar product I had to compare it to is a friend's Bose Wave radio. Both have fine sounding full audio, but the Sangean has a "3D" switch on the rear panel that when enabled, made a profound difference in stereo separation. It's uncanny how the sound of this product emulates that of a much larger system with much larger speakers. The Sangean WR-3 has separate bass & treble controls which are lacking on my friend's Wave radio. Bass response is strong but not "boomy" and obnoxious. The WR-3 is quite loud at full volume too and has a complete lack of distortion. So, are there competing products that sound better? There may well be, but the WR-3 must certainly rank among the best. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed in the way it sounds. Indeed I suspect most users will be just as astounded as I.

The other thing that struck me is the obvious look and feel of a quality product. It's quite an attractive piece with it's highly polished black plastic case and fabric-covered speakers. The display is bright and automatically dims itself after a short time after the last button is pressed. Still, the blue illuminated ring around the volume control and the display backlight remain on even when the radio is off. "Off" therefore may be more accurately described as "standby". For those intending to use the WR-3 as an alarm clock/radio, the constant display illumination may be an issue. Another quirk is that the RDS function of FM reception must be manually enabled by a button press on the remote before it displays artist/song, etc. The included telescopic FM whip antenna works well in my suburban home and I found the tuner to be quite sensitive and selective. AM reception sounds great as well. This model is one of the few that features a real internal ferrite loop antenna for the AM (MW) band. The ferrite MW antenna design performs far better than the plastic-frame wire loop external antenna supplied with nearly all competitor's radios. In fact, the provided antennas became one of the key features that prompted my choice of the WR-3 over the competition. The downside of a built-in ferrite AM antenna is that they are quite directional and may require that the entire radio be rotated for best reception of weaker AM stations depending on the direction from which the signal arrives relative to the radio. For me, this was only a problem with very weak AM stations located well beyond a reasonable listening distance. It's simply much cleaner to have the antennas built into the case than to have unsightly external antennas and their connecting wires. The telescopic FM antenna provided with the WR-3 may be extended just enough to offer good reception in metro areas and may be rotated to hide it if desired. Fully extended, the telescopic whip enabled good reception of normally weak stations well beyond their intended listening area. The FM telescopic antenna provided simply screws onto the 75-ohm type-F connector on the back panel, so a much more substantial external antenna may be used for rural area users in tough reception areas. The tuner itself is most certainly well designed and capable of good performance of weak signals with a suitable antenna. CD performance is excellent with a motorized disc transport mechanism that operates just like an automobile CD player. The WR-3 features an auxiliary audio input jack mounted where it belongs on the rear panel. I connected the auxiliary input to my Sangean WFT-1 wifi internet radio with excellent performance. The combined package is still compact and quite an entertainment package! The 1/8" (3.5mm) auxiliary jack may be driven by audio from a myriad of sources such as a multi-CD changer, portable audio player, etc. A press of a button on the included remote control selects the auxiliary input and the volume is adjusted normally with the large front-panel volume control or by the remote. Incidentally, nearly all functions and features of the WR-3 are controlled by the remote control. The radio itself has controls only for power on/off, volume and CD eject. This may be an issue with some users but appears most of the competing models are designed similarly. The thin-profile remote control included with the WR-3 is comprehensive with all control buttons intuitively layed out.

Overall, the WR-3 is a well-made, visually attractive product that features outstanding sound. It's a great option for those like me who prefer a simple self-contained audio system that compares favorably with the average component system yet doesn't take over the room. There are some very nice competing products from the likes of Bose, Polk Audio, Cambridge Soundworks, Tivoli, Yamaha, etc but the Sangean WR-3 compares very favorably yet is among the lowest priced. It includes some design elements of the best competing models the provided antennas being one most noteworthy. It will be interesting to see if Sangean offers a future version that integrates wifi internet radio reception with AM/FM & CD audio into a single unit. In my opinion, the WR-3 leads the pack where value is a fundamental criterion.

Projection Clock Radio with AM/FM

Projection Clock Radio with AM/FMFor the money it was worth it. I can see the time on the ceiling which is what I wanted. I don't like that you have to set both displays of the time. I listen to am at night and the sound quality isn't the best either but so far so good.

I just received the Craig Projection Clock Radio and I'm greatly disappointed. Upon opening the Amazon shipping box, I noticed the clock's box was dirty and worn. It looked like it had been mishandled over a long period of time (yes, it was that bad). When I took the clock out of the box, I almost cut my hand on the clock because it had a large crack in the plastic base. This was to be a Christmas present for my mother who really needs a projection clock like this. Really, really disappointed that this seller would ship an item like this and think I wouldn't notice the damage to the clock as well as the condition of the box it came in.

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My husband was given this alarm clock as a gift over 4 years ago. We have never had a problem with it. This clock radio is very dependable. And this year we bought one for my mother's husband for christmas. Everyone loves this clock because it projects the time on the ceiling. This is a great gift to give to yourself or someone else.

