iHome iH5 Clock Radio and Speaker System for iPod (Black)
by Sound Design, Inc.
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List Price: Our Price: $39.99 You Save: $60.00 (60%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days 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 iHome iH5 Clock Radio and Speaker System for iPod (Black)
Customer Review: The way to listen to your iPod when you're not using headphones
Summary: 5 Stars
Looks like I've finally become a citizen of this century, because I went out and bought myself an iPod, which is something I thought I would never do--although, I thought this when it first came out and you needed an Apple or Mac to use it. I wanted to get some kind of docking-stereo system for it shortly after I bought it, and I was originally going to go with something cheaper and simple, but was told that I should go with the iHome docking/speaker system. I can honestly tell you this, I'm glad I made this choice instead of going with something cheaper.
The sound quality is outstanding. You would not expect it to sound the way it does because of how small the speakers are, but it can just about outdo or match the typical CD/stereos. The iHome is extremely easy to use and comes with many features. You can set the alarm or wake up to your iPod. Also, there is a way to "sleep" to your iPod that I haven't tried yet, but the belief is that you set the time you want it to shut down, and it will gradually get quieter and quieter until the stopping time (that's a pretty neat feature that I'm going to have to try one of these days).
The iHome comes with different inserts for the different iPods out there (the back of the box will give you a listing of what it's compatible with. While you listen to your iPod through the iHome, it charges your iPod, and it does so even when you're not listening to it so long as you've got it docking on it.
The only regret I have is that I didn't get the iHome White--I have an iPod Nano Black, so I figured I should get that for it to match. The downfall of having it in black is that it smudges VERY easily and fingerprints show up on it like crazy, even if you just lightly touch it. I'm sure it's nothing a lightly wetted cloth can't handle, but it's still annoying. I wished I went with the white model, along with having a white iPod. Still, that's really my only gripe with it.
If you have an iPod and are looking for a nice docking/stereo system for it, then I highly recommend the iHome. It might be pricey, but it's worth every penny. It's definitely enhanced my iPod enjoyment. This is how I listen to my iPods when I don't have the headphones plugged in, and I love it. I absolutely love it. -Michael Crane
Customer Review: Nice alarm clock iPod combination for the money....
Summary: 3 Stars
This is nice iPod clock radio that is reliable has some good features. It charges your iPod while you are using it and it does have the gentle wake feature which is so much better than a jarring single volume alarm. However, the alarm good ramp up more gently and this is a shortcoming in my opinion. It also starts out fairly loud, which is not something you can adjust.
A lot of reviewers have mentioned that the sound is excellent. While I think the sound is pretty good, I don't think it's excellent. If you like deep bass or clear high frequencies and you are going to use it more than for waking up or occasional use, you may want something better. As you would imagine, it is fine for a small room and casual listening. However, sound quality differs a lot at this price point and you would be wise to actually go out and listen to the various units at this price point.
I think of this alarm clock as a good alarm clock with some added features. It is not primarily a mini-stereo system in the sense of high quality sound. I ultimately purchased another unit that I thought had superior sound, but it is not iPod capable. However, it does have an mp3 capability and built in CD with much better sound than this unit for less money. It is manufactured by RCA and I will eventually do a search for it on here and review it.
When I was looking around to purchase a good alarm with iPod capability, I looked at a lot of them and the quality of the sound and equipment varied greatly. This is one product that you probably want to see and hear perform in a store before you buy. While I think reviews are useful, personal tastes in what constitutes good sound, appropriate brightness, gentleness in the alarm vary greatly between people. Being that this something you are going to live with everyday, it just seems to make sense to actually experience what is available. If you don't, you mind find that one particular thing annoys you and you will have to live with that everyday.
Customer Review: Good Product, But With a Few Gotchas
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought the iHome after recieving a Black Video iPod for Christmas, thinking it would be the perfect companion to my new toy. I have had a number of alarm clocks in the past including many CD alarm clocks, and the important thing for me was (1) that I could choose the song to wake to, and (2) absolute reliability of the alarm. On those two counts, the iHome is a champ. Simply cue up your iPod to the song you want to wake up to, hit pause, and it will start right in when the alarm hits. And if power should be lost, the iPod unseated, or if you forget to plug in the iPod, no problem. It switches to a "beep" alarm which is loud enough to wake you, but not so obnoxious that you wind up in a bad mood all day. Sound quality is SUPERIOR. And the controls are pretty obvious, and nicely lit with a gentle red glow for night useage.
