KA600 GREEN Solar/Crank AM/FM/SW NOAA Weather Radio, BONUS AC adapter/charger, 5-LED reading lamp, 3

• AM/FM, Longwave, Shortwave & NOAA weather radio with back-lit digital display.
• 5-way powered: AC/DC adapter, AA batteries, PC via USB port, Hand crank & Solar panel
• NOAA all hazards alert, Calendar, alarm clock with dual settings & sleep timer
• 4 tuning methods including manual, direct digit entry, ATS & memory tuning
• 180-degree adjustable solar panel with 5-LED reading lamp, 3-LED flashlight, Thermometer & humidity meter

The radio is excellent. Most of the time when you search the KA600 radio it does not come with the wall charger. So make sure you purchase one! In my case the wall charger was offered with the radio as a package deal. So, here are the draw backs: The antenna can't be turned to improve the reception. So, if you are going to be in the middle of no ware get an external antenna. The manual crank works just fine but I have not yet used the solar charger. Overall the radio will meet your needs. An additional feature that should be added to all "Weather Radios" would be WATER PROOFING! This should have been a no brainier but most radios are not weather proof! I am sure that many people would be willing to pay five or ten dollars more for a water proof radio! I could only give the KA600 a 4 out of 5 rating since I have not used all of the units features and have only used the unit for about 4 weeks. At this point I would recommend this radio for anyone wanting a small back up unit! I purchased my unit from electronicsandradios and had no problems with delivery.

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I like the many functions, Inexpensive AA batteries, 110 V plug-in option and overall looks. My only complaints would be rather weak signal strengths and the sound quality is only fair.

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Sylvania SIP320 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Alarm Clock Speaker Dock

• Play and charge all iPods and play all iPhones
• PLL Digital FM tuner
• Wake to buzzer, radio, or your iPod
• Auxiliary input for playback of all audio devices
• Full Function Remote Control - navigate all iPod menus from afar with the included remote control

To be honest, I don't know what the other two reviewers are talking about. I have several docks in my home ranging from iHome to Bose. After reading the two reviews here, I almost passed this product but luckily read a bunch of other reviews on Google and decided to take a chance on this beauty. Its no Bose, but its sound quality is not bad at all. In fact, I'd rate it a 5/10, and better than most other docks I've seen. Yes, it emphasizes the high notes a bit more than other docks, but a simple EQ change on the iPod easily took care of that issue. In the looks department, its a stunner, especially at this low price. The weakest part of it is its radio, which (based on the other review) I didn't expect to be high quality. Overall, I'm very pleased with this little gizmo and would rate it at 4 stars if it were priced around $50. But given its amazing price, I think this is a steal for a low to medium end dock.

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Don't get me wrong I love the design of this stereo/alarm, but that's about it. The sound from the speakers are high pitched (like cheap speakers), so the sound quality isn't very good. The light from the clock is pretty bright. It lights up my whole room and makes it hard to sleep. The alarm setting on isn't thought out. The music comes on blasting or if you set the bell on it, it sounds like a horn. If I would have had a chance to try it out before I purchased it. I don't think I would have bought it.. The honest truth.

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See that clear, easy-to-see light-blue-on-black display in the picture? That's NOT what this clock has. Instead, the display is a bright (I mean REALLY bright, the last review was right) blue rectangle with black numbers. Almost impossible to read, especially at night.

Otherwise, I just want to echo the other review. Too bright, too loud (I haven't found a way to adjust the alarm level, but the radio BLARES loudly enough to wake the dead), and impossible for me or my wife to read what time it is. Pretty much failing at everything you need a clock radio to do.

Oh well, it looks nice.

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I've had it for a weeks now and have knocked it down and banged up already a little and still working pretty decent, so that says a lot. I would honestly say the biggest drawback is the buttons don't always work the very best and all the different little stands for the various ipod styles could be labeled better but that's honestly nitpicking just a little on another plus side remote works pretty well and sometime better than the actually buttons if you don't press them directly

This radio/Ipod/ alarm clock is not only easy to use (almost idiot proof) but makes a great night light. The brightness of the light is adjustable. It is unique looking and the top is an easy place to store the remote. I am extremely happy with this puchase.

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Sony ICF-CD553RM Under Cabinet Kitchen CD Clock Radio (Silver)

• Super-Slim Interior Oriented Design
• 4 Band Digital Tuning (TV/Weather/FM/AM)
• 25 Station Presets
• 5 Direct Access Buttons
• Voice Memo

Pros:

Looks great.

Extremely easy to install.

Functionality is very good.

Sound is very good.

Cons:

The dial/knob is NOT for volume or tuning, which is somewhat counterintuitive. Other than that, no flaws.

Overview:

I installed this radio just a few weeks ago. Install was extremely easy. The included template made drilling the 4 holes an exact science. And the height-adjustable legs made the fit perfect and were very simple to place and adjust, and using these the unit should fit under any cabinet setup.

It does look nice, which is important in a kitchen, and we just remodeled ours, so this looks the part.

Functionality is generally very good. Like I mentioned under weaknesses, the knob is used for the timer, which is not how most radios are set up. But we've already gotten over that. Radio is easy to use, including setting the presets and such. Likewise for the TV and weather stations. I haven't had much trouble with reception, but that will depend entirely on your own situation. The CD player is easy to use as well.