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Jensen Radio JHD910 Complete Kit - Free Shipping - Waterproof Mini AM/FM/WB/Stereo / 3.5" Mini Speak

Jensen Radio JHD910 Complete Kit - Free Shipping - Waterproof Mini AM/FM/WB/Stereo / 3.5' Mini Speakers Waterproof / Top Side Rubber Antenna - ATV/UTV
  • Sealed design is 100% water- and dirt-proof and features corrosion and UV-resistant faceplate / Front panel audio aux-in for use with iPods, MP3 players and portable CD players
  • Chassis size: 5 3/16" W x 3 3/8" H x 1 7/8" D / Radio includes a fixed L-bracket for mounting, but an optional adjustable mount is also available (sold separately)
  • Ideal companion to the new JHD910 mini weatherproof radio / Can be surface mounted, flush mounted or mounted using included adjustable "U" bracket
  • 30W output each / Fully weatherproof and UV-resistant
  • ?14" tall antenna with attached 59" cable / For universal use or as replacement

the radio is all I expected but the speakers sold to match are not. The volume has to be low, any higher they sound bad. also the return policy say's you can not return if the box has been opened. How else can you tell if you like or they work well. Amazon is a great place to buy but the speakers are trash.Love the radio but wasted $89.00

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I got the Jensen JHD910 and the speakers with the top side rubber antenna. I installed it on a Kawasaki Teryx and it is great. I live in West Virginia so the weather band does not come in wery well, but other than that it is a great radio,it picks up FM stations very good. I have not tried AM so I could not say. The AUX input works perfict for my ipod. One word of caution DO NOT hook the power up to an aux wire leaving the key on runs the battery

down real fast. Just hook straight to thr battery and you can use it for houres with no problem. I love this small radio and it sounds great.

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Have this on a UTV. Works great and being weatherproof i don't worry about ruining the radio. This is my second Radio on another recreational vehicle. Have been very satisfied with the sound, reception and overall usage of this product

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We installed this product in a Kubota Skid Steer and It worked great! Couldnt be more happy. I am purchasing two more for our inventory

Very nice product that performs well in all conditions and vehicles, I have one in a skid steer and an excavator now

Samsung Exhibit 4G Android Phone, Black (T-Mobile)

Samsung Exhibit 4G Android Phone, BlackI got this 3 weeks ago on contract from T-Mobile for $80 with rebate. I had looked at the other premium Android-powered smartphones they had (LG G2X, Samsung Galaxy/Vibrant 4G, HTC Sensation, My Touch 4G, Sidekick 4G), but their prices turned me away to the Exhibit 4G.

Here's the run-down on the Exhibit 4G...

This is my 3rd Samsung handset and like the others it is high-quality and loaded with features. It's compact for a smartphone just 4.6 in. tall, 2.2 in. wide, and .5 in. thick, and lightweight at 125 grams. It's made almost entirely of plastic, but that's not all bad because it has great heft, and is easy to hold thanks to a soft-touch coating on the battery cover and part of the front and sides.

Hardware-wise the Exhibit packs some features found on high-end devices. The 3.5 inch, 16 million color support 480x800 LCD capacitive touchscreen looks great and has very high pixel density. The resolution and color reproduction and saturation is very good for an LCD unit, I'd say on-par with the HTC Sensation's S-LCD display. Pictures, graphics, and videos look great. Granted, it can't go blow-for-blow with the Super AMOLED displays, but for the price you'd be hard-pressed to find a better one. It is also very sensitive and responsive to inputs.

The Exhibit has a 1 GHz ARM-A8 Cortex Hummingbird processor, 512mb of RAM, and 1 GB internal storage, expandable to 32GB by a MicroSD card. There's also b/g/n WiFi, multi-touch input, an accelerometer for UI autorotate, gyroscopic sensor, and compass, proximity sensor to lock the display, and an ambient-light sensor to adjust display brightness.

There are only three physical hardware buttons and they are responsive and sturdy. The up-down volume rocker on the left side, a power/lock/unlock button on the right, and a large home button on the front. Interestingly, unlike other Android phones there are just three capacitive Android keys for menu, back, and search under the screen. Another plus is that the memory and SIM card are both accessible through a spring-loaded slots. The SD card is on the left side, and the SIM is just under the battery cover, so you don't need to remove the battery to access them. Way to go Samsung!

The software feature set is also impressive for a sub-$100 smartphone. Thankfully, the Exhibit isn't loaded down with bloatware like some other handsets. You do get exclusive T-Mobile software like AppPack, T-Mobile Mall (to browse and buy T-Mobile apps), Highlight, Name ID (costs $3.99 a month), T-Mobile TV (to watch popular TV shows), and Quix Video Chat. You also get the preloaded Google Apps like Maps with Navigation, Places, Search, and other Apps like Slacker Radio, TeleNav GPS, navigation,The Exhibit is feature packed, almost bursting at the seams when it comes to software.

It runs "Gingerbread" Android 2.3.3 with Samsung's Touchwhiz interface, which is a good one. It's easy to use and I got the hang of it pretty quickly. It's well-laid out and arranged so all the functions, menus, and "Widgets" are easy to find and use. Thankfully Samsung didn't choke out and destroy the stock Android OS, so it's customizable as well.

The small-for-a-smartphone screen does make typing on the portrait keyboard a little difficult. I have ham hands and it took me a while to get used to it. the landscape keyboard is a different story though with large keys. You do get Swype input functionality though, which is useful. There is also voice text input which works pretty good!

I really like the organizer, plus you can sync your calendar and event notifications to other Android-powered phones and Gmail accounts as well as share media and files (you can't share ones you had to buy) through the AllShare app. As a plus, T-Mobile lets you allow the installation of virtually every 3rd party App on the Market.

