Coby CX789 Digital AM/FM/NOAA Radio with Dual Alarms, silver Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a good deal for it's price- digital tuning with preset buttons- AM/FM/NOAA. There is a problem using the AC power (with supplied AC power cord)- when powered with AC the LED panel fades to almost unreadable! I decided to buy a second unit to see if another would have the same problme: yes! Thus, there is a defect when operating on AC power, so I don't recommend using AC power. However, operating on batteries is ok- no fading of the LED panel. Also, operating on DC adapter also tested and works ok (DC power adapter is not provided- I got one at Radio Shack: AC-TO-DC POWER ADAPTER 1.5-15VDC, 300ma and set it for 4.5 DCV)
Everything else works ok- and this is the style of radio I wanted, and there are no others like this at this price. I now have three units. This has digital tuning with quick change preset buttons and a volume knob on the right side, which is very nice! The LED panel has black letters on a non-lighted background and is hard to read- ignore the bright LED panel you see in the pic-it does not look like that! However there is a light button that lights up for 6 seconds and helps you read it better. Reception is fine for local stations, which provide good clear speaker sound, with no noise.
It's fine if you are looking for a very inexpensive digital radio, (I found nothing cheaper in this style) but you may have the AC power problem I have, and you will have to get the Radio Shack DC power adapter (4.5v, 300ma), or just use 3 D-size batteries.
UPDATE 4/7/09: Robert Lambert discovered the solution to using the AC power cord. There is an AC switch inside the battery compartment that is set on 220v when I received all three of my radios. Simply set the switch on 110v (for USA) and presto! AC power cord works fine! No need to purchase DC adapter! This power switch is not described in the instructions and I even called Coby support about my problem and they didn't mention the switch! Thankyou Robert for the info! I can't change rating, if I could I now rate this radio 4.5 stars!

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Sangean WR-2 Digital AM/FM Tabletop Radio, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a very appealing clock radio with digital readout that gives you name of song, artist, and other information as you listen. The mono aural speaker is warm and full. The radio is attractive, solid and well-built, evincing nothing cheap or plastic-laden. The AM is very good. Most FM stations come in strong. But hard-to-get FM stations like 89.3 from Pasadena (I live 40 miles away in Torrance) requires that I move the FM antenna, but this is not a big deal, just a nitpick.
Most listeners will love the WR-2. But if you're a radio buff like I am and enjoy the outstanding FM reception of the Grundig S350, the Kaito 1101 and 1103 models (called Degen in China), then I'm afraid the WR-2 will disappoint. To be fair to the WR-2, the more expensive Bose radio suffers the same problem of mediocre FM reception.
Another important point: Because this radio has a remote control, it works great in your computer office. You can keep the WR-2 six feet or so away from your computer and avoid interference as you toggle stations and volume with your remote.
Post Script: Make sure to turn on the external antenna switch in the back of the Sangean. It improves reception by tenfold.
Update: I bought a second WR-2 (in black) three years after the first and get excellent FM reception so apparently the radio has improved in newer models. New rating: 5 stars.

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Boasting an acoustically balanced wooden enclosure and an enhanced front-firing 3-inch speaker, the Sangean WR-2 tabletop radio offers the sound and features of a living room system in a cabinet that fits conveniently in a bedroom, kitchen, or garage. Any discussion of the WR-2 begins with its black wooden housing, which is rich in both appearance and tone. The cabinet's front surface features the speaker on the left side, a series of intuitively placed control buttons toward the bottom, and a generously sized LCD display in the middle with three brightness levels. More importantly, the cabinet teams with the 7-watt amplifier and the acoustic bass compensation system to add warmth and depth to the audio. Complementing the housing is Sangean's advanced RF/IF electronic circuitry, which picks up distant AM and FM stations and reproduces them with unmatched clarity, making music and even talk programs come alive.
Even though the WR-2 is advertised as an AM/FM radio, it offers much more than a standard digital tuner, including a Radio Data System (RDS) that displays short text messages on applicable FM stations, along with support for the Enhanced Other Network (EON) and its traffic information (available in certain regions). And unlike most tabletop radios, the WR-2 lets listeners adjust the treble and bass levels via the variable volume control. In its default mode, the rotary volume knob displays the volume level from 1 to 60. Tap it once, however, and it turns into a full-range treble control, and two taps creates a full-range bass control. Additional features include a clock with an alarm (radio or buzzer), an auxiliary input jack for connecting such devices as an iPod or MP3 player (both of which sound great through the speaker), a recording output jack, 10 memory presets that help you quickly find your favorite stations, and a full-featured infrared remote control.
A final bonus stems from the power backup function, which plays the radio for six minutes during a power failure (great for emergencies) and retains the memory preset and clock values for about an hour. The WR-2 measures roughly 9.5 by 4.5 by 6 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 5.5 pounds.
What's in the Box WR-2 tabletop radio, detachable power cord, infrared remote control, user's manual.

