Logitech Pure-Fi Anytime
Manufacturer: Logitech Part number: 980-000192
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Logitech's Pure-Fi Anytime is a good choice for anyone in the market for a basic, affordable iPhone/iPod-friendly clock radio--so long as you're not a stickler for sound quality.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/02/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Logitech Pure-Fi Anytime price range: $109.95
- Reviewed by: John P. Falcone
- Reviewed on: 11/13/2008
The good: AM/FM/iPod clock radio with motion-controlled snooze mode; attractive, compact design; works with iPhones without the need for them to be switched to airplane mode.
The bad: Middling sound quality, especially on bass-heavy music; only six radio station presets.
The bottom line: Logitech's Pure-Fi Anytime is a good choice for anyone in the market for a basic, affordable iPhone/iPod-friendly clock radio--so long as you're not a stickler for sound quality.
Logitech's line of Pure-Fi iPod speaker docks has swelled to seven, so you could be forgiven for mixing them up. The latest entry--the Pure-Fi Anytime--is basically a cheaper entry-level version of the Pure-Fi Dream. It boasts the same dual alarm AM/FM clock radio and motion-activated backlit controls ("wave to snooze") as that model, but sports a smaller, less curvaceous frame. And while the Pure-Fi Anytime doesn't make the Dream's claims of high-end sound, its $100 list price is exactly half that of its big brother. And we've already seen it selling online for as little as $80.
At 10.5 inches by 3.8 inches by 3.5 inches (HWD), the Pure-Fi Anytime is small enough to fit on nearly any nightstand or bookshelf. The black housing is angled back a bit, which adds a touch of design flair to the otherwise pedestrian rectangular design. While many iPod docks have the Apple player protruding from the top like a Stonehenge monolith, the Pure-Fi Anytime's dock sits front and center, nestled between the left and right speaker. As a result, the main clock/radio display is pushed to the right side, just above the speaker.
The controls are found on the topside. If they're a bit hard to see at first--especially in a darkened bedroom--waving your hand over the unit (or just touching one of the buttons) fades in a soft amber backlight behind each key. The buttons are fine, but--as always--it would've been nice to have knobs for volume and tuning. Otherwise, you can use the included credit card remote. It handles all the standard functions, including basic iPod navigation (play/pause, track up/down). The Pure-Fi Anytime also has a caddy on its backside, so you'll always know where the little remote is.
The Pure-Fi Anytime is iPhone-certified, which means that it's shielded from the GSM interference that would otherwise be caused by the phone. As a result, you can dock your iPhone in without flipping it to airplane mode; in other words, you can still make and receive calls while the unit is docked. Of course, the Anytime also works with nearly all other dock-equipped iPod models. It includes dock inserts for just four of the more popular sizes, but we found that the iPhone and second-generation iPod Nano both docked firmly without the need for the inserts at all.
Aside from iPods and iPhones, the Pure-Fi Anytime also includes an AM/FM radio. The attached FM string antenna delivered great reception, while you'll need to attach the included AM loop antenna to access that band. There's no iPod video output, but the stereo line input will allow you to play any external device over the Pure-Fi Anytime's speakers, such as a CD player, satellite radio, or PC. There are only three presets per radio band, but you can also use them as playlist presets on the iPod; just create playlists named "1," "2," and "3."
The Anytime is, at heart, an alarm clock, and it has the sort of robust alarm functionality that we'd expect in a unit at this price point. Specifically, each of the two alarms can be set to wake to AM, FM, iPod, or a buzzer. The alarm volume can also be specified, so you can fall asleep to music at a soft "5" but have the alarm rouse you out of bed at a sufficiently loud "12." If the alarm source is set to "iPod," the Pure-Fi will look for playlists called "Alarm 1" or "Alarm 2," respectively; otherwise, it'll just resume the most recent playlist in progress, or--lacking that--just start playing some random tunes. Also, a 9-volt backup battery keeps time, alarm, and radio presets intact during power outages. The only thing missing in terms of alarm customization is the ability to set them for individual days of the week or weekday/weekends, as found on many iHome iPod clock radios.