And the unit sounds good. For a small sound system, and one that is mounted under a cabinet, which is not the most acoustically perfect area, is sounds good. And the enhanced "MegaBass" and "MegaExpand" features do help quite a bit. I tend to keep them on all of the time.

All-in-all, I am very pleased with this unit.

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After reading the other reviews I thought maybe I wouldn't have the reception problems others have mentioned because we live in a suburb of Denver and our kitchen has lots of windows. We tried the radio in several spots and finally found one where the signal seemed clear. However, when I stand in one area of the kitchen not too far from the radio, the reception gets very fuzzy. You have no flexibility with this radio because there is no external antenna.

I listened to several under counter radios in the store (this one, the GE, etc.) and this one has the best sound quality but unfortunately I returned mine because the fuzzy signal when standing in certain spots was too annoying.

If you only listen to CDs, you will be happy with this. But if you want to use it to listen to FM radio, look elsewhere.

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This radio has excellent sound quality! I live in a rural area (two hours from the nearest "city"), and I have wonderful FM reception with this radio. The only reception problems I've had have been with the Weather bands -I can't pick any up in my area -and with one AM station. Because the AM antenna is inside the radio, the placement of your radio will determine what stations come in best. In other words, you can't move the antenna to get better AM reception once it's installed.

It took fifteen minutes to install this radio. A template is provided for the screws, so all one needs is a drill for the four screws.

This radio uses buttons instead of a knob for adjusting the volume, and for locating stations. I would prefer knobs (hence my rating of 4 stars.)I would also like to see a scan option for the selection of stations. (If it has this option, I've not found it.)

I can't praise the sound quality of the radio enough. To me, this is the best feature. There are several different options to choose from when deciding on the sound quality. I like this because it allows me to choose one for listening to talk radio, and another for listening to classical. It makes a difference.

Try it! If you aren't pleased with it after a few days, you can always return it.

-------------

Back with an update after using this radio for many months. While I still think this is a decent radio, I've become rather irritated with the come-and-go nature of the reception. As the seasons change, so do the stations that I'm able to pick up. (Since it's in a fixed position, it is difficult to tune-in a station that's fuzzy.) This requires constant resetting of the stations that I've preset. Since there isn't a scan button, one must stand there and bump the radio up bit-by-bit until finding a new station. (Call my lazy.) These days, I mostly use the radio for its CD player and the very handy kitchen timer.

I still give this radio a wonderful rating on sound quality, but if I could, I would bump the rating down to 3 stars.

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I can't believe what I've read about this unit. This is a piece of junk! I don't normally complain and I'll put up with a lot, but this unit is almost worthless.

Reception is very poor on all bands. I was suspicious right off the bat when even the directions tell you that for optimum reception, you must extend the cord because it is the FM antenna. That's a great design to have the cord laying all over the counter for a space-saving under-the-counter radio!

The tuner appears to be digital, but it is really a poor quality analog. There is no signal rejection whatsoever. As you approach a frequency in an attempt to tune in the station, you can't really tell if you are right on it or not, unless you happen to know the frequency. The stations fade in and out, depending on where you stand in the room!

The mounting template looks like a simple rectangular arrangement for the mounting holes, but it really is a trapezoid, farther apart in the rear than in the front. If you are mounting the unit across two cabinets, you can't use the template anyway.

The CD door wouldn't open. You could hear it trying to move, but it never would open.

The left rear mounting on the unit was defective (stripped) from the factory.

Overall sound quality is tinny at best, with the bass boost having little or no effect.

Save your money and buy a small boom box and set it on top of the frig.

After going through 5 of the ICF-CD543RM models (bad CD mechanisms) Target got one of these and I upgraded. We've had no problems with it, and sound is suprisingly good. We live about 5 miles from downtown and generally our radio reception is good, and have not had issues with bad radio reception like others have. I'm not surprised if you live at the edge of a broadcast area that reception might be poor because (other than placement in your house which is limited), you are not going to use the cord draped around your cabinet hardware to improve reception.

My only complaint is that installation is a little tricky and you should definitely pull the template out of the box first to make sure it's going to work with your cabinets. Anything other than a deep, standard cabinet set-up would make this nearly impossible to install. Use the dimensions of the unit as a rough guide, but the truth is in the template.

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Tivoli Audio M3CLA Model Three AM/FM Clock Radio (Walnut/Beige)

• 20-minute sleep timer
• 3" top-firing magnetically shielded drivers
• 5:1 ratio analog tuning dial
• AC/DC operation
• Alarm with radio or tone options

I love it, but the clock numbers are too close to the big edge of the metallic ring and you cannot see the numbers easily you have to lower your line of vision in order to do so, and the other thing is that the light that illuminates the clock should go on and off, but instead it is fixed to the on position by design.

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Elgin Battery Powered LCD Alarm Clock with Nap Timer 3408E – Silver

• Large1.3" LCD Display
• 12/24 hour selection
• PM and alarm ¿On¿ indicator
• 4 Hour nap timer
• Uses 2 AA battery

What I like:

1. Ability to see time, date, and alarm time at the same time.

2. Runs on batteries.

3. Attractive blue illumination.

What I don't like:

1. All the buttons beep, making it difficult to set the alarm late at night without waking up my wife.

2. The display is tilted back so far that it's impossible to read the numbers when you're level with the clock, such as when it's on a bedstand next to your head. You really need to be a foot or two above the clock to read it.

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This is nice for a battery operated LCD clock. Unlike some of the other clocks that take a button battery or a little AAA battery, this one takes the larger AA batteries. TWO of them! So you get plenty of run time from this large battery/small clock combo.

