Clock Reviews

It's hard to find information on the power consumption of many products, even though the cost of energy can sometimes add up to be more than the purchase price. Since parts of this unit are powered up all the time, I was concerned, and asked Cambridge. They didn't have a power measurment, but they did have the standby current draw number measured on a sample: 100 mA, which could mean as high as 12 W power draw. That's on the order of $12/year, depending on your electric rate. That's much higher than it needs to be just to run the clock--typical clock radios are 1 to 3 W. I ended up getting the Sony ICF-CD831 instead, which consumes around 1.5 W. Of course, the sound quality (and the price) are much lower so it isn't directly comparable.

Cambridge makes two comparable table radios, the 730 and the Model 88. (The 740 is a 730 with a CD, and the 88CD is an 88 with a CD). I basically purchased the 88CD because I was starting to feel unhappy with the Cambridge 730 that I had used for while (for which I also wrote a review). I felt that the deliberate distortions designed into the 730's sound were becoming very annoying for my listening, which is mainly classical music. The distortion, in selected frequency ranges, of the sound of natural instruments, had just become too distracting.

Now I have used the Model 88 for a few weeks and can make a pretty firm conclusion that it was designed with total audio accuracy as its goal. There are definitely no deliberatr distortions anywhere in it's frequency range. It reproduces treble to higher frequencies than the 730, and bass to lower frequencies as well. The sound is more even and balanced throughout all frequency ranges. When comparing the two using a CD source (I had to use the 730's AUX input, unfortunately, which may have introduced artifacts of its own), the Model 88 shows how simply outstanding it is. The difference was akin to that between an audiophile system vs one for blasting out a movie soundtrack. The 88 was clean and precise and just delicious, and the 730 was really bloated in the lower ranges and muted in the very high ranges. At the end of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony, for instance, when all the horns and timpani and cymbals came in together with the rest of the orchestra, everything was beautifully distinct amidst all the power. On the 730, the sound became more muddied. There was more perceived power because of the artificial boost that the 730 gave to some of the mid-lower frequencies, but it was simply not clean.

Having said all that, I must admit that the 730 sounds more "satisfying" when used for listening to FM. The 88 is simply too accurate and harshly exposes any flaws in the FM signal. (The tuner is fantastic, but you simply cannot expect the same sound as you would from the CD source). The 730 makes the whole sound "fuller" and more soothing somehow.

Since the two models cost almost the same, the choice between the two comes down to whether you care for sonic accuracy (88), or just a generic "good sound" that can instantly impress, but does not stand up to scrutiny (730).

Having spent all these words on the comparison between these two radios, I ought to say a word about their absolute qualities. Firstly, the listening public really does owe Henry Kloss, the legendary designer of the 88, a debt of gratitude for building such a fantastic piece of audio equipment. It truly is startling how much better the 88 sounds than competing brands or models (I shan't mention names; anyway, there aren't that many real competitors in this class). I can even see it being used as the main audio system in a small room in place of a mid- to hi-end component system, it is that good. IMHO, the 730 was an attempt by Cambridge to modify the sound of the 88 to be more satisfying to the pop and hip-hop crowd, plus add a little more pizazz to the dials and displays. That doesn't make the 730 a bad piece of equipment - it still easily outdoes the other brands.

When first lifting this out of the box, I could tell this was no ordinary clock radio. It has such a solid, substantial weight to it - you perceive a higher quality. Once you plug it in and listen to the full, rich sound - your perceptions are confirmed. This is the most amazing sounding small radio I have ever listened to. The price is a lot, considering my old clock radio was about 20 bucks, but for an audio nerd, it is well worth it. I wanted a nice CD player to fall asleep to with all the conveniences of a clock radio and this fits perfectly. The handy remote and luxury features like a dimming display and dual alarms are added bonuses. It is a simple, clean design and the sound is remarkable - I highly recommend.

The problems I have with this unit are numerous:

1) The display is backlit *only* when you press the face of the unit. Which means you can't tell what time it is at night unless you reach over and push the face.

2) The phyiscal orientation of the unit determines which alarm you hear, but the controls to turn off the alarm are only on one side. You will have to pick up the unit, turn it around, hunt down the little alarm on/off button, and put it back down on the side you want. No thanks.

