Sony ICF-M1000 Table Top Radio Review

Average Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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Product Description:
Sony - Stylish Design - Radio

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iLuv i277BLK iPod Alarm Clock Audio System with Bluepin (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is really a cool product. I was able to pair with my Mobile(HTC TyTN II), Headphone/Headset (Lubix) very easily. It got paired in the first try. The instructions are pretty clear in the manual. Music is good for the small size, Bass is less, naturally. Can't compare with Bose. The music from my Phone through the BluePin on this is really good. The Blupin Receiver was able to receive music till 15-20 feet clearly, after that it breaks. I was able to FF/RR/Stop, Adjust volume from my phone.

As a Bluetooth transmitter, it works great. I connected my TV Audio output to 277 using the line-in and change the mode to AUX with BluePin in TX mode and used a Lubix Bluetooth Head Phone/Set. The transmission was awesome.

Tested with iPod/iPhone and this works as stated. The snooze button in the front is good one. Even we can switch off the display using this. Radio works as stated. Weight less. Looks great. Has a remote but not senstive.

Actually I was searching for a Bluetooth Transmitter for my TV. The Sony and Motorola were quoted @ Amazon for $60. I thought it's pretty costly for the simple Bluetooth Transmitter of class 1. So searched the net and found this for same price. So now I have a Transmitter with multiple functionality.

So this is an All in one model.

Pros

1) Receiver for my Phone to listen music
2) Wireless Transmitter to my TV, so I can watch the TV without disturbing anybody using my Bluetooth head phone
3) Listening to iPod/Radio in Wireless mode with full control.

If you read the manual twice , it easy to understand everything.

Cons

1) The cons, I would say is that it's not Bluetooth2(has 300Ft of range) only Bluetooth1 (30 Ft range)
2) No Equalizer/Pre-set for music.
3) Remote can be made better.

===============================
Update - Nov 26th 2010
After 1 year of use, it is still working good. Bluetooth works fine. Audio quality is good. Like this product

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Product Description:
Don't start and end your day the same way anymore. With this stereo audio system featuring the rich sound of jAura acoustic speaker technology, you can wake up and go to bed the way you want to. You can fall asleep or wake to your iPod, AM/FM radio or buzzer. Made to accommodate most types of iPod, this system also comes with a BluePin so you can send and receive music to or from a mobile phone, laptop computer, MP3 player or other device with Bluetooth wireless technology. With its AV output, you can play your favorite videos if your iPod has video capability. When you have this many entertainment options, there's almost no need leave the houseâ-¦ except to buy groceries.

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RCA RP5605 AM/FM CD Clock Radio with Large LED Display Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am very happy with this clock radio/CD player.I especially like that the time can be set forward and backward and that the time display is easy to see without the light from it keeping me awake.The radio and CD player sound fine for what I use it for and for the price.The control buttons are in a good location and easy to use in the dark, once you know where everything is.

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Product Description:
The RP5605 CD clock radio by RCA is the perfect companion in the morning. The AM/FM clock radio has a large 0.6-inch LED display that makes it easy to see and read. This is a basic clock radio that offers dependability without having to learn how to set-up various features. The simple alarm button layout eliminates any confusion and ensures that setting the alarm will be easy. The top-loading CD player also is easy to access. You can change the alarm settings to wake to the radio, buzzer or any track of a favorite CD.

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Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)UPDATED:Sony has released a software update that rolled out in the first week of June 2010.I've edited the review below to identify issues resolved in the software update.I have noticed some freeze-ups since the software update, but they've been relatively infrequent.If you buy the device new now, it will update itself as soon as it connects to the internet.The Sony Dash is marketed as a "personal internet viewer."In my opinion, it does not live up to that name.Others are more accurately calling it "glimpse internet" and "upgraded alarm clock."It's a 7-inch touch tablet designed with a weighted wedge style, meant to sit on a countertop or bedside table.Sony basically licensed or bought the Chumby OS and added its own internet video service as well as re-designing the UI a bit for the larger screen.I was attracted to this device because I liked the idea of a Chumby, but it seemed overly bulky and too small of a screen.The Dash takes all the good parts about a Chumby and adds a bigger screen and a better design.