This clock is small enough, and attractively styled enough, to fit proudly on any night stand, desk, or kitchen counter top.

The LCD display consists of 3 simultaneous displays. The first and foremost display is the current TIME (DUH!) Then over in the top right corner of the display is the ALARM time (I like this!), then in the lower right corner is the date in MM/DD format.

The snoozer alarm repeats in 5 minute intervals. The alarm won't jolt you out of bed in the morning. It's more like a nudge, until you start thinking, "What's that high pitched sound that I'm dreaming about, and that's increasing in tempo?" Then you're up after a few minutes of listening to that. The clock gets 5 stars, but the alarm gets 4, unless you prefer a nudge over a jolt, then it gets 5. Okay 4.5 is my final answer. I think the previously reviewed "too LOUD" issue has been adjusted by now.

One feature that is unusual about this clock is the nap timer. Activation of the nap timer, just takes once touch of a button for each 15 minutes of napping time that you will need, up to a nap limitation of 4 hours. I think 4 hours is enough time for a nap.

This clock does not have UP/DOWN buttons, but it does have seperate hour and minute buttons, so that makes it okay for easy setting. Oh, and yes you do have a choice of 24 hour military time, or the regular AM/PM display. (There is a 12/24 hour selection button)

I'm glad I got this clock. It's a nice little clock! I think this clock is better than any clock that comes crammed into a clock radio! You'll thank me!

Now let's talk about radios....

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As a student who takes frequent naps, this clock could have been fantastic for me. I'd never heard of the idea of a nap timer before seeing this clock. Now I have. And my life will never be the same. I probably get a good 2-3 seconds more napping per rest period because of this clock. I know that doesn't sound like much, but when you nap as much as I do, it adds up.

Also, classes are on different times on different days, so the ability to quickly change the time of the alarm is really important. This clock is relatively speedy. Although there is no button to change hours directly, the inclusion of an "increase" and "decrease" button more than makes up for that. I haven't done extensive testing, but my alarm changes feel fast.

The display is tilted up a little too much for my taste. But that's because I keep it on my desk, which is just above my bed. I haven't had any problems with the viewing angle being especially narrow, though, given the way the LCD is pointed.

The volume is LOUD. I took the advice of one of the other reviews and put some scotch tape over the speaker. This helps a lot, and now the volume is perfectly normal.

I like the fact that the features are minimal. Too many other alarm clocks are cluttered with useless stuff like the temperature and time zone. I know where I am, and I know if I'm cold. If I want temperature and time zone, I'll buy myself a map and a thermometer.

Another feature that's important to me is "smackability." When I wake up in the morning, I want to be able to flail my arm out to the side to smack the snooze button without sending the alarm clock careening onto the floor. This clock has a wide base, so it won't be going anywhere. However, the button on top is pretty stiff. It is made to be pressed, rather than smacked. Thus, my morning flailing has to be a little more controlled than I'd like, which means I have to be a little more awake. That's why I gave this clock 4 stars instead of 5.

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I've had a very difficult time finding an alarm clock with the bright indiglo light. So I was happy to find this one. However, with my first "Eagle" the alarm didn't go off. Amazon was great about the exchange for a new one (kudos). My repacement is a disappointment in that sometimes the backlight won't light up and I have to hit the clock on the bottom to get the light to go on. I second the others raters who have complained about the bad viewing angle. The loud alarm almost gave me and my wife a heart attack the first morning, but I put a piece of scotch tape over it and that seem to tame it enough.

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I love the concept of a nap timer, but when the nap's over look out...you'll be blasted awake. As another reviewer mentioned, the clock is difficult to read at some angles (in particular, from exactly the angle you are at when lying down looking at the clock on the nightstand!). And the snooze is difficult to press.

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Benchmark - DAC-1 -HDR - Preamplifier / DAC / Headphone Amp BLACK

• IR remote control with adjustable 'Dim'and 'Soft-Mute'High-Dynamic Range Volume Control with custom-built, motor-driven Alps volume potSix Stereo Inputs: Analog RCA, USB,TOSLINK optical, and three digital coaxialUtilizes 24-bit, 192-kHz DAC1 D/A conversion systemBenchmark's phase-accurate UltraLock technology provides total jitter immunityAdvancedUSB computer audio interface for native 24-bit / 96-kHz USB audioCompatible with Windows Vista/XP/2000 and Mac OS X without driver installationState-of

Replacing a Conrad-Johnson tubed DAC with something I couldn't physically listen to scared me. I have purchased on-line before but never an audio component. I've loved the CJ for years but the few remaining record labels are making noises about dropping CD production and it only supports 44.1/16 so perhaps it was time to go.

After subscribing to Stereophile for decades I have noticed a recent trend that virtually every DAC they review is compared to the writer's Benchmark DAC1. Some are better, some are different and some just don't compare, but they're all compared to the Benchmark. So if every Stereophile contributor owns a DAC1 maybe I should just buy a DAC1?

A call to Benchmark suggested that I retire my trusty CJ SC-26 pre-amp and just go with the HDR. The reasoning was that the extra interconnect and redundant pre-amp would be detrimental to the sound versus just using the HDR. They also told me, confirmed by Stereophile, that the DAC1 PRE and DAC1 HDR do sound better than the straight DAC1. I purchsed direct from Benchmark as I figured that nothing was good enough to satisfy me and I would be taking advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee. Nope.

