Radio Reviews

Buyer reviews for "Radio" sorted by average review score:

CAMBRIDGE SoundWorks Radio CD ? Black

Made by Cambridge

A sleek new look mirrors the SoundWorks Newton Series loudspeaker line
MP3 compressed audio file playback from CD-R discs
Two main speakers with actively equalized stereo amplifiers
Dedicated subwoofer driver with frequency contoured amplifier, for bass response no other table radio can touch!
Large backlit display panel with two 16-character lines makes navigating MP3 CD-ROMs or setting one of two wake-up settings easy

Amazon base price: $
Buy one from zShops for: $259.95

Average review score:

Horrible Quality Control and Customer Service

It took three attempts to finally receive a unit with a working CD player. Never before have I had to go to a third shipment to have a working product. Furthermore, their customer service department had a "so what" attitude. Keep sending them back and we'll keep shipping out product till you get lucky. Absolutely no consideration for the time and effort expended to deal with the hassle of unpacking, testing, repacking and sending back multiple defective units.

Bottom line: Go with anything else.

Poor engineering,, erratic reception, solid sound

Purchased my first unit and was forced to exchange it due to a defective speaker...
Despite all the hype surrounding this unit, I found it to be a huge disappointment. The unit suffers from a number of engineering flaws, the most frustrating being a CD track search that will only scan in 13-second increments (did it on both units) AND that remains muted during the search.
FM reception is extremely erratic particularly in urban areas, changing drastically from day to night, and seeming to only receive powerhouse FM broadcasters, poor selectivity and lots of images rendering it useless for lower-powered local stations; the use of the power cord as the FM antenna is a huge design flaw. AM reception is also poor due to the lack of a ferrite rod antenna, this unit again relying on the power cord for reception. Sound quality is quite nice for the size.
Overall a huge disappointment, needs to go back to the drawing board. Buy a Tivoli Model Two and plug in an external CD/MP3 player, comparable or cheaper in price, outstanding sound and solid radio reception.

Good Sound

Just received this unit, on the whole it is quite nice. However, I also have a Bose Wave Radio CD and I must admit that the Bose edges out the Cambridge when you put them side by side. The Cambridge may be able to put out more volume but for total sound quality the Bose still gets my nod. The Cambridge offers more features than the Bose unit and costs substantially less, and if you can't play the Bose right next to it you may never know the difference, unfortunately, now I do....

Audiovox FR530 Ultra Compact 14 Channel LCD 2-Way Radios (Pair)

Made by AudioVox

Ultra Compact Size w/2 Mile Range
14 channels
Twin pack
Up to 2-mile range
Ultracompact; lCD display, built-in VOX, last-channel save, and auto-squelch

Amazon base price: $
List price: $79.95 (that's NaN% off!)

Average review score:

Poor Performs

I will be returning the radios. They both worked well the day I purchased them. The next day one unit would not pick up the signal.The batteries also get low quick.

works well,easy to use,great buy

i just received this pair of frs radios and have worked with them for 3 days on the same bateries and with excellent results. i live in a desert community of over 300 people and i have cut down on my cellphone use between me and my work partner .i use them at work and because they are so small they are easy to carry even in a pocket or on a belt with the built in clip.i dont have any problem with interference as this is the only pair in the community but now and again i can here someone 6.5 kms away .there are some nice features e.g. vox which helps when both hands are needed for work. The call feature is good because in a noisy work situation it helps to hear a ringing tone when someone is looking for you. i think the only problem i have is that i would like to buy a case for them and have not been able to find one --i dont live in america so that makes it more difficult. the radios seem very well made and the battery cover is closed very securly. i have not used any other type of frs radio but for the price i dont think you can beat these

Love these radios!

I purchased these radios a couple of years ago and plan to purchase another set. Taking them camping is great and they function well within the stated 2 mile radius. At about that point the sound is fuzzy, but expected. They work great between cars on the road, at amusement parks, or even at home. My son loves to take one to the park and that way I can still keep tabs on him. When I want him to come home, I just page him. Definitely a good buy for the money.

