iHome iH9 Alarm Clock Speaker System with Dock for iPod (Black)
by iHome
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List Price: Our Price: $65.00 You Save: $14.99 (19%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Network Media Player 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 iH9 Alarm Clock Speaker System with Dock for iPod (Black)
Customer Review: Good except for compatibility concerns
Summary: 3 Stars
Pros:
works with my 2nd generation nano
Easy to set up (e.g. the clock was already set)
Sound is ok
Cons:
My only complaint is that not all Apple music devices are compatible with the ih9, and it was not very easy to determine what models it is compatible with. For example, here's what various sources say:
ihomeaudio.com: "The iHome iH9 is compatible with all the latest iPod models, and includes inserts for the 3rd generation Nano, iPod Touch and iPhone."
Amazon.com: "Compatibility: iPod mini; iPod 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod nano 1G, 2G; iPod touch"
TigerDirect.com (Amazon seller): "Not compatible with 3rd generation or earlier iPods."
ih9 product manual: "iH9 cannot control 1st or 2nd generation iPod or iPod shuffle."
Some of these are sources are simply wrong, others provide vague information. My feeling is that all Apple music devices should work with this system (ipod, iphone, itouch).
It didn't come with an insert for my ipod 2nd generation nano (Fortunately, my nano came with an insert that works with this system.)
Plus, it was difficult to determine what version my ipod nano was. I found a useful support document by doing an internet search for "Identifying iPod models"
My recommendation is to try your your music device with the ih9 before buying one online.
Customer Review: Good sound, but not for the long haul
Summary: 3 Stars
I was given this as a gift a couple of years ago. At first, I was madly in love with it. As other reviewers have said, the iPod dock is a bit fragile. This made me nervous at first. After about six months, the dock just plain stopped working. I don't know if maybe one of the teeny weeny wires in the exposed dock got bent, I don't know what happened. It doesn't recognize the iPod. This is really a shame, because its little speakers aren't bad. Particularly for small home dwellers, this is a great alternative to having a full stereo. I always feel the sound quality is good.
As a clock radio, it is really good. It has three brightness settings, a readout visible from some distance, date and time, and- LOVE THIS- a switch on the back to easily set from Daylight Savings to Standard Time and back. No more rolling all the way around the dial to set the clock back one hour.
After frequent use, the button for setting the alarm became worn out. It required holding it down and wiggling it around to get it to make contact so the clock would go to the mode to set the alarm. Now it's just plain dead.
As a clock and as a radio, I would definitely purchase this product again. For the price, I don't know if I would purchase this again as an alarm clock, and I would not purchase this as a listening device for my iPod.
Customer Review: Really good option for an iPod alarm clock
Summary: 5 Stars
I wanted an option to wake to music, so an iPod alarm was a perfect fit. My son owns the Altec Lansing inMotion iPod alarm clock but when I saw the iHome in an Apple store I decided to give it a try. I have been more than happy with my decision.
I know that some complain about the sound quality but I find it to be just fine. Admittedly I'm not an audiophile, but with slight adjustments to the bass and turning on the 3D option the output sounds normal to everyone in my household. The more important factor to me is how easy it is to use and adjust. Compared to the inMotion alarm clock, it's a lot more user friendly. The click-wheel is fantastic for ease of adjustment and the display has large icons and numbers that let you know without a doubt what things are set at. With the inMotion, on more than one occasion my son's alarm hasn't functioned as he thought it would because he hadn't set it properly.
Other pros are that you can adjust the brightness of the display to eight different levels, you can set the length of snooze from 1-29 minutes, you can create an "iHome" playlist on your iPod and the alarm clock will randomly select from it each morning, and the alarm can be set to go off every day, only weekdays, or only weekends.
Customer Review: Poor customer service
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased an ihome IH9 seven months ago and it just died. I followed the reset procedure as described in the manuel three times. Each time it worked for a short time and died. I emailed their service department with the details hoping there would be a quick fix available. I promptly received a reply, and it was clear to me from the response this is somewhat of a common occurrence, the tech seemed to know exactly what was wrong with it. Unfortunately there was no quick fix, I was asked to send it in for repair. Here's the rub, if you can't find the receipt, they will charge you a $35 dollar fee. So for me to send this item back for what is most likely a design flaw, I would need to go to the retailer to see if I could get a duplicate receipt, box it up, wait in line at the post office, pay the postage and hope it would come back with the apparent flaw corrected so that if would not have the same problem in a few more months of use. I emailed again asking if their was any other way this issue could be resolved, no response. Since then I have researched ihome and found many complaints of poor quality and customer service issues.
My suggestion is purchase this type of an item from another manufacturer and save yourself a big headache!
Customer Review: Works well, some problems
Summary: 4 Stars
I have the iH9 and love the fact that I can program a specific wake-up playlist. I have several playlists (blues, instrumental, etc) that I can swap out for music to wake up to. Audio fades in so as not to be jarring- nice touch. The strange thing is though that occasionally the music will be interrupted by the alarm beep. Sometimes it at the end of a song, other times right in the middle. I can't figure out why, but my best run was 4 snoozes without the alarm beep interrupting.
The FM radio is weak in terms of reception. Mine gets obvious static and I live on the top floor of my suburban condominium. It's not enough to be annoying, but you can hear it if you try.
The 5/7 day alarm is such a great feature. I love that I don't have to remember to shut it off on Friday and turn it back on Sunday.
The 3D audio enhancement is a nice feature.
I'm pleased with the adjustable lighting on the clock. (PS- don't look at the time if you wake up in the middle of the night, it's counterproductive to falling back asleep!)
The remote is a nice feature, but I don't use it at all. It also doesn't light up if you choose to use it to turn music on/off (sleep mode) in the dark.