Clock Reviews

This is a very compact well made radio with an excellent tuner . It has Sync. detection tuning which is an excellent feature . I have gotten nice results with this radio , HOWEVER , there are two problems . One , it is about $100 overpriced , maybe more and two the sound quality is fair at best . OK , its compact and sleak so you can excuse the built in speaker being lousey but the phone output is also weak . This inhibits the DXing capability because you simply can't amplify the sound enough to hear the far off stations....you can tune them in (sync tuning) but you can't hear them .For this amount of money I would recommend the Sangean ATS 909 over this radio . The 909 is about $130 cheaper and has far superior qualities .To summarize,nice radio , compact , good features ...BUT!

Imagine, if you will, a radio barely larger than a pack of 100's cigarettes that often outperforms the big, almost professional, luggables, and gives a tabletop signal sucker a run for its money. Then note that it will allow you to listen to anything anywhere, including those pesky European AM stations that don't come through at even 10mhz intervals, late night jazz on longwave in London, Armed Forces Radio and Hams on SSB, and even Japanese FM bands. And you don't need a PhD in VCR fiddling to use it.

All this power in such a tiny package carries with it some negatives. First, forget about the speaker except as an alarm or for strong signals. What can you expect from a one inch speaker? You will need headphones. I'm into small and carry audiophile quality Etymotic units that fit inside a clenched fist. Second, you will need to take along the included external antenna (a smidgen bigger than the radio itself) to put next to the window of a modern hotel while keeping the radio next to you. I've never found the roll-inside connecter cable too short. Third, you must use the antenna for FM. So you have to extend the antenna on the radio itself a notch or two and put it in a safe pocket to use the SW100S as a Walkman.

Radio, antenna unit, phones, and two spare sets of AA batteries all fit into a pouch 5"x3.5"x1.5". I've had one of these since the week they appeared in the duty-free shop at Schipol Airport. I don't leave home without it. Mine has outlived four suitcases over going on a million miles with nary a whimper too.

The 100S has been around a while. But good shortwave portables have a useful technological life measured in decades.

This is NOT a cheap radio; it is NOT a toy. It will not replace the $20 analog AM/FM unit you tuck in your pocket. But when you want the news in English on a four month trip around the world nothing else comes close.

I own a Sony SW77, Grundig 800 and Sangean ATS-909. The Sony SW100 performs excellent, the supplied active antenna works well. There is nothing that I can listen to on my other radios that I can't listen to on the SW100. Sensitivity is excellent and even SSB is impressive. Build quality and finish is very refined. The previous reviewer should consider buying a new pair of headphones because the audio quality through my head phones equals my other radios. Passport to the World 2004 confirms this in their review in which this radio wins Passports Choice. I was actually listening to Armed Forces Radio on USB and getting better reception then on my SW77, of course there are so many variables that this performance can vary. With the addition of a Sony AN-LP1 active antenna the SW100 performs even better. I am very happy with this radio and I think that it is worth the price. Do not let the size of this radio deceive you, it is not a toy or gimmick. The SW100 is an advanced high performance shortwave receiver that works better then many full size portables. I feel that the only thing I am losing by using this radio is size. Don't buy this radio if you don't like small things. It is small but very comfortable to use. Plan on using headphones most of the time except for the most quiet environments. At night in a quiet room the built in speaker is clear, crisp and comfortable to listen to. I am very impressed and happy with the purchase of this radio.

I thought this was a fantastic alarm clock. Although it could have been the gental alarm could be a tad louder. The numbers were large enough to see. Otherwise there is nothing wrong with it.

I like the tradtional alarm clock styal. I was more impressed with the quality of this clock better then it's T112 counter part. I would love to see more of these made then the other one witch I could do without.

I like haveing three options of bells & not two. This electronic is pretty to look at also.

It was the look of the clock that first caught my attention. It's very unusual and it's also small for those of us with limited space. The time is easy to read as it is large, red, and digital. All the buttons are on the back so you don't have to do a surface check every time you want to set it. The snooze button is on the top and is smaller than some others, but it works for me. The sounds are very clear and pleasant. My alarm clock used to be my worst enemy, not anymore.

This clock was even more than I expected it to be. It is fully electric with a battery backup. The 3 types of wakeup sounds are crystal clear and very interesting. Timex's reputation is even higher in my mind now that I own this clock.