Motorola T6400 AA 2-Way Radio

Made by Motorola

22 channels
5-mile range
Clock/stopwatch/alarm
38 sub-channels
Scrambling and noise-reduction

Amazon base price: $
List price: $99.99 (that's NaN% off!)

Average review score:

Not pleased

After getting in my car with a pair of the 6400's as well as a pair of the older talkabout 200's, I drove 1.2 miles and tested both of them individually. To my astonishment, using the GMRS frequency at 1 watt added no improvement over my older family frequency radios. In fact, I believe my older radios with the ALLEGED 2 mile range using FF, out performed the new ones using the 5 mile frequency (GMRS). The clarity seemed better. Aside from the bells and whistles on the 6400 series, the range and clarity improvements are unremarkable and frankly, I think Motorola should be sued for false advertising. Neither the 2 mile FF or the 5 mile GMRS even remotely live up to Motorola's claims even in good conditions. Finally, I have to say, I am disappointed with Motorola because they have changed the ports to which the audio accessories (I. E. microphones.) connect. This is a nasty move that forces consumers to buy different $40.00 microphones just because we chose to get a new model radio. Pretty unethical if you ask me. I am considering different brands due to my disappointment in Motorola's ethics. The only perk to the new 6400 series is that they have some convenient features although, I am not sure the newer FF models didn't have these features as well. If it's distance you want or bang for your buck, save your FCC licencing $$ and stick with FF or take the leap and get the Distance series radios. At the least, dont pay full price for this radio. The current rebates definitely make the Motorola's more reasonable. Also, consider the option of other manufacturers that don't charge the premiums that Motorola does. Bottom line,,, can I get the features and performance I enjoy from a different manufacturer for much less money? That remains to be seen but, I have a feeling the answer is yes.

nice features, mediocre sound

These radios have some great features like the automatic shut-off, but ultimately the sound quality is not that much better than the lower-end Motorola models. The voice scrambler is useless, it ends up making your voice sound like a robot.

I got mine from Office Depot for about the same price as the lower end T5300 series using a combination of store and manufacturer coupons. Otherwise, I'm not sure they'd be worth the extra money.

I have had FRS since the start

I started back when there was only one channel in FRS. I bought two radios from Radio Shack, they were the best of the whole bunch, but the dog chewed off the antennas one day. Ever since then I have not found a decent replacement. I bought other radios but had issues with them all. The good thing about these 6400's over other radios I have owned:
-rechargable batteries save a lot of $$$
-rubberized trim for protection
-auto-off to save batteries
-call beeps, we use them as "code"

-large display
-good size belt click with no need for a case
-the dog doesn't like the taste of these antennas. :>

I have two of these, I am buying a third for guests. I found the best radio!

Grundig 960 Classic AM/FM Shortwave Radio

Made by Grundig

50th Anniversary model replicates the original 960's styling
Solid wood cabinet with brass-accented knobs
Auxiliary input allows connection to CD, TV, or VCR
2 3-inch side speakers and 1 4-inch front speaker
3-watt power output

Amazon base price: $
List price: $199.99 (that's NaN% off!)
Used price: $85.00

Average review score:

Good Conversation Piece

This radio looks good and makes an interesting conversation piece. It's fun to use and appears to be well built. If you mostly listen to AM radio the sound quality is about as good as you'll find on other radios. I wouldn't rely on this radio for serious shortwave listening, but it does have some pulling power. However, it's impossible to tell the exact dial location of the station you're listening to from the analog dial. My biggest disappointment: the quality of FM sound. This is not a radio to listen to music on. Also, while it has a CD input jack on the back, you will be very disappointed if you think you're going to get anything more than mediocre sound. It's unforuntate that such cheap speakers were used. Bottom line: If you find this radio on sale and you're looking for a nice, retro conversation piece, grab it. At full price, go get a good shortwave radio.

