Comments on: Best clock radio?

Question: Best clock radio?

o2b — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 13:30:12 -0800

Clock radios: What's your favorite? Is Bose's the best?

By: ALongDecember

ALongDecember — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 13:41:07 -0800

Do you want a good radio or something that will wake you up in the morning?

By: SteveInMaine

SteveInMaine — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 13:42:42 -0800

I'm saving up my pennies to buy a Tivoli Model 3 clock radio. It doesn't use as much real estate on the nightstand, and to my ear the Tivoli has a warmer sound than the Bose. It also has an input jack if you want to pump your ipod through it.

That said, the base system is mono, though you can load up on extras like an additional speaker for stereo separation, a subwoofer, a CD player. The extras come in matching wood cabinets.

By: grateful

grateful — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 13:57:45 -0800

I'd stay away from Bose. They have a reputation (among enthusiasts) of being overpriced and heavily marketed.

By: trivirgata

trivirgata — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 14:05:16 -0800

I stayed at the Hotel Valencia in San Antonio a few months ago. Each room has a Tivoli Model 3 on the nightstand. Instant love and desire to posess... I'm not a big audiophile, but for looks, feel, and all around "je ne sais quois", I don't think you can beat the Tivoli.

By: milovoo

milovoo — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 14:12:57 -0800

I've been saving up for the zen alarm clock, someone here recommended it a while ago and I think they may be right and I'll get one ~~as soon as~~ if my plain old Timex ever dies ...

By: o2b

o2b — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 15:02:43 -0800

I'm wanting something that will wake me up, with the option of using a CD to do it. I need the mix of buzzer/radio/cd to mix up cause I'm terrible at waking up. I need the variety.

By: poodlemouthe

poodlemouthe — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 15:06:48 -0800

Starck Clocks look pretty sweet.

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 15:29:19 -0800

Out of nostalgia, I sometimes miss the original Sony Dream Machine,
which predated the G4 Cube's coolness.

The sound quality was horrible, and would stop working if you stared at them long enough. Yet back in the early eighties, they were da shit.

By: mischief

mischief — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 16:07:03 -0800

Mine is an old Radio Shack model with a socket in the back (for plugging in a lamp or whatever) that is activated by the alarm.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 19:43:55 -0800

I'm waiting for a decent portable stereo with these features:
- CD-MP3 capability
- good amp & speakers
- auto-on CD alarm
- no freakin' cassette deck!
- conservatively stylish, not one of those godawful uglyass boomboxes.

So far, no luck.

By: Songdog

Songdog — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 19:54:32 -0800

Earlier this year I tried to find a clock radio with a CD player and good reception and sound that didn't cost $400 and didn't get terrible reviews online. I ended up giving up on the CD player component and got a Receptor Radio from Boston Acoustics. It's not cheap, but the reception and sound are very good, and since it probably gets more use than any other receiver in our house it seemed like a good investment.

By: netbros

netbros — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 20:52:11 -0800

For economy, c'est magnifique.

By: toddshot

toddshot — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 20:55:48 -0800

I use my iPod with a Griffin iTalk microphone stuck on the top. The speaker on the iTalk isn't incredibly loud, but it's loud enough to wake me up - plus I get to pick any playlist to wake up to.

By: keswick

keswick — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 21:56:27 -0800

I'm seriously confused here. Do people actually listen to clock radios for a length of time longer than what it takes to slam a hand down on the snooze button? I'm not being snotty, I'm seriously fucking baffled.

I'm 30 and I'm on my second alarm clock ever, a cheapie Philips I bought at Target for under twenty bucks. I like it because it has a simple set of controls, handy for when you're bleary-eyed and less-than-dexterous; it has a narrow footprint for my nightstand; and it's louder than a motherfucker. Additional bonus: it has thus far survived considerable abuse. Con: the LED is BRIGHTER THAN THE FRICKING SUN AND THERE'S NO FRICKING WAY TO DIM IT.

Oh, and BTW, Bose is for morons with too much money. You can get better equipment for less.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 23:19:03 -0800

I dim clock lights by positioning a kleenex box artfully in front.

My wife wakes up to a CD in a cheapass Sony clock radio. I believe it's actually only emitted music once or twice: for years, she's been waking up to the sound of the spin-up, and hits "off" before it can even get tracking correctly.

Me, I just generally wake up on time. Dunno how that happens.

By: shoos

shoos — Fri, 10 Sep 2004 02:48:59 -0800

I've had terrible luck with Sony clock radios. They died way way before their time and had awful reception.

By: b1tr0t

b1tr0t — Fri, 10 Sep 2004 03:17:03 -0800

Nokia 3650. Yes, the cell phone.

Just about any cell phone will have a useful alarm function, but the Nokias distinguish themselves by continuing to operate even while powered off.

I used a Nokia 33xx phone while backpacking through Europe, and it easily lasted through the 2 weeks without charging (or using it as a phone).

Best part is, when you travel, you don't have to adjust to a foreign wake-up device. Anywhere I am, the nokia wakes me up. Much easier to set than the typical alarm clock.

By: Songdog

Songdog — Fri, 10 Sep 2004 05:46:49 -0800

In answer to keswick's question: definitely yes. At the very least we're in the same room with this radio while getting ready for the day, and while getting ready for the night. It is a source of news and music at those times every day, and plenty of other times besides.

I also want to add that the Receptor Radio has the best user interface of any clock radio my wife or I have ever used. A knob is used for setting alarm times (and other functions). We can change and confirm alarm settings in the dark with one hand while half awake, and gone are the days of advancing the alarm time past the desired hour and having to wait while it wraps around.

By: o2b

o2b — Fri, 10 Sep 2004 07:06:54 -0800

Also to answer keswick, when my alarm clock is set to wake me with the radio, it's usually NPR and the news, so I leave it on for a while.

One nice feature of my current clock is that it will shut the radio off after an hour, so if the radio's off when I get out of the shower, I know I'm running late.