CC SWPocket AM/FM Shortwave Pocket Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)CCrane/Redsun (its Chinese manufacturer) definitely has a winner with with the CC-SWP(Pocket) radio! I needed a small AM/FM/SW radio for travel and have compared several portable receivers including the Kaito KA11, Grundig G6 Aviator, Grundig YB-550PE, Sony ICF-SW35, Grundig eTraveller VII, Kaito KA1101, Kaito KA1102 and the Eton E100, etc. I am still not completely done with all my evaluations, but I definitely think that the CC SWP (CCRANE Shortwave pocket) or the Redsun RP-300 radio (available directly from China) is a great, extremely small (and one of the smallest available!) and also inexpensive and yet a very excellent receiver! I am extremely impressed right out of the box how well it performs even for quite weak signals with both very good sensitivity as well as selectivity.
PROS:
1) A single conversion, PLL (Phase-locked loop), fully digital pocket-sized radio that comes with a velcro slip case, carrying strap, earbuds and a VERY readable manual heavily edited by CCRANE (available on-line on their website too).
2) Excellent weak signal reception on ALL bands (am/fm/sw1/sw2). It really performs very well!
3) It has a fine and very useful tone switch (Music/news) with stereo through the earbuds as well as a two position Local/DX switch (RF gain attenuator for SW frequencies). This "tone" switch works well on both FM as well as on SW frequenices, thus providing a very effective frequency filter for detecting weaker signals on SW.
4) Lock switch and backlight control (with 8 second duration orange backlighting illuminating the display, only from the left side however).
5) A dedicated DISPLAY button with a different set of information provided by sucessive key pushes with the radio either on or off.
6) Numerous tuning methods are available including a fine tuning knob for AM and SW and including an ATS (automatic station retrieval tuning system), but unfortunately NOT for the automatic storage of available radio frequencies, direct keyboard frequency entry, etc. Coarser tuning is also available from the up/down scanning keys themselves. FM frequencies however only have the coarse tuning step available (0.10 MHz) regardless of the tuning method used.
7) Very high quality and very readable display with many many icons for indicating battery life (at a low battery condition) and a signal reception TUNE icon (as on the two digital Sony radios still available) and that works extremely well, wide/narrow (Music/News) tone filter setting (AM/SW), etc. Clock time and station frequency are not displayed simultaneously, but can be found on two separate DISPLAY screens.
8) Very long battery life (up to ~70 hours) using only 2 AA batteries
9) Easy channel memory presetting and automatic preset recall system using the tuning knob for the recall of 200 (00-199) preset memory locations.
10) It has an easy to use reset control pin hole on the bottom of the radio.
11) It has an internal group of setting for storing key performance features such as 9/10 kHz steps for international travel, 12/24 hour world clock time, wake-up alarms with times and a stored radio frequency or separately using an internal buzzer alarm, sleep mode (0 - 90 minutes in 5 minute increments), etc. These items are indicated on the unit's dedicated DISPLAY key indicated earlier above.
CONS: These are all extremely small however and of no great significance to me whatsoever!
1) Smallish speaker, but the sound quality is very good for its size.
2) Volume controls are a little awkward and uneven in level changes. 16 digital levels are also indicated on the screen. In addition, on other radios switching bands from SW to FM for example can be a very instantaneous ear blasting situation, but not so on the CC SWP radio which has a time delay built in between switching the individual bands giving the user a reaction time to change (usually lower) the volume levels. If the uneven volume levels are of concern to you a $7.95 volume control switch can be bought directly from CCRANE to adjust the levels analog-style with a "potentiometer" {pot) and the volume buttons on the keyboard once set initially can be left alone entirely. Plans are also apparently underway for a second version of this radio to be issued by Redsun in China with the volume control level unevenness issue due to be corrected. Personally I have not found this issue much of a problem at all especially with the easily connected volume control switch which is inserted in series along with the earphones for easy listening.
3) Most keys are initially hard to get to function unless a significant pressing is made. As time goes on they are definitely getting easier to push much more reliably however.
4) Shortwave reception is done in two very broad, but separate bands with a small frequency gap from 7.50 to 9.0 MHz (this gap region is NOT a super important part of the overall SW radio spectrum however). The two bands for SW are SW1: 2.30 - 7.50 MHz and SW2: 9.00 - 22.00 MHz which covers the vast majority of the available shortwave meterband spectrum.
5) It doesn't recharge the batteries internally and the battery compartment door is NOT attached to the radio, but the door nonetheless fits very snugly as the unit is quite well made and yet also very inexpensive compared with many other radios.
6) There is no external antenna jack available, but the internal ferrite rod antenna and the telescopic whip antenna seem to both pick up stations very reliably.
7) Band scanning is a little bit slow compared to several other portable receivers, but reception is NOT muted during scanning so stations can be very readily identified for listening).
8) FM stereo reception is always supplied to the earbuds. There is no control switch to ever be able to turn it off. For the stronger FM stations that is just fine, but for very weak FM it is of course somewhat problematic.
9) It doesn't come with an AC/DC adaptor charger unit, but one is available at least and quite inexpensively.