One area you can tell Samsung cut corners to keep costs down is in the Exhibit's camera. You don't get a 5 or 8 MP camera, and you can't shoot 720P or 1080 HD video from the Exhibit. You're stuck with a 3.2 MP (2040x1536) camera and D1 (720x480) video recording, which isn't too bad. Pictures in daylight come out good. Colors are a bit soft and you don't get nearly as many details as with a 5+ MP unit, but they are good enough to print. Low light photos suffer from lots noise which destroys pretty much all fine detail, but thankfully the LED flash is very powerful, illuminating out to 10 feet, so you can take some servicable images. Thre's a front-facing camera for video calling or photos as well.

The flash is also a video light, so videos are also servicable, but only out to about 5 feet. Like all of the Samsung devices I've used, you get a good camera interface with 13 scene modes(candle light, WDR backlight, firework, text, sports, etc.), 3 shooting modes (single, panorama, burst), exposure metering, negative, monocolor, and sepia mode, image quality, adjustable color balance and saturation, exposure value, contrast, and sharpness. Most all of those are also found in the camcorder interface as well.

There's no physical camera shutter button (like most Android phones, touch to focus and shoot), or digital zoom, and the shooting performance really needs improvement. It takes about 3-4 seconds to acquire focus and shap the picture, and I've noticed that shot-to-shot times are a bit slow, so don't count on it to get fast follow-up shots. But remember this cost $80.

The Touchwiz media player is very good and easy to use. There are 9 settings (one customizable) for equalizer, visualization, effects, and file management. Sound quality with media and calling were pretty good. It does what a phone is supposed to do and does it well with good voice quality and clarity. The earpiece and speakerphone could be more powerful though. I have to turn the volume up high to hear callers over the speaker even indoors. Although it's adequate, the media volume could also use some improvement as I had to turn up the volume when listening to a video or song. Plug in the headphones and it's a different story. I enjoyed the sound quality and loudness.

Web browsing is very good. The Exhibit supports both 3G and HSPA+ 4G connectivity which is a theoretical 21 mbps, but I only saw 6 down and 2 up using Speed Test app running on the network with good signal strength, and about the same on WiFi. It has full Flash support as well, but sometimes pages with lots of Flash content load slow and even stall. To avoid this, you can set the Flash setting to on demand.

Battery life is great. You get a 1500 mah. Li-ion battery that gave me about 3 days with moderate use before it beeped at me. Heavy calling, camera/camcorder flash use, Web browsing, and media player useage will quickly drain the battery, but you'll still get a day and a half out of it which is impressive.

So there's the major stuff.

Pros:

Ridiculously low on-contract price

Samsung's Touchwiz interface is customizable and easy to use

High quality construction and good feel

Impressive handware and software feature set

Camera flash/video light

Android 2.3

Adjustable camera settings

Good display

No need to remove battery to access MicroSD and SIM card

4G support

Competent Web browsing

Good call clarity

Good battery life

Front-facing camera

1 Ghz processor

Cons

Smallish screen makes using portrait keyboard difficult

3.2 MP camera and subpar D1 video

Poor shooting performance

No digital zoom

No AMOLED display

No physical shutter button

Web browsing could be better

Wished it had Dolby's DNse 5.1 audio enhancement feature

Speaker phone, earpiece, and media volume could be louder

I am being a little picky here, but for $80, you can't beat it. If you want a high-end phone but don't have or want to shell out $200 or more, take a look at the Exhibit. You will find most of the premium features for a very un-premium bottom shelf price. I was sold and after living with it for a few weeks, I am glad I chose the Exhibit.

I'm a tech lover, but didn't really need a smartphone yet. When I went to upgrade, I noticed this device and it's low price. I ended up getting it because it has many of the same specs as the Galaxy S, but cheaper. The screen is smaller than most smart phones, but I actually like it that way. The smaller screen makes the phone size more manageable for me and fits in my pocket better. If you want the latest and greatest phone, then this isn't for you. If on the other hand, you are looking for an introductory smart phone that can do most everything the "big boys" can then I would seriously recommend the Exhibit.

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I just purchased my phone and I just have to say that I love it! I've been a Blackberry user for quite sometime, however my Blackberry was starting to fizzle out with me. My text messages were being deleted BEFORE I could read them and several other problems. This phone is just the right size for me. I'm still tinkering with it to get it to my specifications but I have time, no rush. As long as I can call out and hang up when necessary, I'm good. The web is pretty fast which is great asset. I'm not really big on tech speak but I recommend this phone for the look, the size and especially the price!

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I'm old fashioned and the primary function of a phone for me is for making voice calls. Smart phone functions like having a calendar, calculator and camera are nice extras and being able to check email and do web searches and check weather updates is nice too. But it all has to start with good call quality and that's where the Exhibit really shines. Another plus is that the battery life is very good if your primary use is as a voice phone, just keep wifi turned off when you don't need it. I actually bought a used Exhibit on eBay to keep as an extra phone but the call quality was so much better than my HTC HD7 that I'm using it all the time. I have to say that I prefer the Windows Phone 7 os much better than Android, but Gingerbread is more stable and usable than earlier versions of Android. For a relatively inexpensive smart phone the Exhibit is a keeper.

