iLuv i177 Alarm Clock Speaker System for iPod (White)

• Compatibility: iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G; iPod classic 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch 1G, 2G
• Digital clock display with dual alarm function
• High and low dimmer control
• Sleep or wake to your iPod, AM/FM radio
• Integrated universal dock for your iPod

** Update June 11, 2009 **

I just wanted to correct an error below where I indicated that the iLuv wasn't properly charging my iPod. I don't know what was happening when I was trying it out but I really have had no problem across 2 different iPods with charging since I posted the review.

Still can't think of any use for the remote however... :)

** End Update **

I picked up the black iLuv iPod speaker system after doing considerable research online. These reviews are pretty helpful so I thought I'd add my 2 cents worth so that you can know what you're getting.

By and large the other reviews agree with my experience. The sound quality is very good for a small unit. You want to pick a playlist before you go to bed otherwise you get whatever is randomly selected from your library (I presume this is due to my election to shuffle all songs in my iPod settings).

I don't have much use for the remote but it's nice that it's included and it works well when I *do* play with it.

The unit has performed excellently since I purchased it two months ago but I'll make some observations:

the rotating volume and tuning dials are apparently supposed to continue the click wheel paradigm from the iPod, but they do so mechanically and are often a little awkward to use.

do NOT count on the unit properly charging your iPod. It *does* charge it somewhat so the iPod seems to me like it will run indefinitely while attached to the unit. But I've found that the iPod is not fully charged when I pull it off the iLuv. Fortunately, realizing this, I just make sure that I plug in my iPod when working out in my gym or I leave it attached to my computer until it *is* charged when I'm picking up my podcasts in the morning. This may just be my unit but it was a low point in my commute when my iPod battery ran out of steam that first time before I realized what was going on. I'm pretty rigorous about ensuring that it's charged before I leave the house.

I agree with others that the minimum volume for alarms needs to be lower. It would also be nice if the volume ramp-up time could be adjusted. The unit comes on and fades up to the pre-selected volume pretty quickly.

Finally the lights, that dimmest setting may seem dim in the middle of the day, but it's pretty overwhelming in an otherwise pitch-black room. A "Glow" setting or similar would be nice. As it is, when I want to know the time at night I hit the dimmer button to check the time, then hit it three more times to cycle the light through medium and high intensities and then to off again.

None of the above items are showstoppers for me, just 'nits that you can either live with or can't. Knowing what I know now, I would purchase the iLuv again. It has most of the features I need and the price is reasonable.

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I spent a lot of time deciding whether to buy an iluv, iboom, iblast, ihome...you name it, I've condisered it. I went with the iluv because it had the most pro's over con's. Yes, the remote does not work very far away, but the display is great. It has 3 adjustable dimmers, plus a completly dark mode. Two seperate alarm settings, in case you have 2 people that need to wake at different times. The only thing I would change is that the display (time, date, radio station) is only viewable while the unit is plugged in. Even if you have the 2 double A batteries in the system, it will only stay lit while its plugged in. The instructions say the batteries are for storm back up. Also, the volume has to be at a minumun of 10 on the alarm. Its not to to loud, but I like to wake up to it a little bit quiter. No biggie. If you loose the remote (which is VERY tiny, probably the length of a middle finger and the thickness of a toothbrush) the function buttons are located on the unit, which is always a good thing. Other than these few and minor imperfections, it is a wonderful unit for the money and I would definatly recommend it.

Read Best Reviews of iLuv i177 Alarm Clock Speaker System for iPod (White) Here

I've been looking at the IH5 from Ihome for months. After reading reviews, I put off buying it hoping ihome or another company would improve on it. I looks like the makers of iluv looked at the reviews and took them to heart in designing the I177. Where the IH5's display could light up a room, the I177 has an adjustable display, including a completely dark setting. Where some complained that the IH5's wake volume was too loud, you can set the wake volume on the I177. Where the IH5's remote was optional, the I177's remote was included standard. The sound is very good for a clock radio. All in all, I'm very satisfied with this purchase and spent $25 less than what I would've spent on the IH5. Glad I waited.

