This wonderful dual alarm clock is the best one we have found in 40 years. The display and control layout make it very easy to use and difficult to make a mistake. On the front display you see clearly, unambiguously, the status of everything: both alarms and the current time. The layout of the buttons really reduces the likelihood of hitting the wrong button. We frequently adjust our wakeup times and with other dual alarm clocks we made mistakes. With this clock, the controls for Alarm A and Alarm B are on opposite sides, so it's very clear and obvious to set. Also, because the LCD display allows you to see the current time and both Alarm A and B all at the same time, you don't have to press any buttons to see when you're wake up is set for.
In the old days we experienced things like pressing the wrong buttons in the dark, adjusting the radio off-station when we meant to adjust the volume, setting the time of day instead of the time of alarm, setting a time to PM when we meant AM, setting the alarm time but failing to turn the alarm on, one of us would get up ahead of our alarm time and turn off the wrong person's alarm, a power failure erasing all settings and we had to remember how to deal with a complex device, a power failure while sleeping and we failed to rise on time as no alarm sounded, etc.
With this clock, you don't have to decode -- or learn to decode -- what or how the clock is set. With a lot of clocks you simply get a bunch of different LEDs, such as green for AM and off for PM, green 'on' for radio ('off' for no radio). With this clock, the buttons are located and sized to eliminate, or at least reduce, confusion. The current time is displayed large enough to see it from across the room (we place the clock across the room to force a certain level of wakefulness). There's a lithium stand-by battery that preserves time of day and alarm settings just in case of a power outage. It also has sleep, snooze and nap functions, as well as two alarm setup modes: workweek and weekend.
The clock isn't as high end as some models by Boston Acoustics, and there are aspects that could be improved, like the buzzer/beeper. Since we keep ours across the room, we felt the buzzer/beeper was not loud enough. Still the volume of the radio and preset tunes is fine, so we use those. Also, the Time Zone, Daylight Savings mode and Time of Day buttons are located along the back edge on the top of the clock in a recessed well, so they do not protrude. Two of the functions are doubly protected, as you have to press one button then another to adjust time or time zone. However, Daylight savings mode just takes a single hit and that moves time by one hour forward or back. Nevertheless, there is a little Daylight icon on the front display to help you notice if there's a mistaken change.
Overall, if you're looking for a simple clock radio, it's really great. I was shopping for a teenager coming of age. At $29.99 this alarm clock was more expensive than I planned (and I don't often deviate from plan), but it has one feature that I found exciting: the display that lets you see everything. When I got home my wife was critical of the amount spent. Two weeks later, she sent me out for another one for our room. A week or two after that, I noticed the same device at Costco for $19.99. Upon telling my spouse, she put it on our list for purchase "just in case ours breaks someday and this is no longer available." So we now have a new alarm clock in a box in our basement. It is THAT good.
-- Jim of MN
Sony Dual Alarm Clock Radio
$25
Available from and Manufactured by Sony
Or $33 from Amazon
译文:
索尼双重闹钟收音机
这是我们４０年来所发现的最好的闹钟．显示屏和控制布局使得它易于使用，并且不容易出错。 在正面的显示屏上，你可以清楚地看到一切：闹钟和当前时间俩者。按纽的布局确实减少了按错按纽的可能性。我们得频繁地调整闹醒时间，和使用其它的双重闹钟我们会出的错。使用这个闹钟，对于闹钟Ａ和闹钟Ｂ的控制处于面对面的位置，所以能清楚地设定。此外，由于LCD的显示允许你在同一时间看到当前的时间和闹钟A闹钟B俩者的时间，你不必按任何按纽来查看你的闹醒时间定在哪里。
在过去，我们经历了像在黑暗中按错按纽，把收音机调离电台当我们想要调整音量，设定当前时间代之于设定闹醒时间，把时间设为PM当我们想要设为AM,设定了闹醒时间但没有把闹钟打开，我们中的一个人会在闹醒时间前起床并关掉错设的闹钟，电池失败会抹掉所有的设定因此我们不得不记住如何对付一种复杂的装置，当我们睡觉时由于电力失败，我们没有及时起床因为没有闹钟闹醒我们等等这样的事。
使用这个闹钟,你不必破译--或者是学着破译--闹钟如何设定.许多的钟你只得到了大量不同的LEDs，比如像绿色是为ＡＭ和off是为ＰＭ，绿色'on'是为无线电（'off' 是为没有无线电）．使用这个钟，按纽的安置和尺寸排除了混淆，至少是减少了混淆．当前时间被足够大地显示以便于从房间的另一端看到它（我们把钟放在房间的另一端以迫使一定距离的闹钟程度）．闹钟里有一个备用的锂电池以防在停电时用来保存时间和闹钟设定．除了两个闹钟设定模式外：工作日和周末，它还有睡觉，小睡和午睡的功能．
这个闹钟不像由Boston Acoustics制造的样机那样高，并且有些方面是可以改进的，比如像蜂鸣器／呼叫机．由于我们保持我们的闹钟在房间的另一端，我们感到蜂鸣器／呼叫机的声音还不足够大．但是无线电的音量和预调很好，所以我们使用它们．此外，时区，日光储存模式和时间按纽被安置在钟的顶端的后背边缘上凹陷处，所以它们不凸现在外面．两个功能越发被保护了因为你不得不先按一个按纽，然后另一个来调整时间或者时区．然而，日光储存模式仅仅按一次．这样就把时间向前或者向后移动１小时．然而，在钟上只有一点儿的日光图标显示在正面来帮助你注意是否有错误变化．
总体上讲，如果你寻求一台简单的闹钟收音机，它确实很不错．我当时正为一个十几岁的孩子买东西．花$29.99买这一个闹钟比我计划得要贵（我不经常偏离计划），但是它有一个特点使我感到很兴奋：显示屏让你看到一切．当我回到家里，我妻子对花费的数目不满．两星期后，她让我为我们的房间再买一个．一两个星期后，在Costco我注意到了同一物品标价$19.99．在告诉我妻子后，她把它列入我们的清单＂仅仅是为了我们的钟有一天坏了，并且这商品不再有货＂所以我们现在在地下室的盒子里有一个新的闹钟．这个闹钟真是太棒了！