Sony ICF-C705 - clock radio

• Average user rating: 1.5 stars out of 1 review
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 3 stars

  Poor design overshadows positive features.

  by algins on March 26, 2009

  Pros: Small footprint, easily learned control panel, MP3 player input, 15 presets, reasonably good sound quality for size.

  Cons: "Nap Time" activation button is foolishly placed right next to the "sleep" button resulting in unintended wake up alarms, often just after falling asleep. Backlight on screen even in dim mode is too bright, no way to make it dimmer or to turn it off.

  Summary: I found the ICF-C705 to be a feature rich clock radio for the price with reasonable sound quality for its size, ample memory channels, an MP3 player connector, and easily ...

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  Summary: I found the ICF-C705 to be a feature rich clock radio for the price with reasonable sound quality for its size, ample memory channels, an MP3 player connector, and easily activated dual alarms.
  
  Unfortunately it has two design flaws that for me are deal breakers.
  
  The most aggravating design problem is that the "Nap Time" activation button is placed right next to the "Sleep" button. The "Nap Time" feature sets the radio to emit a series of beeps after a selected time period has elapsed.
  
  I usually set the sleep button to listen to the radio while falling asleep. Sometimes it turns off before I've fallen asleep so I'll reach over and push the "sleep" button a few times so the radio will play for an additional 30 minutes or so. As careful as I've tried to be when doing this there are times when I simultaneously hit the "Nap Time" button located right next to the sleep button, resulting in the radio emitting loud beeps 30 minutes to an hour later. The "Nap Time" button is a usable feature but its placement on the radio is wrong ... it should have been placed far away from the "sleep" button.
  
  The second design flaw involves the large lit LCD Screen. While the large screen is convenient to see the time and other information, even at its dimmest setting it is very bright in a dark room. There isn't any way to dim it further or to just turn it off.
  
  These two design flaws caused me to stop using the radio as I intended: a next to the bed clock radio. If I knew then what I know now I wouldn't have purchased it.

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