I'm giving a lot more detail below, but to sum up:what you think of this device is largely going to depend on what you want from it.To me, this device's best tagline would have identified it as a "wake-up station"...telling you everything you need or want to know as you wake up to begin your day.My rating of this device is based on what I expected out of it: in short, a glorified alarm clock.If your alarm clock could:

* tell you weather and traffic at a glance
* have multiple alarms per day, each with their own sounds, configurable in any way you want...if you want to wake up at a different time each day, with a different tone each day, it can handle that.(Really, if you've ever used your cellphone as your alarm clock, consider everything your cellphone can do as an alarm clock...this can do all the same stuff, without ever having to worry about all the problems of cellphones as alarm clocks.)
* quickly show you a few e-mails, status updates, or photos
* let you go to sleep/snooze to a podcast or internet video

If you look at that list and think, "wow, that's exactly what I want in an alarm clock," then you're the target user for the Sony Dash. Sadly, they're not marketing it to you at all. Really, they're barely doing anything to sell this device. I've seen exactly zero ads. Were it not for Engadget, I wouldn't have even known it was available or what it was. And, stupidly, what Sony is doing is positioning this so it goes up against things like the iPad and Archos tablet. Sony should be positioning this as the best damn alarm clock in the world. That's their mistake and what will, IMO, make this device fail.

On that note, I've seen alot of reviewers poo-poo the Sony Dash by saying "oh, my cellphone could do this" or "oh, my iPad does this better". Well, your cellphone and iPad don't do what this does, because neither of those devices are meant to sit still on a bedside table. Your cellphone and likely your iPad get up and leave when you do, which makes them nearly useless as an alarm clock unless you are a single person living alone. Even if you are a single person (or if you are willing to have separate devices for each person), you'd need to buy several accessories to make a cellphone or iPad sit as nicely as this does on a surface. So, long story short, a cellphone and an iPad appeal to a broader audience, no doubt, but, this device hits a very necessary niche for which the iPad and cellphone are ill-designed.

PROS:

* Very fast and easy setup on the device -- you can use the device without going to the web, but there are quite a few apps that require configuration via the web, and the web config has issues (see Cons list)
* Design is sleek.It looks damn cool on your bedside table.
* Pleasing UI, simple to navigate
* AccuWeather weather (a plus over other weather services, IMO)
* Sits securely (can be rubbed by cat without falling over)
* Bright and colorful screen, videos look great
* Completely customizable alarms and alarm clock
* NEW IN 6/2010 UPDATE:Customizable snooze length - 1,2,3,4,5,10,15,20,25, or 30 minutes
* "night mode" that dims the screen and shows only the clock, when the next alarm is set for and the weather in black and white...though I did notice today that it's got a little "mom" that writes itself in in cursive, which is kind of a cool "surprise" bit of chrome
* Price is just about right, in my opinion.If Sony ripped out everything but the alarm clock and weather functions, shrank the screen, and got it to $99 or $79, that'd be a very nice product...would beat the heck out of the American Innovative Neverlate Executive Alarm Clock.At $199, it's less than a netbook, less than many cellphones, and far less than the Apple products that could fit this space.
* Usable touch keyboard, fine for posting to Twitter or Facebook, but I wouldn't use it to type a long e-mail
* Really good selection of default sounds loaded
* Was able to access my Amazon Video on Demand purchased videos and play them easily, and since I haven't bought anything else that does that yet (except my PCs, of course), that's a nice feature for me.

