The old clock radio finally died and my husband and I thought it would be nice to have a CD player in the bedroom to listen to audio books in bed now and then (yes, I know, but it depends on the book!!). We've found the sound quality on such an inexpensive item to be extremely good, it's easy to tune the radio in and we like the huge time display - I can even see it without my glasses at night!! So far, it's awakened us at our ridiculously early get up time during the week without fail. No complaints - very happy with this clock/radio/CD player. Sony ICF-CD815 AM/FM Stereo CD Clock Radio with Dual Alarm
I read the positive reviews on this Sony so I thought I would buy it for my 18 year old daughter who is going off to college in about a month. While this Sony does sound good and has a decent alarm, CD player, and MP3 input, the radio is not only analog, but the dial is off to the side is very tiny. It also has no battery backup!!! If listening to the radio and tuning in stations is not important to you I say go ahead and buy this clock radio. I expected that the radio part of this clock radio would have been much easier to both see and use for the price.
This product has really been a great asset to my bedroom. The controls are easy to use and I can receive most of my favorite radio stations. This clock/radio/cd player allows you to select specific tracks and setting the alarm is very simple. You can wake up to your favorite track, radio station, or the buzzer. The only thing I may not like about this product is the fact that the buzzer has a low pitch sound, but it increases in intervals. Specifically, the alarm sounds in five seconds and then gradually goes to three, and finally every second. The product also allows you to adjust the brightness of the clock in three settings. Overall, I'm happy with this product.
The cd player skips at the least bump or vibration, it's much larger that it looks in the picture, much larger than it needs to be and the multifunction switches are trouble. And last but certainly not least, Sony has set a new low in alarm clock technology...where every other manufacturer in the world has a battery backup in case of a power outage...the Sony Dream Machine does not! I guess they figure if there is a blip in the power you should just go on "Dreaming". Oh and by the way, make sure you have the instruction manual handy, once the power goes back on you'll need it to go through the process of resetting everything. If you're looking for a really good and less expensive radio/cd player alarm, check out the RCA RP5600.
BEWARE!!!
This is a great looking clock radio, but if you've previously relied upon a clock radio with a battery back up, look elsewhere.
MORE WARNINGS!!!
The sound is good, and having a CD player is also nice, but if you want a specific station, this is also not a good radio for you. It has a dial at the right hand side with numbers etched into it, however it's not very accurate, and mine has bounced between stations 101.1 & 101.5 frequently (on its own of course).
I took mine back, but would have gladly paid $10 more for a similar product with a battery back up, and better ability to hold a station.
I'm simply looking to pass my misfortunes along to the community, in hopes of saving anyone else the same aggravation. Best of luck!
I have not purchased this unit, but studied it closely in a local store. It had all the features I liked except two which is why I am writing: (1) no headphone jack; (2) no battery back-up in case the power goes out. Other than that, I liked the size, price, features, and MP3 line in. Just wish it had two more features.
I bough this for my dad as a gift. The fact that it does not have a CD loading mechanism and uses a simple manually opened door is great. It's one less thing that can break and he doesn't have to wait for a slow opening loader. Clock numbers are very large and bright. Sound quality is decent and clear. It's not a full fledged stero system but I didn't expect it to be. It even features an input in the front for digital music players. It does its job competently and has a solid quality constructed feel.
The following statement, from the "Technical Details" section of the product description, is a deceptive claim:
"CD player with CD-R/RW MP3 playback and digital AM/FM tuner"
The CD player is NOT capable of MP3 playback, and the word "MP3" should be deleted from the statement. The next "Technical Details" statement:
"Audio line-in for MP3 players with included cable"
...completely describes the MP3 playback capability of this device. To include "MP3" in both statements implies CD-MP3 playback capability, AND audio line-in MP3 capability, which is deceptive.
This is not a deception by Sony, as nowhere on the product box is this claim made. The responsibility for the deceptive claim lies with the vendor.
This Sony CD player/alarm clock seems to be a great product so far. I got it for my 7 year old daughter and she has had no trouble operating the unit (I set the alarm for her). Again, the main drawback is the lack of battery back up but other than that I love it. I don't mind that the tuner is analog since digital tuners may skip over low signal stations. I love the Sony quality sound in such a multi purpose application! My main problem now is listening to her single Disney CD over and over and over.... I guess I will have to do more shopping!!
Purchased as a means of listening to MP-3 files on CD-R discs, and although it explicitly describes this capability in the product description, it has no such ability!! It sneered at the cds with mp3 files, and none of the box descriptions nor the scant "manual" mentions this facility. Since others have also reported in earlier reviews, it's disappointing that Amazon hasn't fixed the description yet.
By the way, the tuner wasn't very good at all, either. Sound, what you expect for $40. - Cd Alarm Clock Radio - Sony Alarm Clock Radio - Clock Radio - Alarm Clock Radio'
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