I have a slight variation on the black-finished radio here; mine has an all silver front. Probably a custom model for Restoration Hardware stores. Anyway, it's a beautiful radio with incredible sound. It gets better reception than any other FM radio I've had in my office (24th floor of a tower in downtown Minneapolis), getting more stations than I ever knew existed. The sound is full, and loud! Really, that's my only issue with this radio. On a desktop in an office setting, it's pretty tough to adjust the little volume knob to a quiet enough level for daytime background listening. It's awesome when you crank it up, but I don't want to disturb my coworkers.

I was sure I would be disappointed with this radio given all the rave reviews I had read about. After all, it simply couldn't be that good, could it? I am quite happy to say that I was wrong, it is every bit as good as everyone says. I am full of admiration for the engineers who worked on this little marvel.

My listening is 95% classical, so my attention is always focused on the sound being natural, detailed, and musical. The Model One starts out with the best FM tuner on the market (hands down), which pulls in signals cleanly, even weak ones. My immediate reaction upon first hearing the sound was surprise at the details that were present in the music over an FM signal. I had always imagined that the reason my radios sounded so poor in the past was that the FM signal simply could not hold enough detail. The Model One proved this reasoning quite wrong, there is a lot of music in the FM signal. In fact, I could effortlessly pick out every instrument in the orchestra on this radio.

In the beginning, I was not overly impressed with the low frequencies produced by this radio. But then, I had simply set the radio down on an old desk, and could feel the desk vibrating in sympathy with the low frequencies from the radio. So I went to Home Depot and got a very heavy piece of ceramic tile to place under the radio to prevent the table from siphoning off all the bass. The difference was dramatic. This radio produces a LOT of bass. Very clear and musical bass. The elephant from Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals placed the string bass right in my room, I could swear. I found that when I placed the radio about 8 inches from a wall, the bass was even further enhanced. Other reviewers like to marvel at how much bass there is coming from this tiny radio, but I am much more impressed by how tight and musical the bass actually is. This is not to take anything away from its very clear and reliable treble range; it is just that one can't help noticing how small the radio really is, and with all that bass, and .... well, you know.

This is by far the most value I have ever gotten out of this little money for a piece of audio equipment. The Model One is very, very, sweet and musical, and this description is true for its entire remarkable frequency range. I listen to it about 9-10 hours a day, and weeks after the first listen, I still catch myself looking up from what I was doing at that moment to admire its sound.

I bought this radio for my office. (Hence the black finish. The computer's black, the phone's black, etc.) Radio reception in the building is normally crummy, but the Model One pulls in my favorite stations clearly, using only the included antenna, and the sound is exceptional. Even at low volume (don't want to disturb my co-workers), lows have pretty good weight, and the mids and highs are clear. Turn it up a little, and it fills the whole room with sound that's way out of proportion to its tiny size. One of the best FM radios you'll ever use, and for a lot less money than the other "premium" radios available.

Well, I just bought this today, and I loved it ever since I've had it. Blue lighting, auto dimmer, so many options. This was the cheapest I found with the standards I had (digital tuning, CD player, etc.) The remote is very useful, but too bad they don't save the radio stations (have to tune every time). But they do save the order of how you want your tracks to be played on your CD. The motorized door is such a special thing. The themal snooze is also sweet, so you don't have to find the snooze button to keep on sleeping. I did find it hard to use set the minutes and hours for the alarm and clock (hit one accidentally). But, the light on the side of the glass makes up for all of that (it looks so cool...) Pros: Digital FM/AM radio Motorized door to play CD Auto Dimmer CD-RW player Thermal snooze 2 3 inch speakers 2 antennas (for AM and FM) Memory for track order Cons: Confusing for setting time and alarm Small wire is antenna for FM radio No saved radio stations Knob used for tuning Have to hit the alarm off button after snooze (probably standard for all alarm clocks) If they had saved radio stations, I would've given this a 5. Its kind of a hassle using the knob to get to the exact station.

I bought one for my daughter for Christmas and she loves this compact alarm/radio/cd player with remote to boot! The motion sensor to turn off the alarm is a real cool factor for her. Now my other daughter wants one when her boom box dies. I had a great experience with Target and will definitely purchase another one.

I've had this clock for a couple of years. I could really care less about the radio functions, I bought because of the dual alarms and the ability to set each alarm to ring only only on the weekdays (M-F) or only on the weekends (Sat-Sun).

The display on the clock is large and easy to read and includes a smaller day/date readout. The model I have is a few years old and the controls are a bit harder to reach in the back but this new model looks like they've moved the controls to the side where they should be. I like this clock because I never have to remember to reset for daylight savings time. When you plug it in, it should automatically pop up with almost the right time. If its not set for the right time zone the instructions tell you how to reset the clock--very easy. It uses a large and easily available button cell battery to keep the clock accurate when the power is off--this is behind a screwed down panel in the back of the clock. I've only changed this battery about twice in the several years I've owned the clock.