Yipes is this thing good. Clean, fast, tight, smooth, uber-imaging, yada yada yada. It's fed by a Logitech Squeezebox Touch (from Amazon). Really.

Buy one. Now.

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Sungale CA700VCR 7-Inch Digital Frame with Video Clock and Radio (White)

• 7-inch TFT LCD Screen to play your photos, music etc
• 512MB internal memory to store your favorite music/photo/video
• Digital/Analogue Clock with dual alarm function
• Sleep or wake functions to your favorite FM radio or your music, Auto Search radio stations
• Full range bass flex speakers

I bought this a few days ago from Office Max on sale for $59.99 (normally $79.99).

Now, I am taking it back.

The idea is a great one, and the unit looks pretty decent at first.

Unfortunately, looks are deceiving on this one.

1. Speakers occasionally sound like something is touching the cone.

2. You can NOT listen to the radio and see pictures at the same time.

3. The controls are awful! There is a tiny 'exit' button, and a tiny 'ok' button which is surrounded by a circle button with directional arrows.

4. It is NOT a touch screen. That's fine, but the directional arrow button frequently goes a different direction than I intended. Since the menus are all navigated by this circle button, it is very frustrating to use.

5. Radio gets great reception, but controls are clunky. There are five 'buttons' pictured on the screen: Normal, Stations, Record, Favorite, and Scan. Does it record from the radio?? No, you 'record' your favorite stations. You first push 'exit' to get the top button to 'light up' (changes color and flashes the word), then push the down arrow and hope it stops on the 2nd button. If you push 'ok', you can then use the up/down arrows to change stations even though the radio image has a normal radio bar pictured which goes left to right. (left and right is for the volume so you don't turn the volume 'up' or 'down', you turn it left and right!!)

3rd button is record, 4th is Favorite use this after you 'record' your favorite stations, and 5th is Scan. Quickly scans the entire dial to find out where all the stations are.

Good luck with the Photo/Music/Video functions. It takes a while for it to discover all the files/folders on your memory card. Then there is no way to navigate through the pictures or music files.

To sum it up, I am looking forward to the Sony or Panasonic version of this device. For now, I'd rather have NOTHING than have this.

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Bought this a few days ago at Bi-Mart on sale for $29.99 and even though the buttons are a little clunky they do the job if you're patient. This thing even plays xvid videos on a SDHC chip. Way Cooooool. It has a phone jack on it too so you can watch a video and not disturb anyone. The nature alarm sounds especially the chicken are great. Both of the clock displays are excellent IMHO. And the radio is nice and clear, better than you would have expected. Lots of nicely set up menus. The ONLY drawback I see is the buttons are a little clunky but for all the features and the low price, they are NO problem at all. This is a 16x9 display and works well for videos, pictures, and the clocks. It isn't the highest resolution of course but for the price its fine and very good with deep rich colors. Did I say it plays XVID/DIVX videos? Worth it for THAT alone..... Runs on 5 Volts at 2 amps.

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This product didn't work right from the beginning, but we didn't discover this until after the return period expired since it was a gift. So, we sent it for warrantee service. What a waste of time and more money (for shipping)! It was returned completely inoperable with a speaker cover off (it was only glued on to begin with).

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I used this as a Christmas gift easy to use greatly appreciated by the recipient.

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Creative Zen Stone Plus 2 GB MP3 Player (Red)

• Product Type - MP3 Player
• Connectivity - USB 2.0
• Memory - 2GB
• Dimensions WxDxH - 2.19" x 1.39" x 0.5"
• Clock; Keep Track of Time

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)The Creative Zen Stone Plus 2GB doubles the size of the iPod Shuffle and adds a monochrome screen for viewing track names and settings. Add in the functionality of a built-in FM tuner and voice recorder at $65 and you have a great value.

Pros -

+ good stereo sound

+ nice capacity for a decent price

+ light-weight

+ FM tuner with 32 presets ( though it's just average )

+ voice recording

+ simple design (no more click wheel!) with more color options

+ great navigation and sorting features

+ Nice format compatibility (MP3, WAV, WMA, Audible)

+ USB 1.1 and 2.0 connectivity

+ Can be used as a USB drive / mass storage

+ Can sync music with drag & drop or via Creative software

+ Nice extras like stopwatch function

Cons

average battery life of 10 hours (OLED screen sucks the battery)

mediocre backlight ( but it can be disabled )

some DRM song transfer issues with some firmware versions

not expandable few size options 1GB and 2GB

Creative software is buggy

larger than the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod shuffles

Creative's Zen Stone line was meant to be the upgrade to the Zen nano, aka Muvo mini. Unfortunately, the 1GB Zen Stone had some quality issues. With the new 2GB Zen Stone Plus, Creative has tried to improve on previous models and compete with the Sandisk Sansas.

I love the new Sandisk Sansa's. The Sansa Express has the advantage that you can plug it directly into your USB port without a cable. SanDisk Sansa Express 2 GB MP3 Player (Black) Still, the Creative Zen Stone feels nicer in the hand. It's not as sleek as the Sansa Express and doesn't have all the cool cache' of an iPod shuffle or iPod nano. But it is priced very attractively and has some NICE features. It's good for a starter, workout unit, or gift for a kid.

The Creative Zen Stone Plus is lighter than the competition, but is still larger than the new iPod Shuffle 2nd and 3rd generations. Unlike the shuffle, you can actually see your track names! The OLED screen is perfect for a player this size but does suck more power and shorten the battery life.