However, there are a few gotchas with this product that probably will mean I will be going back to my old CD alarm clock. First, the LCD display has no "lights off" feature. For some, this will be nice as it means the display is visible even in pitch blackness. But I have a sensitivity to light that sometimes makes it hard to sleep if there is too much of it. Even the lowest light setting (there are three) is sometimes too much for me. Second, there is not a whole lot of iPod integration as far as controls go. You can turn on the iPod, wake to it, and turn it off. That's it. If you want to change the song, you will want to pick it up OUT of the iHome, change the settings on the wheel, and then plug it back in. Not a bigee, but a step down from the integration that most iPod accessories have. Third, this is NOT a "portable" solution. If you travel, this unit will be too big and bulky to bring along.
Overall, a good product which I recommend if the gotchas do not worry you. But neither of these are mentioned anywhere on the packaging or any of the reviews I have read. Buyer beware... and then enjoy!
Customer Review: Great for the Price
Summary: 4 Stars
As a stereo system, the iHome works great. Considering how much the dock costs alone, the iHome is a great deal. Very convenient for coming home and continuing to listen while charging your iPod. Sound quality is wonderful for the price and can play very loudly without distortion. The design is great and matches that of the iPod. There are really only two problems.
The first has been mentioned before and that is the brightness of the LCD screen. The lowest setting is pretty bright, but if it's on a night stand or somewhere close it's pretty easy to place something in front of it that can be easily moved on waking. It's inconvenient but not much more (it has been suggested on other forums that you can buy some plastic tinted tacky paper at an art store to cut out and place over the screen to adjust to your liking).
The second problem, which was more important to me, is that you cannot adjust the waking volume. It has a gentle wake feature but it goes from loud to extremely loud in only a few seconds. There have been times when it goes off after I have already left the room and I can hear it from other rooms in my apartment. Not to mention that it wakes up my partner because you can't immediately turn down the volume once it goes off. When you do turn it off, it makes a loud beeping noise that you cannot turn off. This is the same noise anytime you press any of the buttons. If you like to listen to the music for a little while before getting out of bed, the iHome makes it hard as your first reaction is to turn off the music blaring in you ear.
If you usually set your alarm loud and are not worried about waking anyone else up, it works just fine. The same goes of the light if you are not particularly sensitive to it. As just a means to play your music it's great, I love it. The sound, the iPod integration, and the design are enough to make up for a few seconds of blaring sound in the morning.
Customer Review: Pleased with my purchase
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this the iHome iH5 clock radio from Amazon after taking my iPod to Best Buy to test external speakers. After attaching my iPod to about 10 different products, the two finalists were JBL and iHome (Bose had great sound but it seems too expensive). I really considered the round JBL ones because of its small size, but I thought that the iHome speakers had more nice functions and the volume went louder. I chose free shipping from Amazon and I got my package in three days (and amazon.com was about 10% cheaper than Best Buy).
Volume: loud, but could go louder (I also think my normal car speakers could go louder on some songs...) Easy volume control with a large wheel on the top of the iHome. The sound is not amazing, but the untrained ear will probably barely notice a difference. I have a two floor apartment - the iHome gets loud on the first floor, and I can still hear it well on the second floor. (I could talk over it on the second floor, not the first.) It is certainly loud enough for a small gathering/party (10-15 people).
IPOD fit: I bought my iPod in July of 2003 and I was concerned that my hardware was getting out of date. The iHome comes with plastic pieces that allow all iPods to fit, and it even has a rubber piece for forthcoming iPods.
Overall: The iHome charges my iPod, I have a nice alarm clock (I can wake up to my iPod), a clear digital radio (enhanced antenna is included - FM works well, AM is iffy), and since the iHome comes with batteries I can take my speakers on vacation, to the beach, etc (though it is a bit big, it fits in my airplane carry-on). It does not come with a remote, but you can buy one for $20. The A/C power adapter is kind of huge, but I guess that just comes with the territory. I also have a white iPod, and the black iHome looks fine.
I am satisfied with my purchase, and I would recommend this item to a friend. BUY rating, 7/10 (10 high).