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Sangean RCR-5 Digital AM/FM Clock Radio Review

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(More customer reviews)I have nothing but praise for the Sangean RCR-5 clock radio. Specifically, here are the most noteworthy aspects of this truly amazing product:
Display
Here is where the RCR-5 truly shines, as it incorporates a backlit LCD with adjustable intensity: one may adjust the backlight to suit your needs, so you have a perfectly legible, yet not too bright display (at night) which can never be "washed out", even in direct sunlight. The display even has a clever feature whereby it will illuminate to full intensity when any of the buttons are pressed, after which it returns to the user's preset intensity after ten seconds. As you can see from the product photos, the display is of a soft, warm color, most conducive to a good sleeping environment; other clock radios using bright blue or green illumination, IMHO, should be avoided if you want to get any sleep.
Auxiliary Input
Very useful for listening to my podcasts at night; when an external source is attached, the Band button will cycle through AM/FM/AU; when none is attached, only AM/FM are available, thereby eliminating "clutter" for those who do not wish to enable this feature. (Note: I'm old-school, and prefer using this method over a "Dockable" iPod solution, as I prefer to completely run my iPod's battery source to zero before recharging...)
Flexibility in Programming
Only found on more expensive clock radios, this model will allow you to use the "Sleep" feature to listen to a particular station (or podcast with the Auxiliary feature) at night, and then to wake to radio on a different station. In addition, all alarms allow Daily, Mon-Fri, or Single, with the Audible Alarm using a gentle "ramp-up" feature.
Reception and Speaker Quality
The radio's receiver portion of this product is very good, rivaled by only my Sony short wave receiver (a great radio, by the way!); what looks like a 3-inch speaker provides a very warm, intelligible output, very suitable for the spoken word, adequate for music. If you need a strong system for powerful music, I would suggest purchasing an additional desktop speaker setup (such as for a computer) which can be attached to the headphone output by means of a standard mini-jack connection.
Finally, a no-nonsense Sleep function
Sangean has cleverly incorporated the Sleep function into the Power button (which is gently illuminated when the radio's off); to turn the radio on or off, press the button. To use the Sleep feature, press and hold the same button to select up to 120 minutes. Simple, effective, "it just works".
Final Recommendation
Well, what more can I say? This product works for me (and I'm purchasing three more for gifts) and has a lot going for it, including high value (very reasonably priced!). Is there anything that you should be aware of? Yes:
> As described in the previous customer's entry, setting the alarm may require a few extra key-strokes, as this product offers many options when it comes to waking by either the alarm or the radio; if you do not need all of these features, you may wish to consider something of simpler means. That being said, it took me only about 22 seconds to set the alarm; for me, it was relatively intuitive and logical.
> The built-in battery back up feature only works for about ten minutes worth of backup, according to the manual; in my neck of the woods, this is not a big issue, but should be noted if you experience many nighttime blackouts where you are located.
> Even though this model is referred to as an "RCR-5", it should be noted that it does not employ an automatic time synchronization feature as is found on Sangean's higher end clock radios. (Not a big issue for me, and may actually be desirable for those of us who prefer to set our clocks 5, 10, or 15 minutes fast to "keep us on time"!)
I hope this helps you in making the right decision! All the best!

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