Customer Reviews

iHome iH9 Alarm Clock Speaker System with Dock for iPod (Black)

5 star:		(88)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

I have a couple minor complaints with the iHome IH9, let's get those out of the way. First complaint: the AM reception, even with the external antenna isn't great. With the antenna it is "OK" but without the antenna it is non-existent. My previous inexpensive AM/FM clock radio (with digital tuner) did a much better job with AM. Second complaint: I wish the volume wheel & adjustment wheel (top left, top right) were "grippy-er". Laying in bed they are kind of hard to turn. Finally, with the iPod sitting above the clock it seems a touch funky and fragile, but I think it is probably fine - almost all the iPod clocks have this EXACT same design, so, I am just paranoid.

Now, for the things I like. The sound is really good. I don't think it is an "auto-set" clock, but it came from the factory already set. Keeps good time (so far). Readout is super easy to read. There are 7 brightness settings to the display, including OFF, and it fast and easy to switch between them. The fall asleep to (radio/ipod/line-in) is great, the dual alarms to (buzzer/radio/ipod/ipod-playlist/line-in) is great. The fact that either alarm can be 7-day, 5-day (weekday), or 2-day (weekend) is fantastic. The remove is somewhat useful, I guess - haven't used it much.

It is a touch pricey, I paid $90 - but I really love the features and sound. No plans to return it.

I purchased the IH9 after seeing a good magazine review. When hooked up to an iPod, it sounds spectacular. The sound is on par with any higher-end table radio or bookshelf stereo I've heard, such as the Bose.

However, the FM tuner leaves something to be desired. No matter which station I chose, no matter how strong or weak the signal, the audio was distorted. I adjusted the equalizer settings (the equalizer is a nice touch) as well as the 3D simulation and it didn't help. There was always some distortion, even at low volume levels, whether it was music or NPR.

It's clearly not a problem with the speakers because of the excellent iPod audio quality. I suspect an inexpensive FM tuner, or just a bad batch of FM tuners that wound up in my IH9.

I don't plan to keep the IH9, as much as I like it otherwise, because I listen to FM radio in a clock radio more than I'm likely to listen to my iPod Nano, and distorted sound is distracting. But if you're solely or primarily an iPod listener -- or don't care too much about FM radio quality -- this is a nicely designed and sounding unit.

A big step up from the last model. Just be careful when buying, since it's easy to get messed up with the two versions of the same item. There is one iHome that plays third generation, and one that plays second generation. So, if you get the second generation iHome, you will be unable to play the third generation iPods.

Pros

+ 6 radio presets
+ comes with remote
+ easy alarm functions; you can set an alarm up so that all you ever have to do is hit the power button when it goes off
+ charges iPod so you don't have to go through the hassle of plugging it into the computer
+ remote can control iHome from across the room
+ crystal clear radio reception
+ remote has practically every button you could ever want
+ louder volume settings
+ easy to set and use
+ can dock almost every kind of iPod with add on attachments
+ better display; numbers are easier to read and the light had just the right amount of brightness
+ more dimmer settings
+ can play cd's
+ AM and FM radio
+ can play the shuffle
+ seems to charge faster than before, if only by a little bit

Cons

- the softest volume setting is quite loud
- HUGE AC adaptor which gets sort of hot
- remote gets kind of confusing the way it's laid out
- still can't charge the shuffle

All in all, the pros outweigh the cons. It's THE best iHome yet. And the silver color looks amazing.

It is a good ipod alarm clock but it has several issues I was displeased with.

Pros:
- Good alarm settings. Dual alarms, ability to wake up to a playlist or a selected song, can set the alarm to go off on weekdays only so there is no need to turn the alarm on/off
- Easy to use/set up
- Good interface and controls
- The remote can fully navigate your ipod and the other ihome funtions such as the radio and alarm.

Cons:
- Although there are 8 dimmer settings for the backlight, all of them besides the brightest and the darkest make an annoying buzzing sound. (its subtle but I can't stand it)
- The radio DOES NOT WORK. I live in New York City, can see the empire state building and I cannot get a station that is broadcast from it. If you plan to use the radio function at all do not get this alarm clock because you will be VERY disappointed. I get only 3 stations somewhat clearly from the middle of Manhattan.
- Does not work with some ipod models so make sure it works with yours.

In the middle:
- The sound doesn't compare to my bose sounddock. If you want great sound and don't care about the alarm features get a bose or klipsch igroove or room groove. If you do want an alarm clock to play your ipod I don't think there is anything better out there without spending a lot of money.

Overall, if you want a solid alarm clock to wake to your ipod (and only your ipod), don't want a radio, and don't care for a better sounding unit like a bose or klipsch then this may be for you. If you really want to spend some money check out the polk isonic or the chestnut hill george

I'm impressed with this clock radio / iPod dock. This device shares a room with a Bose Wave Radio. $90 David versus the $300 Goliath. David wins on the critical counts, sound, radio reception, and cost. The iHome iH9SR is way better than I ever expected.

This is a complete rebuild (I think they threw out the horrible plans from the iH8) of the previous model. The controls are smoother, the display better, the sound infintely better (stereo to start with), and the heft is wonderful. I just spent 2 weeks with an iH8 in a hotel, it was good. The iH9 blows that older model away.

