Sangean RCR-1 Advanced Atomic Clock Radio (Classic Black)
by Sangean
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List Price: Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sangean RCR-1 Advanced Atomic Clock Radio (Classic Black)
Customer Review: best I've seen so far ...
Summary: 5 Stars
this clock radio is pricey but worth it.
pros:
radio reception much better than my older timex clock radio.
sound is very 'full' and natural for music or voice.
analog clock is much easier to read at a glance than digital.
nap features surprisingly handy.
multitude adjustments for:
- radio volume on alarm/wake up/ vs day listening.
- display brightness at night.
- alarm set for 4am mon-fri with no alarm on weekend.
- alarm only goes off once a day not twice like most other analog clocks.
- second alarm for your other person.
- humane alarm (increasing alarm volume).
- limit to alarm volume.
cons:
complex controls (but needs to be, to get all the features I now seem to use).
atomic clock signal out of Denver not receivable (but that's ok, you set it just like any other clock and it works fine).
I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a configurable clock radio with features you can use or ignore depending on ones needs. I looked at the
Tivoli Audio M3TPE Model Three AM/FM Clock Radio, the design is simple and stylish, but the m3tpe having a battery operated clock and an alarm that goes off twice a day just didn't seem to fit with the $300 or so price.
On the other hand, compared to the m3tpe, this rcr-1 has features I didn't think I'd use or need; but now after using the rcr-1, I can't imagine myself doing without many of it's offerings.
the rcr-1 makes things simple on one little aspect of my life, in getting up in the morning ... rising in the morning is now done the way that works for me.
If and when I get another clock radio, the new one will have to have many of the features of this rcr-1 to get my interest.
update december 16, 2009: backlight stopped working in 'dim' mode .. still like the clock/radio, but would have thought it shouldn't have stopped so soon.
Customer Review: Not for the blind or technically inept
Summary: 5 Stars
OK, the person who complained about this clock being too bright obviously didn't bother reading the manual. There is a dimmer underneath that can go all the way to NO back lighting if so desired. Also, any LCD display won't be the easiest thing to read but, at least in my case, I certainly am able to see what I'm doing without the need for glasses. Anyway, on to my review: The main features I was after when shopping for an alarm clock were: 1) Easy to read. What I mean is, when I wake up in the middle of the night and my vision is blurry and I'm still lost in that deserted-island-with-Charlize-Theron dream, I want to be able to know what time it is without having to squint or think about it. The RCR's analog clock fulfills this need perfectly. 2) Selectable days for the alarm. The only other brand I could find with this feature was Timex but Sangean goes a step further than 7-5-2. You can select any days you like. For example, one could set an alarm for Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays only. As it stands, I currently have Alarm 1 set for M-F using the buzzer and Alarm 2 for Saturday using the radio (Sunday is a sleep-in day). 3) An alarm that starts quiet and gradually gets louder. Sony had this feature but none of the others I was after. Score another for Sangean. 4) Atomic time. This wasn't as vital to me but I love the idea of having an accurate clock in the house. I read that some people were having trouble getting a signal but mine synchronized within 5 minutes. Maybe it's because CA is relatively close to CO -- who knows? In summary, Sangean's RCR-1 was the only brand I could find that offered everything I wanted in an alarm clock, plus a little extra. The only con I can think of is that turning off an alarm before it sounds involves pushing more than one button. A very minor thing for me and still quite easy to do. So if you're looking to wake up to something that's technically advanced with lots of features, yet still goes old-tech when needed (i.e., the analog clock) then the RCR-1 becomes your only choice!Customer Review: Sangean still makes a quality clock radio
Summary: 5 Stars
We wanted a new clock radio with an analog clock for ease of reading at night, but with full electronic features. This Sangean filled the bill with high quality and great functionality. The only other analog unit we found was a $200 Tivoli with great sound but few features.
