Customer Reviews

iHome iH5 Clock Radio and Speaker System for iPod (Black)

5 star:		(148)
4 star:		(118)
3 star:		(66)
2 star:		(57)
1 star:		(92)

 

 

I've been long needing a new alarm clock/radio for my bedroom now and luck has it that SDI Tech just put out on the market something that I was looking for. The iHome is essentially an alarm clock radio with a docking station for the iPod. The unit is no bigger than a regular clock radio, measuring 9.2 in [234mm] width, 2.7in [69mm] height and 5.5in [141mm] depth so it can comfortably fit even on a small nightstand. Packaging contains the unit itself, instructions manual, removable docking station to fit the different kinds of iPods, back-up batteries for when power goes out [we all hate to see the flashing 12:00 when this happens], power adapter and an external radio antenna. No remote control though! You have to purchase it separately and it comes free if you buy one of their hard iPod cases for around $40 if I remember right. A smart marketing move, but deplorable. Just include the remote!

Sound quality is what to be expected of speakers of that size. SDI claims to be using an innovative "tunnel sound" system called Reason8 [resonate, how cool :/]. They're pretty loud at full blast but I was hoping they would offer a deeper, stronger sounding bass. I have a similar sized pair of computer desktop speakers that came with one of my old Hewlett Packard computers that offer better sounding bass. For those that don't listen to a lot of techno, I suppose it's no biggie. Reason8 does sound better than most other competitors out there tough, but doesn't quite touch Bose or Altec Lansing.

The iHome has some very cool features. Even without a docked iPod it can still offer quite good functionality: alarm clock, radio. On the back of the unit there is aline in on the back so you can connect pretty much any audio device and listen through the speakers. The Snooze button also adjusts the display brightness, offering 3 different settings. Also found on the back of the unit there is a small button for daylight savings time, sleep volume adjustment and clock set-up.

Dock an iPod and things get interesting. While charging it, you can listen to music directly through it, you can set it so it automatically shuts off at intervals ranging from 120 minutes to 60 to 30 to 15. As the timer approaches zero, volume slowly and subtly turns itself down.
You can set it so when it's time to wake up, you will be awaken to the sound of music coming from your little mp3 player.

Gripes:
Remote control not included. What gives? Smart marketing move, as I've mentioned above, but it would have been nice to have it included, given the unit's price.

Even on the lowest brightness setting I still find the unit too bright for my taste. The blue hue lights up my whole room. I sent an e-mail to SDI tech support inquiring about ways to make it dimmer, no response yet. If this is to be an alarm clock radio, why didn't they offer more than just 3 brightness settings? If nothing else, I think I'll find some translucent duct tape and put it over the front display, trying my best to make it blend with the design.

Buttons on the top have a different color than the front display. The front is a warm blue, the buttons are orange. I personally think from a design standpoint the unit would have looked more ballanced if it was in a single color.
Speaking of buttons, they seem rigid to the touch, giving off a loud click when pressed. The round turn buttons for volume and settings are a bit tricky to use. It may be just my unit but I found both to be sometimes unresponsive and when they finally do work, they are too touchy. I think it would have been a very nice feature if, for the price claimed on such a unit, the buttons would have been replaced with tactile wheels, just like the iPod.

Radio antenna cable has a plug that's actually in the middle of the cable itself. It would have been nice if the thing actually plugged in the very back of the unit, so if it wasn't needed [like in my case], one wouldn't have to worry about ducking away 3 inches of useless tangle.

Another nice feature would be the ability to select exactly what song on the iPod to wake up to. Presently, the thing just picks up where it left off playing the night before.

My Samsung cellphone is at fault for the following gripe, having spoiled me rotten. My phone has 3 settings for alarms: daily, Monday through Friday or Saturday and Sunday. Would be nice if the iHome had a similar feature, so if you go to bed late on a Friday and forget to turn off the alarm, you won't be awaken Saturday morning.

Final Thoughts:
I purchased this unit primarily because I wanted a system that allowed me to listen to my tunes as I read a book before going to sleep. I also needed a new, functional alarm clock. The SDI iHome paired these two needs into one nice option. I had $100 worth of gift certificates at Best Buy so I figured why not. If it wasn't for my abovementioned "overdue" needs, I probably would have waited. Wait and see what the competition comes out with. Wait for the price to go down a bit because as it stands right now, it's a bit high. If you end up purchasing it, rest assured that it's a nice gadget that will surely serve you well. Nice features, good sound quality, best suited to be used in a bedroom.

