Sony ICF-C180 AM/FM Clock Radio
Sony ICF-C180 AM/FM Clock Radio: A Definitive Review
Alarm clocks are very functional, but I want all my personal stuff fit for my preferences. I like things small and compact, space-saving and cute at the same time. And I want to share one of my favorite alarm clocks that small and cute on the outside, but great with excellent features on the inside. And this is the Sony ICF-C180 clock radio.
Design
When I saw this clock, I thought it was quite useless because it’s so small. It must have no functional features apart from an alarm that probably sounded like a croak or something. But I found myself eating those words all up when I tested it and found that a cute and compact device could be as functional and full of features as any bigger device.
The mere dimensions of 4.5’’ x 4.12’’ x 5" makes it fit in almost any nook and cranny in the house, and its weight of 1.4 pounds makes it easy to carry around. You can put it on your bedside table, on the kitchen counter, on the coffee table, and on the study desk, and you’d have no problems squeezing it in.
The buttons are also very easy to use. They are intuitive, labeled, and each function has its own button, making it easy for you to set separate alarms, set the time, tune the radio, and so forth.
Video
The backlit LCD makes it easy for you to see the time even in the darkest hour of night, and the brightness can also be adjusted so you don’t have to wince at the sight of a brightly backlit alarm clock. The backlight is split into two colors: green for the upper part (current time) and orange for the lower part (alarm times).
The LCD display is a nice 3-part screen with the current time on the top and largest part of the screen. On the lower part, the screen is cut in half and on each side, you can view the current alarm times that you have set, with the indication of which alarm sound you used for that specific alarm. The AM and PM are clearly indicated in letters so you don’t have to guess if it’s night or day, and the LCD also has a symbol that indicates if the current time is daylight savings time.
Audio/Radio
The analog tuner is fine and easy to use, and the radio has fair reception for such a small thing. But there may be issues about the buzzer alarm. I have heard some comments about the alarm not going off or not loud enough, and I admit it might not be that great a buzzer alarm because its speaker is only a 6.6 cm mono. So I go with the radio because that has an adjustable volume which you can set to your desired sound level.
Clock
For this feature, this baby is a perfect 10. It has everything you could ever want in an alarm clock – dual alarm settings, extendable snooze, choice of alarm sound, daylight savings time, back-up battery for unexpected power outages, and a lot more. The dual alarm lets you set two separate alarms for different days of the week, and you have the choice of using a buzzer, radio, or melody for alarm sound. The extendable snooze makes it easy to sleep some more by just pressing on it multiple times, giving you from ten minutes to an hour of uninterrupted sleep. Daylight savings time should be set, but that’s easy enough with the cool buttons. And the back-up battery saves you the trouble of being late during power outages.
Other Features
Another nice feature of this clock is the NAP, which is actually sort of like a countdown timer with alarm. If you want to doze off for a bit without having to adjust your current alarm settings, you can just set the nap function to different intervals of 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes. An afternoon siesta for the weekend would be perfect, and to not sleep on too much, turn on the nap and snooze away without worries.
Conclusion
Overall, the Sony ICF-C180 clock radio is a pretty awesome little device that really makes a great alarm clock. I bought one for myself and when I was completely happy with it, I also got another one as a gift for my mom. She loves it as well, and I hope you’ll get the chance of loving