The RCR-1 has all the bells and whistles plus a highy legible analog clock dial. A REAL clock...with hands! The radio synch with the NOAA atomic clock signal is a nice touch too. (This function can be turned off by those clever folks who set their alarm clock 5 minutes fast. Who do they think they're fooling anyway?)
I don't know what kind of problem the other reviewer had with the back lighting, but we think its just fine. Perhaps he didn't find the brightness adjustment knob. The display button on the front only switches between low and high...the fine adjustment's hidden on the bottom. We find the clock easily readable at the low setting from across a dark room. The digital display is a bit busy, but you'd usually look at it only when changing a setting.
The station presets are great feature if you go to sleep with the radio on...you can wake up to a different station. And the buttons are so much easier than fiddling with a tuning knob. The seven day selection for the alarm means no need to turn the alarm off/on on the weekend. As you'd expect from Sangean (a RADIO maker), the radio is superb in both AM and FM reception and it has a quality speaker and a tone control for nice rich sound.
Typical of so many electronic items, the controls necessary for the many functions are a bit complex; but since we only use the basic alarm and radio functions, thats not a big deal. The instructions are adequate though not very detailed.
Considering that most clock-radios sold today are so cheesy and cheap, this unit is well worth the price especially considering it'll probably give us many years of service.
Customer Review: Best clock radio for my needs but room for improvement
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had this clock radio for a couple of weeks and overall have been very pleased with it. I especially like the adjustable dimmer control for the clock so that it is not keeping me awake at night and with the button that switches from the dimmer setting to full-bright, I can see what I need no matter the room lighting conditions. I also like the fact that I can listen to AM talk stations at night with low volume and still have my alarm wake me to my favorite FM station at its own preset.
I was not bothered by the multiple functions for the various controls. It may be confusing for some, but I am used to dealing with these kinds of multi-step processes. Also the fact that it sets for specific days means that I don't need to fuss with the settings as I am on a regular schedule that really doesn't change.
The analog clock is a nice feature as the digital face gives tuner information when the radio is on. I like this.
The radio quality is good for both AM and FM stations. The problem is that the speaker is on the back of the unit and provides more of a room filling sound and not the direct sound pointing at my face which I prefer (as does my girlfriend) for when the alarm goes off in the morning. I solved this with a set of inexpensive powered speakers but would prefer a speaker at the front of the unit.
As I live a few dozen miles from the atomic time clock broadcast center in Colorado, I have no problems whatsoever with the atomic clock finding a signal and syncing up.
I wish the snooze alarm was adjustable, instead of being fixed at five minutes. I already mentioned the speaker location issue I have.
I'm glad I bought it and am sure it will work well in the future.
Customer Review: NOW THAT'S A CLOCK RADIO
Summary: 5 Stars
I'd ordered this clock radio and got it on 01/27/2005 and the minute i'd turned it on and tried it out I knew this would be a five stars winner, all my other radios (except the short wave) only picks up a couple of radio stations because the aluminum siding on my house trailer, but this one picks all of them up just like they are right outside of my back yard. The sound is very great too and if you want high quality stereo sound just connect a pair of those power speakers that is used for PC's and Walkmans and you will really hear some real rich stereo sound. (Use Good Speakers Like Creative ETC) What I like about this clock radio the most is the alarm buzzer has a volume control at the bottom of the unit. Since the alarm buzzer sounds from the speakers, you may connect the power speakers and turn the power speaker volume up and make the alarm all the more louder, for me that's good for I'm a little hard hearing (HUH???) and need a loud alarm to wake me in the mornings. Overall the quality of this clock radio is great and the atomic clock works fine as well. The clock updates the time with that radio signal every hour on the hour (When The Radio Is Not Playing) and then resumes the timing. Not always the clock will succeed picking up that radio signal, it depends on the airwaves, and the location of the clock radio it self, but in any rate the clock will keep running regardless. Of all other clock radios i'd owned and yes there are many that you can get for a lot less money, this is the best one I ever had, it has just about everything you can ask for from an wake up service device. NOW THAT'S A CLOCK RADIO.