Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Decisions, Decisions, October 24, 2009
There is a great deal of difference between this Phillips Clock iPod and the Philips AJ3231 Mirror Finish Clock Radio. Like the smaller version, there is a nice front surface with a reflective mirror and the time shining through `yellow' with a nice (adjustable) brightness control. Other than that, this is a completely different animal.
There are two small speakers on each side of the clock that are typical in sound for a clock/radio, in that they have no bass. The volume control is not a wheel but a (+) button for increase and a (-) button for decrease in sound. The alarms are set using buttons on the top for both alarms A and B. The back has push buttons (+ and -) for tuning to stations. You can preset going forward and backward. There is also a `time set autoscan' button. Below this in the back is where you choose to WAKE to your iPod, FM radio or buzzer (no AM).
The `sleep' button is on the right side and very small. I am used to a BIG button on top of my old alarm clock that I can just slam without opening my eyes. No such luck here. The iPod dock folds out from the lower front and its rather cheaply made. It will fit all iPods and if you have something other than an Apple iPod, there is a male/male cord that fits in the back for another MP3 device. The dock itself has a control for play/pause and forward/backward song skip buttons.
I was surprised that with all the various buttons and controls there was not a space for a 9-volt battery in case of outage. There is one on the cheaper model of the Philips AJ3231 Mirror Finish Clock Radio. Also, the cord is detachable from the back of the clock.
Considering the price difference between the two, it makes sense that you can have your iPod dock for charging and listening to tunes. As in both clocks, the buttons are not intuitive and take some time to set up, meaning you will do it once, but if the power goes out, you'll be pulling out the instruction manual again. I think its a toss-up with the iPod being the deciding factor.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Was great at first but acting up now, November 2, 2009
I have mixed feelings about this alarm clock. I love several of the features but others are just plain annoying. Also, it has started acting up recently and I am not sure if I can rely on it going forward.
First, things I like
1. Styling - I like the sleek look and the mirror front. Very nice looking alarm clock compared to the old square box Sony I had before
2. IPOD dock - This was the main feature that I have been looking for in an alarm clock ever since I got to use one at a hotel. Makes waking up easier when you actually like the music that is playing
3. Multiple alarm programs - I like that I can have a weekday and weekend alarm setup separately. I was used to changing my alarm every Friday night but now I don't have to since it has two alarms built in that can be set in several different ways.
4. Sound - for a small alarm clock, the music sound is not that bad. Of course, no bass but when I want to take a nap while listening to low volume music, this works great.
5. Radio reception - this gets way better reception than my Sony. It uses a line antenna similar to what you would see on a home stereo receiver. Some people might hate this but I find it very useful since it can be moved in any direction with ease if reception is bad.
6. Fade in alarm - A billion alarm clocks have this but this is my first clock with it. Love that I don't get blasted with loud sounds in the morning!
Things I don't like or needs improvement
1. Construction - The clock feels very cheap and has little weight to it. Hitting any button can cause the clock to move or tip over. Needs better/more weight to it.
2. Digital screen - I like the orange digital light used for the clock but, for some reason, it looks off to me. Can't quite put my finger on it but you really have to look at it closely to see what time it is! I have great vision but I can't always immediately tell what time it is. Maybe the lines need to be wider? Some of the numbers appear misshaped? And from a distance, forget it!
3. Button layout - way to many button placements. Buttons, buttons everywhere! Both sides, back and the IPOD pull out. It's not overly difficult to program but more thought should have gone into where all the buttons are.
4. OK, what's going on here - Today the clock decided to reset itself to the startup blinking screen. I didn't touch it, I didn't accidently bang it...it just automatically just reset itself. And I saw it happen. I was standing in my room checking the time from about 3 feet away and it flashed and started blinking. I didn't have time to reset it yet but I am now wondering if I can trust this as my alarm clock or if this was a one time thing. I am hoping it was some weird power surge but only time will tell. Looks like I will need to double up my alarm clock efforts for the time being.
I will post an update later once I determine if this was a fluke or a systemic problem.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice iPod dock, okay for an alarm clock, October 29, 2009
For the record, the iPod dock works with all versions of iPod, as far as I can tell. I have a Nano that came out a year ago, my son has one from about 3 years ago and both fit. If you have a Zune or other kind of MP3 player, there's a separate male/male cable that should fit those. There's a fold-down platform for the iPod, which is where the controls for it are also located.
The clock has the same basic functions as most alarm clocks - wake to a buzz, the radio or to your iPod at a set volume. The sound is about the same as a regular alarm clock - tinny and needing a bass tuner.
Cons: the alarm clock function is a little weird. You're required to set it for clusters of days, rather than one simple setting applying to all seven days of the week. My son pointed out that he gets up for school at a different time Mondays through Fridays vs. Saturday and Sunday. For which I reminded him that he doesn't get up on weekends until noon and hardly needs an alarm for that. On the other hand, people who have to be woken up at various times during the week are out of luck unless they want to reset the alarm every day. The position of the sleep button is very awkward. It's a rather small button on the side of the unit, right above similarly sized buttons for the volume control.
Pros: I like the feature of being able to keep my iPod charged while it's attached to the alarm clock. I like the glossy silver face because where I have it located, it just looks black to me, making the clock, day and alarm settings appear very bright. There are separate buttons on the front for playing your iPod (backward, forward, play/pause), which is easier than using the iPod wheel while it's attached to the charger/stand. Setup of the most basic settings was easy (you get a three step mini-manual), the more advanced options are described in the big user manual.
Overall, I liked the DC190 for my usage which doesn't extend much past using it for listening to my iPod while I work and having a convenient way to charge it. I've used the M-F alarm feature and, well, it works like an alarm clock.
So if your needs are basic, I'd recommend the DC190; I understand there's a higher end model that has more bells and whistles if you're interested in additonal features.
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