Nice radio depending on how you use it

Hello everyone its Vince the radio man. I have been a buff and collector for many years and I love to do compares . Its was very interesting to see the great variation of ratings on this radio from you folks out there . As I read them I understood and related to all of them . Depending how you use this radio it good be a 1 or a 5 . It is an authentic looking "retro" radio that is pretty well made . The wood cabinet and the gold paint trim are done very nicely . The sound quality is typical of what a '50s radio sounded like ...not great bass nor high highs but a punchy mid-range . This radio does have some very good features and I have gotten unbelievable performance out of mine. First off ( and this will sound a little silly) it has a ground screw . Very valuable if you know how to properly ground a radio. This will greatly increase your reception on AM and SW . I have DXed Europe and Asia on AM!!! on this radio with a Terk AM advantage antenna and a nice ground . You must also connect an RCA cable to the Aux. inputs and complete the ground by connecting the cable to a receiver or tape deck that is plugged into the AC .True its analog , but you can get ( sometimes better) performance from and analog tuner that isn't weighed down with those overly clean filters that the digital radios have . It also has an aux. in to use the system from another source , nice . Yes , mostly its a show piece, but if used correctly and if you buy the newer model that has the built in fine tuning ...you'll be very surprised as to what this thing can do . Buy it if you are a collector or want something unique .

Things to reflect upon about this product.......

I think there are TWO things to keep in mind when purchasing one of these:

1.) There are two versions of this radio, one that was "the 960 classic". Identified by it's extremely dark finish and a horizontal list of small boxes with counries listed in them just below the FM scale. Another couple of ways to tell edition one from the second edition is the side speaker grills on version one is divided in four sections (on the Second edition has only three sections). The function keys (FM,AM,SW...) on the Second editions are much taller then on the first.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT??? The second edition has much better attention (and quality control) on the tuning section. Over all it's better performing product.

With that said that brings me to my second point (I take it you're really interested if you've read this far!!!)

2.) I own both editions of the "Classic 960" and enjoy both. I think (by reading the other reviews) some folks expect a bit much from this radio IT IS NOT A WATKINS JOHNSON 8718 SHORTWAVE RECEIVER!!! NOR IS IT A McIntosh STEREO SYSTEM!!!

Again with that said it is solid on AM/FM and Shortwave if setup properly (A.K.A. like ALL radios it needs a GOOD antenna).

My point in closing is this; this radio can be had for less then $150.00 for the money it looks, sounds and performs very respectable. If you expect more than that you will not be happy. However if you keep your expectations realistic you will enjoy this fine little radio.

GE 74853 AM/FM Clock Radio with 1.4" Green LED, Dual Wake, NAP Timer, Prog. Snooze

Made by General Electric

Amazon base price: $
List price: $24.99 (that's NaN% off!)
Buy one from zShops for: $27.28

Average review score:

Horrible reception

I bought this clock radio for the large display (nice) and supposedly good reception. The reception is awful, and I cannot tune into two of my favorite stations, which my husband is able to get on his bedside radio. I have tried everything: moving the radio, placing it on a stack of books, gentley moving the tuner. Nothing works. I do not recommend this radio.

Pretty much agree with the other reviews

After much searching and one return, I settled on this model.

Good points include the dual time dual mode alarms, lock out clock settings, (very handy among curious toddlers--can't reset), nap alarms, and especially the forward and reverse time set keys.

Agree that the shortfalls of this unit are the stiffness of the rotary radio controls, and the FM tuner. Like the other person, I can't get two of my favorite stations, that my wife can get on her clock radio, but can get on the radio (also an old GE) in the bathroom. Also there is bleed over from some of the stronger stations across the lower half of the FM band. And the AM is really hard to tune, even on some local stations. Oddly enough, I returned a digital tuner radio with the same problem, not to mention a wimpy chirping alarm; although the AM tuner on that modlel was superb.