The only negative I noticed was that the ipod insert didn't fit my 5G ipod. In the manual, it mentions that this is subject to availability, which I've heard can take a while. Fortunately, the insert that came with my ipod fit perfectly. Problem solved. So for those waiting, you can order it from apple if iluv is backed up.

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In theory this is a cool device with a neat feature set and sound, however there is a terrible oversight in the alarm-it is way too loud and cannot be adjusted to be lower!

If you like waking up to soft music or talk radio, this device is absolutely not for you. The softest volume setting allowed is way too loud.

I was also not at all impressed with the AM/FM reception.

On the plus side, when connected to my iPod, the unit seems to work and sound pretty well and the remote control is handy. But I can't use this for the intended purpose, as a clock radio to wake me up in the mornings.

I ordered the iLuv after a long debate with myself. After reading all of the reviews left for it, it seemed that many people had the same complaints: dimmer too bright, a noticable humming, and the iPod video didn't fit. Well, they were ALL WRONG!! This radio sounds great. It is very clear and sounds the same as it does on the headphones. Sure, there's not a lot of bass, but I have never heard a radio that size that did. For it's size, it is definitely the best sounding radio I have owned. The dimmer might be a problem, if you have it right in front of your eyes! My room is in a basement, where it is very dark and the dimmer has not yet been a problem. There are 3 levels an an off option. In my opinion, there is no way this could be a bother. As for the fit of the iPods, the radio comes with interchangable docks for EVERY iPod. For the video, there is a card with tabs to make the 20 GB dock work with the video. And as an added bonus, there is an AUX space and video out to the TV!! If I were you, I would definitely get this radio!!

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Geneva All-in-One Stereo for CD, iPod, iPhone, Radio, Line-in - Large (Red)

• iPod Universal Dock compatible. This dock works with iPhone 4S and earlier and dock has a 30 pin connection
• Built-in slot-loading CD.
• FM Radio with digital tuner.
• Connects to other MP3 players, vinyl, TV or any line-in audio player
• 100 Watts of EmbracingSoundTM digital stereo.

A real pleasure which starts with the outstanding packaging, and ends with the finish product. What a Beauty in my living room. First thing to attract the attention of my guests when visiting me. Yes, we can have some small arguments about the quality of the sound when compared with huge stereo installation, but let's be realistic, sound is excellent coming out of this Beauty. I wish I could have space for the XXL, but for the time being I will go for another S one in my office.

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I've had my red Geneva Sound unit for nearly 2 years now and am still in love with it. It is versatile enough to deliver sound from my blu ray player, docks my iTouch and can hook up to any Mp3 player. The Sound quality is on par with the better Bose SoundDocks. For me though top marks for the aesthetics. It's just beautiful.

Read Best Reviews of Geneva All-in-One Stereo for CD, iPod, iPhone, Radio, Line-in - Large (Red) Here

I stumbled upon Geneva Sound's consumer products early-on; a local electronics store just happened to be one of the very first authorized dealers in the US. I was instantaneously smitten after hearing a Model "L", and purchased one on the spot. It has since been relegated to the bedroom, as I ordered an XL less than 6 months later.

The idea of purchasing a "quality" product at a "reasonable" price does have a certain appeal, and I give, to those of you who are on a limited budget, my utmost assurance that I, too, can relate (trust me, I've been there and done that for more years than I care to remember). But...

There is, in addition to death and taxes, one other sure thing in life: the simple fact that there is NO SUCH THING as a free lunch. A fact that you'll soon discover when it comes time to set up your spiffy new multi-speaker surround sound system in a private dwelling that wasn't designed to accommodate a wide-screen TV connected to 3-6 (or more) specialized components, a subwoofer, and 4-6 speakers, along with concomitant speaker wiring (measured by the yard). Of course, you'll probably need to rearrange, or even reduce in number, some of those frivolous non-essentials like furniture! Oh, and did I mention all those pesky hot-air registers, oddly-placed doorways, etc.? So much for proper speaker placement and "sweet spots".