Click Here to see more reviews about: CC SWPocket AM/FM Shortwave Pocket Radio

Get 20% OFF

Click here for more information about CC SWPocket AM/FM Shortwave Pocket Radio

Read More...

Grace Digital GDI-IR2500 Wi-Fi Internet radio Featuring Pandora, NPR On-Demand, Sirius and iheartradio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have owned the Grace GDI-IR2500 now for a couple of months, and I will try to be as brief as I can with my thoughts and comments.
Build quality: Fair - not terrible, but not great. The black vinyl or plastic wrap used over the wood housing is attractive but not assembled very well, with very noticable imperfections/large wrinkles on both the top front right corner and the top back right corner. The controls are of comperable quality to those of a $10 clock radio, and will probably start wearing out after a couple of years of heavy use. The 4-line LCD display is relatively easy to read.
Setup: If you have ever setup any other wireless devices such as a laptop, smartphone or other wi-fi enabled device, it is not much different and pretty straight forward. The only area that can be somewhat cumbersome is the same issue I have in other areas of operation: the poorly functioning and designed remote control. The remote basically offers up and down keys for entering a security key, scrolling through each number and letter of the alphabet, locating the character you need, then selecting, then scrolling... you get the picture. A remote offering a numeric/ABC type of entry would be preferred, and for $130 to $150, should be included.
Station selection: Good - but not nearly as good as some of the applications offered on iPhone, Android, and Blackberry smartphones such as WunderRadio and RadioTime. Searching for stations is also poorly thoughtout. Other than Clear Channel Communication's "iHeartRadio" offering, you can't even search stations by state, let alone city - and searching by call letters is again an entry where you have to scroll through every letter of the alphabet and enter each character, which is a pain.
Connectivity: No complaints, it starts up relatively quick once you have your wireless settings configured. Regarding connecting to a station url, it depends on the stream format... most .AAC streams begin playing quickly, .mp3 streams fairly quick, .WMA streams a few seconds longer, but none are frustratingly slow. It also played all streams consistantly for hours at a time without interruption.
Sound quality: Fair at best. I guess for $150 I expected this radio to sound at least as good as some of the $50 Sony or Panasonic tabletop radios from the past. There is no reason it couldn't on most mid-to-higher kbps streams - but Grace chose to cut costs on one of the most important aspects of any radio - the speaker - and the speaker quality is about on par with that of a $20 GE table radio. That would be OK if the radio cost $50, but for what these relatively cheap to build radios cost the consumer, I expect the materials and components used to be of higher quality.
Remote Control: Poor quality, poor layout, and many times you have to hit keys two or three times to get a response. I thought the included battery might have been old, but the Duracell replacement battery I bought did not improve the remote's performance.
The bottom line: If you want an internet radio that somewhat gives you the look and feel of your old tabletop radio, and you use the presets a good part of the time, it's an OK radio. I don't hate it, and have actually had some fun with it, but in reality it is worth about $79 tops. I would however look at the Logitech Squeezebox before this or any other internet radio. I played with one at Best Buy a couple weeks back and the build and sound quality is light-years better, and it also offers an optional battery pack.
If the old-time feel of a tabletop radio isn't important and you are wanting to just tune in stations from around the world and have decent sound quality, and if you own an iPhone, Blackberry or Android smartphone with 3G and/or a wi-fi connection, I recommend one of the many decent wireless bluetooth speaker systems (I own the Altec Lansing inMotion SoundBlade Bluetooth A2DP Speaker/Speakerphone, which I paid $50 for, or the Creative D100 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker, both of which sound much better than this Grace unit, and operate on either the supplied AC power adapter or batteries) and install some free to very cheap apps on your smartphone such as Pandora, Slacker, Sirius/XM, iHeartRadio, Yahoo Music, WunderRadio, and TuneIn (formerly RadioTime.) The beauty of smartphone apps is that you can also use them with many new car audio systems (wirelessly via bluetooth or wired via an auxiliary in jack), at the office, at the beach, and pretty much anywhere you have either 3G data or a wi-fi connection.February 20, 2011 note: I find it interesting that in one day my post went from "27 of 29 people found the following review helpful" to "27 of 37 people found the following review helpful"... yes, in one day, and over 4 months after the review was posted. Seems as though some Grace employees or dealers might not have appreciated my honesty.June 10, 2011 note: I have also owned a Logitech Squeezebox radio now for 6 months, and it is an outstanding radio, and a vast upgrade from the Grace radio. Build and sound quality are far superior, and the various interfaces available to control the unit, including the optional remote control, Android application, Squeezebox Server computer software, and mysqueezebox.com are all far superior to anything Grace offers. Also, while Grace touted that their radios supported iHeartRadio, this is no longer the case, with iHeartRadio confirming they will no longer be supporting Reciva, the radio station database used by Grace Radios.
Buy the Logitech Squeezebox radio.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Grace Digital GDI-IR2500 Wi-Fi Internet radio Featuring Pandora, NPR On-Demand, Sirius and iheartradio