Fortunately, it does get the stations (3 out of 5) I like in the morning, so I can live with that. I'm puzzled that my wife has three radios with good tuners; yet I get ones with the bleed over problems.

At least it wakes me up in the morning and so far the alarm (which is what clock radios are designed to do) works well.

An average (mediochre for the radio, excellent for the alarm system) of 4 stars.

Great Product at a Great Price

This clock radio was a recent purchase to replace my failing Panasonic model. I have not always had good luck with small GE appliances and electronics, but this item is an exception.

The large 1.4" green clock display is easy to read even without my glasses, at least while in bed. The auto-dimmer keeps the display at a comfortable brightness level and does not disturb me at night. The dual-alarms can both be set to alarm or music wake-up. The alarm tone is not the typical harsh, want-to-kill-that-clock sound, but a fairly reasonable beeping. It starts off at a reasonable volume and gradually gets louder. Turning off the alarm, using the On/Off button, resets it to go off the following day at the programmed time. The Snooze feature is a large button in the front-middle top of the clock that is easy to operate. It defaults to 9 minutes, but you can change that from 1 minute up to I believe 15 minutes or more. The Nap feature is essentially a third, short term alarm that you can set for up to two hours from the time you engage it. It's useful for naps, of course, and even as a reminder alarm. The Sleep feature allows you to fall asleep to music and is adjustable from 1 to 59 minutes. It does not interfere with the alarm settings.

I found all the controls easy to operate, except for the rotary tuner dial, which was a bit stiff. The controls are fairly intuitive, and after reviewing the manual once, I had no problem operating the available functions.

The AM radio tuner is typical for these units-nothing to brag about. The FM tuner, with built-in AFC, works fairly well. The mono speaker is located in the back of the unit. Volume was adequate, and the sound quality acceptable for such a unit.

All in all, I have to say I am very satisfied with this purchase.

Unwired Technology UFR8052 Basic 14 Channel 2-Way Radios (Pair)

Made by Unwired Technology

14 channels
Up to 2-mile range
LCD screen with LED lighting for operation in dim light
Talk confirmation tone notifies other party it is clear to respond
Monitor button scans and provides monitoring of all channels

Amazon base price: $
List price: $49.99 (that's NaN% off!)

Average review score:

A good value

Bought a pair of these 8 or 10 months ago. They work fine though mine had a rubber cap on the base that was so loose that it fell off the one my wife was using never again to be seen. Mine stays in the drawer at home now. It's nice to have but falls off. Lousy design and manufacture.

My wife has a problem using it as she doesn't remember NOT to push the buttons with her fingernail. When you do that the button sticks in and has to be hit several times to come out. She's stuck it in the call mode several times and until I've found her and fixed the button it'll continue to transmit forever, driving you nuts.

The UP and DOWN buttons will often jump a couple of channels at a time but for the price what do you expect???

Seems to have a good range and battery life. Thank goodness you can lock the unit so it can't have the channel changed or my wife would never figure it out. It's great when shopping and seems to have a fine range even inside buildings.

You have to figure out how far from your mouth to hold it and how loud to talk. Otherwise it'll overmodulate so badly that it'll be distorted and you can't understand what's being said.

I paid the same after a rebate as the price here and consider it a very good value. I'm buying a pair as a special gift for our grandson as a birthday present in May so he an a neighbor friend a couple of blocks away can use them.

Works great with its' own brand, and with others also!

I am a part of an Law Enforcement group that recently depended on this type of radios. When I first tried these radios, it was in a covered parking garage, with 3 levels of parking spaces. We had people stationed at every corner, at all levels, and next to the nearest building, which was .5 miles away. These radios worked perfectly. The only complant I have is that the bottom cover that keeps on falling off. After my first encounter with those radios, I bought my own, which was the Motorola T289. Since we had radios without codes, we had to use the regular 14 channels. With outside interference, my radio, and along with other brands of radios, worked flawlessly with these. I highly recommend these radios, but if you can find a better deal (which I did), then these radios are only for those who can't shop around.