The controls are an improvement from the Zen nano days. While I didn't mind the toggle wheel, it has been replaced by intuitive buttons for the standard functions (select, up, down, play, pause, forward or reverse). There's a headphone jack, microphone hole, and a USB port.

Another change from the Zen nano days is the Lithium Ion battery, which gives you about 10 hours if your lucky. This is less versatile than the old battery operated unit, but more convenient.

What about sound? The sound is great, and it comes through in pure stereo. As usual, you will hear complaints about the earbuds. Most people replace their standard earbuds so I won't hold that against Creative.

The Zen Stone doesn't have larger storage options. For those needing more space, you will have to explore the Creative Zen, Sandisk Sansa or new iPod Nano. All of those units have higher price tags.

Creative Zen 4 GB (Black)

Creative Zen 8 GB (Black)

Creative Zen 16 GB (Black)

Sandisk SDMX4-4096 Sansa e260 4 GB MP3 Player with SD Expansion Slot

SanDisk SDMX4-8192 Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)

Apple 4 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Silver (3rd Generation)

Apple 8 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Black (3rd Generation)

This unit is ideal as a player and not for those who primarily want to use it for recording. The built-in microphone is nice for short reminders.

The price isn't a give-away, and the plastic case could be more durable. Still, this is a nice starter unit that can last you a while. Check it out. Enjoy!!!

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I was enjoying the player immensely when after only 7 weeks it just stopped working. Since it was past 30 days i could not return it via amazon.com and had to call Creative directly. Their customer service staff were insulting. I explained what was wrong and told I needed to "troubleshoot" over the phone. When I said to Arnold, the rep, "there is an on/off switch, when I press it nothing happens, what exactly do you think we can troubleshoot?" his response was, that perhaps I wasn't charging the unit correctly. Now if it had only been 2 or 3 days I would have seen the logic in this, but after 7 weeks this was a ridiculous suggestion. I was then directed to a web site to request RNA. The website did not work. I searched the entire Creative web site and found only one place were a text email could be sent. After sending email to this link, I was finally provided an RNA and am still waiting to receive the player back. I would most definitely not recommend this or any Creative product.

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When I received this item, I thought it was cool, small enough to carry anywhere and durable so I could listen for hours. Well, I was in for a rude awakening; when I tried to play back my downloaded songs, after about 1 hour of play the battery was already at two bars, then after 2 hours down to one. Needs constant charging. Also, shuffled songs keep playing over and over, making you sick of hearing the songs. I'm not surprised though, how could such a small unit possess longevity and good sequence. Nice try Creative Zen but no cigar!

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I purchased these for two of my children. For the price, I think they are a great value, but the earbuds must be upgraded. I have a pair of $8 Sony earbuds that sound much better than the garbage that comes standard with these. The sound levels all blended together, produced static, and sounded muffled. That rant out of the way, upgrade the headphones, and this is really a nice little mp3 player. The equalizer works nice and this unit really does produce nice sound. I like it better than the ipod shuffle just because of the equalizer settings and the LCD display that allows you to see what song is playing, artist info... That being said, the LCD display does drain battery life a little quicker.

I bought $10 headphones for these, and still came in $20 cheaper than the shuffle, and there are some pretty decent inexpensive earbuds out there.

If the battery life was a bit longer, and they came with better earphones, I would have given this a full 5 stars. I am very happy, however, and my wife and I are considering picking one of these up for ourselves.

I've had this for over a year now, and have gotten hours and hours and hours of use out of it.

I use it only for audiobooks, as it plays the wma audiofiles that OverDrive Media uses which is what my local library uses as their download provider for audiobooks. Listening to audiobooks has changed my commute from a chore to something enjoyable and relaxing.

A few things: I do NOT have it display the date/time. This gives it a longer battery life. I did invest in a couple of mini-usb cables, which I have in my office(s), so that I can charge it at work. You don't need the software to charge the player, just the cable. I did put on a wrist strap, mainly so I could easily find it in my purse.

I have not had issues with the creative software, but I am only using it for audio books.

For a simple, basic player for overdrive wma audio books (since I got this they now have mp3 books ... but the wma are smaller, so I still prefer them), I recommend it.

As I can't speak to the software for music, or how it plays music, I am only giving it 3 stars.

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Boss Audio Systems 870DBI Multimedia Receivers

• USB and SD memory card prot
• Compatible with audio output of iPod and other MP3 players
• Subwoofer output
• wireless remote control

wife said she loves the radio and it seems to be working great. for everyone elses info to get the names of band to show up and song titles change location to Europe and the RDS will come on. there is also no way to keep the time showing you must hit a button to make the time come up and then it will go off after a few sec.s

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nice player good price the only thing about this player that didnt like is the bluetooth is kinda weak but over all a good buy

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This device can play only 999 songs from the usb or sd card you put in it. This is very unexpected from a device that exhibits such number of good features. I realized of this problem until I got it installed, should they mention this detail in the specs on Amazon or Boss web site and I wouldn't have purchased it.

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The only thing I don't like is the time want stay and when I try to hook my bluetooth on it, I have to reconnect it everytime.

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Sony SRF-HM22 AM/FM Headphone Radio Walkman

• Digital AM and FM stereo tuner
• 10 station preset memories
• Convenient compact design
• Uses two AAA batteries (not included)
• Radio is integrated into a stereo headphone with double adjustable headband for optimal support

I bought that model years ago for one tenth the price (maybe less)

How do they justify chargiong that price?