I bought the iHome after recieving a Black Video iPod for Christmas, thinking it would be the perfect companion to my new toy. I have had a number of alarm clocks in the past including many CD alarm clocks, and the important thing for me was (1) that I could choose the song to wake to, and (2) absolute reliability of the alarm. On those two counts, the iHome is a champ. Simply cue up your iPod to the song you want to wake up to, hit pause, and it will start right in when the alarm hits. And if power should be lost, the iPod unseated, or if you forget to plug in the iPod, no problem. It switches to a "beep" alarm which is loud enough to wake you, but not so obnoxious that you wind up in a bad mood all day. Sound quality is SUPERIOR. And the controls are pretty obvious, and nicely lit with a gentle red glow for night useage.

However, there are a few gotchas with this product that probably will mean I will be going back to my old CD alarm clock. First, the LCD display has no "lights off" feature. For some, this will be nice as it means the display is visible even in pitch blackness. But I have a sensitivity to light that sometimes makes it hard to sleep if there is too much of it. Even the lowest light setting (there are three) is sometimes too much for me. Second, there is not a whole lot of iPod integration as far as controls go. You can turn on the iPod, wake to it, and turn it off. That's it. If you want to change the song, you will want to pick it up OUT of the iHome, change the settings on the wheel, and then plug it back in. Not a bigee, but a step down from the integration that most iPod accessories have. Third, this is NOT a "portable" solution. If you travel, this unit will be too big and bulky to bring along.

Overall, a good product which I recommend if the gotchas do not worry you. But neither of these are mentioned anywhere on the packaging or any of the reviews I have read. Buyer beware... and then enjoy!

First off

this is the best integration I've seen of a speaker/alarm/iPod trio!

The iPod plugs in real easily, and it is charged while in cradle ---- from there, the music, for the most part, sounds great, and all the functions are very easy to use

I was also impressed that it came with batteries, so if the power goes out, the batteries will serve as a backup

and of course, the alarm is loud as heck!

The reason I purchased the iHome though is because of its 'gentle wake' feature, which plays music at a low volume, and slowly increases to wake the person up

Phillips was the first to introduce this feature into their alarm clocks, and I loved it! --- I hate waking up to a jarring sound, first thing in the morning

however, the gentle wake functions on this alarm are not as solid ----- don't get me wrong, the music does start out at its lowest setting and gradually increases

the music, even at its low setting, starts out too loud, and then gradually increases way too quickly

compared to regular alarms though, this is a HUGE difference, and I don't find the iHome's alarm to be 'jarring' in any way, but it can definitely be improved upon

for the most part though, I'm pretty happy --- its great waking up to one's favorite iPod songs and playing them while getting ready in the morning ---- in addition, every alarm, on this clock, automatically uses Gentle Wake, in comparison to the Phillips, which had to be set manually within this feature

if the 'gentle-wake' feature is more important though, then I suggest going with Phillips

otherwise, if you're looking for a great alarm/stereo package, then look no further!

HAPPY BUYING!!!!!

First off

this is the best integration I've seen of a speaker/alarm/iPod trio!

The iPod plugs in real easily, and it is charged while in cradle ---- from there, the music, for the most part, sounds great, and all the functions are very easy to use

I was also impressed that it came with batteries, so if the power goes out, the batteries will serve as a backup

and of course, the alarm is loud as heck!

The reason I purchased the iHome though is because of its 'gentle wake' feature, which plays music at a low volume, and slowly increases to wake the person up

Phillips was the first to introduce this feature into their alarm clocks, and I loved it! --- I hate waking up to a jarring sound, first thing in the morning

however, the gentle wake functions on this alarm are not as solid ----- don't get me wrong, the music does start out at its lowest setting and gradually increases

the music, even at its low setting, starts out too loud, and then gradually increases way too quickly

compared to regular alarms though, this is a HUGE difference, and I don't find the iHome's alarm to be 'jarring' in any way, but it can definitely be improved upon

for the most part though, I'm pretty happy --- its great waking up to one's favorite iPod songs and playing them while getting ready in the morning ---- in addition, every alarm, on this clock, automatically uses Gentle Wake, in comparison to the Phillips, which had to be set manually within this feature

if the 'gentle-wake' feature is more important though, then I suggest going with Phillips

HAPPY BUYING!!!!!

I spoke to someone at SDI this morning, manufacturer of the IHome iPod alarm clock about the problem of the alarm volume being too high. He said that they have made a running production change to the product which fixes the problem. In the current shipping model, the lowest alarm volume is "20". It can be raised higher than that, but that is the lowest. In the revised model, the lowest alarm volume is "10" and it can be raised from there.

The only way to determine if it is the new model is to look at the box. Next to the bar code is a date code embossed into the cardboard. If the next-to-the-last character is an "R" you have the new revised version. If it is not an "R" you have the original version. It sounds like the change was just made in the last week, so there is still lots of original inventory in the channel.

I brought home the iH5 and mostly just loved it! I was delighted to be able to listen to music and podcasts by my bedside, and the unit is, for the most part, well-designed and easy to use.