CRate-of-FREIGHT

OK I WILL GET TO THE POINT !!!! i WAS A GOOD RADIO MAN TALKING
TO THE UNITED KINGDOM I MEAN ALL AROUND THERE EVERY WINTER
FOR YEARS & ALSO TALKING LOCAL & ON MY BIRTHDAY I KNEW I WAS GUNNA HAVE TO TAKE MY ANTRON 99 DOWN SO I DID
SO I WAS OVER @ A RADIO FRIENDS PLACE & i WAS LOOKING AROUND HIS BEDROOM & HE HAD A PAIR OF THEASE PERSONL BAND RADIO ON
452 MEGS AND THEN i GOT THEASE MODEL # UFR-805 & i LOVE THEM
NOW I CAN SIT @ MY HOUSE & HE IN HIS HOUSE A FEW BLOCKS AWAY & STILL KEEP IN TOUCH & ALSO I TOOK THEM OUT TO BE IN CONTAC WITH MY ICE FISHING PARTNER & OVER WATER BIG LAKES YOU GET OUT BETTER
THANKS FOR GIVEING ME A GREAT PRODUCT!! & FOR THE PRICE YOU CANT GO WRONG !!! AND ALSO i HAD SOME KIND OF MIKE IN MY HAND SINCE I WAS 12 YEARS OLD !!!

Unwired UFR805S Basic 14 Channel 2-Way Radio (Single)

Made by Unwired Technology

2-mile range

14 channels

Talk-confirmation tone after you finish speaking

Channel scan, key lock, and channel select

Includes detachable belt clip and wrist strap

Amazon base price: $
List price: $39.99 (that's NaN% off!)

Average review score:

A good value

Bought a pair of these 8 or 10 months ago. They work fine though mine had a rubber cap on the base that was so loose that it fell off the one my wife was using never again to be seen. Mine stays in the drawer at home now. It's nice to have but falls off. Lousy design and manufacture.
My wife has a problem using it as she doesn't remember NOT to push the buttons with her fingernail. When you do that the button sticks in and has to be hit several times to come out. She's stuck it in the call mode several times and until I've found her and fixed the button it'll continue to transmit forever, driving you nuts.
The UP and DOWN buttons will often jump a couple of channels at a time but for the price what do you expect???
Seems to have a good range and battery life. Thank goodness you can lock the unit so it can't have the channel changed or my wife would never figure it out. It's great when shopping and seems to have a fine range even inside buildings.
You have to figure out how far from your mouth to hold it and how loud to talk. Otherwise it'll overmodulate so badly that it'll be distorted and you can't understand what's being said.
I paid the same after a rebate as the price here and consider it a very good value. I'm buying a pair as a special gift for our grandson as a birthday present in May so he an a neighbor friend a couple of blocks away can use them.

Works great with its' own brand, and with others also!

I am a part of an Law Enforcement group that recently depended on this type of radios. When I first tried these radios, it was in a covered parking garage, with 3 levels of parking spaces. We had people stationed at every corner, at all levels, and next to the nearest building, which was .5 miles away. These radios worked perfectly. The only complant I have is that the bottom cover that keeps on falling off. After my first encounter with those radios, I bought my own, which was the Motorola T289. Since we had radios without codes, we had to use the regular 14 channels. With outside interference, my radio, and along with other brands of radios, worked flawlessly with these. I highly recommend these radios, but if you can find a better deal (which I did), then these radios are only for those who can't shop around.

