Emerson CKS9051 SmartSet Dual Alarm Clock Radio

Comment: I liked this clock when I set it up. It looks good and automatically did the date/time instantly. The alarm starts soft then gets louder so it's not too annoying. The radio shows a digital display, but you have to move a dial to change stations and it can be hard to lock on to the exact station.

I would have kept it except the clock only comes with two brightness settings- low beams and high beams. On the low setting the clock put out way too much light and we ended up turning it face down in the middle of the night. It was probably set 2 feet from our bed. I have no idea why the designers failed to add a couple more dimmer settings.

Comment: Thanks to all the other reviewers for pointing me to this Alarm Clock Radio. Plugged it in and it was already set to the right time. Yes I do live in the Eastern Time Zone but it would be very easy to adjust for other time zones. Like the fact that it will auto adjust for Daylight Savings Time and back to Standard Time. Numerals are large and I can make them out even at a distance without my glasses. The amber color is fine and does not keep me awake though it is set at the dimmer setting. I don't understand why some clock radios have blue or green numerals as many people (me for sure) cannot sleep with those colors. They should be red or amber as this one is. (Check out the science behind this if you are curious) Also, I like the fact that it can be set to just weekdays/weekend or all week. So once it is set, you really never have to adjust it even after a power failure unless your needs change. The only downside and not by much is the sound quality. Though you can only get so much from a radio this size I guess. Definitely recommended.

Comment: I've had several clocks over my life time and this is my favorite one to date. I hate clocks with blue or red numbers or numbers that you can't read because the back light is brighter than the numbers themselves. The numbers on this clock are huge and easy to read. You can easily ajust the brightness of the numbers as well. Its simple. Everything about this clock is simple which is probably why I love it so much. If the electricity goes off, no problem. It doesn't lose the time or any settings, it's as if the electricity never went off. Plus the buttons on top are very large and easy to use.

Comment: This clock is simple to set, simple to use, and intuitive so that when you are half asleep you can still fumble around and do what you need with it. When there is a power outage it will still beep and wake you. Automatically changes for daylight savings time. Has two alarms, radio sound great and has digital tuning. Great clock.

Comment: As far as alarm clocks go, where the main function you want it to have is to wake you up at the right time, I think this is the best one. My favorite feature is the smart set. Where I live, the electricity always goes out and, I'm too lazy to put a battery in. I think the design is pretty simple, and practical, considering nowadays there about a million different types of alarm clocks. The radio for me works great as well. It has no visible antenna like my old alarm clock, but somehow it receives much better signals. The only minor problem is with the sound. The speakers are pretty mediocre, so if you want music to wake you up in the morning, this isn't the right clock for you. However, if you like listening to the news its pretty good.