Customer Reviews

RCA RS2046 BookShelf Audio System with Digital AM/FM Tuner

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've had mine now for about a year. I use it in the office and have my XM radio attached. I love it. The remote works fine for me. I bought one for my girlfriend to use in her office (small size makes it perfect). As far as I know she likes it and hasn't mentioned any problems. I'm about to by a 3rd for use in my workshop. For the price it's a nice system.

We bought this cool piece for our daughter's 12th birthday, and she loves it. The MP3 recorder and the USB input make it a really exceptional choice, especially for a 12-year old. It sounds pretty good, too. The problem with this little wonder is that you have to position the remote about 11 and a half inches from the stereo in order to get it to respond. If the remote has to be that close to the unit in order to work, you are already close enough to operate the controls on the unit, making the remote practically useless. Perusing the instruction manual and user documentation, I've noticed that the manufacturer's support for this product is practically nonexistent. There is no phone number you can call to talk to an RCA tech support person to ask them what the range is supposed to be on the remote, for example. I was going to see if I could verify my hunch that it ought to be sufficient to make the remote useful. But my only option seems to be to pack up the unit and ship it off to a service center in Socorro, Texas, for an exchange, which should arrive back to me in 4 to 6 weeks. The "new" hasn't even worn off of my little girl's stereo, so I'm not going to do that, yet. The unit itself works fine. Why can't they just send me a new remote, or give me someone to talk to who can troubleshoot the problem? I would like to give a top notch review of the unit, but the problem with customer service in this case overwhelms all other considerations.

I find the display to be too bright. I've resorted to covering the clock with a sticky, turning the face to a wall, or keeping it under my bed. I've had the same problems setting the alarm, so it goes off at 5:40 am and 5:40 pm. The most irritating bit for me, is the inability to determine the order that songs will be played from the USB device. There doesn't seems to be any clear organizational pattern.
My remote does work from at least 10 feet away. The strength of the batteries might have a something to do with it.
I do love the ability to have my television as the input. I can then wear headphones, watch-tv and not wake my partner.
finally, The speaker cords are short, so I lengthened them with additional speakerwire.

When setting the time from am to pm, the alarm also changes from am to pm. If I try to change the alarm back to am, the time also changes to am. Therefore it's impossible to set the alarm the night before I want to wake up. (In other words, the alarm is useless.) Also, the FM radio works fine but I get no sound at all with AM, not even static. And the display is very bright, even when dimmed. I have to unplug it at night to be able to sleep. I called tech service. The operator was very polite, but had no information since the manufacturer was just bought out three weeks ago. My only option is to mail it to Buffalo. They will only pay for the return shipping. The usefulness of the usb port and that the item was purchased out of state as a gift are the only things that stop me from getting a refund from the store. Meanwhile, I was hoping this would be a nice, compact, all-in-one device for my tiny Manhattan apartment. Instead I have a one radio I use to listen to AM radio, another I use for time and alarm, and this one I use for CD/usb.

To me, the sound quality is great considering the size and price of the system. I've owned this system over two years now, and have it in my bedroom. I do not use the alarm, so can't rate that.

Pros: Sound, size, sleep timer, USB input, auxiliary inputs, remote, versatility

Cons: Display is too bright (NOTE: The color and dimness CAN be controlled however. I have mine set to dim purple, but even "dim" might be distracting if you're trying to get to sleep), complicated to learn how to operate, can't control order of MP3 playback other than random (can forward past undesired songs, however)