Get 42% OFF

Click here for more information about Grace Digital GDI-IR2500 Wi-Fi Internet radio Featuring Pandora, NPR On-Demand, Sirius and iheartradio

Read More...

Logitech Squeezebox Radio Music Player with Color Screen (Red) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am a long time owner of Squeezebox products and was pretty excited to find out about the little table top Squeezebox Radio model. I picked one up and thought I would share my thoughts.
The first thing you notice is how much heft this little player has. It is really well built and the fit and finish is superb. It has plenty of weight and solid rubber feet so that it won't skid around on your night stand or table top. The screen looks great and all of the buttons have a nice solid tactile feel. Compared to many other cheap wireless network streaming radios, this device feels an entire order of magnitude better in its construction quality. The only disappointment here is the lack of back lit buttons, for using the radio in low lighting. It's also worth noting that the entire radio has a high gloss finish that will be a magnet for fingerprints. Looks great though!
The biggest challenge for most consumers with this device will be the initial set up. You need to create an account at [...] in order to set up your new Squeezebox Radio. The device uses this connection to play free internet music services as well as download software updates, etc, to the Radio. I already had a Squeezebox account so this was not a huge challenge for me, but it might be for some people who might be confused that they need to set up an account before they can use the device. There is an option to set up the account from the device itself. Don't do this (it is slow and tedious)! Go to the website and set it up in a few seconds and then just type your login and password on the device.
Other than the laborious task of entering my full email and password for [...] the rest of the setup is very easy. The Squeezebox Radio supports push to connect wi-fi set up which is common on many newer model wireless routers. It's similar to programming a garage door opener. Simply point the Squeezebox Radio at your wireless network and for 120 seconds it will try to connect with the push to connect functionality. Then just push the connect button on your router and it's automagically all set up.
Once set up the Radio will update its firmware and reboot, a process that takes a few extra minutes. After that you are good to go.
In addition to the many built in free online services, you can also play your own music through the Squeezebox Server application. I run the Squeezebox Server application on my HP EX495 Windows Home Server but you can also run Squeezebox Server on any Mac, Windows PC or even Linux box (there are even installable distributions for many Network Attached Storage units). This allows the Squeezebox Radio (and any other Squeeze players) to access all of the music on my home network. It's absolutely wonderful to be able to take the little table top radio anywhere in the home and listen to your entire music collection.
Sound quality is very good, easily enough to fill a small to medium sized room. It gets quite loud with little to no distortion and the controls are easy to use to change tracks, change volume, etc. Wireless strength is superb. I get a full signal anywhere within about 40 feet of my router, and the radio works anywhere on my suburban property with no audio hiccups or dropouts.