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As a full-featured Android touch-screen smartphone, I was impressed with the features. Fast web browsing, good quality photos and videos, the ability to upload attachments at will, voice operated text, a million apps to choose from and all for a really low price with contract.

I wanted this to be everything, but it still falls short. I've had it about six months now, and it freezes fairly often, which is nothing short of frustrating. The battery has half the life it once did. (I suspect the tethering feature killed it don't forget to turn it off when you're finished using it!) The touch screen keyboard is annoying and awkward, but I suspect it's no worse than most other Android phones. The camera, I realize now, isn't THAT good it has no zoom capability, and captures low light/shadows terribly. More significantly, all the pictures have a subtle fish-eye lens tendency to them, which makes none of them actually accurate! (It also makes your face look too big!) That's probably the single most annoying characteristic of this phone, next to the system freezing of course.

So, judge for yourself I guess. I chose it as the best compromise between ratings, price, and radiation level. I'm sure you have different options now.

Timex T435B MP3/CD Line-In 8-Color Clock Radio

Timex T435B MP3/CD Line-In 8-Color Clock Radio
  • Sleek low profile design
  • Custom calendar with year/month/day. Backlit amber-glow display with dimmer. Extra large snooze bar. "Sure Alarm" battery back-up.
  • Custom one-touch alarm settings for 7, 5, or 2 days. Programmable 90 minute sleep timer.
  • MP3/CD line-in jack with cord included allows users to listen to their favorite songs from their MP3 player or portable CD player.

This is a nice clock for the office, but I don't depend on it to wake me up. I chose this clock because of the dual alarms and iPod connection. The buzzer alarm is not very loud and turns off automatically when the radio alarm goes off. The radio is not good very bad reception that fades in and out without moving the dial or antenna wire. I'm going to find a better alarm clock and take this to the office as a desk clock & iPod speaker. The good features: dimmer for the display, 2,5, 7 day alarms, automatically updates with Daylight Savings change and you can adjust the volume for the sleep setting without changing the alarm volume.

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I recently purchased this Timex clock radio because of it's dual-alarm and MP3 hook-up capability. The alarms are way to soft and I slept through them twice (and I am not a heavy sleeper). However, the worst part was that I was unable to read the clock face unless standing above it at an odd angle. The lighted digital display of time did not contrast with the background enough to distinguish unique characters. The clock constantly looks like it reads 18:88 instead of the correct time. Changing the soft display colors did not help. After two days of having no clue what the correct time was, I returned it for a full refund.

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Timex watches might take a licking & keep ticking, but this clock radio is very poorly designed. It's difficult to program time/date (not intuitive like other clock radios). The off buttons stopped working after 2 weeks. I'm taking it back to the store. This is one of those cases where you get what you pay for. Now I'm willing to pay more to get better quality.

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I'll admit, I bought this clock mostly for the shiny colors. The MP3/CD jack was an added attraction, along with the low price. But I've had it for less than 24 hours and I'm already sorely disappointed with it. First off, you can only set one of each type of alarm one buzzer alarm, one radio alarm. That doesn't really qualify for a dual alarm in my book, and this is the first alarm clock I've ever seen where you can only set one alarm to buzzer and one to radio.

The buzzer alarm is hardly a buzzer it's more like a "meep meep" sound. And to hook your MP3 player in to listen to it, you need to keep it on continuously, or wake up and turn it off when the sleep timer shuts off. I don't have an iPod so I can't dock it in an electrical charger, so that means lots of burned-out batteries. The radio/MP3 line in are both great-sounding, bordering on pleasantly loud, but the radio reception is kind of iffy. If I could set both alarms to wake to a loud radio, I think this alarm clock would satisfy me but alas, I can't.

The redeeming qualities are that you can set an alarm to go off every day, M-F, or weekends. Of course, I work Sunday-Thursday starting at 11:45 PM, so if I set the clock about 45 minutes fast, this would work for me. The daylight savings time auto-switch is nice, too. And, of course, I'm a fan of the shiny colors. But after having this clock for approximately 12 hours, I'm going to return it to the store tomorrow.

I've had this alarm clock for a year and a half, so that's pretty good because many others have said that within only a few days the alarm clock will completely reset itself as if the power went out. This is what happened to me a few days ago. I thought the power went out because the date and time were wrong, so I went to set the clock to the right date and time and as soon as I did, the clock completely reset itself on its own again. I'm glad it hasn't done this when I had to wake up for class or work, I guess I'm lucky. But don't buy this if you want a reliable clock that lasts.

JVC KWHDR720 2-DIN HD Radio USB-CD Receiver

JVC KWHDR720 2-DIN HD Radio USB-CD Receiver
  • MOS-FET 50W x 4 (20W RMS x 4)
  • 24-bit DAC
  • 3-Band Parametric iEQ
  • Ready for Bluetooth(R) Wireless Technology
  • USB Audio for iPod/iPhone etc.

I was looking for a double din receiver to replace my stock radio. This doesn't have all the bells and whistles like some of the more expensive touch screen dvd receivers, but it has enough options to make the upgrade worth it. I mainly needed an option to play my mp3 player but I don't know how much I'll even use it now that I have the front usb port. It's much easier to keep my music on a flash drive. The color matching options are very appreciated. A separate color for day and night is a nice touch. The navigation in the menu is somewhat cumbersome but I'm starting to get used to it. The EQ settings allow for plenty of tweaking for better sound than a stock radio. I recommend this receiver, although there are not a multitude of options available in the double din size.