WOW what a rip off

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I really don't think this product is worth the money.It is heavy and won't sit well on your head.I bought a like new product and it had volume adjusting static in one ear.The speakers sound wasn't very good and for this price it is not worth the price,by any means

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I bought this Sony AM/FM radio years ago for $21.00. There weren't all that. How can anyone justify the 499.00 price for this outdated radio?

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I gave it only four stars~~mainly because the volume knob has some static when increasing the volume or lowering the volume!!!

Works great but I bought it with the plastic stability strap missing which is necessary for stability of the headphones.It falls forward every time I bend over but the price was right for a used item.

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Disney Hannah Montana Speaker System for iPod and MP3 Players

• 2 x 6.3mm guitar and mic input jacks, echo control for mic Rotary master volume control Rotary volume controls for iPod/Aux, Guitar, Mic, with LED indicators for inputs Slide type power on/off switch with LED indicator
• iPod docking features - supports most iPod models with dock connector (shuffle only supported through Aux in jack) Charges iPod while docked with AC power Others - Aux in jack Line out and video out jacks (for iPod audio and video out model
• Two 3-inch full range speaker 5W per channel power output No batteries required

I brought this for my daughters eight bday along with an ipod. She's a future pop star who's obbessed with music so I thought it was time she had her own music in her room. She loves it. Works well. No complaints. Easy to set up. Descent sound. Nice gift for a young girl.

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This speaker system has given my daughter hours of fun. I just get so many great things for her at Lafshops.com

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I got this for my 6 year old daughter for Christmas. She was excited and loved it. I think the volume is a little low. (yes i turned it up on the Disney Mix stick too) :-) But it's cool, it works. Lots of other places had it cheaper then Amazon too!

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This worked great for Guitar and Mic. However, I bought an iPod Nano too and the nano (4th Gen) will not charge using this.

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iriver U10 512 MB Music & Video Player

• Amazingly small multimedia player with 2.2-inch screen--about the size of a business card
• 512 MB memory holds 8 hours of MP3 and 16 hours of WMA audio
• Plays MP3, WMA, secure WMA, Ogg Vorbis music files;MPEG 4 SP video; Macromedia Flash Lite video games (six included)
• Integrated FM radio with record function, built-in microphone with voice recorder
• Rechargeable lithium-polymer battery with up to 28 hours of battery life

The screen is very nice and the push screen is kind of neat but it sometimes can accidentally go the wrong direction. It takes forever to charge and you have to use the usb cable to charge unless you buy the option a/c cable. I think it is compatible with Windows Media 10 and now Media 11 is already out. Navigating through the screens is tiresome and is very tricky to memorize the features. Oh yeh and the headphones are pitiful. I think it's got the right idea but there are more user friendly MP3's out there. PSthe optional cradle is worthless but cool looking.

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Great user interface, great functionality, awesome sound, crappy earphones, Yes! the crappy earphones ruin somewhat your first impression...too bad

This is one of the neatest little hi tech gizmos I have seen lately. You can't take your hands off of this thing. It is neat, it is sleek, works great, menus are intuitive, great functionality, excellent display...

On the down side, it is very difficult to format videos to play on this thing, actually impossible without the third party conversion software available from iRiver's web site. And even this, is not very good software. It works with some video formats but not with others, it is basic and primitive. The conversion process is very much a hit or miss proposition.

Don't count on watching very many videos on this thing unless iRiver makes available some decent conversion software soon.

These are the three reasons why I did not give this gadget five stars:

First, the lousy earphones it comes with. A shame, given the cost of the unit.

Second, the difficulties with converting and loading videos into this thing. A pity because it greatly diminishes the use and value of its superb display.

Third, the cost factor. This unit, considering its memory size, is just too expensive vis a vis the competition.

If iRiver revises its pricing policies, includes quality earphones in the package and makes it easier to load videos into these devices, they just might sweep the market clean.

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OK, I got one of these from my wife for Christmas. Here's what I see:

Good:

Very Pretty

Seems to sound good, though I have nothing to compare it to.

Plays ogg (ok, kind of, see below)

Bad:

IRiver advertises that it plays ogg files. It does, but you don't put them into the player in the same way as you do MP3's, and you can't have all of the things with ogg that you should be able to (ordering by title, genre, author, etc). I had to call Tech support to figure out how to add them to the device

Forces users to use Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Media Player. I have not (and have spent considerable time) been able to make it work under Linux or Mac OSX. The device should simply show up as a USB storage device: it doesn't. This is a serious drawback

The headphones that come with the device are even more of a joke that you expect. For a device this expensive you expect a bit better. It is nearly impossible to keep them in your ear without surgery.

The interface is not the best. When you pause the device for more than a few seconds you have to reboot it in order to get back to where you were, about a minute.

It's capacity is somewhat small for the price. Not a big concern for me (It has enough capacity for audio, which is the primary function for which I'll use it) but video may be a different thing.

There's no way to upgrade its capacity to take advantage of falling prices in memory. This is very unfriendly.

Tech support is spotty

Fortunately for iriver some of these are fixable by firmware, so I hope they read this review.

I'll likely keep it because it sort of does what I want it to, but barely and in a halfassed way.

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Before I start, let me tell you this:

The iPod brand was COPIED from iRiver!!!