Need to grab a few more minutes of sleep? If you don't want to grope for the snooze button, just wave your hand above the Anytime, and the motion detector should kick in. It worked for us most of the time, but we did have to go back for a second pass on occasion. (Snooze time can be customized from 1 to 15 minutes.) If you want to fall asleep to music instead, the snooze button will act as a sleep timer, automatically shut off the Anytime anywhere from 5 to 180 minutes after starting its countdown.
In terms of sound quality, the Pure-Fi Anytime is squarely in the "sounds decent for the money" camp. Bass response is somewhere between thin and nonexistent, and it can't get very loud without distorting. We put the Pure-Fi Anytime head-to-head with the Pure-Fi Elite, the Pure-Fi Dream, the Pure-Fi Express Plus, and the Altec Lansing InMotion Moondance Glow iM402. To our ears, the Anytime finished towards the bottom of the pack. The inclusion of bass and treble controls would've been a nice way to help
Put that in perspective with pricing, however: the Anytime can be had for less than $100, while all but one of those competing models skew more toward the $150 to $200 range. Likewise, one of the closest competitors, the iHome iP99, offers a nearly identical set (more flexible alarm options, no "wave to snooze" feature) but at a list price of 50 percent higher.
And that's pretty much the bottom line. If you're looking for anything beyond light listening duties, you'll want to trade up to a pricier model. That said, the Logitech Pure-Fi Anytime's relatively strong feature set, attractive design, and affordable price tag go a long way to making up for its sonic shortfalls. It's a perfectly good iPod/iPhone clock radio, and a worthy competitor to most similarly priced options from iHome.
User reviews
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Super awesome for an iPhone clock radio!
by alexacker on January 6, 2009
Pros: ? Easy to use controls
? Sleek looking
? Seamless with iPhone 2G (3g and all ipods) -- came with numerous adaptersCons: ? Wish the display was a little larger
? tends to gather dustSummary: First off, I don't understand the reviews for clock radios in general from CNET and others out there. I bought this clock radio for my iPhone 2G and it ...
Summary: First off, I don't understand the reviews for clock radios in general from CNET and others out there. I bought this clock radio for my iPhone 2G and it works beautifully and sounds great for a clock radio. I basically listen to it for about 5 seconds in the morning, snooze it, and then listen for another 5 seconds about 10 minutes later till I shut it off?maybe I'll get a quick dose of Daughtry or Stone Temple Pilots. During those 5 seconds apiece, I'm not analyzing highs, mids and lows of the sound blah blah blah.
Moving on, this clock radio is a little wonder. It was easy to assemble (even came with a little screw driver) and configure (just double checking the manual 1x when it came to the alarms). My need is to charge my iphone and wake up with music from it in the morning, and for this, it's awesome. Sound is great for an alarm clock but not going to blow you away. But, who cares, it's an alarm clock for Pete's sake. The remote control is nice but I'll never use it. The waving feature for snooze is cute but I'm old school -- like to touch a button. And, it was pretty easy to configure (just one quick check of the manual).
The only negatives I have is I do wish the display was larger and it didn't collect so much dust. I got this for $79 at Amazon and it's a great product for a great price.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Serious Sound Distortion
by theresachan on July 11, 2009
Pros: Dual-alarm, radio preset, clear clock panel, the motion sensor is fun
Cons: Heavy sound distortion when room tempertate drops, to the point that its sound output is unbearable.
Summary: The unit worked okay at first. The sound quality was average but otherwise functioned well. A month later I woke up to my ipod music with heavy sound distortion. It ...
Summary: The unit worked okay at first. The sound quality was average but otherwise functioned well. A month later I woke up to my ipod music with heavy sound distortion. It recovered a few minutes later so I thought it was just a glitch. A few days later the problem came back and it didn't recover.
I found logitech's forum online and found out that the problem is due to a faulty part in the first shipment of Pure-Fi Anytime units that is sensitive to cold temperature. I was told that I can get a replacement from the retailer.
I took the unit back to the retailer twice. The same problem exist althougth I doubt that the retailer arranged for a new shipment. I finally returned the unit for a refund (after a bit of 'discussion' that I'm entitled to a refund instead of a shop credit according to our country's consumer guarantees act).