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To be clear up front, I am not a huge audiophile. I enjoy good sounding stereos, but I don't have the money nor the desire to get 1000+ watt stereos for a car.

Before installing this stereo, I also had never installed anything electrical in any of the cars I've owned--I've been too nervous about making an expensive mistake to try this before.

I got this stereo after researching many double DIN-sized CD receivers with USB/iPod control ability. This was a very inexpensive set (less that $200) that had all the features I wanted. I didn't want--nor did I need--a receiver with in-dash DVD receiver or navigation ability.

With a seperate wiring harness (I bought one from Metra for less than $10), installation was a snap. The JVC stereo installation instructions are very clear--but I will highly recommend reading through the installation instructions once or twice to get your bearings before you begin installation. I did this very thing, and spent more time splicing wires together (the wiring harness to the stereo) than I did with the actual installation. Most of my time, ironically, was spent watching YouTube videos on how to solder wires together (as I mentioned above, this was my first time). It really is simple--but intimidating if you've never done it before.

I hooked all of it together with the mounting kit I bought (again, a Metra kit--fabulous!) and put the new stereo in my Pilot. The sound is much better than the OEM stereo--even without the OEM subwoofer in the cargo area--and I'm now able to play my iPod/iPhone music without having to worry about constantly finding empty FM frequencies.

Some cons:

1. With this stereo, you can no longer use the factory subwoofer without a separate amplifier. I've not found this to be a problem, but if you can't live without the subwoofer, make sure you get an after-market amp.

2. I know of no after-market stereo that can take advantage of the OEM in-dash 6-disc CD changer. If you own a 2005 Pilot like mine, you can order the Pilot LX shelving unit that goes where the CD changer is. Then remove the CD changer and put in the shelving unit and you're good to go.

3. To get this stereo to work with the steering wheel controls, it requires an additional adapter. I got one from Axxess (~$50) and it works like a champ--just took some extra time and a little bit more effort, but it's well-worth it.

Bottom line: I highly recommend this stereo, and am planning on getting one to go with my '98 Accord. I further recommend when you buy this stereo you read through the instructions a couple of times to become familiar with the task ahead.

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I love the sound from the HD radio stations. It fit in my Suburban just fine. My only wish would be a better buttons. They are made with cheap plastic. I do have a lot of kids so I need things that can withstand a little abuse. It is holding up just fine and sounds great.

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After much research, I purchased and installed this unit in my 2009 Tacoma. I also got the ASWC steering wheel control interface so my steering wheel controls would work. This stereo sounds much better than the stock radio, love the changeable display colors, the HD FM radio is nice, but most of all I like having the USB to plug in my memory stick. I don't know if I will ever use the CD player.

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a transportation downgrade known as a '97 Buick Skylark. A low mileage,near mint example previously owned by yep, you guessed it,"Gertie". The AM/FM/cassete deck had to go,and Lordy I needed something to offset an interior design Buick had obviously outsourced to some medical supply company specializing in sitz baths. This JVC model was double DIN,I know there are better performing single DINs,but frankly I just couldn't stand to stare at one more blank piece of plastic on the dash.This one has a bunch of display colors that can be changed daily or set it to pulse through all the colors automatically.Couple this feature with some Pendulum & M83,or Sylvester & Chic,or Janis/Jimi/Zep and Ooh-Whee!Its a rave/disco/hippie light show in your car! Uh,always drive responsibly.The front dust cover protected USB only plays WMA or i$$$ formats,so opt for a higher bit rate when ripping kids,or its your lossy.The CD player doesn't scratch upon loading,unlike some I've dealt with.Once you get around to transferring old CD's(And old cassettes, before they turn to dust.)you probably won't use it much.The controls are pretty intuitive,but the menu/setup/scrolling is typical of most modern tech in that it was designed by your usual high-functioning Asperger's types that rule anything electronic these days.Just read the owner's manual you'll get it.Now on to the negative part-Don't bother buying this unit or any other for the HD radio feature.This unit plays all regular stations clearly,and picks up some I never knew existed(Yeaa!More crappy stations!).In L.A.,where I live (Swimming pools,movie stars,corporate media,etc.)you'd think if the regular radio stations are able to come in so clearly,then their HD counterparts would as well. Well kids,add another broken dream to the pile.HD reception here is completely indifferent and random, one little hill,or just down the next block,doesn't matter.If media outlets are this indifferent to it,why bother with it at all? The Bluetooth,uh not gotten around to using it yet.

Quantys Solar Radio Clock, White Display German Version

Quantys Solar Radio Clock, White Display German Version
  • solar wall clock
  • German Version

This solar desktop radio (as in atomic) clock works. Has a rechargeable battery. Gets sun a couple of hours a day in the window to keep it charged, but would probably function on less. Lives on a desktop the remainder of the time. It is plastic, but sturdy and serviceable. Easy setup: popped the battery in, it immediately found the satellite and registered the correct time. I had originally ordered the wall clock, but those have not been programmed to find the satellites on the west coast of the U.S.A. Company in Germany emailed to find out if I would accept a desktop clock as a substitute and promptly refunded the difference. Will buy the wall clock if it is ever made to work in the USA.