Now days we have the atomic clocks that pick up the time signal from the Western US and reset themselves daily but in some areas those clocks don't work because they can't pick up the signal through thick walls or electrical interference.

If atomic clocks don't work in your house then this gadget is the next best thing, no more waking up an hour late/early on Monday morning because you forgot to reset your alarm clock for the time change. An atomic clock is even better than this one but if they don't work in your house this is definetly the next best thing!

I've had this clock radio for a couple of months now and have been extremely pleased. I tried a couple of other clock radios before buying this one, and none had all the features I wanted. The best features of this clock radio are:

- The ability to set the alarm for M-F, Sat-Sun, or all week.
Since I am the only one who uses this clock radio, I leave Alarm #1 on all the time, but it is set to go off only on M-F. I use Alarm #2 for the times that I need an alarm on the weekends, and only turn it on when necessary. That way, I can reset the weekend alarm time without messing up my normal weekday alarm setting.

- Good radio reception.
I must live in an area where signals are hard to get, because 2 other clock radios were not able to pull in my favorite station. But this clock radio pulls in the signal loud and clear!

- The automatic time setup when you plug it in.
It's great to not have to fumble with the exact time, and to not have to reset the clock radio when daylight savings time rolls around (Note: You can override either of these settings if you live in a place that doesn't observe daylight savings time, or if you like to leave your clock set 5-10 minutes fast)

- The large display is both good and bad.
It's good because I don't need my glasses to read the time. It's bad because it's a bit bright. I solved the problem by taping a small piece of smoke-colored cellephane over the face.

All in all, I'm very pleased with this clock radio.

I bought two of this clock because I'm sick of adjusting the time after a power outage.
The clocks sets the time automatically within 5 minutes of powering up. The only weakness is that even with the brightness (dimmer) sets to high, it is still kind of dim, and each LED segment has slightly different brightness. If you put it near the window, I think you may have difficulty reading the clock. However, I put them in shaded areas, so I can read the clock just fine. Still, I wish they can be brighter.
You can pick one of the four US time zones (PST, MST, CST, EST) via a switch. I did not test the alarm or battery backup.
AC cord has a small power brick attached at the end.
Imported from China.

I've had the 30731 for about a week and am, thus far, very pleased.

When I began shopping for a new alarm clock, my primary selection criterion was that it have an LED display. Many new clocks have multifunction LCD displays which are nice except that you can't see them in the dark without pressing a button to illuminate them like an LCD wristwatch. Alternatively, some of these LCD clocks have projector attachments that shine a time display on the wall or ceiling, but you can't see them in a well-lit room! An LED display is visible under all ambient lighting conditions and seemed to me the most logical and straightforward solution.

Once the universe of clocks is narrowed to LED models, the next consideration is the size of the LED digits. They run anywhere from approximately 1/2 inch to 1 inch. I'm very nearsighted, so to be able to see the time in the middle of the night without my glasses, is purely a case of "the bigger the better". The 30731 has digits that are .9 inches high - bigger than most other LED clocks and easily readable sans glasses at 4AM. Obviously, the larger the display, the larger the clock, but I have lots of room on my nightstand and was not concerned with the 30731's somewhat larger than usual size (about 8.5"W, 3"D, 4"H).

At this point, additional useful features are the only other necessary evaluation. The 30731 has the ability to set itself by receiving a radio signal from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) located in Colorado (Do a Google search for WWVB and you'll find them - lots of useful info). You set your timezone and whether you use Daylight Savings Time and the clock does the rest.

I can report that from my location in NY, this works perfectly but you should know 2 things. First, I have found that the clock must be facing East-West (i.e. facing Colorado from NY) for the auto-setting to work. If your bedroom is laid out such that your clock will not be facing in the general direction of Colorado, you might have a problem. (Actually, I think if it faces directly *away* from Colorado, that's OK too. As long as its not "end-on" to Colorado.) Furthermore, as the instructions point out, time signal reception is best in the wee hours of the morning, and that is the only time that, for my location anyway, the clock is able to sucessfully set itself (but it has sucessfully reset itself every night).

My only complaint, and it is a minor one, is that the snooze alarm bar, though large and easy to find, doesn't really depress like a button but sort of pivots front-to-back on a stiff spring and can cause a little fumbling when you're in a semi-conscious state.