3) The sleep function only sounds the alarm three times. Once you've snoozed the third time, the alarm won't sound again until the next morning. A great way to miss work :(

Yes, it looks cool; yes, the alarms are very nice and will wake even a sound sleeper. But if any of the negatives above sound annoying to you, you'll probably find this unusable.

Following the previous reviewer's comments I went ahead and bought this clock. Having serious problems waking up this toy saved my semester... The sounds are definitely going to wake you up and the design is cool. It will take you a sec to understand what the rotation does (it is a gravity sensor with 4 predefined positions that selects the sound according to the way you rotate and place the clock). It may work with batteries but it has a "battery low" indicator and an 1 min internal battery so that you won't have to reset the clock every time you change them. Radio reception is good, though I was never interested in that feature...It is the best alarm clock I ever had...strongly recommended...gj philips!

I was searching for a clock that was capable of actually waking me. This is it. The "sonar" alarm does actually wake me up. Have no fear though, the buzzer and frog alarms offer others looking for less of a jolt a more serene wake up. The radio even picks up my favorite public radio station even though it doesn't have that strong of a signal. I also like that the display is not glowing all night, but if you push the dial it lights up; sometimes the glow from an alarm clock keeps me from sleeping.
The only remotely negative thing I can say is that it is battery operated. I hope it doesn't go through batteries quickly but I haven't had it long enough to tell. Also, when the description says you "Rotate the clock to change the alarm" it means the entire clock. It is a sphere and has guides on the back that keep it from rolling away.

It has absolutely no front end filters. All the noise existing around penetrates it. In the result, it receives noise, not signal. Strong chugging when you try to scan with the side tuning wheel.
Strangely enough, Sony takes off production decent world band models, but keeps making this kind of overpriced trash.
It would be a barely acceptable value at $30-$40, not at its current price. Buy instead incomparably better radios from Degen/Kaito, models 1102 and 1103. 1103 has an electronic needle scale blowing away that of SW40, and it is a competently engineered and very well finished radio. Its tuning works almost as smooth as that of an analog receiver. It also costs less than a half of SW40.

Hello folks , its Vince the radioman . I have been a collector and buff for many years and I love to do compares . This is an odd radio . Its digital with an analog feel , not really . It has a very strange display window that is supposed to act like an analog dial . I find all the window data very hard to read. The radio's good points are that it is light weight and the Sony tuner is always the best part of the Sony radio product . The sound quality is only fair both from the built in speaker and the phones. There is no external antenna jack , for this price there should have been one. I find the controls a little overly sensative and the radio seems to have a mind of its own ( changes stations sometimes at will)....but , I will say again the tuner is very good . Buy it if you get a sale only!

All I wanted was a radio with good reception, no need for headphones, and preset channels so that I could listen to NPR and the Red Sox game at work. To my surprise, this was pretty difficult to find - it seemed that there was no happy medium between the lower end clock radio / walkmans and the mini boomboxes with CD players, tape recorders, etc attached to them. All I wanted was a radio that acted as nothing but a radio, but did it well.

Finally I found this item - exactly what I had in mind. I'm very happy with this product. I just wished that it had come with an AC adaptor included, instead of having to buy it separately.

I recieved a this clock as a gift. it was blue though. the alarm was horrible all it gave was a beeping sound that gradually got louder. it never woke me up. the other choice of alarm was to be woken up my a loud radio. that sometimes worked but it was very annoying. after about a year of use the alarm stopped working and wouldnt go off at all. i ended up throwing it in the garbage where it belongs. the stero on it was horrible as well, but with no antenna, what else do you expect? i think there was a cords that hung from the back and acted as an antenna but it was useless. if you need an alarm clock to wake up early in the morning for work, id advise to stay clear of this one.

I've owned the same Dream Machine for 16 years, and only recently has it decided to stop working. The only problem I've had with it was that at some point many years ago, it didn't seem to care that it had a back up battery and would lose the time after losing power for 30 seconds.

I wake up to the radio, and have found it to be plenty loud when waking, although the buzzer may be too quiet for some.

In terms of longevity and reliability, I highly recommend it.