JVC KD-HDR70 HD Radio Single-DIN Receiver

JVC KD-HDR70 HD Radio Single-DIN Receiver
  • MOS-FET 50W x 4 (20W RMS x 4)
  • 24-bit DAC
  • 3-Band Parametric iEQ
  • Ready for Bluetooth Wireless Technology
  • USB Audio for iPod/iPhone

I bought this radio for the HD tuner, use of aux jack, and to add a powered sub. At the same time, I replaced the stock speakers in my 99 Grand Marquis. This is my first time with and HD tuner, but I've had several stereos with MP3, IPOD, and aux capability. I've only had this stereo for about a week, but have already gathered a few thoughts. My list of cons might be greater than the pros, but please realize that the things you are not satisfied with garner the most attention. Even with all the cons, I am impressed with this little stereo. The only thing that REALLY gets me is listed first under Cons.

Pros:

-Many options for what info is displayed. Some stereos only let you see clock, track, or title. This mixes those up a little and gives you more than just a one line display.

-USB track finding is simple. On a stereo I previously had, you could only go between folders and then songs sequentially. This stereo makes it simple because you can pick which folder and which song by their names all while the current song is playing.

-Even though it only has a few buttons, controls are pretty intuitive. Basically press/hold a button then turn the wheel and you can get to everything.

-Stereo reception is exceptional. The 12 year old stock stereo in the Grand Marquis was better at pulling in stations than most cars I've driven in the last 15 years. This JVC unit is even better. I'm easily getting stations that are 70+ miles away.

-EQ is pretty flexible. It adjusts in 3 categories: bass, mid, and treble with several settings in each category. I'm not even sure what some of the settings do, but I know when it sounds right.

Cons:

-By far my biggest gripe: The subwoofer output is VERY limited. I have an Elemental Designs DVC 12" hooked up to an 800W class D amp that was just plain ridiculous with every other install I've used it in. With this stereo, you get an audiophile sound. The lows to the sub are very clean, but very limited. At times I couldn't tell the sub was even on (and I even have an amp gain remote at my fingertips). Don't get me wrong, I love a well balanced system, but at times I just want to feel the bass. I don't ever want to have to pop the trunk and see if the amp is getting power. The fix: I plugged the RCAs into the rear output of the stereo. This bypassed all the subwoofer controls of the stereo, but I just use the LPF and other setting on the amp. Now the sub beats with a vengeance playing everything from Metallica to Tupac.

-Display can be hard to read at times (even with all the adjustable colors and brightness). Because it is a convex shape it also seems to collect more dust. I hope it doesn't scratch easily. Forget about seeing it through polarized sunglasses, but that's problematic with most displays.

-I wish it had some preset buttons. This is personal preference, but it's tough having to get to the right station if you have 20 presets. I would prefer a few direct tune buttons.

-It takes a few seconds to recognize an HD station (might be a symptom of all HD tuners). This is problematic if you're seeking/searching because it won't find the alternate HD stations until it recognizes the first one. So unless you wait a few seconds after every seek, you might miss some great programming.

-I have noticed that at the beginning of some of the USB tracks it skips like a scratched CD. I have some songs where it plays a second, restarts the song, and then plays the whole thing. Didn't realize digital media could skip.

I hope this is helpful. I chose this stereo over its competitors because of price, features (HD especially), and the great experience I've had with JVC stereos previously.

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I chose this model for several reasons; first, I wanted the slightly larger character size of a basically one line display. I don't drive with my reading glasses on! Then I thought I wanted to experience HD radio so it's built-in to this model. I wanted to retain a single DIN size and gain a removable face. I wanted to plug in one of the newer, tiny USB flash drives because it's cool to have MP3's play without spinning mechanisms or a wired player! I have the KS-BTA100 add-on Bluetooth adaptor plugged into the rear AUX input for hands-free calls. I thought the color choosing capability would be cool too.

I can only offer three stars for this model that I've been riding around with for about 3 weeks. Everything works pretty much OK but my main gripe is the lack of display brightness during the day. You get to choose a DAY and a NIGHT color & brightness for both the button section and the display section. The illumination changes with either of two wires in the harness connected to the car's panel illumination circuit. My Acura, like most cars these days, has a variable duty cycle panel brightness control which properly triggers the JVC's day/night switchover. However, the daytime brightness of the display section is woefully DIM even though all colors and dimming settings are set for maximum brightness. I could drive around without my sun glasses but I didn't have to do that with my previous JVC head unit. At night I have the color set to only RED to match my instrument panel illumination and that's a welcomed improvement.

HD radio? It's probably just me but I find little programming of interest. At least there's lots of it in the Houston market!

My new Maxell "ultra compact flash drive" fits neatly in the front USB jack. For USB playback navigation, you get to choose folders and then files within the folders. The display shows an assigned folder number and below that the MP3 tag data. You can cycle through several display formats. I was pleased that the time between USB "reading" and toe tappin' to the tunes was brief compared to earlier examples of car audio USB playback technology.

The add-on Bluetooth functionality is very good. Callers report excellent fidelity from the microphone in the stick-on control module and I can make the caller as loud as I need to.

Although it's new, I'm going to replace this JVC with (likely) a different brand that has fewer shortcomings and trade-offs. Like many head units, the limited number of buttons on the KD-HDR70 means you have to click through many settings to arrive at the one you want and cuss when you overshoot!