Hope you naysayers like home projects. And if your employer suddenly decides to relocate 2 months from now, it may be some time before you actually HEAR your new system (moving being another wonderful endeavor I've endured more than once)!

Maybe I'm just a misfit who marches to the beat of a different drummer, but I do think that time and living space are also worthy of inclusion in the purchasing-decision matrix. As far as I'm concerned, I'd cheerfully, uncomplainingly lay down as much as an extra "G" note on a system like this long before I'd consider returning to the audiophile purgatory of wire-entangled, multi-component "entertainment" systems (oh, the pleasure I derived just from DUSTING all that junk!). Given the resolution and clarity of Geneva's products, it's not as though sound quality is being sacrificed; not to MY ears, anyway (and I'm not totally deaf yet, in spite of my best efforts). Anyone who desires to torment the neighbors with better bass response might wish to consider upgrading to the XL, which offers two 8" subwoofers and 600 watts. Sure, it's even more "pricey", but why should cost be an obstacle when it comes to upending mobile homes? It didn't deter ME!

Seriously, though: if you already own a GenevaSound "L" model, you might want to consider proper placement. For best results, position the unit close to a wall (about 6"), at a point roughly equa-distant to the room's corners (ie., right in the middle, if possible). You should also try to move any furniture or other substantial objects that may be sitting to the unit's left or right as far away as you can. You'll get more depth. Unfortunately, this little trick is not mentioned the instruction manual, although I think you'll find it in the pedestal assembly instructions. When I repositioned it accordingly, it actually sounded BETTER than it did in-store. In any case, it's easier to position one box than it is to position many of them. At least it seems to be that way in my universe.

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For a lot of money, you get a very sleek, and powerful stereo. The sound is amazing, and the stereo looks great. Did I mention it's expensive?

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Midland ER102 Emergency Radio with NOAA Weather

• Emergency radio with all 10 NOAA weather channels and an alert override function
• Features AM/FM radio reception, a clock with an alarm function, and a 3-LED flashlight
• Rechargeable battery can be powered by dynamo hand crank, or included AC power adapter
• Constructed to be water resistant, and backed by a manufacturer's 1-year warranty

I hope I can give you some useful information about this radio and give you new ideas on simplifying your emergency items. I have been reviewing emergency radios for too many days, I think for most of us we want something portable for emergency AM or FM weather information and NOAA information and alerts during a loss of power that might last for a few hours or several days, I'm not looking for equipment to survive without power for months in the wilderness, just keep in touch and out of the dark during the emergency. I was considering the Eton RH500 (cool factor) but after reading about all the Eton radio models, I could not help but notice one serious concern with all of them, most reviewers said the Eton radio reception was not very good indoors... which is where I'm going to be during bad weather; an emergency radio without excellent radio reception has little value in my opinion. I opted for the Midland ER102 and I am very pleased. I like having the Dynamo feature, but I do not put a lot of value in it as my thinking is that all the emergency products I purchase must use AA batteries; they have a shelf life for 6+ years and they are cheap... aprox. $10 for 24 name brand batteries at W. Mart... The idea; one battery that fits everything! As for this radio; I live outside of the city and the AM and FM reception inside my house is excellent even without extending the antenna it picks up well, I can pick up 3 NOAA weather channels, two of them loud and clear, and one NOAA channel loud and clear without extending the antenna. Some reviewers complain about sensitive tuning; as for the tuning... the tuner is an analog (not digital) tuner with a digital display and it scrolls very smoothly (all the emergency radios that I have found use analog tuners.) To get clear reception it is not necessary to hit your station exactly (but is easy to do), as with analog tuners we have always tuned into the general area of the station then moved the knob back and forth until the station is clear, you never thought about it being sensitive since you just listened for the best spot without observing a digital display. Is the dial sensitive... no more than any other analog tuner, it might seem that way if you are looking at the digit to the right of the decimal point while rapidly scrolling, however a light touch when fine tuning and I find the tuner actually easier and much quicker to tune than if the display was the old analog type display other emergency radios have. The 3 LED flashlight is surprising bright, the backlit LCD display is very bright, AC adapter is included, the alarm is easy to use and it's kind of neat to look at the display and see the current temperature constantly displayed. I will note that I have a newer Nokia cell phone and although the radio comes with several adapters mine was not in the mix. Again this is not important to me as I don't want to crank the Dynamo for 5 minutes to make a very brief call.... Better idea; buy a portable emergency cell phone charger that fits your phone. This $5-$20 device (you guessed it.... works on AA batteries) will allow you to start using your phone within 30 seconds of plugging it into a dead cell phone and talk say 2 hours on one AA. If you want to go all out you can purchase Lithium batteries which last longer than Alkaline and have about a 15 year shelf life. Storms and power outages are stressful enough and lots of work, I say keep it as simple as possible... and a bonus, all my stuff fits easily in a small drawer in the kitchen.