Good! And remember that. Anyway, after receiving a U10 for review from iriver, I have written a big review about it: enjoy Very Happy

There's an interesting story behind the U10. Apparently, the head honcho at iRiver got together the whole design and engineering team back at base in Korea and told them to that they needed to change their thinking. He told them to go back to the drawing board and come up with something new to make a complete U-turn with their thinking. U-Turn U10, geddit.

It was a sensible idea. iRiver's range of largely me-too MP3 players were dull but worthy but there was no chance that these types of products were ever going to make any inroads on Apple's market share. Having said that, last year's N10, was one of the most stylish players ever, so there were previous signs that iRiver could come up with special products..

And if there's one thing the U10 is, it's certainly different. The player is an oblong shaped device and measures 69 x 47 x 16 mm. It's thicker than an iPod nano but shorter. Compared to the 42g nano, it is bulky though and at 70g, noticeably heavier.

The first time you plug in the player it will charge, taking one hour to fill up to 50 per cent, and 2.5 hours to charge fully. Playback for audio only is rated at a chunky 20 hours

The intrigued aspect of it is that the device has a 2.2in, 320 x 240 screen that can display 260,000 colours and that's it. Rather than being festooned with myriad small buttons to small to press, all the navigation buttons are part of the screen. You press at the top of the screen for left, at the right to move right and guess where to move up and down. It's a similar concept to the buttons integrated into the iPod's click-wheel. One issue though is that the size of the screen is actually deceptive as the edges are devoted to the buttons and frame the 320 x 240 resolution screen. The only thing is that with the constant pressing on the screen, you almost need to carry a cleaning cloth with the player at all times otherwise the screen gets covered in finger prints.

There are some buttons the power switch on the right and beneath that a button that toggles the screen between landscape and portrait mode and two small buttons for volume up and down. Underneath there's a hold button, and a small reset switch, which I didn't have need for during my time with the player. To get advanced options you press and hold on the right button and you do the same to get back to the currently playing track when you're in a different menu. For a flashed based player it does take a tad too long to turn on, and the animations make navigation a bit on the sluggish side, though there is a setting to speed this up.

The player is undeniably awash with features. On the audio side first and foremost it will play MP3, WMA, ASF and the ultra efficient OGG. Only the Apple flavoured AAC is conspicuous by its absence, though that's hardly surprising. It can also record to MP3, either from the built-in microphone or from the built-in FM radio, a feature only just released by Apple and even then, only as an external accessory. It can also play back video, though admittedly only at 15 frames per second.

However, for all its good work in features, design and navigation, iRiver falls down for the same reason that every other PC focussed manufacturer does getting content onto the device itself. The U10 uses no less than three different methods.

Firstly, music is transferred over using Windows Media Player. To be fair, this works quite well. WMP might not be as good as iTunes, but once you get to know its quirks you'll be transferring your tracks in no time. However, if you want to transfer pictures you have to use the supplied application called Picture Plus. This is because pictures need to be converted to a proprietary format rather than just copied over. The software does enable you to place pictures in their own folders and when you copy your pictures over the EXIF information contained in the file is displayed too.

Video's on the other hand are copied over using Windows Explorer. For some inexplicable reason the video folder is not a sub-folder of the Media folder, but is in the Data folder. Surely, video is media? The iRiver can only play back video in a very specific avi format and rather short-sightedly, no utility is supplied to convert video. There is however, a third party app called iriverter, available , here, that will do the job. It doesn't yet have any profiles for the U10 but if does work. Choose a profile for one of the other devices and set the resolution to 320 x 240, the fps to 15, the video bit-rate to 384Kbps or less and the audio to 128Kbps or less. Having done this, a 693MB movies was converted to 320MB, so you can fit a couple of movies on the 1GB player and have room for music and pictures. However the screen is so small, so watching shorter things like the Simpsons might be more suitable.

FM radio quality was as good as can be expected and navigating stations was easy. Press up and down to scroll through the frequencies manually or hold down to switch between presets. Recording was easy but there was no way of playing back the recording on the device itself it could only be accessed once connected to a PC.

There are six flash games on the device and while there not exactly PSP quality games, they are mildly diverting fodder, such as a Space Invaders clone, Sodoku, and one where you have to keep a fat man from falling off a log. (That's not a metaphor, that's literal). They are though, better than the ones on the iPod.

Sound quality wise I was as impressed as ever by iRiver and the U10 sounded loud, clear and accurate. The screen was also good, with bright, vibrant colours for photos and text is clear. However, this is only if you look straight on. Angle it either up or down or to the side and the colours immediately become washed out. It could also do with a touch more contrast and dark scenes in videos are hard to make out.

In addition to the player itself, iRiver has an optional cradle that costs ?40. With the U10 housed inside it looks very much like a miniature television from the 50s. The cradle has a remote control and if you plug some speakers into the line out, you can listen and control your music from a distance. There's even a line-in on the cradle and the U10 will then encode direct to MP3. a cool feature is snooze button on top of the cradle so you can use it as alarm clock and wake up to a track or the radio.

There's no doubt that the U10 is a player brimming with features. I can't think of anything this size that can do so much. However, you have to pay for the privilege. The 1GB player is ?140, the same as a 2GB iPod nano and ?20 more will buy you an 8GB Creative Zen MicroPhoto, though that has a small screen and can't play video. Feature wise, the iRiver wins with FM radio and video playback, but with the latter, the 2GB version would be more useful and that will set you back ?190 when it's released. While the U10 itself scores highly for usability, as ever, the non-Apple product loses out as a complete user experience. iRiver needs to sit down and create an iTunes rival to consolidate the three different applications and Windows Explorer that are currently required to get content onto the player.