I was annoyed at the same things as most of the other reviewers. The display is awfully bright, even on the lowest of the three settings, and I can't move the clock farther away due to the size of my bedroom. But that wasn't a huge factor--it can always be temporarily covered. And the control buttons do make nasty, shrill beeps, but again, that was not a deal-breaker for me.

The thing that broke my heart and almost led me to return the iH5 to the store, was the ridiculously loud and totally uncontrollable volume for the alarm. Even though the manual tells you to be sure to adjust the volume to a comfortable level, there is just no way I could work out to adjust it at all. It goes from silent to level 20 in a few seconds, and just absolutely blasts you out of bed. So much for the "gentle wake."

I truly did not want to return the unit, and finally came up with an easy workaround that DOES allow you to control the wake-up volume. Here's what to do:

1) Set the alarm time on your iPod itself, using its own internal Alarm Clock function. Do not turn on the alarm of the iH5.

2) Put the iPod in the cradle of the iH5.

3) Press the "iPod Play" button on the iH5 unit and play a song.

4) Adjust the volume on the iH5 unit to your desired wake-up level.

5) DO NOT press "Pause" or "Power Off" on the iH5 unit!

6) Shut off your iPod by pressing "Play/Pause" on the iPod itself (the bottom of the click wheel).

It really works! Test it to make sure, but with my iPod Photo, this technique allows me to wake up with my songs at volume level 3 or 4. There is no "gentle wake" gradual increase in volume, but at this point I don't care!

Now that I have fixed the beastly alarm problem, I am back to loving my iH5.

This is the type of product that just makes you mad. An iPod enabled clock radio is a great idea. Too bad the folks who designed this one didn't think it through.

1) Users are unable to set the alarm volume. Instead, the manufacturer has set it to level 19, which is EXTREMELY LOUD. iHome reports that the alarm volume increases slowly to gently wake you up. Yeah right. What a joke! This flaw alone deserves a one star rating. A bad design like this should never have left the test lab, let alone the factory.

2) The system's audible feedback is painfully loud, about the same decibel as a smoke detector's alarm. So every time you punch a settings button, your neighbors will think your apartment is on fire. Another incredibly DUMB design choice.

3) The remote control lacks the Menu button for full iPod control. This means if you want to listen to a specific album, genre, or playlist, etc., you've got to use the iPod's click wheel. So, my question is, what good is the remote? Really stupid choice to omit the Menu button on the remote.

4) The LCD backlighting is much too bright. On the iH5r (which is the second version of this -why they didn't fix the above flaws in the second version is beyond comprehension), there are three level setting for LCD backlighting brightness. The lowest setting is still bright enough to throw shadows. This is great if you plan on doing shadow puppets as you listen to your iH5r at night.

This product could have been fantastic. One problem with the iPod's own alarm system is that if you forget to turn it off, it will come on each day. If you're not using your iPod, the alarm will go off and drain the battery without your knowledge. That is what makes the idea behind this product so wonderful. The clock radio base controls the alarm functions, turning your iPod on and off, all the while charging it. Fantastic idea. Add a full remote, and you've got something. Unfortunately, if you purchase the iH5r, all you'll get is frustration.

I'm returning mine immediately. It is a nothing but a disappointment.

I just bought this a few days ago at a local superstore, and it is a pretty decent product. I went through four different models of other comparable clock radios about eight months ago, and this is as good as any of them. There's no reason that many people out there won't get everything they want out of this clock radio - especially as they'll presumably want the iPod feature, and this is the only alarm clock I've seen like that. I only have a few little annoyances with it.

The sound quality was good. Not fantastic, good. I unfortunately bought into the marketing hype they're using and was expecting Bose-like quality, which was ridiculous on my part. The sound quality is exactly what you'd expect from a $100 clock radio: comparable to the Sony DreamMachine, and better in fact than what I was currently using, which is an RCA product.

The fact that the numbers are difficult to read at night compared to some other alarm clocks probably won't affect many people: I'm horribly blind without glasses on. I'd imagine most people won't have any difficulty. The remote comes separately, but if you're willing, you can just spend the extra $20. It might have been nice to know that up front, but on the other hand I didn't even think about having a remote for my alarm clock until I found out I could buy it for this one.

The only real annoyance was that there aren't dual alarms. That's a feature that virtually every alarm clock over $40 has, and I really enjoy being able to wake up listening to music for a few minutes before the actual alarm goes off with its horrendous bleeping to get me out of bed. Not all dual alarm (or even triple alarm) clocks do that, by the way, which is why I settled on the one I had been using until now. But to not have dual alarms at all on a clock this expensive is just strange. Fortunately, my two-year-old has started waking me up every morning anyway, so the alarm features aren't much of a deal-breaker anymore.

