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It can be done, but is far too complicated for the late night hours when this feature is most desirable This product is useless for those who want to go to sleep listening to the radio.
It's expensive but this is a radio for the 21st. I live in NY and there's not a hint of hiss on my favorite stations WBGO and WNYC. Good deal. Shame on Boston Acoustics for screwing up an almost perfect clock radio.
I'm loving the Boom since now I can go to sleep every night and set the sleep mode in a second. This is just stupid design and almost was enough of a reason to return the radio but everything else is fantastic and there's nothing to compete with it as far as I'm concerned, especially for the price. century. So here we are. Radio reception is awesome.
BTW on FM or AUX there's no buzz with the IPhone. It had no external FM antenna plug so it was useless for radio. The sound quality is amazing. Great sound and features but the radio reception from its wire combo ac and fm antenna was terrible. It's not terribly expensive, the BA Solo that is.
Got this radio a few days ago and thought I would put it through its paces before I write what I think of it. When you are drowsing off this is so annoying I can't tell you. I then tried it with a regular IPod and there's no buzz on AM. I didn't like any of the other options with a dock for my Iphone 3G so then I decided to get just a radio with an aux jack. Using the same snooze frame for sleep as someone mentioned would have been awesome. So all in all a great radio with one misfortunate design problem.Update: I finally got tired of the sleep mode and returned the radio.
First I bought a Logitech PURE-FI DREAM iPod iPhone Speaker System at the Apple store. If it wasn't for the news stations I would never listen to the band. Obviously it's the phone causing the interference again on AM only. I have a slight buzz on AM when my 3G IPhone is plugged in from an Apple dock into the AUX plug on the back using a mini plug. Oh one more little problem, almost forgot. As easy as that is the sleep mode is the worst.
Also the boom is an internet radio so I can plug my iphone into it and there's no buzz.
The sleep button is a bar on top like any good clock radio would have.
Looks great and I love the snooze on the frame.
I bought the Logitech Squeezebox Boom.
I returned it.
I bought a different cable and the same thing.
You have to go into the menu, click the dial 6 rotations and then turn the dial to set the time.
Got it at B&H for $75.
Just perfect.
There is virtually no station bleed.I am puzzled by the various complaints in other reviews. The back lit display is fine. The included antenna does a fine job. The manual is very clear in that regard. This is one great clock radio.
Bottom line: buy this clock radio. I like the last station I'm listening to or I wouldn't be listening to it. Moving around the settings system is a bit awkward but you can pick it up quickly and the manual is helpful. The alarm does go off on the last station you listen to, but to me that is not a big deal at all. You have an option to change the default view setting to radio station or time which automatically reverts the display to whatever you choose. Certainly a LOT lower than any clear moonlit night. There are no issues with sudden time changes. On the low setting it is almost out.
I live in a very mountainous rural area and am able to pick up stations I never could before. Unless you're used to sleeping in a sealed cave, the light should be a non-issue. The sound and reception are superb. The radio I received was in A+ condition and everything worked just fine. radio station or time.
(I live in a rural area).Scott AtkinsonWatertown NY I agree with critics of this radio who say the alarm function is too complicated.That said, I am very impressed by the sound, which is much better than average. Also, though I'm no expert, my sense is that the tuner is in the range of good to very good when it comes to picking up weak stations.
I also bought for comparison: a Cambridge Soundworks 820HD, and an Accurian HD radio from Radio Shack. I also happen to love the design, but that's of course subjective and others may not. Internet shopping makes that task not so fun, but I had no problems getting an exchange through electronics expo. I was hoping to buy another one of these for my bedside but it's just too bright. A couple of channels don't come in clear, but it does better than the Accurian did.
My original quest was for the best HD tabletop radio, but after much research and experience with those products, I decided that HD radio is not worth pursuing and in fact is pretty much already dead. The Boston sounded much clearer and open than any of the others I compared to. Otherwise I would have had to settle for an inferior product which I had purchased during my comparisons. Hd radio is fine if all you care about is some extra programming, but those extra channels are so badly compressed, I can't stand to listen to them, so what good are they.
That's the only downfall I can see as an alarm clock, otherwise the alarm features are great, especially the 360 degree snooze which works great. My second unit is free of any problems and has made it worth the extra effort to go through the usual exchange hassle. Also, the auxiliary port on the back, as well as the headphone jack on the front both worked very well. Others have had issues with the alarm as well. I purchased the Boston Acoustics Solo after much effort to find the best tabletop radio for the money.
Plus has great reception with just the supplied "piggy tail." Hooked up to a dipole antenna and the right placement, this thing pulls in distant stations very clear. The solo can be rotated upright which I tend to like best. For me it was with the clock accuracy. I had it temporarily connected to rabbit ears (the best antenna for the money) in the attic and the sound was excellent. It takes up less space, especially if it's to be used on a bedside table.
If you're looking for a high end am/fm radio with great reception and excellent sound, and for less than $100, this is the one. But be warned. If you don't mind spending more, get the Boston Duo for stereo sound. It does pretty well there considering where it's at. I bought this for my wife to bring to work and since she works in a large building, it was important that it pulls in signals among all of the interference. It was just too bulky for me.
I gave it 4 stars because of the bugs and being too bright as an alarm clock. Basically, anything with an lcd backlight design is going to light up the room compared to the typical red on black displays. Otherwise it's a great radio with the best sound and reception for the price.
But beware, as good as it may be as an alarm clock, the light is just too bright, even at its lowest level. This unit is known to have bugs. I also researched reviews on Sangean radios, other Cambridge products, even overpriced Bose radios, but none are quite as good as the Boston Solo.
And if you want to listen to fm analog only (which the 820HD can do), the sound is muffled because the speakers we're designed to sound the best in HD. The general consensus among those of us that can only settle for the best, is to keep returning it to the store for an exchange and don't stop until you get one that's not flawed. My requirements in a radio are sound quality and reception.
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