Philips AJ3980 Clock Radio

Pros: the perfect alarm clock
Cons: none

===update september 2007=== The clock radio started behaving erratically. First, instead of AM, it showed the European name MW, and the AM numbers aligned with the European standard (1008 instead of 1010). No problem, actually kind of neat. Then the ...

Pros: Looks, dual-alarms, sound quality good at low volumes, compact size
Cons: Buggy touch screen, display too bright, fixed alarm volume, speakers too small, can't play CD-R's

I picked up this clock radio a couple of months ago to replace my old Sony. I'd been looking for a clock radio with a built-in CD for years, but hadn't found any that sounded good and looked good at a decent price (under $100). Many of them were also huge ...

Pros: Does what it is designed to do. Space efficient and elegantly styled.
Cons: Display is a little brigher than I would like.

I did a lot of research on alarm radios as I wanted something that wouldn't jolt me out of bed as most do. A previous model by Philips received a very high rating so I went looking for one. I looked everywhere and was about to give up when I found one ...

Pros: Nice design, best tuner, easy to use
Cons: None

As a former Philips employee, I've been pretty loyal to their products. But things like clock radios have to be easy to use and produce at least decent sound. This model is now out of production I believe, and when I tried a more recent model it did ...

Pros: Good radio.
Cons: Dual alarm settings are confusing, CD player didn't work, terrible customer service.

The CD player didn't work right out of the box. We received this radio as a gift and trying to get Philips to replace the defective radio was a nightmare. After hours of hold time, talking with uncooperative agents, getting my sister from 3 states away to fax them the receipt, they still didn't want to help me. Finally after many calls, they agreed to replace the radio, but I had to pay shipping! I will never buy another Philips product again.

Pros: Nice easy touch screen.
Cons: Alarm does not go off at the level set for the night before.

I bought this product last year. At that time it did not say anything about "Gentle Awake" guess the company received numerous complaints??? I set my alarm volume every night at the highest level of 32 but yet every morning the clock decides to go off at around level 15. If you are a heavy sleeper or have this clock away from your bed at any distance beware you may be late for work or school. The alarm is personally to low for me to hear it when it starts going off. I have a back up clock on the other side of my bed just in case.

Pros: Sound, compactness and ease of use make it a fine appliance.
Cons: No support for bad lcd display, left digit has gone bad.

I picked this up at Walmart 2-3 years ago for a lot less than they are listed at today. I was really impressed with the compactness, sound quality and ease of use. However, now the left digit of the lcd display has disappeared and can't seem to get anywhere with Philips. I don't know if this is fixable or a part could be replaced.

Pros: Good features, good sound.
Cons: Gentle Wake feature starts out too loud in the first place!

Pretty good overall, but why would someone come up with a great idea like the "gentle wake" feature, which slowly increases the volume of the alarm radio or CD, and then make it so it starts out at a volume that's too loud for a "gentle wake"??? It comes on at their volume level of 10, and increases to 25, and you can't adjust it. Why not start at 0 or 1?

Pros: Great radio reception
Cons: no back up battery, display still a bit bright at lowest setting.

I wish it had a back up battery and the display is still a little bright on it's lowest setting, but those are my only gripes. The radio reception is EXCELLENT - one of the most important features in my mind as I like to wake to my favorite news station. The sound is good, although it's a bit high on the treble. As many reviewers note, this is not a home stereo. The gentle wake is great with CD - find a track that starts quiet and combined with the feature, you get a nice and cozy wake up call. The unit is fairly user friendly.

Everyone has their own expectations, but this one should suit most. I returned the RCA RP3740 Clock Radio 'cause the radio reception sucked. Otherwise, wasn't a bad option if you're looking at this one.

Pros: Small footprint and doesn't take up space, looks really high-tech.
Cons: Speakers are slightly weak. No backup battery.

This is the ultimate radio alarm clock to have on the bedside table. Okay, it's not the most perfect radio for the size of the speakers, but it would look even more ridiculous to have a hifi/mini-compo residing next to your bed. However, on a fairer playing field when compared to other brands of radio alarm clocks, this is the Rolls Royce of models and more than lives up to its most basic function as a bedside alarm clock. You can wake up to a soothing CD, your favorite radio station, or just be plain jolted by the buzzer - but I always opt for the CD to face a more pleasant day. The best part is the touchscreen! It works surprisingly well and isn't too sensitive. I tried looking around all the major electronics shops in Singapore for weeks, but only managed to buy it from Yahoo Auctions from a parallel importer. I another one from him later as my wife liked it so much she wanted one for her side of the bed! Well-worth every penny spent!