The alarm is an electronic "chirp". Loud enough to wake me but not so loud as to cause coronary arrest.

The clock has battery backup for power failures if you put a 9V battery in it (not included).

It does not have dual alarms or weekend settings. It does not display date, day of the week or seconds.

You can see a better picture of the clock and get more info on it at the equitytime.com website.

I have not experienced the dim or irregularly illuminated display reported by the reviewer from Redmond. I find it amply bright with all LED segments uniformly lit.

I am quite happy with this alarm clock and can recommend it without reservation.

This cordless phone is actually a handset that operates with Panasonic's Multi-Handset System Cordless Phones. It is compatible with the KX-TG2700S, KX-TG2720S, KX-TG2730S, or KX-TG2740S.
Must have the base station to use this.

This phone is awesome. I use 2 lines, and this setup is amazing. I have the KX-TG2740S and it's the only phone I need in my house. Being able to have a phone with no phone jack is brilliant. Anyone with a new house looking for phones, look no further. This system of phones is for you. A bit pricey, but completely worth it!

This is a great little phone for the most part.

1)The buttons are not tiny, so you won't be pressing the wrong numbers by mistake.

2)The digital readout is good, but after about two years it begins to fade a bit.

3)The sound quality is clear.

4)The cord is way too short though. You have to be sitting right next to the phone. But I simply replaced it with a longer cord.

5)Programing is not too complicated, but keep the manual nearby for when you have to re-program numbers. It is not simple enough to remember how to do it easily.

But it is better than most other phones I have used. I would recommend it to anyone who was looking for a new phone.

I recently purchased this phone and I expect this will more than pay for itself in a short time. I am using this phone along with a calling card (3.5 cents per minute)to save money and the hassle of trying to call during certain times on the various calling plans. No calling plan comes close to using some of todays calling cards.
I use one of the buttons for the phone number of the calling card, another for the pass code, then another for the party you wish to talk to. This takes a couple of seconds, then you have a crystal clear connection.
When there is a need to be on hold for a while, you just push the speaker phone button to free yourself of having to hold the phone up to your ear. I opt to use the speaker phone on all calls, then I pick up the when the phone is answered.
I hope this phone lasts. I'm hoping for these to come on sale as this will save time (and money)in shopping for the holidays.

Its exactly what I was looking for. However, 1-2 weeks shipping is a ridiculous amount of time to wait to get this item. In todays market it should not take any longer than 1-2 days.

This product is a great alarm/radio. I've been using it for about 4 months now. The display is bright, large, and clear which makes it easy to read from a distance (no viewing angle issues). The controls are intuitive and the battery backup has worked. The two alarm settings are convenient. I use it mainly to wake up to a CD in the morning. It is excellent especially for the price. We looked at many other models in many price ranges and they usually weren't as functional or were really large in size and intrusive or had horrible displays. The sound quality doesn't compare to more expensive stereos but it is very acceptable for waking up to music and for listening to the radio.

....I'm constantly amazed at the people who leave mediocre or poor ratings for products, due to extraneous criteria. This 5-star rating is entered with the purpose of helping to balance out the 3-star rating, which stated that this item was "just what I was looking for" but downgraded it due to shipping-time issues. Truly amazing! Don't these anal apertures realize that these ratings are important, and potential buyers actually use them when deciding whether to purchase or not? Don't they understand that the "star" values refer only to the product quality, and not whether the UPS driver left the box out in the rain!!!??? I guess not.

This clock has a lot of features I enjoy, such as the ability to set the alarm at different times for each day of the week (e.g. 6:30 M-F, 8:00 on Sat, off on Sunday), his & her alarms, and automatic shut-off (in 90 mins, in 60 mins, in 30 mins, etc.). What I don't like about it is that the clock face is way too bright, you need the manual for even basic tuning, and it makes these annoying beeps every time you press a button. But overall it is really a function-rich machine.

I've had one of these for a few years and love it. The best feature is the alarm that can be set for specific days of the week. I have it set for M-F and do not have to worry about the unwanted weekend alarm.

The only undesirable aspect of the clock is that the background it lit and not the numbers...this can make it a bit more difficult to see the numbers some times.

I recently moved and this was one of the casualties of the move so I am looking for another, but would love to find one of these again.

I have searched, for years, to find a small clock-radio with digital tuning. It's about time that someone created digital AM/FM tuning into a small space. Sounds good, wakes me up, snooze feature sooths me to sleep, easy to digitally tune...the absolute small radio, and reasonably priced!