SonyDream Machine Clock Radio Model No. ICF-C218

This is the best alarm clock I have ever had. I liked it so much that I bought one for both of my own residences and another two for my mothers home. One is for her use (she loves it also) and one is for my use when I visit her. When you plug it in the clock "knows" what time it is - this owing to a long-life re-chargeable battery. You don't have to reset it after a power failure. You do have to set your time zone but then after that it makes the necessary adjustments for daylight savings time. Beware if you are using it in AZ - as I did. One of my two residences is located in AZ and I set it to an appropriate time zone. AZ does not recognize daylight savings time such that I was late for work one day in the fall when the clock adjusted to one hour behind in the fall of the first year I bought it. Remember "spring ahead, fall behind" Well it fell behind. I was due at work at 8:00 only I got there closer to 9:00 because the clock automatically "fell behind" one hour at the time when the rest of the country was observing a return to standard time. Other than that little feature - concerning which I am now aware - this clock is great. There is a button you can push which silences the alarm as you get ready to get out of bed but leaves it active for the following morning. This means you won't ever be late because you forgot to set your alarm the night before. It is automatically set for you. You can, in fact, turn it off so that it won't ring in the am, but you need to do so manually. Otherwise, it will ring each day at the appointed time without you remembering to set it. This clock has a snooze button (which I do use often) and a sleep timer as well. It also has a radio which great reception. Of course, reception is going to be a function of where you are using it. The radio is crystal clear anywhere I have ever used it - only the number of stations you can receive changes per your location. It is just about the best alarm clock I have ever owned and I will probably not change unless Sony stops stop making them. I have heard that the CD models sound "tinny" but the radio does not do so. For purposes of listening to the radio, it is perfectly fine. For purposes of an alarm clock it is absolutely fantastic.

Nearly all the digital clock radio alarms I have ever seen have one crucial defect. If you want to set the alarm an hour earlier, you have to cycle forwards through 23 hours.This clock radio lets you move the alarm time backwards and forwards very efficiently, with an accelerating speed, so you can spin through the hours very fast if you hold the switch long enough, and then when you get close to the desired alarm time (or overshoot it) you can make very small adjustments very efficiently, by brief nudges on the alarm time switch.The alarm time switch is normally in a center position. Push it to the left and it changes the time in a backward direction. Push it to the right and you go forwards in time, a very good design.Other features:It automatically sets itself to the right time, but in areas where a time signal is unavailable via the a/c mains, you can manually set time using a separate set of controls. The separate time setting controls are a good idea, because it means you can't accidentally change the actual time when in fact you want to change the alarm time.Radio reception is okay, not great, not bad, compared with other clock radios. Radio sound is okay. The radio is very compact and fits well in a small space.IMPROVEMENTS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE:This is overall a great radio and a very good value for money. However there are a few refinements I would like to see.At present the radio stations are not selected with a digital indicator. Instead you turn a wheel that moves a pointer to the left or right. I would greatly prefer a digital indicator, using the digital display already built in to the set.The antenna is built in to the interior of the set, so you do not get to play with a little cord to improve reception. I would like to see a port to accept a plug in antenna wire. This would not add much to the cost. Repositioning the whole radio to achieve better reception is not a good option in my case, because the available space is too small.

We recently removed a system from our television cabinet that showed the time. There was a gap and no way to tell the time in the living room. I looked around on Amazon.com for a clock, such as this one, to fill the void. After comparing the price and the features (and reading a few reviews) I decided to take a chance on this clock.For the price this clock is great. I've owned it for roughly a couple months now and the clock does what is expected. When I purchased the clock, I bought two. We use the extra for our guest room (they like to know local time when they visit).In the dark this clock is easy to read.In a lit room this clock is easy to read.In sunlight (which does not come so often to the Seattle area) this clock is easy to read.The numbers on the display are about an inch tall. At roughly 15 feet away this clock is still readable.It's not tiny but it's definitely compact. It measures about the size of a Western Digital external harddrive or as wide and tall (but not as deep) as a Mac Mini.Two things about this item really made me want to review it (and who gets excited about a clock? not me, really!) The first is it automagically sets the time when you plug it. The second, probably related to the first, is I did not have to adjust this clock for daylight savings. If a clock shows the correct time, sets itself, adjusts itself and is relatively easy to read - that's alright by me.

AMAZING QUALITY.I HAVE SEEN THIS CLOCK EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD, THAT IS WHY I ORDERED ONE FOR MYSELF. PACKAGING WAS VERY GOOD. PRODUCT WAS SENT AS SHOWN. VERY GOOD SOUND QUALITY AND FEATURES ARE VERY EASY TO USE. RAJ PHOTO EMPORIUM SELLER IS AN AUTHENTIC SELLER.

Pros:-Uses an internal button battery to back up the time in case of power outs, which should last quite a long time-Decent AM/FM reception and sound quality-You'd think this is trivial, but the fact that it has a 'Daylight Savings Time' button to move 1 hour forward/back is a plus; you'll only use this twice a year but it's something every clock should haveInteresting:-Clock shipped with time pre-set for the EST time zone; I imagine this may require adjustment depending on which time zone you live in, but it was a nice touchCons:-Display is not dimmable: while the display is reasonably dim on its own, depending on how much light pollution you're used to this may or may not be too bright for you since green light shows up very well at night. I don't have trouble falling asleep with the clock next to me but your mileage may vary. Interestingly the next model up, the ICF-C318, can dim the display.Overall it's easy to use, good value for the price, and so far reliable. Other than that there's not much to say, it's an alarm clock.

Good basic and simple to use no-frills clock radio. Doesn't forget the time when the power fails. No fancy things that we don't use. We've bought several, including a spare just in case. One of them is over 15 years old, and still works just fine.The only thing I might wish for is a wire antenna to factor in those times when the power cord isn't quite doing the job of pulling in far stations.

I loved it very much

Not very intuitive but it works well.-No dimmer option for the led display, it cast some green light that could keep a light sleeper awake.