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The illlumination capabilities of this head unit makes it cool even for a 40 year old like me. I love the fact that there are front rear and sub preamp outs also. As stated in another review the sub preamp out it limited. You need a good sub amp that can overcome the limited signal coming from it. In fact, I tried to drive one of those Boss audio all-in-one sub with amps. I sent the Boss back because it's junk and wouldn't see the signal coming from the JVC head unit. I hooked the sub preamp out to a Rockford fosgate R1 prime 150 watt 2 chan. amp with a 12" sub and it sounds awesome. So the problem with the sub preamp isn't a problem if you buy a decent quality sub amp and sub.

I've also had problems with this headunit with reading my usb drive. It only sees about 250 or so files. There are way more on there and they're visible on my wife's Ford sync system so it has something to do with the JVC. Not sure but it's a little annoying.

Overall I'm happy with this unit. It fits perfectly into my GTI dash and I changed the button collor to match the red on my dash buttons and the display to match the color of my instruments and it looks more stock that way. The functionality is good once you read the instructions and learn what it can do. Built in bluetooth would have been nice though but oh well.

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I installed this in my car today and have played with it for a bit and I am pretty impressed with it. I haven't perfected the sound for me yet because it has so many settings for the EQ but I'm sure once I get it I'll know it. Another thing I am pretty impressed with is the reception. I live in Columbus so it's a rather large market however there are a lot of stations in the surrounding areas that I am able to pick up with this stereo. They aren't in HD but they pick up really well without static. In terms of the HD, I wouldn't exactly call it CD quality however it doesn't seem to have any static like it would with the analog signal. I noticed instead of the static it seems to fade in and out like the volume is gently going up and down. It's not bad and you probably wouldn't notice it unless it was pointed out to you. The bottom line, I am happy with the purchase and would recommend you give this stereo a try.

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Good product easy to install and the user manual is clear.

The bad thing is that I am using in Brazil and I can not use all the functionalities for FM stations

Sangean WFR-1 Table-Top WiFi Internet Radio with FM-RDS (Dark Brown)

Sangean WFR-1 Table-Top WiFi Internet Radio with FM-RDS
  • Access over 16,000 Internet Radio Stations
  • FM-RDS displays track and artist info during FM radio playback
  • 20 FM presets
  • Remote control included
  • Aux In/Line Out jack

An internet radio opens up an almost overwhelming number of broadcast streams and for someone like me, who enjoys classical music, there is a wonderful choice of commercial free stations worldwide. I own (or have owned) a number of internet radios;a Slim Devices Squeezebox(!), a Roku Soundbridge R1000, a Revo Pico portable, a Receiva AE and a Sangean WFR-20, but the new Sangean WFR-20 is almost the best of the bunch (I will explain why it is not unequivocally the best in a minute!).

The Sangean WFR-1 is beautifully finished with a polished wooden case, an array of controls on the front panel, including on/off, volume and equalizer (tone control). They are not particularly intuitive but better than the single knob on the WFR-20. There is also a substantial and full function remote control, resembling that of the Roku, rather than the credit-card sized devices that come with Pico and the WFR-20. The amber display is larger than those found on any other set but the Roku (more about this later).

Set-up was very easy (I use an ethernet wired connection to my router but it works with my wi-fi network) and it was playing within a few minutes of unpacking. There is also an FM tuner with a separate antenna. Sound is excellent and far superior to any of the other sets I have owned except Roku, which is almost as good. For this unit, Sangean has gone to Frontier Silicon rather than to Receiva for their streams. Nevertheless, there is an abundance of stations, including Real format so I can get all the BBC channels (a big negative with Roku). There is little delay in receiving streams after switching on and Frontier has a good website where you can set up favorites and add new stations. Playing stored music from my computer via Windows Media Player has been easy and more consistent than with the WFR-20 or AE.

Now for the downside. Despite a larger display that claims to offer four lines of text, there is no control for format (as Roku provides) or for brightness (which the WFR-20 offers). Most frustrating is that Frontier do not stream program information with the station! There is plenty of room for this on the display and such information on content is invaluable because some stations do not provide this audibly; the WFR-20 does this well because it uses the Receiva streams but it would require reprogramming of software by Frontier to have this on the WFR-1. Frontier tell me it is being discussed but they have no plans for implementation! Surprisingly, Sangean, although the 800lb gorilla here, do not seem inclined to pressure Frontier. I have had several conversations with the amiable Selwyn, whom you reach quite easily when you call up technical support at Sangean, and he agrees totally with me and suggests that I contact Frontier (which I did) or write a review to make this point which I am doing!

So in summary, this is an excellent product with great acoustic performance but marred by small, but irritating, shortcomings in the display. As a result, I gave it 3 stars rather than 5.

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I primarily chose this radio over others (including the Logitech Squeezebox) because of its good looks. But it's a very good radio as well. The menu structure is logical, the display is easy to read, there is a cool web interface to easily surf all stations and add them to your favorites. Truly amazing stuff! The sounds is good, though don't expect miracles. It can be a bit boomy at times, but otherwise sounds quite good.