In addition to the intuitive controls such as "home", "play", "stop", "back", etc, the unit also features six programmable "preset" buttons similar to what you have on a car radio. Setting these up is a bit more of a challenge than you would expect. You are supposed to be able to hold these down on any song, album, playlist, etc, that is being displayed in the radio menu and have it added as a preset. Unfortunately some items don't add correctly and must first be programmed as a "favorite". It turns out that you can only add favorites for some items (such as playlists) from the Squeezebox Server web based menu, which is quite inconvenient. I don't doubt that Slim Devices (the arm of Logitech that makes these devices) will fix this soon enough.
Other minor glitches include some weird alarm behavior (it will show the time of the alarm when it is going off but strangely won't show the current time, which is annoying if you have hit the snooze button a few times and need to know what time it is), some auto dimming issues (the auto dimming works great but gets almost TOO dim in a dark room to see the radio) and a few other very minor nits.
Slim Devices have a long history of enhancement and improvement of device firmware, so I would expect a lot of these issues to be worked out in the coming months. Additionally there will soon be a battery pack and small infrared remote for the Squeezebox Radio available as a $[...] add on purchase. Personally I think at $[...] the Radio should include these items, but considering the great sound of the radio, the high quality screen and the superb fit and finish it is justified that this device costs as much as it does.
Also worth noting is that if you have an iPod Touch or iPhone you can get the iPeng application $[...] from the Apple App Store which makes controlling and programming your Squeezebox Radio an absolute breeze. iPeng is really a must have if you have these devices and want a wonderful pocket control that works from anywhere in your home. Beats the pants off of what Sonus has to offer!
//Update 1 (Nov 2nd 2009)
Yesterday my SB Radio lost all of the preset buttons which is most annoying. It also turns out that many of the requests for fixes around the alarms functionality have not been addressed and don't appear to be scheduled to be addressed in the next release or two of the software. If your primary use will be a night stand alarm clock I would recommend holding off for now until Logitech addresses alarm functionality issues. If the issues are not resolved I will reconsider my four star rating as it should then be a three star product.
//Update 2 (May 13 2010)
Logitech has not only not fixed many of the initial annoyances with the SB Radio, but newer firmware has in fact made the product less stable and reliable. It still does an admirable job of playing your local music library if you run the SB Server on a PC or Mac in your home, but the network streaming functionality seems to be having issues and I've found the alarm to be terribly unreliable. I would now under the current circumstances rate this only 3 out of 5 stars. It's really a shame too, as the "Slim Devices" that originally brought us these problems was very open and communicative about issues and what was being done to fix them. Logitech has little interest in relaying useful information to its beta testers, err, customers and instead gives us the run around with if and when issues will ever be remedied.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Logitech Squeezebox Radio Music Player with Color Screen (Red)

Logitech Squeezebox Radio brings a world of music—free Internet radio, subscription services, or your personal digital music collection—to any space in your home, over your Wi-Fi network.

Get 13% OFF

Click here for more information about Logitech Squeezebox Radio Music Player with Color Screen (Red)

Read More...

