 Best iPod iPhone Alarm Clock! |
| Review Date: April 8, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Swati S. Desai, Washington, DC |
This product has a lot of reviews, I'm just writing to fill in a few questions I had when I bought it.
First off, the main display is the time, the day of the week above it (small), whether the alarm is on or off (Alarm A or Alarm B), and below it (small) what music is on (CD / radio/ iPod). If you hit the display button on the top, you get the date (eg 4 - 7) and hit the button again and you get the year (eg 2009).
There are three brightness levels for the display, off, low, and high.
Sound quality is fabulous (caveat: I am not an audiophile, and have never put money in super expensive speakers or headphones). Even on the highest volume, the sound does not crack. Classic Sony quality.
Love the little remote, the presets, the radio (am and fm) and the CD player!
iPod / iPhone slide out tray works awesome, initial impression is be gentle so you don't break it off. Comes with an adapter (presumably for Nano).
Problem: back up battery does not come installed, you need to open the CD player and install it yourself. This isn't a big deal, except the battery compartment is screwed shut, so you need a tiny phillips screwdriver (the plus ones) to unscrew it, which I don't have. So the battery (which comes with the clock) is a bit of a pain to install.
Love love love the display, very clean design, attractive, does its job well and with flair.
Can't imagine my life without the little clock (small footprint is a plus!).
I have an old iPod (3G) which is on its way out, this clock charges it, and is kind of life support for on-their-way-out iPods you no longer have a use for.
I haven't tested it with my iPhone (not the 3G one) but will update my review when I have.
Hope I've helped your purchasing decision!
EDITED REVIEW (OCTOBER 16, 2009):
(Amazon does not let you change your star ratings, which is unfortunate. Count my review as three stars, then, as of today).
I've used this alarm clock, radio, and iPod/iPhone music player every single day since I purchased it.
Problems:
1) iPhone interference. This model of the clock radio is supposed to be resistant to iPhone interference. It IS NOT.
2) Slide out trade is FLIMSY.
3) Back up battery COMES WITH the clock radio and I still have not been able to put it in my clock radio because I do not have a screwdriver that would be compatible. Eyeglass and computer screwdrivers (PC or MAC) will not work.
4) Display is very bright. So bright it bathes my room in a blue light. Which I no longer find a positive experience.
5) Sound is very one-dimensional. It's not awful, but it's not that great either.
6) CD player makes funky noise when it works.
AND MY BIGGEST PROBLEM:
7) The alarm clock GETS STUCK. For example, you set the alarm for 7am, hit the snooze for 10 minutes. Okay, it turns off. It goes off again, you hit the snooze again. Problem: it DOES NOT TURN OFF. You hit the "alarm off button" instead of the snooze. Problem: IT DOES NOT TURN OFF. You end up having to unplug your alarm clock to get the buzzer off, which means you have to redo all the settings. Because the battery could not be installed.
Did I get a defective product because of the alarm clock snooze button / off button problem? I do not know.
Did I contact Sony? Not yet. I will update this review when I do. I will contact both Sony and Amazon and see what they can do.
The inability to use the snooze button because of its malfunction is the worst thing in the world.
The WORST THING IN THE WORLD.
I have tried it on buzzer, radio, CD and iPod. Fail, fail, fail, and fail.
Most people review the product within a week of getting it.
I would be curious as to whether more long term owners (I've had mine just SIX MONTHS, it is already malfunctioning) have the same problem. Is it a defective unit, or just a design flaw?
I still like this clock, but because of the not working, I would probably not purchase it again.
I relied heavily on the idea of "Sony Quality". Maybe because of the times we live in, Sony no longer has the sterling reputation for quality that I remember from my childhood. I am very disappointed by this fact, and will have to consider very seriously if any Sony product in the future is right for me.
I will keep you posted on my attempt to have someone fix my defective / design flawed product.
Thanks!!
UPDATED REVIEW (DECEMBER 2, 2009):
My alarm clock is outside its Amazon.com return period. I purchased the item on March 31, 2009. The return period ended May 8, 2009. The snooze button started malfunctioning after the return period ended. So Amazon won't exchange the item for a non-defective item, and won't accept a return. The best they can do is take the item back as a defective product and credit (at max) 50% of the purchase price to me (and the CSR emphasized that that is in the best case scenario). The CSR also recommended that I contact Sony because, after all, it is their product that is defective, and they must have some kind of warranty on it, right? (Of course, the reason I purchased the alarm clock from Amazon was to avoid Sony's customer service, because it is awful.)
Well, maybe Sony's customer service is not as awful as I remember it being. I will contact Sony and update this review with what happens with my defective alarm clock.
Worst case scenario I can return it to Amazon for a pittance. (The CSR said that the fact that the alarm clock was working initially makes it look like I abused it and that is why it is not working, so I probably wouldn't get the 50% back anyway). (The CSR also said that Sony might have designed the product to break in a few months, knowing it would be outside the return period and I'd be stuck with a $100 mistake - and would be forced to purchase a new alarm clock). Out of the frying pan and into the fire with options like those!
Wish me luck!
UPDATED REVIEW (DECEMBER 2, 2009):
I called Sony Style at 1-239-768-7547
I spoke with a CSR named Cesar, who told me that I would send the alarm clock in for service, but could not exchange it or return it. He said the service process takes roughly 7 - 10 days, that I would have to pay shipping costs to get the clock to Sony, and that they would pay the shipping cost to get the (repaired) clock back to me.
Alternatively, I could take the clock in to a service center with a copy of my receipt and the product warranty and get the clock repaired.
This is not ideal and this alarm clock is not worth this headache.
Three stars and falling. Do not make the mistake I did of purchasing this product.
ANOTHER UPDATE:
For those in my situation, here are some links that might help:
Sony Service Website
[...]
(where to get a work order number)
Sony Product Website
[...]
(where to get a copy of the warranty of the product) |
My Sony Dream Machine
|
| Review Date: December 27, 2008 |
| Reviewer: H. A. Williams, Burke, VA |
| I ordered the dream machine in November and received it promptly from Amazon a few days later. I have always been a fan of the dream machine since the late eighties and have continued to upgrade w/ a new dream machine over the years. This product works well as a docking station and charger for my iphone and its not as big and bulky as my previous alarm clock (The I-home). It has a contemporary look and very easy to set up. Also the digital display isnt too bright which was a huge problem with my other alarm clock. Absolutely no complaints with this product. |
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