My 3 watt LED flashlight (about 80 lumens) lasts 2 hours on high, my Sylvania LED Mini Lanterns (L562) last up to 200 hours on 4 AA's and they are as bright as many large lanterns, and this Midland Radio all use the same cheap AA batteries.... $20 buys 48 AA batteries and will last me a long time, how about 72 AA's on hand at a cost of $30.... I can go for weeks.

Buy Midland ER102 Emergency Radio with NOAA Weather Now

Excellent AM/FM and NOAA weather radio reception. Decent sound for a small unit. Easy to use.

Some of the items in the Technical Details section on Amazon are incorrect:

1. There are only 7 NOAA weather channels.

2. The cable for the cell phone charger is not USB, it is a 3.5mm 2-pole connector with standard in-line plug adaptors for some cell phones.

The manual states that to charge the internal battery pack from the AC line or hand crank the "Power Selector" has to be in the "AC/DYNAMO ON". You need to either turn the volume all the way down or put the "Alert Type Selector" in "Alert" in the WX mode. The power has to be in the "OFF" position to charge a cell phone from the AC adaptor or hand crank.

The LCD display "Backlight" switch is in a funky place on top under the carrying strap so you tend to turn it on inadvertently. It shuts off after 3-4 seconds.

Read Best Reviews of Midland ER102 Emergency Radio with NOAA Weather Here

I have done a good bit of searching before getting this emergency radio. There are many choices out there for this type of radio. After reading many reveiws I picked the Midland 102. "Features" prevailed over weight. I will also be using this radio for backpacking/camping trips. The reception is great. Even indoors with the antena down it gets great reception. It's not the smallest radio. It is small enough to fit in my backpacks upper cover pocket. The LCD display is great. Along with the other many features it has. Tells Temp, alarm clock, weather alarm that can be set to silent flash warning. Light is small but ideal for searhing for something in a pinch. Three differnt ways too power the radio is great. I tested the lentgh of life with power on board before having to use the crank. It was atleast two days of near constant use. Or close to eight to ten hours. After cranking for three minutes. The radio played for close to an hour. The sound quality was exceptional for the speakers size. When holding the unit in your hands it won't feel like a cheesey piece of plastic. So far I am quiet pleased with the Midland 102. The only reason for four star rating is I can not attest to it's durabillity since I have only had the radio just over a week. If you get this unit you will have made a decent educated purchase, that was worth the effort in finding an emergency radio for your family. Hope my reveiw helps you out.

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I have a cabin in the mountains and don't have TV or Internet access. I was up there not too long ago and found about about a snow storm just a few hours before it hit. I happened to be driving and heard the emergency broadcast system alert go off in my car radio. That's when I thought it would be a good idea to have a weather alert radio in the cabin.

I went with this one because I liked the multiple power source options: battery, charged up from the plug, and the crank. I also liked that you can use it to listen to a regular AM or FM station and it will switch over to weather should an alert become active. It can also be off and in a stand-by mode but will activate if there is severe weather.