CRate-of-FREIGHT

OK I WILL GET TO THE POINT !!!! i WAS A GOOD RADIO MAN TALKING
TO THE UNITED KINGDOM I MEAN ALL AROUND THERE EVERY WINTER
FOR YEARS & ALSO TALKING LOCAL & ON MY BIRTHDAY I KNEW I WAS GUNNA HAVE TO TAKE MY ANTRON 99 DOWN SO I DID
SO I WAS OVER @ A RADIO FRIENDS PLACE & i WAS LOOKING AROUND HIS BEDROOM & HE HAD A PAIR OF THEASE PERSONL BAND RADIO ON
452 MEGS AND THEN i GOT THEASE MODEL # UFR-805 & i LOVE THEM
NOW I CAN SIT @ MY HOUSE & HE IN HIS HOUSE A FEW BLOCKS AWAY & STILL KEEP IN TOUCH & ALSO I TOOK THEM OUT TO BE IN CONTAC WITH MY ICE FISHING PARTNER & OVER WATER BIG LAKES YOU GET OUT BETTER
THANKS FOR GIVEING ME A GREAT PRODUCT!! & FOR THE PRICE YOU CANT GO WRONG !!! AND ALSO i HAD SOME KIND OF MIKE IN MY HAND SINCE I WAS 12 YEARS OLD !!!

Conair Clock Radio and Phone with Caller ID - CID500S

Made by Conair

All-in-one clock radio and phone

CD player and AM/FM tuner with stereo sound

Caller ID* with 64-name and number memory

Digital dual alarm

Amazon base price: $
List price: $69.99 (that's NaN% off!)

Average review score:

Useless piece of junk! Save your hard earned money

I bought this as a gift for my dad for Christmas. I read the other negative reviews here and a warning flag went up. But I was foolish enough to still buy it because there were a couple of good reviews. Well don't make my mistake. Heed my warning and don't buy this piece of junk.
It is impossible to read the time on the display. My poor dad spent two hours reading through the manual and fiddling with contrast settings and brightness to see if there was any way to salvage my gift. He even tried going to ConAir's site to see if there were further suggestions to adjust the display. But it was no use. It is poorly engineered. Even in a room with the curtains drawn, I couldn't read the clock from seven feet away and I have 20/20 vision. The display is not the LED type, but like a digital watch. How ConAir could ever design a product with such great potential and then so thoroughly ruin it because of a horrible time display is beyond me.
Furthermore the poor engineering extended to the battery cover. How could I put the battery in, if the the battery cover couldn't be opened?
Now I have the hassle of buying a box to ship this back to Amazon with shipping paid by yours truly. Arrgh! Don't waste your time with this product. Heed my warning, or you too will be sitting like me in a month venting your frustration by writing a negative review.

what a good product!

It is certain that CID500 does bring a lot of advantages while using the multi-funtional phone. I can use a telephone to listen to music, as it provides CD player. It is amazing that there are radio, clock and cd player exsisting in a featured phone. Moreover, the price of CID500 is quite reasonable, since it has so many functions, which you cannot find in other phones. Thus, you should buy it!

Good Product for the Money!

This is really a *4* star product for the money, but I'm giving it *5* stars because I feel the overall average has been unfairly dragged down by users who refused to read the manual and/or those who could use a new pair of glasses!
I'm an audiophile of many years experience with home and car stereos. For a combination clock radio/cd/telephone, your options are this product or the Zenith Z828B.
First let me settle the LED Display issue. Viewing the display at night is *NOT* a problem. Not only is there a high/low brightness switch, but there are also *5* levels of contrast settings (which you probably wouldn't discover unless you read the manual). The entire display itself can also be adjusted to 4 different viewing angles. The display is only slightly difficult to read if you have not adjusted things properly. As a sleeper who prefers complete darkness at night, I will admit, the display is a little bright for me, even on the low brightness setting. However, I intend to add an on/off switch for the backlight! :)
As for the rest of this unit, the phone, caller id, digital tuner & alarm clock function well. Programming is not so difficult as one reviewer had mentioned.
Bonus Features: 1) Automatic time counter for length of phone conversations. 2) Auto-mute of cd/radio upon answering a phone call. 3) Random play and programmable song order on CD player. 4) Headphone jack can be used for hookup to powered speakers or as in input to additional stereo equipment. 5) Call-back button works well with the included Caller-ID. 6) Sleep mode includes a 'loudness' setting if you prefer to fall asleep to a softer volume and wake to a louder volume.
Weak points: 1) Only some of the lighted dial buttons are lit well, the rest are dim. 2) Does not have the ability to display caller ID on call-waiting. 3) This is more of a personal preference, but the "up" buttons for volume/presets/tuning presets are on the left and "down" buttons are on the right--Would have been nicer if it was reversed.
Overall, I feel this is a good buy for the money! The phone reception is clear and the CD player and tuner are decent for the price. I would not recommend it as a replacement for a primary household CD stereo. But it is great way to save space on your night table and wake up to music of your choice!