My mother bought me a white Sony Dream Machine when I was in high school. I still have the same clock almost 20 years later, although its more of a beige color now. It's always functioned well, with easy buttons to manipulate, and is a decent radio. It hasn't gained or lost a single minute! It's not a fancy clock, with a ton of glorified features such as CD player, nature sounds, etc.; just a plan alarm clock that does the job its suppose to, and does it well. It's getting time for me to buy a new one, not because it is malfunctioning, but I've dropped it so many times the top buttons have broken and its difficult to change the time now. I could keep on using this excellent clock radio, however people tell me its time to move on. When I finally do step up to the plate, it will be another dream machine with none of the fancy stuff that really doesn't serve the basic function of waking a person. Do I sound melancholy about a clock...sure I do; I'm letting go a piece of my childhood and one heck of a clock at that.

I bought this clock radio for my husband for his birthday several months ago. We are very disappointed with its performance for several reasons: 1) As stated in another review, the clock's glow is too bright. If you are used to sleeping in a very dark room, this clock will annoy the heck out of you. The lowest setting is still too bright. Also, sometimes it would switch to the brightest setting at midnight, waking us out of a sound sleep; 2) If you play a CD to go to sleep, you CANNOT wake to the alarm. This is really a terrible defect. It even says in the manual that if you wish to wake to the alarm you must "make sure there is no CD inside it." So, if you want to go to sleep to a CD, you either must wake to the CD (gradually) or wake up to take the CD out the night before. We cannot imagine why they would make the player like this; 3) We also noticed the spinning noise created when the player is at a low volume. We should have immediately returned the item but we ended up keeping it - we moved it to the bathroom for use with showers and are much happer with it in there. And for the clock radio? We went and bought a Sony (which was cheaper), and it is working out great. My advice? Don't bother with any Zenith clock radios, they should stick to making TV's!

It does what it is intended to do, better than any other clock radio I have seen - it wakes you up in the morning with gentle sounds. The guy who wrote the Amazon.com product description did not know what he was talking about. Neither did the manufacture's website last time I checked. This unit actually has two alarms not three. But each of them can be set to wake you up weekdays, weekends, or both. This is what makes this clock/radio/cd so useful. You can set it to wake you up at different times for workdays and weekend days! No more waking up Saturday morning at 6:00am because you forgot to turn the alarm clock off! The unit also turns on it's alarms gently. I particularly like the simple note sequences it can play to wake you up.

I'm really happy with this CD alarm clock.

The best features are:

the ability to set the alarms for weekdays only, weekends only, or all week;

the fact that it has two separate alarms which don't need daily re-setting;

the remote control that lets you hit snooze from across the room (as well as controlling other functions);

the ability to wake to one of three pre-programmed sounds (that start off quietly and gradually increase to wake you gently) OR the CD (and choose your track) OR the radio OR a buzzer;

the ability to choose from pre-programmed time limits to fall asleep to any of the above (the three "sleep sounds" being different from the "wake up sounds!");

that one can use the three relaxing "sleep sounds" not only to mask outside noises but for therapeutic qualities (they're gently repetitive but long enough to be unpredictable, and they're musical in nature);

the adjustable brightness display (so you can use it as a night-light); and the radio preset buttons.

It also comes with a lithium battery pre-installed and already set to the correct time (you may have to change your time zone simply by pressing one button on the base.) Plug it in and you're set.

The negatives? There aren't many... the display is a little too bright on the lowest setting, and would be less intrusive at night if it were red instead of green. The sound quality isn't that of a stereo, but it beats the average boom box, and there is a bass boost feature and "wide sound" option (but no EQ functions). As with a boom box, at very low volumes you can hear the CD mechanically spinning. The manual isn't written very clearly, and since there are a LOT of options, it might take a second run-through before you're comfortable with everything.

But for the price, you can't beat this little clock! The sound is very, very good at mid- to high-volumes, and it takes up virtually no table space. I'd definitely purchase it again and am very pleased with the quality.

The wall-wart power supply was of poor quality, and on weaker signals there was an audible AC hum. When switching from Wx Radio to FM Broadcast below 93 Mhz I usually got a loud buzzing instead of the radio station. The phase-locked loop (PLL) did not lock. Tuning above 93 Mhz and then down would allow reception but who wants a radio that acts that way. (I mostly listen to NPR at 91.1 Mhz.) The round "selector" dial was rough to operate and felt like a rusty wheel, requiring a little more force than necessary. Side volume control was rough in operation. As far as I can tell there was no way to actually turn it off, so if it were unplugged the batteries would exhaust themselves...

