Ask Engadget: Non-fugly alarm clocks?
By Peter Rojas 
posted Mar 3rd 2005 8:04PM
posted Mar 3rd 2005 8:04PM
Alarm clocks must be pretty low on the design totem pole, because reader "razorweb" (which by coincidence is what we were planning on naming our first child), writes in with a question that's been bugging us lately, too:
Does a non-fugly cd-alarm clock exist? It is the Holy Grail of gadgets. How Sony can make a gorgeous T1 or T3 digital camera and still make clocks that look like ass confounds me.
Not sure we'd agree that a decent-looking alarm clock equals the Holy Grail of Gadgets (we're pretty sure that it's actually the Razrberry), but does anyone out there have any suggestions? Or at least is there anyone out there who has a good explanation for why it's so hard to find an alarm clock where the design isn't an afterthought?
Well, this isn't pretty, in fact its almost ugly, but I never look at it, it projects onto my wall. Take that hardware designer. http://www.ambientweather.com/rmorscatprcl.html
this is the one i have:
http://www.timexaudio.com/Viewitem.asp?idproduct=533
i don't like digital alarm clocks. this one had a nice glowing light that fades out after you let go of the snooze bar.
There is one, the Bose Wave Radio/CD. It's expensive at $500 but it really is the gold standard in CD alarm clocks and loaded with features, for example, a built in light sensor that lowers the brightness of the dispay at to match the ambient lighting, this feature works amazingly well, if the room is pitch black the display becomes just bright enough to read but so dark that it doesn't throw of any ambient light at all. Wake to CD, but you can even choose a particlar part of a track to wake to, so you could set it to start play the CD on track 3 and 32 seconds into the song if you wanted. Increasing buzzer that slowly ramps up until it is basically blasting but again, you can set it to start at any volume you want. Dual alarms and a snooze button that actually lets just adjust the amount of time you snooze for when you hit the button.
Is it worth $500? Not really, but if you have the money to spend it is the best one you can get both in features and appearance. You will pretty much find at least one in every highend home, hell, my parents own 6 of them.
Here's mine:
http://homepage.mac.com/johnmckee/radio.jpg.jpg
Crappy photo taken from my RAZR.
Ok, this one is also pricey, but I think it looks pretty nice...
http://www.tivoliaudio.com/product.php?productid=145&cat=&page=
- Jon
This is the one I just bought:
http://www.slimdevices.com/
Note: extra parts are required.
I like my alarm clock. Very high-tech. Made by Philips. What makes it uber-cool is the touch screen controls.
http://tinyurl.com/6grr7
-Ryan
I actually use the timer on my TV as an alarm clock.omaticalll Leave the music playing on my xbox overnight and the TV automatically turns on at the designated time and turns off after i get up.
Was just going to recommend the Philips clock Ryan linked to. My dad got one for his apartment... it's very cool. Only around $50, too (beat that, Bose).
Here is my alarm clock:
http://up2.fastuploads.com/Alarm.JPG
best alarm clock ever... its a little expensive though if you just want a clock
I got a tiny cube clock/alarm from FLIGHT 001 for xmas that I love. It looks great and works great. I can't find it on their site, but their clock/watch section has a few cool options:
http://www.flight001.com/category.htm?viewbyid=10
For the last, oh... 10 years, I've been searching for a cool alarm clock that has a number pad for entering the current and alarm time. A college roommate of mine had one, but I've never been able to track one down. I figure it would make it easier for me to wake up in the morning, enter the time that I REALLY want to wake up, and go back to sleep... instead of fumbling with the snooze button, and turning the alarm completely off half the time.
Well if this would EVER actually come out I'd probably buy it as it does a lot more than just be an alarm clock, though it can do that too.
http://www.beyondconnectedhome.com/products/home_hub.html
They do have an older version with a monochrome screen, but why would I buy that instead of waiting to get this one... though this one doesn't seem to be ever coming out. I've been waiting since last July and nothing has changed at all.
I really like the microwave with barcode reader that I have right now.
http://www.tivoliaudio.com/product.php?productid=145&cat=&page=
and you can add a cd if you want. they have amazing sound
Well if this would EVER actually come out I'd probably buy it as it does a lot more than just be an alarm clock, though it can do that too.
http://www.beyondconnectedhome.com/products/home_hub.html
They do have an older version with a monochrome screen, but why would I buy that instead of waiting to get this one... though this one doesn't seem to be ever coming out. I've been waiting since last July and nothing has changed at all.
I really like the microwave with barcode reader that I have right now.
Either the NAKAMICHI SoundSpace SS1 or SS5 are excellent quality and very modern design.
http://www.nakamichiusa.com/flash.html
If you can find the SoundSpace 3 that came out back in 2000, it was beautiful. Very sleek and elegant.
http://www.audioreview.com/other/mini-systems/Nakamichi/PRD_124861_2749crx.aspx
Oh and seriously check out the spec sheet for that home hub I described earlier. Its a hell of an alarm clock and looks good to boot.