Sangean LB-100 "Lunchbox" Compact Industrial AM/FM Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A few months ago, I spent $104 on the Sangean U3 worksite radio and was, in spite of warnings about its bass-heavy speakers, exceedingly pleased with speaker sound and AM/FM sensitivity. '
Even before I bought the U3, I wanted the Sangean LB-100, which had been praised by many, but was unavailable in the US market until recently.
So for about $75 and free shipping on Amazon, I bought the LB-100. I fretted the possibility that the LB-100's AM might not be up to par with the bigger U3.
But a side by side reception comparison results in what appears to be close performance, and very impressive AM and FM. The LB-100's slightly smaller ferrite AM antenna produces a little less sensitivity but produces good overall AM sound. Just a shade less than the U3's.
'One thing I don't like about both the Lunchbox and the U3 is that the non-rotation screw-in FM antenna doesn't give you any option to perform fine-tuning when wanting to get in a troublesome station (all worksite radios have such an antenna built like this to be rugged). Not that you need to adjust the antenna much. The FM sensitivity is so good that such adjusting isn't necessary. However, for weak FM stations like 89.3 and 88.9 it would be nice to have a rotating FM antenna. As strong as the FM is on both radios, I can't grab the weakest FM station I know of, 88.9, on the U3 and the LB-100 like I can with the Redsun RP-2100 (CCrane CSW) or the Grundig S350.
Now for AM reception. Very sensitive. The sound is very appealing through the 5-inch speaker, just like on the bigger U3. '
Unlike the U3, which has a clock, headphone jack, and aux port, the LB-100 has none of these and is, in spite of being digital with 5 presets for AM and FM, a very bare bones radio, a sort of 1980 Ford Ranger truck, which didn't even come with a radio, ironically enough.
'
You might want to pay an extra $25 and get the added features of the U3 and enjoy a bigger ferrite AM antenna (though I personally didn't hear any difference in AM between the two).
One thing to consider is that the footprint on the LB-100 is not small at 8x8 inches. I was going to use the LB-100 in the kitchen but its size may make me change my mind and take it to the work office or use in one of the bathrooms.
I do want to commend Sangean on the battery compartment (takes 4 C batteries). This is not one of those latches that you snapped broken because you breathed too heavily on the hinges. This hinge uses a big screw and looks like it was built to last.
Conclusion: At the $75 price point, the LB-100 has a rugged look, a loud yellow color, excellent fidelity, and strong AM and FM reception. Recommended.
Update: Be aware that this doesn't take rechargeable batteries.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sangean LB-100 "Lunchbox" Compact Industrial AM/FM Radio

Ruged, Industrial AM/FM Radio w/PLL Tuner, Backlit LCD Display, 10 station memory, Durable ABS Plastic

Get 42% OFF

Click here for more information about Sangean LB-100 "Lunchbox" Compact Industrial AM/FM Radio

Read More...

Altec Lansing inMotion iM600 USB-Charging Portable Speaker System with FM Receiver for iPod (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)***** UPDATE: *****
It is July 2010. We bought this in April 2009. Yesterday all functionality stopped. The light shows up on the unit when it is plugged in, but it does not turn on. It will charge the iPods, but no longer plays music. The 1 year warranty has passed. I'd still recommend this product. My wife used it everyday. She carries it with her around the house. I would recommend getting the 2-year or 3-year extended warranty.
*****
I did the research on these a while back and was sure I was going to wait until I could get a Bose. After reading all of the reviews here, I decided to get this little guy.
We use it everyday. Actually, it is in use most of the day. We use it in the kitchen, in the living room when we're reading the paper, I took it with me when I was painting our old house we are about to sell and set it outside. The volume cranked great outside, and the battery lasts and lasts. Keeps my ipod topped up too.
The important thing for us is that the sound is good quality at low volumes (we have small children). And yes, it is perfect. Good crisp quality. The bass is not a subwoofer, but it is impressive how well it sounds coming out of such a tiny device.
Don't research any more products. If you need something that you can take with you just about anywhere and don't want to have to worry about plugging it in, and you want the sound to be great, and you want the device to look great - stop researching, stop stressing, just BUY THIS THING. You'll be glad you did.
We are.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Altec Lansing inMotion iM600 USB-Charging Portable Speaker System with FM Receiver for iPod (Black)

Listen and charge your iPod at home, office, or dorm with this stereo speaker with iPod dock and FM tuner. Got another digital media player? There's a connecting port for listening as well! The Altec Lansing iM600 sound system offers stereo sound from dual 2-inch neodymium drivers optimized for high-frequency extension (better highs, in other words). It offers more power and output than any other system in its class and, what's more, it features another Altec Lansing engineering innovation called the Expanded Sound Stage technology: ESS makes the speakers sound further apart than they really are, giving the user a heightened stereo effect. The iM600 also features a stereo FM radio and can double as a clock radio when plugged in to an electrical outlet (AC adapter included). It includes rechargeable Li-ion batteries and a wireless remote. And it syncs and charges all dockable iPod models. Input jack - For second device connection, including CD, DVD, and MP3 players Weighs only 2.1 pounds (0.9 kg) For 4G iPods; Compatibility: iPod mini; iPod classic 3G, 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G; iPod touch 1G, 2G; auxiliary input connects to any CD, DVD, or MP3 player using a stereo mini-plug

Get 59% OFF

Click here for more information about Altec Lansing inMotion iM600 USB-Charging Portable Speaker System with FM Receiver for iPod (Black)