I recently went to my cabin and had this radio up there for the first time. I was able to find a clear weather channel (several, actually)as well as a favorite FM station even though the cabin is a bit isolated I barely get a cell phone signal.

That evening I was listening to the FM radio when it went into alert mode and started providing weather information. It had been raining and apparently there were now some flash flood warnings, watches, etc. as well as high wind issues in the area. It worked just great.

I didn't bring the charging plug and had not got any batteries for it yet, so I was using it just off the charged up internal battery. I estimate, on the conservative side, that I got about 10 hours of listening time before the battery ran down. I thought that was pretty good.

I also did some work in the crawl space of my cabin while I was up there. Again I was able to bring this radio with me to listed to FM. By the time I had emerged from my work, it had gotten dark. Used the flashlight to get back up into the cabin. Handy.

This radio is small enough to move around easily. I put it in a medium size duffle bag that I pack my clothes in when going away for a couple of days.

The sound quality is not fantastic, but I didn't expect it to be. Remember car radios that had that one speaker up in the dashboard. Gets the job done, but don't look for the bass and treble adjustments!

I think this radio deserves a strong consideration if you want to be sure you are alerted to severe weather at home or a vacation spot. The clock, alarm, temperature display, freeze alert, etc. are all icing on the cake.

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I bought this radio to have on hand for an emergency if the power fails, disaster etc. It does what it says and I pulled it out of the box to give it a try.

It does have a USB port in the back under the rubber flap that the AC charger plugs into. I did try and use it to charge my iPhone to see how it worked. It will only charge while you are cranking the handle at a fairly vigorous pace, I guess if the power was out and you wanted your cell phone to work you could charge it, I just hope you have a few people with you that can also crank as it gets tiring pretty fast.

The Crank handle seems a like it is a litle on the flimsy side and may not last very long if used a lot.

The radio dial is a bit touchy but stations can be tuned in, you just have to be light on the knob.

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Bose Wave Music System - Titanium Silver

I have enjoyed my Bose Wave music system for just over a month and I am very pleased with its performance. This is the second or third generation of the iconic Bose one-piece tabletop sound system that is intended to make you think you are listening to a much more complicated and professional component system. And, to a great extent, it does just that--or at least, it is closer to a stereo component sound than to a stand-alone run-of-the-mill radio sound. It certainly features a deeper range of bass sounds than any other one-piece radio I have ever encountered.

Bose has pioneered its spectacular sound machines which seem highly defined by their innovative speaker systems which they refer to as "waveguide speaker technology". This one-piece system produces a clear, natural, room-filling sound without the need of external speakers. It has a very innovative physical design with a small unintrusive footprint that sits well on a night stand or in the kitchen. I particulrly appreciate the Titanium Silver color which seems appropriate for any area of the home. It is simple to install right out of the box and has the FM/AM radio, CD player, and clock/alarm built in. There is an auxiliary input for an MP3 player or other alternate sound source.

I especially appreciate the alarm system that opens softly and gently rises in volume as you awake. It comes with a credit card size remote control; however, I purchased the larger backlit remote with a dedicated cradle that I use instead. All in all, this is an effective and very impressive one-piece tabletop sound system that I enjoy daily. It is a bit pricy, but ultimately, you get what you pay for.

I had the Bose Wave Music System (one disk changer and remote) for a week or so now. Never thought I would pop the $$ for this but when I found it at a good price, I said "go for it". I'll admit, I'm surprised and impressed. I did expect it to be different, better and so forth just because of the reputation but I was not prepared for the details of that difference. The sound is remarkable. It not only sounds great when you're in the room with it but also because of how well it produces music throughout several adjoining rooms . For example, when I am in my living room, two rooms away from where I placed the Bose (in the kitchen at the rear of the house and facing the back) the music sounds almost even better its rich and full and more rounded than any of my other music systems with the possible exception of the one that takes up a great deal more space. I like listening to it from my reading chair in the living room....great full powered sound without being overpowered by it... I hear details of CD music I've not heard before from such a distance. I think the distance listening factor of this unit is the most remarkable feature of all that are mentioned.

