Customer Reviews

iLuv HD Radio & Dual Alarm Clock - Black (I168)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I don't typically write reviews, but i am writing this as a response to a particularly malicious review which claims that this radio is unable to receive AM-HD radio stations.

The radio arrived in attractive, high-quality packaging, with both AM and FM antennas (zero reception without them.) I haven't read the instructions (it's a radio...) but they are included as well.

I quickly unwound the power cord, plugged in the FM antenna, and plugged the radio in. Right away i was impressed with the overall build quality. Nice new-electronics smell, the display is really really beautiful, and unique (inverted black/white LCD is quite eye-catching.) The buttons feel sturdy, and give good feedback when pressed (a nice 'click' or notchiness.)

I've found more than a dozen of stations in my area that have HD stations available. There's a few 'hidden' stations in my area, as well. I was treated to a comedy station (106.5-2) as well as a 50's/60's oldies station (105.7-2.) Besides the 'hidden' stations, and the COMPLETE lack of noise or distortion when listening in digital, the sound quality difference is negligible through the small speakers, but is amazing through headphones. The lack of distortion, and perfect tuning is worth something, tho.

The real benefit is in the AM stations. The only station in my area (that i could find) that is broadcasting AM-HD in my area is WTAM 1100 out of cleveland. It takes a few seconds to kick in, but when the radio recognizes the digital station, and switches over, the quality difference is AMAZING. The difference in quality is literally the difference between traditional AM and FM reception. I really can't stress how incredible the difference really is. The radio personalities i've listened to every evening suddenly sound so much more real, and completely different, as they're now crystal clear (as well as completely free of typical AM noise/interference.)

The overall sound quality is ok. It certainly wont replace a stereo or bose-esque bookshelf system, but it's really a clock-radio at it's heart, and in the realm of clock-radios, this is among the best i've ever heard.

If you need a (nice) clock radio, or if you're like me and just wanted an inexpensive HD-radio to play with, you can't go wrong with this product. The price is right, and if the thought of listening to HD-Radio through such small speakers is making you hesitant, the headphone jack is GREAT.

Wow, how disappointing this clock radio was, in just about every respect. First off, let me say I've been researching these HD tabletop radios a lot, and I've already purchased a Sony XDR-S50 and a Sony XDRF1HD. Both of these units have filled their niches wonderfully. The XDRF1HD is a *tuner only*, but at that it does a great job. The XDR-S50 is a great-sounding tabletop radio, only the screen is really bright for the bedroom, and the alarm functions are limited. Hence, it makes for a bad clock radio. In search of a clock radio for the bedroom, I landed on the iLuv i168, for a couple reasons: 1) the price and 2) the large clock display looked appealing, considering most sub-$200 HD clock radios have really small time displays.

Let me start by saying: The display sucks! Sure, it's inversely backlit which is better than the sony since it doesn't light up the room. However, you have to view the clock straight on (vertically) or it's illegible. The horizontal viewing angle is fine, but the vertical viewing angle is bad, especially when viewing from below. This issue is amplified by the fact that the LCD screen is tilted up at maybe a 30-40 degree angle. So if you're like me and you keep the clock radio on the opposite side of the room, level with the bed, you will have a hard time reading it from bed! It's like taking a laptop screen and tilting it way up - the image is all inverted and hard to read. This thing is not nearly as easy to view from an angle as my 30-year-old GE clock radio!

As if the viewing angle wasn't bad enough, iLuv's LCD technology is way inferior to my two Sony's: text scrolling is slow and stuttered. The LED simply has a very slow response time. Unacceptable for a $100 radio!

And now the third display-related issue: when the radio is turned on, the time doesn't show. This CAN NOT be adjusted in the menu. Oh wait - there IS no menu system at all. Seriously? Not showing the time when turned on doesn't sound like a big deal, except that it's a clock radio, and so for me at least it serves an *equally important* role as a CLOCK as it does a radio. It's especially annoying when I wake up to the alarm in the morning, and when I look at the clock, the time doesn't show! I want and need to know exactly what time it is when I wake up, and I don't want to have to walk over to the radio to find out. Again - unacceptable for a $100 clock radio!

Other annoying perks: the radio doesn't show when it's acquiring an HD lock, nor does it show signal strength. Also, there are no tone adjustment options. What you hear is what you get. The radio sounds okay, but I wish I could boost that bass a little - or a least have the option to! No stereo expansion, no surround sound emulation, no equalizer settings, nothing. These are features present on my Sony tabletop radio that I really miss!!!

In conclusion - this radio sucks. The reception is good, but that's a bout it. I was really gambling when I bought this, seeing as there were NO REVIEWS out there except for CNET, and I lost. I hope someone out there will heed my advice when I say: get something - anything - else for a clock radio. Sure you may not need an IPod dock or a remote control. Sure you don't want the smaller clock display. But who knows - maybe that remote will come in handy one day. And reading the time in the morning is a nice thing when you're waking up to your alarm! Those features are worth an extra 50 bucks. That or forego the HD for now. Sorry.