Read More...

iLive iH328B Dual-CD Home Music System with iPod Dock (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When my brother found out Santa was bringing my teen-aged daughter an IPOD nano 4th genApple iPod nano 8 GB Purple (4th Generation), we talked about it and decided a stereo for her bedroom would be just the thing. We wanted a stereo that had the following:
1) full control of IPOD functions through remote
2) one with enough sound to fill a bedroom, but not enough to shake the house down
3) CD and FM radio with presets
4) good looks
The iLive seemed to fit the bill and since my brother is a dedicated Amazon Prime member- who has recently converted me to Prime as well- he settled on the iLive.
The iLive is one of those products that the instruction manual can be lost on day one and never missed. If you are part of the electronics generation(s), you certainly won't need it for the 5 minutes set up or for operations. If you can operate your IPOD thumbwheel, you can easily operate the remote. The iLive comes with about 8-10 dock adapters, but it didn't have the one for the iPod nano 4th gen chromatic, so we had to use the one packed with the iPod, which is white and if the door is open you may notice the white adapter. If it bothers you, close the door, I guess.
When I received a rather large Amazon gift card for Christmas (the amount was large, the card was the standard size), I liked my daughter's setup so well, I decided to duplicate it. Having the IPOD stereo system beats having my computer hooked up to a stereo, as now I can just punch the remote if I want to skip a song instead of going over to the computer to advance songs - or just being lazy and deciding I don't want the song skipped badly enough to get up and walking over to the computer.
Be aware that the iLive iH328B doesn't have the punchiest bass around and its wattage is low. If you are looking for a main home stereo for a medium-large home, this isn't it. It has an equalizer you can change if you need to. The factory setting seems okay on most songs.
If you want good sound for the money for a bedroom or small home, this is it. This is a very good looking system and the overlapped CD's with blue LEDs behind them give it a very up-to-the-minute appearance.
One con: The remote is very small. I only lose mine twice a day.
One last thing. The compatibility list doesn't include some of the newer iPods. My guess is because the product description hasn't caught up and because iLive doesn't have docking adapters for all of the latest iPod models. Just use the one that came with your iPod. If you've lost that one or use it someplace else, no sweat; the iPod would work even without the adapter, it just wouldn't be as stable.

Click Here to see more reviews about: iLive iH328B Dual-CD Home Music System with iPod Dock (Black)

Enjoy music from iPod, CD, radio, and more. A motorized door opens to reveal a dock for iPod and 2-disc CD player. The dock plays and charges your iPod, and the CD player features continuous play to keep your music going. Dynamic stereo speakers reproduce every nuance of your music, and the preset equalizer settings allow you to tailor music for any room. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your music while you control it all with the remote.

Docking Station for iPod The iH328B's certified iPod connector lets you dock your iPod. Dock it, close the door, and enjoy your favorite tunes--and control your iPod from the iH328B or the included remote--while your iPod gets a charge. The system comes with seven docking brackets to fit different iPods.
2-Disc CD Player Listen to your CD favorites with the vertical-load 2-disc player, also behind the motorized door. Play CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs with programmable tracks, repeat, and random play.
Radio and Digital Clock Instantly access your favorite radio stations with the user presets on the digital tune AM/FM stereo radio. The digital clock also features a Sleep Timer function.
Sound Features Dial in the perfect sound with the preset EQ (Rock, Classic, Jazz, Pop), and enjoy clear sound from the full-range speakers.
Great Looks The translucent door, sleek profile, and blue backlit LCD add an exciting touch to any room.
Input/Output Enjoy video and photo from your iPod on your television using the video-out jack. Connect external audio devices with the RCA auxiliary input. The device also features a stereo headphone jack for quiet listening.
Remote Control Control docked iPods and the iH328B from across the room with the included remote (uses included CR2025 button cell battery)
What's in the Box iLive iH328B Dual-CD Home Music System with iPod Dock (Black), remote control, iPod brackets (7), and owner's manual.

Get 44% OFF

Click here for more information about iLive iH328B Dual-CD Home Music System with iPod Dock (Black)

Read More...