CONS:

Now for the bad news.There are three issues that, in my opinion, are near blocking issues, but the silver lining to the cloud is that all three are likely to be resolved by Sony soon, and my rating reflects my strong belief that these will be resolved soon.Still, were I Sony, I'd feel great shame to have shipped this device with these issues as they are:

* USB drives are not working yet.This is huge, because they promise this on the box, and it's the only way to access your own music from the box (no DLNA or other wireless transfer support).It says "coming soon" if you attempt to play music or view pictures from a USB drive.Were I not in love with this as my alarm clock, I'd return it based on this alone.- RESOLVED IN JUNE 2010 UPDATE - USB drives are now accessible!You still cannot set an MP3 as a wake-up alarm, however.

* The web setup is a mess.The site itself looks shoddy, like no one actually cared enough to make it look nice...and the configuration area is not easily accessible from Sony's main site.You have to go to Sony's "MyEssentials" site (a term/brand that is in no way associated with the Dash), and that site is not linked from the Sony Dash page on Sony's site, nor from Sony's main site.Logging in from Sony's main site and clicking on "my devices" takes forever to load, so I never found out if I could get to the Dash config site from there.To find the config site after the initial setup, I ended up going to [...], trying my Sony login, and then Chumby re-directed me to the MyEssentials site.Basically, the setup on the Dash itself is so simple, but as soon as you hit the point that you need to use the web to configure something, you're lost.For this reason alone, I can't recommend this for non-geeks...which sucks because if this were fixed, I could see this being a really nice gift for a number of non-geeks in my family.I mean, this is basic stuff that they blew off, and it speaks volumes to Sony's lack of commitment to this device. - IMPROVEMENT IN JUNE 2010 UPDATE - It is no longer necessary to use the MyEssentials site to configure the Dash.You can do most day-to-day aspects of configuration from the device itself, though the device will still prompt you to register on MyEssentials during initial setup.This is particularly good because it turns out that Sony STILL has not improved the MyEssentials site for the Dash, and they can't reset passwords for your registered account through the website.You have to call customer service.If you try to reset your account's password through the MyEssentials site, it sends you to the SonyStyle site, which uses a different database of usernames and thus will not work.

* No web browser...which I wouldn't care about if there were more apps or if this weren't being sold as a "personal internet viewer"...but to call yourself an internet viewer and not have a browser is just sad.Plus, this makes the apps themselves frustrating.Most of them are just ported iPhone apps, which means they assume you can click links to view more.

There are also quite a few minor issues which Sony/Chumby could resolve in the next few months via software updates:

* Not enough "apps" (really, they're widgets)...lots of popular news and info sites are not represented, and the apps themselves are not the greatest quality.
* The layout options are limited.There's only two layouts, and neither of them are satisfying.For example, there's no layout that has two app panes.You can't customize shortcuts in any of the layouts, either, so you can't (for example) make sure that the Amazon Video shortcut is the first (or only) one available. - IMPROVED IN JUNE 2010 UPDATE - 2 new layouts are available, and they definitely improved on the usability.
* Not easy to switch between "channels" (different views with different apps...for example, I have a productivity channel that has my Gmail and Gcal in it and a separate social networking channel that has all of my social networks and news feeds), takes 4 steps to switch plus a not-insignificant load time.Basically makes the channel feature useless because it's too annoying to switch channels.You're better off just loading all the apps you want into your default channel.
* No copy/paste functionality...a pain if you're wanting to post a status to multiple sites...Read more›

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Product Description:
Your favorite parts of the Internet customized the way you choose, available in a dash. Over 1,000 free apps can be displayed at the touch of a finger. Choose from your favorite information and entertainment content including weather, traffic, social networking, movies, music and more--pushed right to your kitchen, bedroom, or office. The Dash Personal Internet Viewer connects quickly and easily to your existing wireless network and features a vibrant 7-inch LCD touchscreen for accessing a variety of video services for online music and viral videos, full-length feature movies and TV shows. You can also listen to MP3s and Internet radio via the built-in stereo speakers, or by using the headphone jack (headphones not included).


