Audio/Video, Advice, Editor's Picks, iPod, iPhone, Home Audio, Portable Audio, Reviews
Best iPod-Enabled Alarm Clock Radio: Cambridge Soundworks i765
A reader writes: I want a decent-sounding audiophile table radio that can not only handle my iPod, but also wake me up in the morning! The Bose Wave radio II looks nice, but I'm not sure I want to spend more than $300 on this. Just tell me what to get!
Sure, Bose's Wave radio II sounds great, but do you really want to shell out $350 for a high-end clock radio that doesn't interface directly with your iPod? Likewise, Tivoli Audio's $400 iYiYi looks and sounds as nice as it gets it gets for a table radio/alarm clock, but just don't count on it waking you up (its snooze button is hard to find when you're half asleep). And the other options – from companies such as Griffin, iHome, and iLuv – may look nice, but they don't stack up sound-quality-wise. So, which hi-fi table radio to pick? To us, the choice is clear: Cambridge Soundworks i765 'High Performance HD iPod/DVD Entertainment System' is every bit as feature-packed and aurally-satisfying as its pricier rivals, and yet can be purchase for as little as $200 (with the right rebates/mark-downs).
Essentially an iPod-video-enabled version of the company's line of high-performance table/clock radios, the i765 has all the features you'd expect from the category, including two speakers and a built-in subwoofer that can handle stereo or wide/surround-sound-like configurations (as well as precise and deep bass, even at high volume levels). Output and input jacks let you play music from non-iPod devices (like your cell phone or computer) and plug in additional speakers, respectively.
iPods and iPhones can be connected via the dock that's located on the top right corner of the i76; the dock charges your device and enables control of your playlists, tracks, and videos via the included remote control (song tracks are viewable right in the system's LCD display). Also built-in is the de rigueur CD/DVD player and an AM/FM tuner (included antennas connect in the back). The base version of the i765 connects to any TV via standard video output. Unfortunately, you can't get HD quality out of the i765 itself, but you can upgrade to the $500 'MovieWorks HDi765 Audio Package,' which includes the 'HD MovieWorks' wireless dock and a mini wireless receiver. The dock connects to your existing home theater or audio system and can upscale your iPod video to 1080i HD video on any TV, as well as wirelessly blast tunes from your iPod (or your audio system itself) to a wireless-receiver-attached i765 in another room (or rooms, since it'll blast to more than one i765).
The audio networking capability is certainly cool, but the real reason we wholeheartedly recommend this thing is the well-designed and highly-efficient alarm clock function! Yes, the price is nice, and the i765 deftly handles everything from loud, bass-heavy dance and rock music subtle with no distortion to mid-range-y classical and jazz tracks with warmth and clarity, but it's ultimately all about whether this thing can wake you up or not. The i765 offers up two alarms with a big fat snooze button right on top, enabling even the most spaced-out sleepers to keep on sleeping without actually sleeping through the alarm.
We've got this thing right on our desk, but it's seriously good enough to replace a sound-system twice its size, making it the perfect choice from small apartments, dorm rooms, a kitchen, and, of course, offices. If you're only getting one of these, then the Cambridge Soundworks i765 is the one to get.
Cambridge Soundworks i765, $200-400, cambridgesoundworks.com.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Greg said 9:12PM on 6-27-2009
I love CSW products, but I can't buy one of these until it supports the iPhone! Currently is is iPod only.
By the way, for those hesitant to spend on a BOSE Wave radio, I bought mine in 1997 and it still works perfectly 12+ years later!
BTW: Neither the BOSE or the CSW is an audiophiles idea of perfection, but they do sound good...
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