Jensen Tabletop Digital AM/FM Alarm Clock Radio with Nature Sounds - JCR 425

Comment: The radio works well, especially because the tuner is digital. Switching from stored memory station is a bit complex. Overall, the radio is complicated to use, and the instructions are not very clear. The most troubling part of this device is that the radio alarm only goes off for about 5 minutes (I have not figured out anyway to lengthen the alarm time), and unless I have it on loud, I sleep through the alarm. My advise is that if you can afford to, buy a better Alarm Clock.

Comment: What good is a clock radio that does not keep time. This piece of junk was recieved on Friday and sent back on Monday. During the weekend, I set the time three times and within 5 to 6 hours the clock reverted to the initial setting, and the radio presets were also lost.

Comment: Jensen is normally one of the best electronics companies you can find. I don't know what they were thinking when they designed this one. It is the most difficult radio I have ever had the displeasure of trying to figure out. They should have stuck with the tried and true system they use on their car radios.

Comment: I saw this radio at Target and thought it looked really cool. I like the old-fashioned styling and the blue display. Unfortunately, I quickly found two major problems with this. As someone stated earlier, the display is too bright-it lights up my room like a full moon and there seems to be no way to turn it down.
The second major problem is that the volume dial does not turn smoothly, rather it is notched in such a way that there really is no way to control the volume. On the unit I have, either the volume is down all the way, okay at the first notch, and way too loud on the second notch.
I like the nature sounds, but the bird sounds are rather silly because they sound like snippets from a dozen different habitats and is distracting. The flowing water sounds nice, though.
Tuning is interesting because the frequencies are in 0.05 increments. So, to go from 90.5 to 90.7, you have to push the up button four times instead of just once. While this is not an issue to go up one frequency, it's annoying to go up 5 or 10.
Lastly, the speaker pooped out on the second night. So, the radio is absolutely useless at this point.
The radio is nice looking and a little retro, but unfortunately, there are just too many design problems that make it a waste of money and time. It's going back to Target first thing Saturday morning.

Comment: This is a piece of junk which ACTUALLY WORKS and DOES THE JOB. It
not only serves the purpose for which it was intended but it also
costs less than a few hours' work at minimum wage. Never mind the
likely deplorable wages (if any) at the Chinese factory. The back
of this table radio is truly CHEAP. As long as you don't turn the
set backwards (to reveal the shoddiness of the material) or blast
the volume to reveal the speaker's inability to handle megawatts,
you'll manage to impress whichever inquisitive friend who happens
to cross your living room or bedroom threshold. I have no clue as
to how much the single (mono) speaker can handle; keep the volume
DOWN and the cone should survive as long as the rest of this good
and cheap radio. The fake wood veneer truly looks fake, unless it
is being examined by drunken eyes. There are 10 AM presets, which
can be directly-tuned; same goes for FM: there are 10 FM presets,
which can be directly accessed. Basically, once you have program-
med the 20 presets, all you later have to do to tune in to any of
your 20 favorite stations is to reach for the direct-touch button
(which has been DEDICATED to that station) and press the button 1
time. The only other keystroke which you'll have to perform so as
to surf between preset stations is the pressing of the button for
AM/FM bands. Once the radio is on (and the volume is more or less
at a satisfactory level), it'll take only TWO keystrokes maximum:
one to switch bands (from AM to FM, or from FM to AM: same button
does both), and one to select the particular station of interest.
The distinct advantage that this affords a preoccupied individual
is that with one dainty finger (which is relatively clean/dry) it
is simple and easy to instantly pinpoint and immediately hear any
station out of ten. This at-a-glance, light-touch-results feature
is, IMHO, the best aspect of this humble, unpretentious AC radio.
To get the instant-access preset tuning feature with other models
by other manufacturers, you'd easily have to spend 100 dollars US
(although they are much more solidly built, have stereo, have PLL
fancy tuning, and can blast music without endangering a speaker).
The list price supposedly is 50 (a gyp); Target has it for 20 w/o
tax (tax additional) at its walk-in cash-and-carry stores in NYC.
For you to order it over the Web via Amazon from Target is a good
deal (even though it costs more than in person) because your TIME
SPENT to shlep over to a bricks-and-mortar store will defeat CASH
SAVED (plus you'll get hungry midway, which means more cash gone)

The color of the digit dispay is a (IMHO) pleasant cobalt blue. I
prefer the blue over the standard-issue red or green, even though
red and green supposedly help to preserve night-vision. Color: OK

BTW, you might consider ordering two pieces (two JCR-425's). It's
not possible to successfully cannibalize a defunct one, but there
is a two-fold advantage to the getting a second one in the order:
- when (eventually/inevitably) the first one conks out, you trash
it or give it to an older boy for him to take apart for fun;
- when you order both at once you only get hit 1x for the postage