The N.W.S. Weather radio broadcasts and S.A.M.E encoding are great. It's a shame I can't find a good quality receiver.

This seems to work as advertised. One feature that has not been mentioned is that you can add up to 3 new SAME alert codes. This may be useful in the future for new codes for warnings, AMBER alerts, etc. On the con side, I tried to wall mount the radio about four feet high. It is difficult for a 6 foot person to read the LCD display at that height. I think the LCD's just are not easily seen unless you look at them almost straight on. But when I put the radio on a desk, it was much easier to read the LCD display.

I bought this Weaher radio after hours and hours of trying to find one that had a price that I could afford and the options (S.A.M.E.) that I wanted. I have to say that this radio has worked flawlessly. I went to the NOAA's website to get my county code, programmed it in and now I get nothing but alerts for the county I live in thanks to the S.A.M.E. technology. The NWS runs a Emergency Alert system test on it every Wednesday at 2:00pm in my area which lets me know that they are alive. It does take some playing around with to figure some things out, but nothing too complicated. This is a great weather radio and I highly recommend it.

The Model 3 Clock Radio is flawed. Its sound quality though is excellent.

The biggest problem for me is that the front and back panels are nearly unreadable under most ambient light conditions. The standard lettering and background colors combined with font size and the reflectance of the "metallic" treatment do not produce enough contrast to promote legibility. A flashlight (held at the right angle to avoid reflectance) is a useful tool for changing frequencies. My Tivoli Model 1 (classic/walnut), in contrast, is much much easier to use and sounds just as good.

I agree with another reviewer that another problem with the Model 3 is that the clock is entirely dependent on batteries. It would be better for this AC radio to have an AC clock with a battery backup.

Wonderful full sound and appearance. But lacks a bass/treble adjustment... so you can't adust for music/talk etc. The default is high in the bass end and there is no way to adjust it..... Worst.. the clock started losing about 5 minutes a day... way too much for a quartz clock... should be accurate to 1 second a month... after a week, the clock died entirely... I figgured that maybe the battery (supplied with the unit) was just a dud.. so I replaced it with a new high-grade battery... same story... So I returned it... Tweeter's current (June 2004) catalog is offering this product for $159.99.

The Henry-Kloss / Tivoli Audio Model 3 may be the "Porsche of alarm clock radios"... but what's wrong with that? I was searching for a stylish clock radio, with high-quality sound in a nightstand sized footprint.

But for my tastes, the Bose wave radio, and all the other 'made-in-the-pacific-rim-white-plastic' "commodity" clock radios simply miss the mark. I didn't want a Wal-Mart special - instead, I wanted something more 'organic', with a hint of the retro style of my father's 1950's tabletop radio. And this is it!

Clock: quartz, run by a single AA battery (included) - minimal power consumption, immune to power outages.

Radio: real wooden case, simple to operate dials, AM/FM + AUX input, snooze button on top, external FM antenna (included). The station lock "tuning indicator" glows amber when locked, and there's not a pop or fizzle to be heard.

I'm thinking of adding the Model 3 extra speaker (with 2nd alarm) AND the sub-woofer for under the bed. This product may not be for everyone, but it will certainly hold a prime spot on MY nightstand for many years to come.

I have seen other reviews that the 26981GE3 has a dual alarm. GE's site is confusing as the top portion of the description states "Dual Alarm" but the specs does not. Another review in this site also states it has a dual alarm. But whem I received this from Amazon it had only One. The model was 26981GE3 but again only one alarm. I have contacted GE to find out but no response as of yet. I just returned to Amazon in hopes they might help. If I can get with Dual Alarm I think this would be a great product.

I, too, ordered this clock radio phone (Model 26981GE3) expecting a dual alarm as previous reviews and the product manual (viewed from the Amazon link and the manufacturer's website) both indicated. However, because I liked the other features of this clock radio phone, I decided to keep it. The unit is easy to operate and understand, the phone reception is pretty good (a little occasional static but not bad), and the digital numbers are easy to read. I had recently purchased another brand model that had a 2.4 GHZ cordless phone and the reception was terrible so I returned it. The reception on this phone is much better than the other model I tried and I am happy with this one so far!

For those of you reading the two reviews above me, please take note that these reviews are actually for the model 26981GE2. The model for sale at Amazon.com is the new and improved model 26981GE3. (If you don't want to take my word for it check out the product specs & description on this site or go to GE's website to see all the features.)