Timex T618T / T619T Clock Radio

Made by Timex

Plays CD, AM/FM, nature sounds or buzzer

90 minute sleep timer and adjustable sleep volume

Triple alarm system with individual alarm sounds

18 presets stations

Bass boost, random and repeat options

Amazon base price: $69.99
List price: $99.99 (that's 30% off!)
Buy one from zShops for: $49.99

Average review score:

Do not buy this clock!

I made the mistake of purchasing this clock.
The times are hard to set. The alarm is easy but gives you no option for CD except on one alarm.
The nature sounds are the worst I have ever heard.
The radio reception is lousy. I can't even get local stations with the antenna that I can get on a cheap boom box!
The Indiglo night light burnt out right after the 30 day warrenty expired! So now the clock is totally unreadable at night in the dark. I contacted the manufacturer who said I could mail it in at my expense with a check for very high repair charges and shipping and handling fees. They also said that might not even be enough and they would contact me put put the difference if needed on a credit card before they would ship my clock back. I threw out the piece of junk and lost my money before I would spend another penny on this piece of----.
Timex may make great watches that take a licking and keep on ticking but their clocks dont tick, light or work for longer than 30 days!
Save money and frustration and buy a dirrent brand!

Not good

The sound quality of the CD and radio is pretty good, but the nature sounds are almost comical, not relaxing at all (other than the "wind" setting). The buzzer alarm only works if you do not have a CD in the holder. Also, the digital display is AWFUL! You need to above the unit to see the time, so if you look at the display while lying on your bed, the numbers are invisible (there is no contrast setting, only brightness).
This could be a really good product but it falls short in a few basic ways that just seem like sloppy designing. How hard could it have been to include a Buzzer alarm option separate from the CD? How about checking the angle for display readability while reclining in bed? Did anyone listen to these nature sounds before they installed them, did they think that annoying seagull in the Ocean selection was relaxing, or the goofy cricket sounds were realistic? I really liked the range of features this unit has, so I can still give it three stars, but I am really tempted to return this thing.

Good, but not ideal

I like a clock radio that can awaken me to either the radio or a CD. I like digital tuning and presets on a radio. I like dual wake times for weekdays and weekends so that I can set them and forget them. I like a display that can be dimmed to a low backlight. These features are available on this product. But in spite of these features, there could be more flexibility. For example, you cannot set more than one alarm for a specific media type (CD, radio, buzzer, or nature sounds). So if you want the CD to play at 8 AM on weekends and 6 AM on weekdays, you are out of luck. The nature sounds are artificial and irritating, and are a useless feature to me. The buzzer and CD share the same alarm, so if you want the buzzer you must remove the CD.
Programming the times and other settings is not intuitive since there are many buttons and they often have multiple functions. Therefore I need to have the manual nearby every time I have to change a setting. I have had this unit for about a year now, and I have had no problems with its performance. The case has a small footprint, so it doesn't take up much space on the nightstand. If you like the feature set on this product, then I recommend it to you as a reliable clock radio. But if you question the feature limitations, I suggest you shop around to see if other products now available might have more flexibility.
Eileen Rieback

ARCHOS Ondio MP3 / FM Radio Player & Recorder

Made by Archos, Inc.