Matt
http://media.ds.ign.com/articles/564/564819/img_2456158.html
it gets louder and louder and stays at its maximum till shut off
I'm sorry yall I have no idea why it posted that twice. I was going to say that you should check out the spec sheet at the bottom of the beyond appliances home hub page too. It's a hell of an alarm clock with many features and looks good to boot!
OMG. finding a decent alarm clock is that hardest thing in the world. esp when u are budget constrained (that bose one sounds AWESOME).
i am yet to find an alarm clock that doesnt cost the earth that has the feature set of my 1970s era brown fake wood baby. it has four brightness settings, an alarm that gets louder and faster as it goes on, if you set to wake to radio the alarm comes on over the top after 10 minutes (perfect if you lie there listening to the news for too long), obviously the volume does not control the buzzer (why do they make them like that??), setting the time has a "fast" button for forward OR back changes and the snooze is a perfect 10 minutes. (i swear they make it 9 minutes to confuse your brain and make u get up "its 9.37?? wtf??")
now if i upgrade it better be bloody good. it should take mp3 cds/flash mem, be a pretty color (pref blue) and bascially make the start to my day less hellish than is usual.
id take a picture of mine with my cameraphone.. but I use my cameraphone as an alarm.
id take a picture of mine with my cameraphone.. but I use my cameraphone as an alarm.
Come on, guys! 500 bucks for an alarm clock? I know there are a lot of great options well above 100 bucks, but you'd think there would be something out there that didn't look like my late seventies 8-track player for less than that. the problem seems to be that the two markets are (1.) crappy radio and clock for $10-30 and (2.) crappy CD player, radio, and clock for $30-$70. No one seems to care about unique features and, frankly, something of a quality akin to the furniture upon which it's placed (that is, unless everyone has some really crappy bedroom furniture and my wife is the only one out there that conned me into thinking it was a requirement to have something nice just in case I decided to wake up in the middle of the night, turn the lights on, and stare at it).
For me, there's only one radio out there that 'kinda' fits the requirements.... this Timex (and, yes, I know the word Timex on anything seems like a purchase akin to spending 100 grand on a Yugo but again we're not talking about multiple C notes here):
http://www.timexaudio.com/Viewitem.asp?idproduct=644
Not too big, not too expensive (less than 30 bucks), lots of whacky nature sounds (including fake birds that leave me chuckling enough to avoid the snooze button), and an alarm that can be set to go off only during the weekdays, which means I NEVER have to turn the thing off. And it even has the date on the display so I don't forget to be the very first person to tell the spouse Happy Birthday, Happy Mother's Day, Happy Anniversary, Happy First Date, and anything else I can keep stored in my head pre-senility.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, there is a version which plays CDs so you can make sure you're hearing exactly what you want to hear when you're just waking up and you have no idea what in the world you're actually hearing (or perhaps, you just want to make sure that the soundtrack backing your waking dream isn't written and performed by Barry Manilow).
Sorry for the diatribe... hope this helps!
You know what I REALLY want? I want an alarm clock where I can set one or two alarm times for a different time for every day of the week. I'm a college student with a MWF schedule where I have to get up at 9 and a Tuesday, Thursday schedule where I have to get up at 8. It would be nice if I didn't have to mess with it every day and change it. Why is that so hard for some company to make exactly?
What I would really like is an alarm clock that actually wakes me up. I have currently three clocks that go off to wake me up. Living 2 blocks from the local airport most of my childhood, sound really doesn't affect me anymore for waking me up. Otherwise, I like my old Aiwa stereo with the alarm function. Otherwise, maybe something that could say, vibrate my pillow or bed or something else other than sound would be nice.
This is mine. I got it a Target
http://mocoloco.com/archives/virgin_pulse_radio_may_04.jpg
Its not Bose but it sounds way better than anything in its pricerange. ~ $30
The best from Sony is the ICF-CD855
http://www.abtelectronics.com/images/products/BDP%20Images/big_icfcd855vsil.jpg
I know that this is not the most gizmo filled alarm clock but I have the prior version and love it. The style is very clean and unlike anything most folks have seen. My wife has a matching one on her side of the bed, it is a great compliment to a modern house.
Philips AJ3136 GROOVY CLOCK
this site had the best picture:
http://www.audio-warehouse.com/web/mdl/AJ3136/detail.asp
I just bought a really cheap, $10, Slabang Ikea alarm clock that I realy like. It is non-illuminated for good sleep, simple, large numbers, recordable alarm message, and a large button on top to turn on a green backlight. They have them in grey and yellow. I put the website address as mine for easy linking.
hahaha... i use my cellphone as an alarm clock, i set it on vibrate, and under one of my pillows, then in the morning when it goes off, you have to open it to turn it off
Doesn't include a CD, but I kinda like this Sony:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006I5TF/qid=1109903582/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/002-6992718-2228035?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846
Nice find on the Timex, Qbert. It has three alarms, just weekdays and just weekends...Its almost exactly what I'm looking for... Almost. A different alarm time for each day of the week... thats all I need, but nobody makes it of course.