This issue means that while the U10 might be eye catching, you'll need to be on the techie side to actually make the most of this player. Buy this for your non-techie Dad for his birthday and you'd do well to include the receipt. For the more technically confident and patient though, this is a great alternative to the nano. It looks good, it sounds great and is the more capable device. And ever since, `Thinking Different' meant thinking the same as everyone else, it even has greater gadget appeal.

Verdict

The U10 has an innovative interface that works well and is feature laden, with music, pictures, video, text, radio and games in one tiny package. The downsides are the relatively high price for the capacity and the clumsy method of getting content onto the device. Get past those, and the U10 is a winner that just might take a few sales from the iPod nano.

I ordered the music and video player as a birthday present for my mother, with the plan of preloading it with video of her grandchildren. They sent me a refurbished iRiver T30 MP3 player (no video) and now I'm dealing with having to process the return and have no gift.

Come on Amazon... get it together

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Sharp HE XLDH259P Micro Audio System

• iPhone & iPod Dock Micro System
• 160 watts RMS power
• CD Player with MP3 and WMA compatibility
• Charge iPod & iPhone

First of all it looks like the older Sharp XL-DH259N. It has an AM/FM tuner, USB port, cd player, audio in jack, video out, and an iPod port. However there are some differences. This newer unit adds support for iPhone, iPhone 3g, iPhone 3Gs, iPod touch 3rd Gen, iPod nano 5th Gen, iPod with video, and iPod with color display. This one also has plugs at the ends of the speaker wires that connect to the back of the unit, where as the older xldh259n just had bare wires.

The system sounds great even at higher volumes and works well in my dining room/kitchen area. The bass was alright but it would be nice if it had an output for a subwoofer. The unit itself looks good. The speakers have a nice metal screen on them. The large volume knob feels solid. The remote is perfect, it has a good button layout and includes special buttons for ipod, usb, etc. The wife loves the way it looks, sounds, and how easy it is to use.

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I have had one of these for only a few days but am already quite happy with my purchase. The sound is very nice. I like that the bass and treble can be adjusted individually. In addition there is an "extra bass" function and several equalizer modes.

I have been using it with my spouse's iPod and was very surprised at how good the iPod sounds. The iPod can be operated with the Sharp remote control.

I have not yet tried using the audio in jack for other possible sources or the USB connection, but am impressed with how many types of inputs the unit can accomodate.

I agree with the comment that the remote control has tiny legends, but at least the legend is in white lettering -I have seen worse.

Home-made (burned) CDs play correctly as well as commercial CDs.

FM reception seems Ok but i have not tested it too extensively yet.

Good value, in my opinion.

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I was looking for something small in size that was versatile(CD, Ipod doc, USB and aux ports)and with good sound. I think this Sharp HE XLDH259P is the ticket. I was able to compare this unit next to a Sony micro audio system, and this had a much richer sound and more bass than the Sony. And having aux plug-in, CD, Ipod doc and a USB port it's very versatile (no USB or Aux ports on the Sony). My only complaint is that the USB function is very picky of what files it will recognize and play. Still, I would recommend this unit if you have little space, but want big sound.

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This little 160 watt stereo really amazes me with its' excellent, clear sound. One doesn't expect such from such a "small" electronics item when one is 58 and "old school", but I swear it sounds equally as good or better than the Kenwood receiver with the bigger speakers that I had back in the '70's. Technology amazes me. If you want a fine little stereo for playing your cds, this is the one. Great cost too! I don't use the ipod unit or the usb, but I may in the future. I generally don't care for the lossy sound of mp3's hence the use of the stereo for cds. The radio sounds very nice too!

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If you're looking for a nice compact system that charges and docks your ipod and has excellent sound at a great price this is really it! Not only is this little system attractive looking, but it has everything you could want or need in a shelf system!

The sound for all types of music (including classical) is terrific even at louder levels. Bass is very good and shakes the floor. Nice options for preset equalizers, adjustable bass/trebel or just Xbass. Lots of options.

I had no problems using the ipod dock and it was all very easy to figure out without looking to any instructions (which is good, because they appear to be lousy). I love being able to dock my ipod and control it through the remote. Very cool!

The speakers have more wattage than the Japanese competitor's product with way less watts and the unit still costs less than the competitor!

My biggest complaint is that the speaker wires are hard-wired into the speaker and they have ridiculous clips on the ends that plug into the back of the stereo. Forget ever swapping out the speakers but fortunately, they are plenty nice! The other reason I gave the stereo four stars is because not only does it have these goofy wires/clips but the wires are about four feet long (typical for this stype of system, though)! This is really dysfunctional for full listening enjoyment. I don't like my speakers anywhere near one another and 8' apart just doesn't do it for me! I bought speaker wire and spliced 15' of wire into the line on each side. The sound is still great so the short wire is really just an inconvenience.

The remote was easy to figure out without the use of a instructions. However, if you are the instruction-reading type... they're lousy and on a silly super-large piece of paper that folds down. I haven't tried to program it because I can't figure out why I'd want to bother!

Overall, I'm quite happy with this stereo. After making my modifications to the wire, I am totally thrilled with it! I love it and would highly recommend this!

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