128MB internal memory can be supplemented via optional SD/MMC memory cards

Display - LCD - 112x64 pixels (up to 8 lines of characters)

Stereo Analog Line-in / Line-out + Stereo Headphone Jack (headphones included)

Firmware updates via Internet

Up to 12 hours playback on 3 AAA batteries (not included)

Amazon base price: $
Buy one from zShops for: $103.50

Average review score:

Does what I want

Pros:
- I bought the Ondio mostly as a voice recorder, and I am very pleased with it in that capacity. It records directly to MP3 files and the recordings sound great (slight hiss). I record mostly in my car and the background noise is not a factor.
- The MP3 player works great as well. Good sound, loud enough, good capacity.
- The entire unit functions as a USB drive, so you just plug it in and move files on and off through the file system. Super easy and straight forward.
Cons:
- Other reviewers are right about the radio reception. Walking around the house causes even the most powerful signals in my area to cut out. The headphone cord is the antenna so maybe that can be fixed with a better cord(?). Probably not so good for runners. However, if you can get a steady signal, you can record to MP3 very easily, which is kinda cool.
- The "Line In" port does not allow you to use normal PC microphones, which is sad. Apparently, "powered mics" work, but I haven't tried it. The internal mic is very good however.
- The case does not fit quite right (partially covers button) and doesn't provide more than cushioning. No belt clip.

Good player with some glitches

PROS: -ExTREMELY easy to use with windows XP. Plug it into the USB and a removable hard drive pops up in my computer where you can copy and paste files.
-Really Small
-Cool Microphone that works well
-Audio-in records from any headphone jack, and records from its radio
Cons: -Eats batteries fairly rapidly
-Case not designed too well (so cry about it)
-Navigating through songs and FF/REW take a while
-I've had audio-in recordings turn out warbled (long ones)
I bought it in August 03 and its a pretty cool player. It came with the stereo cable for recording, but I went to radio shack and got a cable with a headphone jack on each end so I can record from just about anything. I do use the included stereo cable for playing through my tv's speakers.
The sound quality is great.
Maybe I haven't had any horrible problems yet like the other reviewers, but I think it is a good product with the features of recording, microphone, USB memory, and radio.
Enjoy!

Very good player and recorder

Before buying the Ondio, I had my eyes on the RipFlash Plus 128MB. I ordered one from Amazon, but had to cancel it because it was back-ordered and I hate to wait for more than a month. I am really happy for that decision. In less than a week, I bought this Ondio and now I couldn't be happier.
I have read reviews by others, and many of the complaints are non-an-issue thanks to the firmware upgrade. There have been a major upgrade in firmware 1.32b, and most bugs are eliminated. I expect other bugs be corrected and new features (such as WMA support) be added soon. The firmware upgrade is easy as a flip.
Features I like:
(1) Line-in recording. This really makes music conversion easy.
(2) Unlike other brands, recording is coded in MP3 directly.
(3) Easy USB connection. No software is needed, as the device is recognized as a removable drive. So you can drag and drop files between your computer and the Ondio.
(4) Sound quality is excellent.
Features I am happy to have although wish it better:
(1) FM (this is an bonus compared to the RipFlash Plus) has reception for only a few station (only those with VERY strong signal). But the quality is good. The reason may be that it filters out weak signals. Really not a big deal.
(2) Built-in mic recording is just OK. I heard others saying a preamplified microphone is needed to make decent recording.
(3) The carrying pouch does not fit the player very well. I probably won't use it at all.
The sound is very loud and the level is ajusted via the earphone instead of the player. This may be the reason that the battery life is only 12 hours from three AAA batteries, compared with 20 hours from 2 AAA. Too much a difference in my oppinion.
Overall, I am happy with the purchase. I also paid less for it.

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