With the newer GE3 model, the phone keypad is now lighted. And the single alarm has been changed to a dual alarm. What more could you want?

Personally, I can only wake up to music and not an annoying beeping sound of an alarm. So to eliminate clutter on my nightstand I have always had an all in one alarm clock/radio/ phone. My previous corded phone/radio/alarm clock had a manual radio turner. I got sick of waking up to the hissing of the radio not quite on the station. With the manual tuner and the bad reception in my house, every evening I had to adjust the radio to the channel to get it in clearly, but by morning the station had again faded to a hiss.

Most other alarm clock/radio/phones in the price range of this GE 26981GE3 have a manual radio tuner. Also some other models that sell for more than this model only have a manual radio tuner! With this new GE radio, the digital tuner locks the station and the FM antenna being in the power cord keeps the station clear. And with the radio preset, if my children change my radio station, I can just push a button to get it back.

As for the complaint of the large display being too bright, I prefer it. Without my glasses I am almost twice the limit of being legally blind. And it is a pain to try to find my glasses in the middle of the dark night to put them on just to see the time. Also my husband can look from across the king size bed and see the time without having to have his own clock on his nightstand. If the dimmest setting is too bright for you, take the suggestion of putting a smoky colored film over the display.

I have done a lot of research and the only other unit like this in this price range with the digital tuner and all the other features was the GE 26980GE1, but they stopped making it a year or two ago. (Just before I could buy it!) It was replaced with the 26981GE2 which is the radio reviewed in the first two reviews above me. But complaints about that model because it lacked some of the features the previous model had prompted GE to make this newer version.

Zenith makes one with a CD player included but the phone is not cordless. It does however have a triple alarm. But it sells for over $100.00! More that twice the price of this model! And when I listen to a CD, I want to listen to it on a big stereo (which I already have in my bedroom), so I choose not to have a CD player on my alarm clock.

This GE 26981GE3 is a great buy!!! But be ware, many online sites are selling the previous 26981GE2 for the same price as the improved 26981GE3! The unit looks almost identical so be sure to check the model number. Why pay the same for fewer features?

I really liked this clock at first, but then I discovered that their placement of controls was really poor. They've got a volume wheel on the left and a tuning wheel on the right. Not only are these easy to confuse (and the tuning is really difficult), but I find I bump them all the time while holding the clock, which I have to do in order to keep the clock from sliding away from me when I hit one of the buttons on the front.

In the future, I'll look for a clock with all frequently-accessed buttons on the top where that won't be a problem.

It looks really cool. Display is somewhat cirved up, so it may be a little bit inconvenient to see from below (that is, from your bed). Tuning is difficult, so I keep the same station all the time. TV band is impossible to tune in, at least in my neighborhood. Display is very beautiful. It is so bright that I usually keep it face off in the night. I would give six stars for the looks, but the radio is a bit disappointing. You can find a clock with digital tuning for the price.

I bought this clock fully intending to name it Murray but upon opening the box I realized that this alarm clock was definatly not a Murray, it was more like a Monique or Dannile. I settled on the name Betty. Betty is an excellent alarm clock. Reliable, Smooth and Professional. With a contemporary look this alarm clock really excells in all aspects of waking. I highly recommend this fine product.

On the advice of another reviewer here, I bought this item for mydaughter for the Holidays. Within a month or so, it started actingup, and eventually the CD player stopped working. I know that theprice is low, but if this is what you get... save your money and buyan alarm clock at Wal-Mart.

I decided to get rid of my Sony Dream Machine and replace it with the Memorex MC2850. I have had the memorex for 3 weeks now and it's been great! I like listening to music before I go to bed and what better way then to listen to my favorite CD and set the sleep timer to 90, 60, or 30 minutes and it will turn off automatically. The buttons, especially the volume and alarm controls do take time getting used to but after 2 weeks, I memorized where they all were. Although I do wish there was better placement of the volume control. The sound is stereo so for moderate to low level, it's great like in an office or bedroom. It's smaller than I expected, it doesn't take that much more space than your typical alarm clock!

I bought this one for my daughter and she now has no excuses for waking up for school in time. It's slick looking and the kids love it. Great CD and radio sound. I highly recommend it.