I like this one: http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=oSb5maxYpxj5me5_azzzkuNJVy_FpYpvFIs=?ProductSKU=ICFC763WHITE&Dept=pa&CategoryName=pa_Radio_AMFMClockRadio
... Alright, I have recently been corrected, the Beyond home appliances Home Hub that I spoke of IS actually available now. Here it is http://store.adelinevolel.com/behohubwb.html and for only 700 dollars its a STEAL!! Okay okay I'm completely kidding, but if it was say 2 or maybe 300 I'd be up for it. What do you think? Come on, waking up to weather forcasts and to see how bad your stocks are doing lately sounds awesome to me. :-)
I use my treo_600 and place it on an extra cradle on my nightstand. When it goes off in the morning I can just press the top button and it will go into snooze mode. Plus, I can configure the thing for different days of the week. Treos rule!
I have been using my various palm pilots and cell phones for years. My Tapwave Zodiac is a great alarm clock. Loud and clear, easy to set with an onscreen number pad, and will wake to mp3's. Perfect for me.
I wake up to my very slick plasma tv. to either a tv show or one of the music stations on digital cable
Simple design, great sound.
http://tinyurl.com/6sc23
I hate you Proee. I have been wanting a Treo, but I use Verizon and there is no way i'm buying a 600 when that 650 is already out and would be laughing at me for buying its old crappy sibling. Lol no I'm not crazy as that last sentence probably made me sound.
I have the Philippe Starck designed clock made by Oregon Scientific. [http://tinyurl.com/48ljv] It looks great and has an outdoor sensor that allows the clock to show temp, moon phase, etc. (I don't know how it works).
It also projects the time on the ceiling, which is actually really nice. The alarm tones sound like piano notes and chords. The downside is that it is expensive and the controls on the back are awful--not intuitive and impossible to read in dim light.
I have the Philips AJ3950, and I think it's just what you're looking for, Matt. There are two separate alarms that you can set for two different times. It's got a 3-stage backlight (you change the brightness by hitting the snooze button) and plays CD's and CD-R's.
It's not the Tivoli (*that's* a great looking alarm clock!), and the controls aren't very intuitive, but I'm still very happy with it.
And it's a steal at 40 bucks!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005AAMR/103-1675531-2722225?v=glance
Here's mine:
http://tinyurl.com/4gdc6
Sangean alarm clock. Also made by Proton. Not exactly pretty, but not totally ugly either. Has this cool feature where it gradually gets louder and louder. I like it. My wife hates it.
This is Ellen's:
http://tinyurl.com/5uryk
Nice looking model from Boston Acoustics. I've seen this at Best Buy.
Cell phone works great... its not only an alarm clock.. it can make calls too!
Too funny ... I went through the same exercise once my 10 year old Nakamichi finally died on me. After some exhaustive research I came across this http://www.bostonacoustics.com/hs_product.asp?ProductID=213&CategoryID=34 which I couldnt be happier with. Doesnt have CD but will hook to an iPod ... which is way cooler
@2. Right on with the Bose radio. They have those in every room at The Benjamin hotel in NYC. I stayed there a couple weeks ago, and it was the first time I've used the Bose. It was amazing. I highly recommend it for a bedside alarm clock.
i've been searching for a sleek/minimal alarm clock for years. i bought the jacob jensen a couple years ago without realizing it was a travel alarm that actually fits in the palm of your hand. it broke after a couple months.
there are a couple okay clocks if you hit yahoo auctions japan but nothing great. the nakamichi soundspace 3 is nice but a little pricey. not to mention it's a bit outdated.
eventually +-0 has to come out with something.
http://www.plusminuszero.jp
Thanks Ryan! I was actually having this same problem, looking for something I found suitable and the cheap $20-30 alarm clocks from the discount dept store looked so boring. I found this for a good price at JR.com (56.08 w/ ups ground) and went ahead and picked it up all because of this.
Quote:
For the last, oh... 10 years, I've been searching for a cool alarm clock that has a number pad for entering the current and alarm time. A college roommate of mine had one, but I've never been able to track one down. I figure it would make it easier for me to wake up in the morning, enter the time that I REALLY want to wake up, and go back to sleep... instead of fumbling with the snooze button, and turning the alarm completely off half the time.
The one I have has this feature. It's an old GE one model 7-4800A http://archives.radioattic.com/images/g/GE_7-4800A_Champeon.jpg
I got it from goodwill for 3 bucks :-)
Get a nice watch, decent speakers, a good DAP with FM tuner and line out (iaudio m3's my choice), have your pc do the alarm + cd playing, and scrap the clock.
I get a little annoyed (envious really) when people have a laptop, desktop, digital camera, camera phone, mp3 player with a camera embeded, pda with built in camera, etc. etc. Save the money and give it to your son who's in university and dreams when he reads engadget
Sangean makes some great clock radios. I have the RS330; it sounds really good and has all of the features I desire (except maybe to set the alarms for only M-F). My only real complaint is that it's easy to turn off the alarm completely when going for the snooze. http://www.sangean.com/digital.html