Obviously most people who buy this will be buying it for the iPod connectivity. There's not much to review about that: it works. Once you've put the correct insert in it, you can walk up, pop in the iPod, and push the iPod button. It plays whatever you've already selected on the iPod. No control of the playlist from the clock radio, although the iPod itself is easily accessible. The remote will add the ability to change tracks without touching the iPod, of course. And it charges while it's connected, which is nice but expected.

Overall, I'm satisfied. There was a scary moment when I thought I might be forced to use it as a reading lamp, but thankfully you can dim the display easily down to something more conducive to sleeping. Until someone else comes out with one that has dual alarms and even better sound, this is my alarm clock.

The iHome ih5 is not perfect. It's not the perfect alarm clock, and it's not the perfect iPod speaker system.

But it still has a *lot* going for it, and for me it fits the bill perfectly - with one exception (yes, it's the alarm volume).

Everything you've read about the alarm volume is true. The "gentle wake" comes on way too fast and peaks way too loud, with no way to adjust it. The default volume level of 20 will wake you up faster than an ice cold shower. And it is for this reason that my first iHome was returned.

But, I have faith.

I just spoke with an SDI (the iHome manufacturer) technician. Not a customer support rep (who gave differing information) but an actual technician who was both extremely nice and knowledgeable.

So... what's the scoop? Well, to confirm what has been said here by another reviewer, there are various "models" out in the sales channel today and one of them addresses the volume concern. But the way to tell them apart is difficult. First of all, you must be looking at an iH5 version 2 (2 buttons on the rear, not 3). Secondly, the only way to tell the models apart is by the embossed date stamp on the box, near the barcode. What you are looking for is the 2nd to last digit, which must be an "R" to be the "corrected" model which brings the volume up to a level 10 instead of 20 - a much more appealing value.

Sounds easy enough, right? What makes it difficult is that the embossed date code is hard to read, *and* there is also a date code out there that includes the letter "K" - and an embossed K and R are almost impossible to distinguish on some boxes. Note that the original code was "A".

Also, there is no set date when only "R" units will be in retailers because there are two assembly plants right now, one of which is already shipping corrected R units, and one that is not (they are using up existing inventory first). So for now, you have to search out the R units if you want the lower alarm volume.

On an additional note, the technician also told me that soon the production runs would be changed again to implement yet another refinement: a default alarm volume of only "5" and the ability to also set the alarm volume yourself. He was unsure when those units would start hitting production and retailers though.

One additional tip he provided (if you are stuck with an existing unit): If you are using your iPod as the "Wake To" type you can always have a playlist that has softly recorded music as the wake up playlist. And you can also subvert the iHome's alarm volume altogether and wake to the volume level you wish. To do this, you utilize the alarm on the iPod itself, not on the iHome. First, set your iPod's internal alarm to the time you desire. Then place the iPod in the iHome and play it. Then set the iHome to your preferred volume level, and turn the alarm completely OFF. Next, turn you iPod off using the iPod controls (not the iHome's). So, the iHome is basically "on" and when your iPod's alarm goes off, it will play through the iHome at the desired volume level.

Yes, it's a kluge, and there are downsides, but it is a workaround nonetheless.

I'm rating the iHome iH5 as a 4 based on my expectation of receiving an "R" unit when one is available in my area. Until then, I'll have to return my "A" and "K" units.

My only real "missing features" request would be radio station presets and the ability to set alarm hour and minute separately (instead of scrolling through every minute to get there).

UPDATE (1/20/06):
-----------------
Per a suggestion by the SDI technician I stopped by my local COSTCO yesterday. They had a lot of iH5s in stock, and half of their pallet had the new "R" date-coded units, so I picked one up to try it.

The alarm volume now indeed defaults to 10 instead of 20 *and* the lcd backlighting now is High-Low-Really Low, instead of High-Med-Low. This is a good change.

Also, the rotational knobs on this one are much easier to turn with one finger.

And, best of all, the units at COSTCO come with the Remote (a $20 value) included, and the entire package was only $89.

Very happy now...

Pros- I have had this thing for a year. It has been in a combat zone and some of the hottest weather on earth. It still works as good as it did the first day and sounds great. I thought the sound would be mediocre when I bought it but this thing packs a punch. I love the dimming light feature on the front, it is very nice when you have a dark room. You can have it bright blue, dim blue, or off. You can wake up to your favorite song viathe iPod or just have a pleasant buzzer wake you up. It's not pleasant in actuality, its an annoying beep, but it wakes you up with a gradual volume shift. If you are a light sleeper it wont be as annoying. I recommend buying the $11 remote. It is very convient if you are using it to jam in the kitchen or even in the living room. I haven't had one problem with this like I said in a year and give it 5 stars. There are no complaints other than my black color attracts lots of dust. Weekly wiping keeps this from being a problem. I hope this review helped.