I am not happy with this unit at all.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great featured alarm clock that also has iPod docking
by cadbury64 on November 4, 2009
Pros: Good design, excellent time display in dark room, alarm is easy to operate, sound quailty is pretty good for the price
Cons: I wish the remote had a bit more iPod functionality like a "menu" and select button (like the Logitech PureFi Anywhere).
Summary: Have tried other iPod clocks and this was the first that had a truly visible display from all angles (unlike backlit LCD displays) but did not light up the room ...
Summary: Have tried other iPod clocks and this was the first that had a truly visible display from all angles (unlike backlit LCD displays) but did not light up the room like a small beacon. The unit is compact and stylish, and provides good sound for a bedroom.
I went through 4 units to get a good one, and had problems with distorted sound with the first three, which came from a known "dodgy" early production batch. The local Logitech importers were keen to sort this out with me however. -
Pure-FI sound substandard
by PureFi on June 3, 2009
Pros: The product is easy to use, looks good and the sound is good... initially. The hand gesturing is very 'handy' to illuminate the display and controls at night time.
Cons: This product appears to have serious defect. Within a couple of months of using the product the sound becomes seriously distorted to the point where it is inaudible. Most 'testing' would not reveal the fault. Logitech service is questionable.
Summary: Initial impressions of this product are good... but owning one soon reveals a serious and very common flaw. I have several friends with the same model, I was so impressed ...
Summary: Initial impressions of this product are good... but owning one soon reveals a serious and very common flaw. I have several friends with the same model, I was so impressed I bought two units for different rooms. Within months the sound becomes so distorted the unit becomes an expensive clock. EVERY one of the units purchased by my friends has proved faulty. Both the units I own are faulty. Read the comments on Logitech's own forums and you will see there are many disatisfied customers now on their third or fourth unit, all with exactly the same fault. My advice is NOT to buy this unit. I have contacted logitech for repairs, recieved case numbers... but am still waiting for the unit to be serviced or replaced. The warranty might say two years, but if the company does not fulfil the warranty, or simply continue to replace it with defective product, the warranty is of little purpose.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Logitech
- Part number: 980-000192
- Description: Featuring motion-activated controls and other innovative features, Logitech Pure-Fi Anytime is the perfect nightstand companion. If you commonly dock your iPod or iPhone in the bedroom, Pure-Fi Anytime offers a full set of features, such as advanced motion-sending technology, that make it perfect for your bedside table - and ensure that you'll have a fully charged iPod or iPhone when you wake in the morning. To avoid the inconvenience of waking a sleeping partner, the motion-sensing backlight makes it easy to set your alarm without having to turn on the lights. The alarm clock's controls light up when you wave your hand over the speakers and the buttons automatically dim when you're done using it. And when you want to get a few minutes of extra sleep when your alarm goes off in the morning, you can simply wave your hand over the speakers and the motion-sensing technology will activate snooze. Pure-Fi Anytime also features an easy-to-read display that is clearly visible during the day and night. A recessed dock helps prevent you from accidentally knocking over your iPod or iPhone. Plus, Pure-Fi Anytime offers a digital AM/FM radio for those times when you want to give your iPod a break and enjoy live music, news and sports.
General
- Product type Speakers
- Included accessories AM antenna, IPod adapter kit
Audio Features
- Digital storage None
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Timer Sleep
- Built-in clock Alarm, Digital clock
- Alarm qty 2
- Alarm wake-up modes Radio, Buzzer, MP3 playback
- Additional features Motion sensor, Volume control, Backlight buttons
Built-in Display
- Backlight display Yes
Cassette System
- Cassette system type None
Speaker System
- Speaker(s) 2 x Right/left channel speaker Built-in
Radio
- Tuner type Digital Radio tuner
- Tuner bands AM/FM
MD System
- MD system type None
Remote Control
- Remote control Remote control - Infrared
Connectivity
- Connector type 1 x Audio line-in Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x IPod docking
- Slot(s) provided None
Battery / Power
- Power device type Power adapter
Manufacturer info
- Logitech
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Logitech products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.logitech.com/
- Address:
6505 Kaiser Dr., Fremont, CA 94555
