Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony ICF-C1IPMK2 Speaker Dock and Clock Radio with iPod Dock (Black)
Sony ICF-C1IPMK2 Speaker Dock and Clock Radio with iPod Dock (Black)
See it at Amazon.co.uk for £54.55Average Customer Rating
(4.5 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First | + Share85 of 85 people found the following review helpful:
Need a teenage riot to get you out of bed? This might just do the trick.
(4 out of 5) by Mr. C. S. Green on Nov 18, 2008 (UK)I've had this Sony ipod alarm clock for around 4 months now and I must say I am relatively impressed. Sure you may think it is quite pricey for an alarm clock but rest assured it does so much more. I personally was sick of the horrible tin can sound of my old alarm clock and decided that I wanted to wake up to something that actually sounded decent. Don't let the 3W RMS fool you, this alarm clock packs a punch and surprisingly a decent amount of undistorted bass (providing you don't crank it up to its maximum volume - and even then distortion only occurs in songs with a prominant bass track. The sound is also surprisingly expansive for such a small unit and would happily fill a small room - though you wouldnt want to replace your hifi.
This clock has dual alarms which can be easily changed through the press of one button corresponding to alarm 1 or alarm 2 - ensuring you don't get rudely awakened at 6am on a non-work day. You can choose to wake to Buzzer, Radio or any track on your iPod. Unfortunately you have to pause the ipod on the track you want to wake to, which isnt really ideal but I think its all the other alarm clocks do. A nice feature is the fact that the unit comes with a fully functional remote allowing you to change between FM/AM or ipod, and then control all functions of your ipod from it. I must say though that from a distant any more than a couple of feet, the text on the ipod screen itself is so small that you can't really see the menus you are selecting. (I have mine at the foot of my bed).
There have been alot of complaints about the brightness of the clock display, and I must say it is quite bright even on the lowest setting. This is because the whole LCD is backlit instead of just the numbers/characters that need to be displayed - which isnt really the best design, but you do get used to it. Be warned though, it will add a good deal of light to your room, so if you can only sleep in the pitch black - you should consider covering the clock at night or buying a different product!
All in all though, if you are looking for an alarm clock radio with added ipod functionality, or even if you are just looking for a small unit for the kitchen that allows you to "whistle while you work" - you can't go far wrong with this.
This clock has dual alarms which can be easily changed through the press of one button corresponding to alarm 1 or alarm 2 - ensuring you don't get rudely awakened at 6am on a non-work day. You can choose to wake to Buzzer, Radio or any track on your iPod. Unfortunately you have to pause the ipod on the track you want to wake to, which isnt really ideal but I think its all the other alarm clocks do. A nice feature is the fact that the unit comes with a fully functional remote allowing you to change between FM/AM or ipod, and then control all functions of your ipod from it. I must say though that from a distant any more than a couple of feet, the text on the ipod screen itself is so small that you can't really see the menus you are selecting. (I have mine at the foot of my bed).
There have been alot of complaints about the brightness of the clock display, and I must say it is quite bright even on the lowest setting. This is because the whole LCD is backlit instead of just the numbers/characters that need to be displayed - which isnt really the best design, but you do get used to it. Be warned though, it will add a good deal of light to your room, so if you can only sleep in the pitch black - you should consider covering the clock at night or buying a different product!
All in all though, if you are looking for an alarm clock radio with added ipod functionality, or even if you are just looking for a small unit for the kitchen that allows you to "whistle while you work" - you can't go far wrong with this.
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
Function over form
(3 out of 5) by Harrythepony on Jun 7, 2009I purchased this item to replace my alarm clock radio. (I originally purchased the Logic 3 I-Station, but that was not good as an alarm clock, - The volume control to wake with was either too loud or not loud enough such was the difference between volume setting - so I sent it back. It also mucked up the volume control on my I-Pod touch). Whilst, in my view, the I-Station looked nicer the Sony is much more functional for my purposes as a morning alarm.
It is very intuitive to set up and whilst the display is fairly bright is does not effect my sleep. A decent quality display - nice and crisp. The display contains the time, plus it shows the active alarm settings, (there are two alarms), including the time and method of waking, radio, buzzer, or I-Pod. In the I-Pod and radio alarm function the both stay on until you turn them off. So in the morning when the radio wakes me I just hit the sleep button and the radio stays on for 90 minutes which means I can get ready, whilst listening to the radio and forget about having to turn it off. (A useful function for my purposes).
The I-Pod docks very easily and is controllable from the remote control. You can set the sleep function and drop off listening to your favorite tracks or even the radio. Also charges the I-Pod.
The sound quality is good, but not the normal above average Sony sound. There is a mega-expand function, but I don't think it improves the sound at all so I don't bother with it. I don't think you would want this as your main music player - its not very loud and the sound quality declines above say number 10. The radio reception is mostly good but I think the FM ariel wire could have been a bit longer to reach the extra reception quality.
The control and setting buttons are located on the top so easy to access and use, even in the dark you can feel your way around.
In conclusion, there are much better looking alarm clocks than this, but if you want a quality clock display, a decent sound to wake up to and drop off to, either with a radio or I-Pod, that is really easy to use and charges an I-pod touch, I don't think you will go far wrong with this. I have spent a few hours looking for the above criterion and this plus the I-Station are the only ones to fit the bill.