Some reviewers have been critical of the unit being controlled only by the remote with no on board buttons. I can see that as a problem if you have kids and pets (who like to eat remotes and yes, both the kids AND the pets might do that).... but for me, a single guy living alone, it is no problem. Actually, the unit looks sleek without all those buttons on top and you don't have to worry about dust accumulation. Just the same, I do recommend getting a backup remote easily available on the eBay market (just Google it). If you've got an extra $500 for a new unit, go for it...or, if your funds are more limited, look around. It can be found for less. In my case and considering what I paid, it was more than worth it.

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I originally ordered the Boston Acoustics Trio because of better features but due to a couple of issues (details below) decided to switch to the Wave. While I had both units, I did a side by side comparison, and here is a summary:

Sound Quality: Both the Trio and the Wave sound great. Listening to the same radio station and CD in both, the sound is different and IMHO the Bose sounds better. Especially in higher frequencies and lighter tones. Some may like the Trio better. But the difference is not likely to be a deal breaker for either.

Sleep feature: Both units allow a programmable sleep time (up to 90 min). When it is time to turn off, the Wave gradually lowers the volume and turns off. The Trio suddenly turns off at whatever volume it was, which can be jarring. Bose wins.

Controls on Unit: Trio controls are nice to use, and most people will not need the manual for common tasks. The Wave has no buttons on the unit itself, every control is through the remote. If you buy the iPod dock, you get an additional remote for the Wave and then one can leave one remote near the unit. But still, the lack of a Snooze button and CD eject button on the Wave is annoying. And one has to worry about not loosing the remote or having a dead battery one day. The Trio definitely wins.

Remote control: Comparable features on both. Bose does offer an optional bigger premium remote with back-lit buttons.

Radio: The Trio shows radio station names and the name of the currently playing song. The Wave only shows the station frequency. Wave does have one more pre-set memory location. Boston Acoustics wins.

iPod: The iPod dock was free with the Wave at the time of this writing (through Bose) and deeply discounted with the Trio (through Boston Acoustics). The docks work on both, but are only mediocre in terms of the amount of control over playback one gets from the remote. The Trio dock does allow for the alarm to be set to wake to iPod. The Wave dock needs a separate bulky power adapter while the Trio dock gets its power from the same wire that connects it to the Trio. Both do charge the iPod. Trio wins.

Alarm: The Wave has one alarm, which cannot be programmed for days of the week. The Trio has two alarms each of which can be set for all 7 days, weekdays, or weekends. Trio wins. (BUT, the Trio seems to have a bug, also noted by some reviewers for Trio. I set both alarm 1 and alarm 2 on the Trio. Alarm 1 was set for an earlier time and it did go off at the set time. The Snooze worked. But when I turned off the alarm using the correct method, two bad things happened: Alarm 1 automatically reset to 12am, Alarm 2 turned off and did not sound at the set time.)

Wake to: The Wave allows the alarm to be set to CD or Radio. The Trio allows CD, Radio, iPod, or a tone alarm. Trio wins.

Battery backup: Both the Trio and Wave remember the time, alarm, and radio presets in case of power failure. Neither will sound the alarm if there is no power at the time the alarm is supposed to sound. Its worthwile to note that many cheap radio alarms have a backup alarm on batteries that sounds even if there is no power.

Clock: Neither adjusts for daylight savings. The time display IMHO is better on the Bose and easier to read, though the screen on the Trio is higher resolution. Both allow for changing the display brightness. The automatic brightness change on the Trio is jerky and not pleasant to look at when its changing. The Bose brightness change seems imperceptible.

Looks: This is very subjective. I liked Bose better. More importantly, my wife liked Bose better and she has a good aesthetic sense. Maybe that's why she married me :-)

FM Antenna: The Wave's FM antenna is part of the power chord, so no need to extend and hide an additional wire. The Trio has a separate wire for the FM antenna. Bose wins.

AM Antenna: Hidden for the Wave. Exposed as a twisted wire for the Trio, which for me was damaged on delivery. Bose wins.