A quick tip: I had the same problem with the WEP setup, it only allows 64-bit WEB encoding (10 characters). However, you simply download the latest firmware (Sangean posted a new version on Nov. 5, 2008) which supports 128 bit encryption! Set your router to 64-bit (for now), connect the radio, then download the update directly over the internet (Under setup menu -> Upgrade). It will download the latest firmware and install it in a minute or so. After that you can set your router back to 128-bit encryption and reconnect the radio, this time you can enter a full 128-bit HEX code! The backlight is still on after you turn the radio off, but it's dimmed. I have this in my office, not the bedroom, but I wouldn't expect this to be a problem.

Read Best Reviews of Sangean WFR-1 Table-Top WiFi Internet Radio with FM-RDS (Dark Brown) Here

I've watched this advertized on Sangean's site for a year, impatiently waiting, and finally got it yesteday. Its beautiful in every way. Installed easily, menu to navigate the 16,000 internet radio stations well done, web creation of playlists you can access directly from the radio or your own content on Windows Medida player 11 quite easy. The audio is very good (If the Bose CD desktop is an A, this is a B+ after getting the EQ right.) Most channels CD quality sound. I'm quite ecstatic having this and very highly recommend it.

A few little tips: when putting in your router password, there is a lower case alphabet later in the selection to use, and the remote didn't work great til I put a little paper between the batteries to line them up better, now its flawless. Don't let this lead you to believe this cheaply made, this is a very nicely built, attractive device.

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(After update the rate should read 3 instead of 5 !)

Just got this radio and it runs great (wireless internet & FM haven't been able to establish the media player connection so far, though this is most certainly an issue linked to the router). The sound is amazing, once you toggled around a bit to find the right equaliser settings.

Do keep in mind however that, more likely than not, you will have to upgrade the WFR1 first before being able to establish an internet connection through your router. The upgrading seems to be a bit of an issue, so I thought it might be useful to write a little resume;

So, how do you listen to the WFR1 with a WEP protected router?

First, download the installer from the Sangean website ()

The logical way to go from here is upgrading through your computer (USB cable connection).

However, do NOT follow ALL of Sangean's on-line instructions.

Here is how it works;

1. "Download the Installer" -> OK

2. "Remove AC" -> OK

3. "Press and hold the "forward" and "back" buttons on the radio while plugging in the ac cord." -> OK

4. "Release buttons after display shows "USB Upgrade"" -> OK

(5. "Connect USB cable between radio and PC") -> NO! DO NOT CONNECT YET!

6. "Run correct executable file depending on model" -> UNZIP & RUN the installer on your PC

7. "Follow Upgrade Wizard to completion". -> at one point the program will ask you to connect the USB cable & give you information on what to do on the radio menu. ONLY CONNECT THE USB CABLE (you already set up your radio in step 3 & 4). After this, the program runs the upgrade.

Your radio will now accept the WEP code.

(For those who run a DHCP server on their router, don't forget to check/update the DCHP reservations list, otherwise your newly connected dynamic DHCP client might expire after a certain number of hours!)

Hope this will be of some help!

UPDATE : (or; "how to ridiculously loose 2 stars")

Contrary to the WFR-20, this radio (well, Frontier actually) does NOT give you any information on the artist, songs, etc! This means I have to continue using the (free) software on my computer to get any information in which case I could as well have linked the computer to my amplifier... Quite unacceptable, and even more so since the WFR-20 (Reciva powered) works fine in this field...

My advice: stick to a Reciva powered radio for the time being !!

UPDATE 2 :

My radio started acting funny, lost interest in it's remote, and finally gave up all together after 20 months of use. Standard warranty is 24 months in Belgium so I was fine, but I'm not all that impressed with the rather short life span of this product.

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I wanted an internet/FM clock radio and this one got some good reviews.

Pros: Great retro look, just like the AM radios of my childhood. Beautifully finished real wood case, a single big knob, and a yellow glowing display. The sound is quite good for a tabletop--maybe a bit boomy but that should be fixable by the eq function. The FM reception is helped by a real car-radio-style antenna. The good news is that my favorite weak stations are streamed online so the FM reception is not really much of a factor. The menu structure is logical and easy to use, giving access to FM, internet radio, podcasts, and your local shared music library. I haven't yet figured out if you can plug in your iPod, but there is a USB port that must be good for something. The wifi worked well with my AirPort (but see cons). The variety of internet stations available is overwhelming; you could waste a lot of time channel surfing. Finally, because Fort Collins CO is my home town I'm a big fan of atomic clocks. This radio doesn't have that feature, but it does have an option to sync time over the internet, which is great.

Cons: For me the biggest disappointment is the alarm clock. You have to navigate through the menus to change settings. This is worse than it sounds because although there are two alarms, there's no way I could find to have, say, one alarm for weekdays and another for weekends. If, like me, you keep flexible hours, this could be very annoying. Surely there's enough processor power and memory in this product to implement different alarms for every day of the week. Too bad it isn't open source. Also, the price paid for good looks is that the control buttons are indistinct and their labels virtually unreadable. Once you play with it a bit you can learn the keys, but I'd suggest you not toss the manual. Others have complained of the light, which cannot be turned off. I'm a good sleeper and do not expect it to be a problem for me. A minor annoyance was that the wifi setup seems to have a limit of 10 characters for a WEP password. So I had to reconfigure my AirPort before I could connect wirelessly. And, as another reviewer noted, remember that passwords are case sensitive.

Summary: This is an excellent, good-looking FM/wifi/internet radio, but with barely adequate alarm options.