Returning this internet-purchased unit may simply not be a reasonable option for me - we'll see. But assuming I do, I'll probably take my next gamble with the Jensen JIMS-525. It's more money and more features than I need, and it has a smaller LCD. But it can't be worse than this P.O.S.!

PS - the photo above is totally deceiving: this iLuv unit is pretty deep, fyi. You might wanna check the dimensions. And I don't know where that remote came from in the picture above. That doesn't exist - just check any other online retailer. Just a couple more ways Jwin tries to get you to buy this POS.

I had no trouble at all setting up this radio and can recieve all the HD channels in my area. The speakers are far superior to any clock radio I have ever owned and fill up the bedroom with high-quality sound. I love that it has two alarms, allowing me to wake up first to the radio, then if I fall back to sleep, the buzzer gets me up. I also enjoy the audio-input, allowing me to enjoy my IPOD through the quality speakers.

The only negatives are the lack of battery back-up and that the time does not display if the radio is on, but for me, these are small complaints.

*Update - Power outage did not erase radio stations. Only had to reset the time. Still love this radio!!!

I agree with the first reviewer and would like to add somethings as well...

Cons
It is HUGE, easily takes up half the night stand
Needs external antennas
Read out is tiny (only uses 1/10 of the front surface area)
Read out is bright even dimmed to its lowest setting (lights up dark room at night)
Read out won't scroll through station info automatically (artist, title, etc)
When the radio is on, you can't see the clock
It has a weird button set up, where the power should be is the volume, etc, not intuitive at night.
HD signals must be super strong to be used otherwise, radio won't let you (perfect analog signal doesn't guarantee digital reception)
The speakers are so-so/quiet and you can't hear the difference between an HD station and a clear analog one which leads me to my next point...
It's $40+ dollars AR for a CLOCK RADIO!

Pros
It has great analog reception (w/ external antennas), I got 54 total FM stations CLEARLY
If you use an external speaker source (I connected some powered computer speakers through the radio's headphone jack) the HD sounds great

Overall, I wouldn't buy it again. It was my first attempt to get in to HD radio, but this thing is just not impressive, it's just a clock radio that is too big for over $40 and I would rather go with a cheapy one for maybe half the price as it would have all of this ones features minus the HD radio part (which in my area equals only 6 digital stations).

I have purchased four different HD table-top radios to date. This Radio is good, the best out there for the bedroom where clock-radio-alarm features are needed. The HD AM / FM sensitivity is good, not as good as the Sangean, but good. All HD radios require you to fuss with the AM and FM antennas. Prepare yourself for that. The sound is good. This radio is the best I see out there for the bedroom. It has a large display that you can see without glasses. The display can dim or shut off, so this will not keep you awake. Also, the buttons are all in a line so you can remember them easily and operate the radio in the dark by touch. Each of the two alarm setting has its own volume, so you so not have to awaken with the same volume level last listened to.

I give this 5 stars as a Clock radio and in the $100 Range. If you do not need a sleep-friendly clock radio, and can spend a little more, the Sangean is a little better.

I absolutely love this radio. I can finally listen to an AM news radio station in FM with no static or drifting. Was well worth the price.

This item does not have a remote control as depicted in the photo. Neither the iluv nor Jwin brand i168 has a remote control according to the manufactures description or manual.

This is a very good radio. I was a little uneasy after reading some of the reviews, but at this price, I went for it. I was not disappointed. I love my ilove. It gets all the stations in standard and hi definition. Including the AM. Disregard the reviews that say otherwise. This does get both FM and AM HD. The sound on standard and hd is very good. It also is a good clock radio too. I am very happy with this radio, perhaps the best I've ever owned.

I got this "clock radio" yesterday and will be returning it today. I feel as if I have never been as disappointed in a product.

First, as a "clock radio", it seems odd that the clock cannot be seen when the radio is playing. You can only see the radio station information. This was a problem when it woke me up this morning and I couldn't see what time it was.

Second, there is no battery backup. Everytime there is a service interruption or the radio is moved, everything must be reset.

Third, it comes with TWO external antennas. Which is good, because without them the radio reception is poor. I live within 25 miles of NYC but could only pick-up a handful of stations without the antennas.

Finally, although it's an HD radio, it never "found" an HD station while I waited. Of course I only gave it 10 minutes so maybe it would have switched over to the HD channels if even a proper chance.

Really, avoid this product.

[I've owned this for over 18 months, and it's surpassed all of my other ventures into getting a dependable, practical HD radio. In sum: the sound is not especially powerful, and you won't be knocked over by floor-shaking bass and dog-summoning treble. But it's NEVER distorted on me, whether I was playing the HD signal or wiring it to an iPod, CD player or computer. It's one of the few HD radios that has both an OUT aux (for headphones, a pillow speaker, etc.) and an IN aux (for your iPods, CD player, computers). The sound is full-frequencied, natural and very pleasant. I used it every day, and it's as good as new. The only thing some users might miss is the presence of an iPod charger (you can pick up one from Energizer for less than ten bucks). By contrast, the third and final Sony HD Radio/iPod player has neither an input nor an output jack. Moreover, the iPod cradle soon stops making contact with the base of the iPod (it won't even stand up in the cradle), rendering it useless for charging or playing an iPod.)