Altec Lansing M402 Altec Lansing iPod Home Audio with Alarm Clock Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First let me say that if you are wondering what the difference between this model (M402) and the M402SR is, the answer is that this model DOES NOT come with the remote snooze button that the M402SR comes with even though it is shown in the picture and mentioned in the description. From the literature that came with the unit, it is possible to purchase this if you really want one.
I spent a lot of time trying to find a good alarm clock radio with an iPod dock that didn't cost a small fortune or take up too much space. This one fit the bill. After reading the description, I thought that it "would do." I felt like I was settling for something less than I really wanted because I just didn't want to spend the money on something more expensive.
Okay, so I don't really like the way it this thing looks. Let's face it, it looks like something from out of the 80's. However, it isn't quite as ugly in person as it looks in the picture. That is a great relief since I have to look at it everyday. The unit sounds pretty good - way better than the little speakers I was using before to listen to my iPod. I won't say it can fill a room, but it is more than acceptable for most people.
I works great with my iPod Touch 4th gen. The little remote that comes with the unit allows me to control my iPod, and the dock does charge my iPod just as stated. The screen on the unit even scrolls the song title and artist.
The FM radio works well. For stations that broadcast the information, the unit will scroll the song title and artist. Very cool feature since sometimes when I listen to the radio I want to know that information. I have my 4 favorite FM stations programmed into the presets.
The mood lighting feature is okay. For me it is just kind of a thrown on feature that is cute to have, but I don't think it really does anything. It does have a a number of colors to choose from, and the intensity is adjustable from 1 - 17 (17? Really? Who came up with that number?). To be honest, it's just not bright enough to really set any kind of mood. The most that can be said for it, is that it is a nice customizable night light.
The clock and the alarm were easy to set. The unit even displays the day and date on the screen. Some of the reviews on the M402SR said that it was difficult, but I didn't find that to be the case at all. Also, some of the reviews for the M402SR said that there were only 3 volume levels for the alarm. That may have been the case at one point in time, but on my unit the alarm volume is fully adjustable.
Overall, I am VERY pleased with this unit. I actually would have to say that I love it. So far I haven't found anything I dislike about it (well, except for the 80's style appearance).


Click Here to see more reviews about: Altec Lansing M402 Altec Lansing iPod Home Audio with Alarm Clock


Altec Lansing's Moondance Glow is ready to wake you up, entertain, or help you relax--all at the touch of a button. Its multicolor lighting feature can help take the edge off a hard day and set the mood. Compatible with all docking iPod models, it also boasts a built-in FM radio and an auxiliary input jack for added flexibility. When it's time to start a new day, the Moondance Glow is ready with dual alarms to wake you with your favorite tune, FM radio station, or standard alarm.

Great Sound Altec Lansing put their research into this system, with precision-engineered speakers to deliver full-spectrum sound. The drivers, enclosure, and electronics are balanced, thanks to Altec's "Audio Alignment," for optimum sound.

Mood Lighting The Moondance Glow got its name for a reason: It's equipped with a mood light to help you relax and enjoy the music. Choose your color and intensity, then splash it on the wall or turn it off if you'd prefer.

FM Radio A built-in FM radio lets you go with some live programming instead of iPod or auxiliary sources. Features four station presets and wire antenna for superior reception.

Dual Alarms Wake to your iPod, radio, or alarm, with separate wake times for you and a companion. "7-5-2" alarm settings let you set separate weekday and weekend alarms, if desired. Set your own snooze duration from 5 to 60 minutes (but you know, be careful to still get to work on time).

A programmable sleep function is also included for when you drift off, and it's programmable from 5 to 90 minutes.

Double the Remote The included enhanced remote lets you operate many functions of the speaker system. In addition, it includes a wireless snooze remote that allows you to snooze and dismiss your alarm (and play/pause your iPod) from across the room--up to 30 feet.

Of course, on-board controls mean mood lighting and all other functions can be directly controlled from the Moondance Glow.

Amber LCD with Dimmer Light Displays song info and FM data feeds (RDS), in addition to standard alarm clock info.

Auxiliary Input Connect a second audio source, including portable CD, DVD, and other MP3 players.

What's in the Box Moondance Glow speaker system, remote control, wireless snooze remote, FM radio antenna, power adapter, miscellaneous adapters for iPod, and user's guide.

Get 58% OFF

Click here for more information about Altec Lansing M402 Altec Lansing iPod Home Audio with Alarm Clock

Read More...