Price: Bose spends more on marketing and customer service. They have local stores where one can experience the products in person. As expected, Bose is more expensive.

Read Best Reviews of Bose Wave Music System - Titanium Silver Here

I was hoping for a good music player and a alarm clock. It makes a decent music player and alarm clock. It is supposed to have really good sound. The sound is muttled and there are no adjustments to make it any better.

I didn't like the fact that there were no buttons but I've found that it doesn't really cause to much of a problem as long as the batteries are good. It does however have a couple annoying features.

It has an auto dim feature for low light which I would rather disable but it won't let you. It will let you turn it up some with makes it tolerable. When you set the alarm it comes on low but it automatically goes up to 30 which I wanted louder but again no adjustment.

Now the good features. It seems very well built and sturdy. The design is attractive and fits in most places with no problem. It does have a Cd player which works well as long as you don't what to preset tracks (It will only shuffle).

With all this said, I still have to give it a three. I would give it a four if the price tag wasn't so high. For the money, I expect a few more adjustments. It is very easy to use however and serves it purpose well. It does need to have more options. It works well and seems like it will last a good long time. I'm fairly happy with it.

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Just completed a major kitchen remodel and when all was done, we realized the one thing we hadn't considered was MUSIC. Previously, we had an undercabinet Sony unit which was fine, but with the new kitchen, we had built-in undercabinet lighting and no where to mount a similar unit. Ended up picking up a refurbished Bose Wave in Titanium Silver at a Bose Store for 20% off...while still pricey @ $400, the clean look, excellent sound and radio reception made it worth every penny. Its a nice, clean look that blends in nicely with our blue/white granite and stainless appliances, and really fills the kitchen/dining area with sound...all our friends have commented on the great sound. It's also nice to be able to plug in our Ipods with a standard head-phone-like connector...although Bose offers an Ipod dock (w/ charging capability) for $100, the one review on Amazon was not so great so we passed on that. Definitely recommend this unit.

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Sony SRF-M85V S2 Sports Walkman Armband Radio

• Lightweight digital radio with armband for joggers, skaters, and other active users
• Picks up AM/FM radio, VHF TV channels 2 to 13, and weather bands 1 to 7
• 30 station presets (5 TV, 5 weather, 15 FM, and 5 AM)
• Built-in stopwatch and split and pitch timer; easy-to-read angled LED display
• Includes armband, belt clip, and stereo headphones; 1-year parts warranty

First I read all the reviews here about how horrible the Sony SRF-M85V S2 is. Then I went to Sony's website and saw that the S2 had more features and a higher price than the Sony SFR-M37V. Yet the M37V gets very good reviews. I wondered how a higher end Sony product could be so much worse than a lesser Sony product. I figured the reviewers of the S2 were just too picky or something. So I disregarded the warnings and bought an S2 anyway. Yikes! Big mistake.

I was looking for a small earbud AM/FM radio that I could use while biking and working out. I typically only listen to AM talk radio. So when I first tried the S2, the AM worked fine on the 2 stations I usually listen to. I figured I was right, the other reviewers were goofy. But, even though I don't listen to much FM or TV, I want it to be able to pull in those bands for the rare occasion that I might want to listen to them.

That's were the S2 fails MISERABLY. I couldn't believe that I couldn't pull in even one single FM station! It was all just hissing and static. I could only pull in 2 TV stations!

I wondered if it was just a typical problem with all of these little tiny radios. So I decided to get the less expensive Sony SRF-M37V to test against the S2. Wow! What a difference.

The M37V is AWESOME! It seemed to pull in everything with excellent fidelity. All TV stations came in without a problem and all AM/FM stations that I tried came in perfectly. I immediately returned the worthless S2. Good riddence!

Since the M37V only comes with these huge over-ear headphones, I decided to buy some really cheap JVC Gumy earbuds (HA-F120-A) for $9. Wow! They really work well. They blow away the earbuds that come with IPOD's. They work so well my wife swiped them from me and I had to go get another pair. I can't believe they sound so good for only $9. They sound as good or better than earbuds that cost over 5 times more.