Make the Internet uniquely yours and access over 1,500 free apps with the Dash Personal Internet Viewer. Click to enlarge.
The compact size maximizes counter, bedside, and desktop spaces.
Access a variety of video services for online music and viral videos, full-length feature movies and TV shows.
Your favorite parts of the Internet customized the way you choose, available in a dash.
Streamline Your Life with Free Apps
The 1500-plus apps available for the Dash Personal Internet Viewer deliver the information and entertainment you want--weather, traffic, social networking, movies, music, and more--right to your kitchen, bedroom, or office.
Listen to What You Want
The Dash Personal Internet Viewer is a compact audio multi-tool: listen to MP3s and Internet Radio out loud with the built-in stereo speakers, or privately by using the headphone jack (headphones not included).
Customization
Customizing the Dash home screen to fit your own personal needs and style is easy. Simply choose your favorite apps and theme that you want displayed.
Access to Sony Content
Get access to the best Sony has to offer: movie trailers, minisodes, music videos, game trailers, and the latest deals from SonyStyle.com.
7-Inch LCD Touchscreen
The WVGA 800x480 LCD touchscreen displays crystal clear photos and video from a wide viewing angle, and automatically adjusts the display for an upright or horizontal orientation.
Simple Setup
Connect quickly and easily to your existing wireless network.
Elegant and Space Saving Design
The compact size maximizes counter, bedside, and desktop spaces, and the timeless design blends in with any décor.
Easy-to-Use Clock and Alarms
When you enter your zip code the device automatically sets the time for you. Set up custom alarms, either one-time or recurring, with the option of waking to Internet radio stations, built-in alarm sounds, or your favorite app.5
Multi-Source Video Content
Access a variety of video services for online music and viral videos, full-length feature movies and TV shows you can watch and control on the brilliant LCD.
Convenience
Stream the web content you specify through Internet apps, without the distraction of a PC. It's always on, always fresh, always available at a glance without the delay of booting up your PC.
Online Photo Access and Sharing
For a great photo viewing experience the Dash Personal Internet Viewer conveniently loads and displays your photos from online services such as Photobucket, or you can simply view your photos directly via USB. The touchscreen user interface allows you to set effects, rotate photos, zoom, and play or pause photo slide shows.
USB 2.0 Interface
Access audio, video or photo content stored on mass storage USB devices by connecting to the USB port.
What's in the Box
Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer and user's manual.

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Sony ICFC180 AM/FM Clock Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My wife and I have been using the same clock radio for the past 20 years - It's a dual alarm Panasonic and it still works pretty well. Some of its features such as individual up/down alarm/time set for the minutes and hours are not even available on clocks today. And it has a 10 minute snooze - not nine minutes, another feature hard to find these days. But it's lacking in other areas such as no battery backup. So we decided to replace the old clock.

Some research was necessary. For the most part, only Timex, RCA and Sony have competitive products. My requirements were simple - AM/FM dual alarm, battery backup, 10 minute snooze, easy to read display, and not too bright. I did not need a CD or MP3 option. Here's why I bought the Sony ICFC180 and rate it so highly:

Form Factor and Buttons: This is not a large clock radio - it's about six inches square. The case is pretty much all white. Buttons are well spaced and nicely shaped. You can easily learn to use this clock in the dark or by feel alone.

Display: The backlit LCD displays not only the time, but both the alarm settings, each in its own quadrant. This is a great feature. The time is large enough to read from across the room although it could have been a bit larger. The alarm displays are smaller, but fine for viewing bedside. Viewing from different angles seems fine. It has two manual brightness levels and here Sony cheaped out a bit - an auto dimmer with sensor would have been nice. The high level is fine for the day and the low level is acceptable for the night, but who's going to move the tiny switch each day? I leave it on the low setting. I really like the room dark when I sleep and I would have preferred the low level to be a bit dimmer. The display is mostly green, with orange for the weekday alarms. The green is fine, but the orange is just a bit too bright. But again, it's acceptable.

