Big, Good Sound, Great Dimming Clock
Pros:
Large, easy-to-read numbers, good quality sound, contemporary look, dimming numbers.
Cons:
Alarm disable button hidden, easy to forget about on weekends.
The Bottom Line:
A great clock radio at a great price, packed full of useful features, and stylish to boot!
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
When my wife and I bought our new house, I wanted to coordinate the accents in each room. In our bedroom, that meant brushed stainless, dark wood, and blue colors for most of the pieces, which meant my old black plastic alarm clock radio with red LED numbers had to go.
The RCA was easy to choose. It had the right look, the numbers were color coordinated and easy to read, and the price was right. Only when I got it home did I realize how much of an upgrade $20 could bring.
First, it's a dual alarm clock. Although my wife decided to keep her clock radio (which does not coordinate), a couple could easily use this single clock for the alarms for both people. We don't use that, but each alarm can be set to a different time, and each can choose between radio or buzzer independently.
Second, the display has a selectable auto-dimming feature. A tiny light sensor on the front of the clock measures the light in the room, and adjusts the brightness of the LED accordingly. When the lights are on, the numbers are brighter, and it's easy to read. At night, the numbers are dimmed, so they're readable without casting a blue glow across the nightstand.
The quality of the radio is also very good, with a much less tinny sound than my old clock radio, and the tuner, although still adjusted by an analog dial, displays the frequency selected when the dial is turned. Very good for making sure I'm exactly tuned into the local classical station, for a pleasant wakeup to the sounds of strings and flutes instead of static.
In fact, the only negative about this clock is that the enable/disable buttons for the two alarms are on a ledge behind the top of the clock. I often find myself forgetting to turn it off on Friday night (out of sight, out of mind), so I'm awakened every Saturday and Sunday at my weekday alarm times, which is too early for me to be awakened on the weekend. I think this is more of a user error, though.
Overall, it's a solid, modern, highly functional clock that's packed full of great features.