Honestly, I've read the other reviews of this unit, and I frankly don't understand them at all. The sound is clear. The clock is perfectly visible, the dimmer works exactly as reported in the owners manual. The AM and FM reception is way better than anything I own (including that Bose Wave connected to a roof antenna). The sound is clear and very tunable to your taste. iPod integration is wonderful. I love the two alarms with play list, radio, buzzer, or iPod; and 2, 5, or 7 day settings. The unit includes every battery you will ever need (two double A's in the base, and the remote battery). Even the remote - you almost have to close your eyes and not think to use it correctly. The remote is actually a nice size, not credit card thin, but not TV big - just thick enough, just large enough to be usable.

My only complaint? The wall wart is big and it is heavy. But if they made it smaller, the amp would be less powerful and the sound would suffer. So it's essential.

Oh packaging - this is hilarious. I think the company must own stock in 3M scotch tape. I've never seen so much tape in one box in my life. And the little iPod inserts (you know those nasty little plastic inserts for different iPods), come in two separate bags, and then each is individually wrapped in a bag. Kind of a waste.

The box says it big and bold - this unit will not charge or control a Series 3 iPod. Dec. 15 update: It will not control or charge the Third Generation iPod Nano, and it does not include an adapter for the iPod Touch (just got this from the www.ihomeaudio.com website). And after 6 months with this dock, we still love it. Would gladly buy it again.

Bottom line - I love this baby, great price, great sound, great iPod dock.

iHome has fixed a few oversights in prior models like no radio station presets and the sound is better than the predecessors. The iH9 sounds very good, especially compared to other brands of similar price and fewer features. I echo the first comment - no need to get this through Amazon/TechNG since you can get it directly form iHome (with free shipping) for $30 less. My daughter really likes this unit.

Just set this up last night and I'm pretty happy with it. It's not perfect, but it's WAY better than the Homedics iSoundSpa and the Memorex iAwake. Here's what I like:

1) The eight different brightness levels for the display are really nice and you can easily read it from many angles. In my case, the clock sits next to my bed, above my head, and I couldn't read either of the other brands' display at all while lying down.
2) The buttons on the main unit are well placed, easy to feel without a light on, and intuitive.
3) The sound is good.
4) The remote is decent. It's no TiVo remote, but it's decent.
5) There are two alarm clocks and they have options to set them 7 days a week, 5 days a week (M-F), and 2 days a week (Sat & Sun).
6) Sleep mode will lower the volume incrementally as time runs out.
7) The clock sets itself automatically and there's a DST switch in the back.
8) The preset buttons for radio stations.
9) You can set the snooze length to any amount from 1-29 minutes.
10) The iPod integration is done well.

Here's what I don't like:

1) The lowest volume is still too loud for going to sleep to.
2) The FM tuner is horrible. I got really weird results, like finding 104.5 down at 101.7 and tuning one station across eight different frequencies while other stations came in behind it. There are also some local radio stations that it should get, but couldn't.

Since I probably won't listen to the radio nearly as much as the iPod, it's not that big of a deal that the tuner is so bad. Still, I expected more. The volume issue is a bit more of a problem, because it's just a little too loud for falling asleep to. Additionally, since you're already on the lowest volume, it can't fade anymore as the sleep timer runs down. I'll probably get used to it, though.

All in all, though, I like it and I'm keeping it.

The ihome alarm clock has some nice features, not the least of which is the ability to plug in your ipod and listen or wake to music. The clock looks good too. However, there are a couple of negatives, which may or may not be major depending on your situation:

1) If you choose to wake to the alarm buzzer rather than music, you will find that the buzzer sound is very quiet even at the loudest settings. If you're a heavy sleeper, this might be an issue.
2) A bigger problem for me is that my Tivo remote works on a similar frequency to the ihome remote. When I change the channel on the Tivo, my alarm turns on or off, depending on how it was set before. Other Tivo controls, affect other functions on the clock. For me, this means the ihome radio is not usable in my bedroom with the Tivo.

I was given this as a gift a couple of years ago. At first, I was madly in love with it. As other reviewers have said, the iPod dock is a bit fragile. This made me nervous at first. After about six months, the dock just plain stopped working. I don't know if maybe one of the teeny weeny wires in the exposed dock got bent, I don't know what happened. It doesn't recognize the iPod. This is really a shame, because its little speakers aren't bad. Particularly for small home dwellers, this is a great alternative to having a full stereo. I always feel the sound quality is good.

As a clock radio, it is really good. It has three brightness settings, a readout visible from some distance, date and time, and- LOVE THIS- a switch on the back to easily set from Daylight Savings to Standard Time and back. No more rolling all the way around the dial to set the clock back one hour.

After frequent use, the button for setting the alarm became worn out. It required holding it down and wiggling it around to get it to make contact so the clock would go to the mode to set the alarm. Now it's just plain dead.

As a clock and as a radio, I would definitely purchase this product again. For the price, I don't know if I would purchase this again as an alarm clock, and I would not purchase this as a listening device for my iPod.

I've been using the iH9 for about a month now and I'm very happy with it. Other than the obvious iPod compatibility, the things I particularly like are the separate volume level for Sleep mode and the ability to customize the length of Snooze. I also like using the dial to adjust the alarm time -- much easier to use than other mechanisms (other than digital entry).

I haven't used the Radio portion other than just to test the antenna placement (reception wasn't great, but acceptable).

There is support for using a custom iHome playlist for alarms, but I have not yet built such a playlist and have just been using the regular "iPod" setting that uses all music.

As with most such devices, connecting an iPhone without switching to "Airplane" mode will result in speaker buzz whenever the iPhone checks email receives a call or anything like that -- even if you aren't using the radio. My wife used to have the same problem when setting her non-iPhone GSM phone near her non-iHome clock/radio. I'm often amazed by how much interference these GSM phones generate in speaker systems and am glad my CDMA phone has no such problem.