Timex T617S Nature Sounds Auto Set CD Clock Radio with Smart Knob Tuning and MP3 Line In (Silver)

by Timex

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 7 inches ; 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00080FO1M
• Item model number: T617S
• Batteries: 2 AA batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (148 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,360 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 1, 2005

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Equally suited to entertainment and utility, the Timex T617S is perfect for any bedroom or kitchen, offering accurate auto-set timekeeping, CD and radio playback, stereo speakers, onboard nature sounds, and an external audio input. The unit's stately silver finish and translucent CD door add visual touches of class, and its versatile CD playback modes include repeat and random play. Once plugged in, the clock will set itself, drawing on its factory-installed 100-year calendar (year/month/day, 2000 to 2099). The clock will even self-adjust for Daylight Savings time and leap years.

It features a programmable sleep mode with independent sleep volume, too (select 15, 30, 60, or 90 minutes), so you can drift to sleep or wake to your choice of a favorite radio station, a favorite CD track, or any of the unit's 4 nature sounds: ocean surf, rushing brook, forest spring, and wind chimes. The T617S's 2 alarms each function independently, so both can be set for either the same or different wake signals.

For radio listening, you'll enjoy drift-free digital PLL (phase-locked-loop) tuning with 12 preset stations for 1-touch tuning convenience for your favorites (6 FM, 6 AM). Use the clock's handy Smart Knob to quickly and easily adjust all settings and major functions.

Ideal for a portable MP3 player or cassette player, the T617S's auxiliary audio input broadens your listening options to include any source you deem appropriate. Hookup with portable audio devices is a snap using the supplied stereo minijack-to-minijack audio cable.

And, just to make sure you never miss an important appointment (if only some quality time with your shower or morning coffee), the clock also comes with Timex's Sure Alarm battery backup. Just install 3 AAA batteries (not included) to activate this feature. In the event of a power failure--or if you disconnect the AC power cord to move the clock--Sure Alarm will maintain your clock and alarm settings for the life of the batteries, ensuring that the alarms will sound at the appointed time (while operating on battery power, the alarms will sound only as buzzer).

What's in the Box
Clock, FM wire antenna, a stereo analog audio interconnect (minijack to minijack), and a user's manual with warranty information.

Product Description

Timex Stereo CD Dual Alarm Clock Radio with Smart Knob Digital Tuning and Nature Sounds

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

112 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars MP3, dual Alarm, CD player, what else can you ask for?, April 5, 2006

By 

H. Friedman (Burbank, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Timex T617S Nature Sounds Auto Set CD Clock Radio with Smart Knob Tuning and MP3 Line In (Silver) (Electronics)

UPDATE: It has been 3 years since I purchased this product and unfortunately problems have arisen. The dimmer fluctuates every so often but even worse, when you try to set the alarm, the digital displays illumination dims so low that it makes it very difficult to see what time value you are entering. I have not been able to correct this problem and it only gets worse as time goes bye. The radio reception is pretty poor, even with the provided cable antenna. Other than that, everything else works fine. I would give this product 3 stars for durability if I could.

Overall this is a great alarm clock with the exceptions of: the
loud synthtic Nature Sounds and lack of a 5 day week alarm (which is included in
the T307S model)... yes, there is NO 5 day week alarm !!!!

The synthetic Nature sounds are NOT soothing at all and are better as a wakeup call rather
than for falling asleep. These 4 sounds would be much improved if they got rid of the
annoying and loud bird calls and frog calls. If they even put these calls into the
background, then it would be satisfactory... if they removed them entirely, then
it would be fantastic. However, since you have a CD player, I highly recommend
true nature sounds from the people who brought you "A Week in Hawaii" & "A Week in Brazil". The surf
and rainforest sounds are the best and you will calmly fall asleep to this cd in 90
minute sleep mode at half sleep volume. Yup, you have a separate limited volume (3 settings)
control for sleep mode so that it does not affect your alarm volume.

This is NOT a stereo folks, so the speakers are good (but not great) and the fact that you can
attach your mp3 player is a nice bonus, especially for all you ipod owners.

The dimmer is great and there are 3 intensity settings that won't blind you at
night.

It would be great if the buttons were categorized by size or illuminated by
touch, so you could easily select the buttons in the dark.Unfortunately, you
have to guess at it and interestingly enough, the button layout was much better
on the T307S model.

Haven't had any problems with the CD player so far, eventhough it looks pretty flimsy. I do like
the height over depth ratio and think that the vertical CD player is much better compared to a
horizontal cd player, in terms of space
on my nightstand.

The automatic time setting is great especially when you forget about setting
your clock ahead or backwards... this clock does it for you automatically.

Batteries are included.... nice.

**** I give this product a soft 4 stars and would have given it a solid 5 if only the
Nature sounds were revamped and 5 day week was included.

53 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yes, but it has a headphone jack!, December 7, 2006

By 

Michel Avery (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Timex T617S Nature Sounds Auto Set CD Clock Radio with Smart Knob Tuning and MP3 Line In (Silver) (Electronics)

I read all the negative reviews posted here, then bought this product with some misgivings because it has something hard to find in CD clock radios--a headphone jack. That's important to me because my spouse likes it quiet at night, and I like background noise, so I use a pillow speaker. My Sony Dream Machine had one, and was a good product, but the time display is too dim and too small for my baby boomer eyes.

This product works for me. True, there is an annoyingly bright, light-up-the-room-in-neon-blue light that comes on whenever a CD, the radio, or nature sounds are playing, but that light is easy to cover--I pasted a piece of construction paper over it. The digital time display itself is perfectly acceptable at the dimmer settings.

I agree with most other reviewers that the nature sounds are unrealistic, overly dramatized, and not at all relaxing. That is a feature I will not be using. The radio reception is better than the Sony's.

116 of 124 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No such feature!, December 18, 2005

By 

A. Savla (West Roxbury, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Timex T617S Nature Sounds Auto Set CD Clock Radio with Smart Knob Tuning and MP3 Line In (Silver) (Electronics)

Great product, and solid frame. It doesn't feel cheap. The "Nature Sounds" aren't great, but I didn't buy it to hear low res recordings of nature. I bought it for the fact that it can do a 5-day alarm...saving the weekend for sleeping till double digits. Wrong!
The product description lies! No such feature! I ended up buying this from timexaudio.com, since amazon didn't have it available. The problem was that when I double checked the product description at timex, there were only a few bullet points. When I searched for a manual, the one clock radio that they didn't have a manual for was the T617S. So I trusted amazon's product description. Never again.

Other than that bad experience, I like the sound and the radio reception is fantastic. The MP3 input is just a simple 3.5 mm jack, so you can basically play anything through this.
My recommendation is that if you like everything but the 7/5/2 day feature, go for it.