Time Features: Auto time set - well not really. The auto time set feature prominently displayed on the box is a bit misleading. Unlike other clocks (such as from RCA) which can set the date and time and change daylight savings automatically, this clock is just set at the factory and uses a lithium battery to keep the time. If you happen to live on the east coast of the United States, then the time is correct when you first plug it in. Otherwise, you need to adjust the time zone. Since the clock doesn't know the date, daylight savings is also manual, but here at least Sony provided a single button to change the 1 hour offset. My only complaint is that the daylight savings button is on the top and could be accidentally pushed - the display does show an icon for the 1 hour offset, but it's really tiny. I would have made the daylight savings feature a toggle switch (not a push button) and put it on the back - you only use it twice a year.

Radio: Old style analog display and thumb wheel for tuning. Digital with presets would have been nice, but let's not forget, this clock only cost $25. The tuning wheel is stiff enough that it won't be accidentally changed when pickup up, moving, or just dusting the clock.

Alarm: Here's where this clock really shines. The box says it has two alarms, but in reality it has four individual alarms! The thinking by Sony is that two alarms are for the weekdays and two are for the weekends, but since the weekday/weekend feature is a manual push button, you can really use the alarms however you wish. My kids have Timex clock radios with a 7-5-2 feature which lets you determine if the alarm should be used for weekdays, weekends, or both. This is nice because it's automatic, but on the other hand you only get two alarms and have less flexibility. I think the Sony solution is excellent. The clock also makes it totally clear which alarms are active - orange background for weekdays, green background for weekends, and no display in the quadrant when the alarm is off. Setting the alarm time is also very easy with a separate twist knob for each displayed alarm. The time can be adjusted forward or backward one minute at a time. Holding forward or backward changes the minutes quickly and after a few seconds, switches to 10 minute increments. This is a much better solution than just increasing the speed as most other clocks do. In fact, the only other clock that works better is my old Panasonic which has separate forward and backward buttons for both the minutes and the hours. Regardless, this clock has excellent time set controls!

Snooze: What is it with 9 minute snooze alarms? My theory is that increments of 9 are much harder to add in your head and all that thinking wakes you up - but in reality I think it harks back to a limitation of the old mechanical alarm clocks. Anyway, I needed a 10 minute snooze and this clock has that. Plus, if you continue to press the snooze button (which is big and easy to find without looking), the snooze can be increased in 10 minute increments up to an hour - a nice feature. The clock even blinks the alarm set time after you press snooze to indicate you're beyond the original wake up time.

So that's about it. There are some other features (nap timer, alarm melodies, no power no problem), but I haven't really used these much. If you're looking for similar features and also need a CD player, Sony makes another Dream Machine alarm clock (ICF-CD843V), but that one costs $70 and looks like a weird space helmet. All in all, this is an excellent clock radio with well designed controls, tons of features, and a low price.

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Product Description:
Stylish Design - takes up a minimum of space on the nightstand, desk or dresser.

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Sony ICF-CD815 AM/FM Stereo CD Clock Radio with Dual Alarm Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The old clock radio finally died and my husband and I thought it would be nice to have a CD player in the bedroom to listen to audio books in bed now and then (yes, I know, but it depends on the book!!).We've found the sound quality on such an inexpensive item to be extremely good, it's easy to tune the radio in and we like the huge time display - I can even see it without my glasses at night!!So far, it's awakened us at our ridiculously early get up time during the week without fail.No complaints - very happy with this clock/radio/CD player.

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Product Description:
Get ready to sleep. No need to worry about getting up in time with its dual alarm settings. The ICD-CD815 Clock Radio lets you forget about settings and focus on what's important: sleep. Connect your digital music player or insert your favorite CD and unwind before bed. Catching a few extra winks in the morning is easy with an extendable snooze button that lets you set just how long you want to put off getting up.

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