I highly recommend the Sony SRF-M37V with JVC Gumy HA-F120 earbuds for anyone looking for a tiny radio setup with great reception, great sound, and comfy earbuds.

Buy Sony SRF-M85V S2 Sports Walkman Armband Radio Now

I have recently used the Sony SRF-M85V S2 arm band radio...as soon as I got home from my walk, I found all the packaging it came in, packed it all back up and sent it back. The reception is HORRIBLE, it is even worse than horrible. I live in an area where reception is never a problem, but when on my walk, I was lucky if I had a total of 60 seconds of clear reception. There is a button for local versus further away stations, that made no difference in the reception. Maybe if you were standing in the lobby of the radio station would you be able to actually tune it in. I have had much cheaper radios that worked far better than this one. The only good thing I can say about this product is that I really l liked the armband.

Read Best Reviews of Sony SRF-M85V S2 Sports Walkman Armband Radio Here

The previous Sony S2, model SRF-M80V had two AAA batteries. This one , model SRF-M85V, has only one. I presume this is the reason for the terrible FM reception. Hay Sony, isn't the primary purpose of a radio to BE a radio?

Want Sony SRF-M85V S2 Sports Walkman Armband Radio Discount?

I had this radio for only a day before I got fed up and returned it back to Amazon. I did read the other reviews but bought it anyway hoping it would work fine for me and because I've always seen Sony as making reliable products. Well, it turns out the other reviewers were right for this particular product and I regret not taking their advice before purchasing this.

The reception was horrible. I'm in Southern California and I could not get a clear signal from even the strongest broadcasting station. All the stations had either a lot or a little background static, audible at all times. The reception improved slightly while outdoors but not greatly. Note that this was with the FM stations. The few AM stations I listened to sounded fine. For the TV reception, I could not get channels 2, 4, or 5 at all; all I would hear is buzzing and humming. I will hand it to Sony though for including TV station reception; it was what sold me on deciding to get this model. I want to listen to the news or talk shows on the go. Too bad it didn't work very well. I was able to get reception on the remaining TV channels though. For the weather channels, I could barely hear one of the seven bands.

The look and feel of this unit are fine. It is a good compact size. It runs on a single AAA which is convenient. Did not have a chance to try out the armband as I was intent on returning it soon. My biggest gripe is the reception. For its cost I expected it to perform a lot better than it did. I have an old AM/FM walkman from the 80s that gets better reception than this.

On another note, after returning this, I went to a store and bought another Sony walkman radio (I really wanted the TV feature). I ended up buying the Sony SFR-M37V, based on reviews that I found here. That unit has much better reception and I can actually hear all the stations. It is about the same size as this unit and less expensive, but does not have an armband. I am satisfied with that model. If you are still thinking about getting this SRF-M85V, try to get your hands on one and hear for yourself the reception quality. Also consider the other model (SFR-M37V) if you still want AM/FM/TV/Weather but don't need the armband.

I totally agree with the other review that this radio is extremely poor. Unfortunately, I did not read the other review until after I purchased the SRF-M85V and tried it out, first outside and then at the gym. Granted, radio reception inside gym facilities are the poorest you will find given the interferences, but this product failed to pick up most stations in my city and gave poor reception for the ones it did pick up while I was walking outside. My old Sony Walkman still performs beautifully in this area. In the gym? Forget it...absolutely no reception on the SRF-M85V! I too ended up gathering the packaging materials and returning this radio ASAP.

I opted for a Jensen SAB55 armband radio that gives wonderful reception outside and decent reception in the gym. The weight of the Jensen radio is acceptable for walking. The Jensen armband, however, is barely tolerable. I have not tried running with it. I give Sony credit on the armband...it's great. However, if I cannot get reception, what's the use???

Also, in between the Sony SRF-M85V and the Jensen, I tried the Sony SFR-M37V radio. The Jensen still gives me the best reception of the three at about half the cost of the M85V.

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