It is very intuitive to set up and whilst the display is fairly bright is does not effect my sleep. A decent quality display - nice and crisp. The display contains the time, plus it shows the active alarm settings, (there are two alarms), including the time and method of waking, radio, buzzer, or I-Pod. In the I-Pod and radio alarm function the both stay on until you turn them off. So in the morning when the radio wakes me I just hit the sleep button and the radio stays on for 90 minutes which means I can get ready, whilst listening to the radio and forget about having to turn it off. (A useful function for my purposes).
The I-Pod docks very easily and is controllable from the remote control. You can set the sleep function and drop off listening to your favorite tracks or even the radio. Also charges the I-Pod.
The sound quality is good, but not the normal above average Sony sound. There is a mega-expand function, but I don't think it improves the sound at all so I don't bother with it. I don't think you would want this as your main music player - its not very loud and the sound quality declines above say number 10. The radio reception is mostly good but I think the FM ariel wire could have been a bit longer to reach the extra reception quality.
The control and setting buttons are located on the top so easy to access and use, even in the dark you can feel your way around.
In conclusion, there are much better looking alarm clocks than this, but if you want a quality clock display, a decent sound to wake up to and drop off to, either with a radio or I-Pod, that is really easy to use and charges an I-pod touch, I don't think you will go far wrong with this. I have spent a few hours looking for the above criterion and this plus the I-Station are the only ones to fit the bill.
48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
Great
(5 out of 5) by James on Sep 30, 2008Thanks to the very specific reviews on Amazon in respect of looking for the Mk2 (thanks guys on .com) I took a leap of faith and bought this, and I'm glad to say it has delivered what I needed for my iPhone 3G.
I hate having to faff-around and was in the position of having to remove the silicone skin I have on the phone to put it into the 3G dock at night (even though it is quite thin). For me it's rendered the official dock (and extra cost!) rather obsolete but that's another story...
The adjustable wheel on this Sony has solved the problem and has allowed me to listen to all my podcasts easily.
Functionality to drive the phone through the remote control is better than expected and it charges fine.
The unit itself gives good sound quality (for the price) and has all of the functions you need in a clock radio.
To be fair, the overall design is a bit odd - it does look top heavy and I can understand why people may suspect instability - although I've applied pressure to a number of points and it seems ok. The top controls could probably do with some livening up colour wise, if I had to be picky.
The backlight is probably on a par with my old Phillips unit. Yes it's quite bright (although adjustable in three steps) but personally this doesn't bother me a jot.
Everything considered, a great little purchase.
I hate having to faff-around and was in the position of having to remove the silicone skin I have on the phone to put it into the 3G dock at night (even though it is quite thin). For me it's rendered the official dock (and extra cost!) rather obsolete but that's another story...
The adjustable wheel on this Sony has solved the problem and has allowed me to listen to all my podcasts easily.
Functionality to drive the phone through the remote control is better than expected and it charges fine.
The unit itself gives good sound quality (for the price) and has all of the functions you need in a clock radio.
To be fair, the overall design is a bit odd - it does look top heavy and I can understand why people may suspect instability - although I've applied pressure to a number of points and it seems ok. The top controls could probably do with some livening up colour wise, if I had to be picky.
The backlight is probably on a par with my old Phillips unit. Yes it's quite bright (although adjustable in three steps) but personally this doesn't bother me a jot.
Everything considered, a great little purchase.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Works with latest generation Nano too!
(5 out of 5) by Mr. B. J. Roberts on Jan 17, 2009 (UK)I got this as a birthday gift from the wife, and she had had a real difficult time finding a docking station that said it supported the latest generation of iPod Nano (I have th 8Gb Silver model).
Well I can confirm that this product plays and charges the latest Nano.
It's also a doddle to set up and use, sounds great and looks pretty cool too.
So if you own a latest gen Nano, you could do a lot worse than get one of these!
Well I can confirm that this product plays and charges the latest Nano.
It's also a doddle to set up and use, sounds great and looks pretty cool too.
So if you own a latest gen Nano, you could do a lot worse than get one of these!
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Works with iPhone 3G!
(4 out of 5) by P. Streatfield on Jan 12, 2009 (London)This nearly got 5 stars, and would have done had it been cheaper.
First of all, and for all you iPhone 3G users out there, YES it does work faultlessly with the 3G. No error message when docking, it charges, and is fully controllable by the remote control.
The sound quality is good. It's not Bose Sound Dock, of course, but then you weren't expecting that for this price were you?
All the controls are easy to use, the display is clear and concise, and the nifty mechanism for supporting your ipod of iphone means it sits snuggly and securely when docked.
About the only thing I can criticize about this unit is the brightness of the display. Although it has three levels, they are basically Really Bright, Bright and Still Quite Bright. If you like your bedroom really dark, this will annoy you. However, the remote control is just the right size to lean against the display and block 95% of the light!
All in all, a great gadget for all you fellow iPhone 3G owners.
First of all, and for all you iPhone 3G users out there, YES it does work faultlessly with the 3G. No error message when docking, it charges, and is fully controllable by the remote control.
The sound quality is good. It's not Bose Sound Dock, of course, but then you weren't expecting that for this price were you?
All the controls are easy to use, the display is clear and concise, and the nifty mechanism for supporting your ipod of iphone means it sits snuggly and securely when docked.
About the only thing I can criticize about this unit is the brightness of the display. Although it has three levels, they are basically Really Bright, Bright and Still Quite Bright. If you like your bedroom really dark, this will annoy you. However, the remote control is just the right size to lean against the display and block 95% of the light!
All in all, a great gadget for all you fellow iPhone 3G owners.