One major caveat: the prices I'm seeing for this model used are ridiculous. When dealers were clearing them out, it was going for fifty new, and I'd be hesitant to spend over a hundred.]

My original review:

If your expectations are in line, and if your broadcasting area has desirable "content," this is a good performer with some added features not found on more expensive HD units. In fact, I'm amazed that this J-Win/i-Luv product, a brand I normally would instantly condemn, has worked out better than more costly Boston Acoustics, Sangean, and Tivoli clock radios on my bedstand as well as the original, comparably priced Sony HD tuner.

I realized I'd have to ditch the conventional FM radios when we suddenly had 24/7 jazz and radio-classics theater available only on HD bands in my community. I started with the Sony HD-tuner but found it inconvenient for attachment to an amplifier-speaker in my music space. The J-Win iLuv stereo clock radio is an attractively-priced HD clock radio, especially for a technology that a couple of years ago was bringing 4 times these price levels (with the exception of the Sony HD tuner, which has held its original low price). Moreover, I personally find the present J-Win unit rather attractive and not as large and space-robbing as the pans by previous reviewers would suggest. And it's a heavier, more solid unit than I would have expected from a manufacturer with a reputation for lightweight, cheap, practically disposable equipment. It fits in nicely between the two walls of my small corner nightstand, with plenty of space left over (for a lamp, a book, a drinking glass).

The reception, as even primarily negative reviewers have conceded, is quite good--it picks up standard AM (monaural) and FM frequencies (monaural and stereo) as well as HD bands (FM) from both Milwaukee and Chicago (I'm located between the two cities). Being able to select between monaural and stereo signals--not an option on many other radios--allows for a significantly greater number of stations, since stereo is a much weaker signal, unable to lock into fringe stations. Of course, the claim on the outside of the box that the HD broadcasts of this radio are "of CD quality" may raise the eyebrows of a listener accustomed to an ordinary monaural FM broadcast on, say, a Tivoli Model One or Sangean W-2 radio. A standard FM broadcast on these latter radios (costing twice the price, along with Boston Acoustics, Cambridge, Eton) has greater fidelity and power, with deep and resonant bass tones. Still, the sound of the J-Win/iLuv is certainly adequate--better than those cheap radios with the irritating, paper-thin quality. The sounds of the acoustic bass are tight and distinct, the ride cymbal is sufficiently bright, and the mid-range is natural and pleasant if lacking the "deep bass" timbre that a Tivoli might produce.

A few more pluses: the unit has both an input (for connecting an iPod, CD player, etc.) and output (for using with headphones or a pillow speaker). Another reviewer suggests that the output, when connected to an amplified speaker, yields full-fidelity HD sound, much like the Sony HD tuner (which is half the weight and size). The absence of yet another remote control is a non-issue, as far as I'm concerned. Finally, you can be assured that the product is a genuine HD radio (I've encountered some individuals who assume that all I'm talking about is a radio that has a digital read-out). Look for HD followed by ")," the official insignia for HD. Without the HD, it's still a potentially decent clock radio, with more features than a 10-20 dollar model but probably not worth more than 40-50 of your hard-earned capital.

For the money, it's a five-star performer, with the difficulty of seeing the read-out from anything other than an overhead angle the main drawback. It does appear to have graduating-volume for the alarm, a nice touch. The audio quality is somewhere between low-fi and high-fi with, of course, narrow stereo separation. After a couple of nights' practice, it's a solid all-purpose radio with a bonus: genuine HD) capability. Without the HD, a Sangean W-2 at twice the price or Tivoli Model One at slightly more are likely to satisfy listeners seeking full, resonating bass frequencies. But compared to a Tivoli iPal, which is currently going for over $200, the iLuv is definitely the better value. I should add that the positioning of the input and output--on the front rather than the back of the radio--is another point in the favor of the iLuv. In short, I see no reason to avoid this radio simply because it's an iLuv / J-Win product. In fact, I'm wondering if the JLB HD version can match it--especially the convenience of having aux inputs and outputs on the front panel.

Finally, since this unit is a good all-around clock radio even without HD, you can't go wrong. The primary problem with all HD radios actually comes down to "content." Manufacturers aren't going to allocate funds to high-quality HD radios until the public has cause to give them reason to do so, and the public isn't going to be shopping for HD radios unless there's not merely a greater diversity of HD content but simply a lot more of it. As it is, most commercial FM stations are content to settle for a simple simulcast of their regular programming rather than take advantage of all of the additional channels available to them. All of which should explain why, since its arrival five years ago, HD radio has not reached its potential as a free service capable of multicasting to all tastes.