Sound Rise II, SFQ-16: Bedside Alarm Clock Radio & Bluetooth Speaker, with Large Display Screen, FM Radio, Fast USB Charging, and Nature Sound

I'm not a technophile by any stretch, but once I saw a preview of the revised Sound Rise, I had to have it. The radio fulfills all expectations and is unexpectedly lovely to see and use. What distinguishes this clock radio from competing products? In the first place, many tabletop radios (think Tivoli) seem purpose-built to entice fans of Mad Men's mid-century modern aesthetic, which these days seems impossible to avoid. Within our culture, radio exists in a nostalgic opposition to television and the internet, so any clock radio has a halo of vintage appeal. Radio is an old medium, audio companies suggest, so radios should look old.What looks good on Don Draper, however, does not necessarily work for an alarm clock with many modern features. Several other radios have analogue dials for tuners and alarms, which look great but are annoying to use. Do you want to risk waking up late because you sleepily wound your slender alarm dial? Of course you don't. The Sound Rise is above all easy to use, and it performs its duties as a radio, alarm and speaker brilliantly. The accompanying owner's manual is almost unnecessary; you'll master the device's controls within two minutes of plugging it in.Because of this ease, the Rise's unadorned simplicity is lovely to behold. The wood-and-taupe model looks particularly striking, the dense grain contrasting nicely with the muted fabric that shields the speaker. The display is large and clear, the buttons have a satisfying heft and, although the Rise is lighter than I expected, it feels well built. What could be better than an object that doesn't pretend to be more complex than it is?In a pinch, the Rise could deputize as a ghetto blaster and be heard above the din of a crowded room, but this is obviously not its life purpose. This is a radio to clean your house with. The bass is resonant but doesn't obscure the warm midrange, though the treble sometimes lacks punch. Overall, the sound is clean and bright, an enormous improvement if, like me, you listen to music primarily on a laptop.The Rise's feature set contains almost everything you want and very little you don't, a virtue that might be unique in the world of music players. It has two alarms that slowly crest in volume to ease your morning anguish. Adjustable snooze and nap timers, but not too many. Bluetooth pairing and line-in for when you worry about your phone's charge. USB charging if you're really worried and want to do something about it. The screen dims, which should be a federal mandate in all alarm clock radios but somehow isn't. It's small enough to fit on almost any nightstand. And best of all, it didn't cost so much that I become wracked with guilt every time I look at it, which is several times a day (thinking of you again, Tivoli).What's not to like? I wish it had an AM tuner, even though I never listen to AM radio. It just seems like something that should be included. I think that's it. It's a really great clock radio, and if you're using your phone as an alarm or thinking of buying a clock radio, you should buy this one.

One word: WOW.I hesitated on purchasing this for over a year - I mean - 80$ for an alarm clock (going price when I purchased) is a TON of money for somethiing that you can use your cell phone to do (which I've been doing for the last 5 years). But I have to say, you really get what you pay for - this is totally worth it and then some.In a nutshell: If you're looking for the perfect gift, esp for brothers, husbands, whatever - this is definitely it. This is one of those "You never knew how much you were missing out until you switched from dial up to cable modem" purchases -- and whoever you buy this for might be skeptical at first, but, they will appreciate it 5 minutes after plugging it in.This is both an elegant, and simple product - nerds, geeks, minimalists, fashionistas, guys who buy scarves (there's a word for that) - will love it. Think if Apple made an alarm clock. All the controls are wonderfully intuitive, and every "I expect it to do this" - this alarm clock fulfills.If you're on the fence, just go for it, you won't regret it! I wish I had bought last year!---- DetailsAlright, I'm not great at reviews (the above is largely a gushy BUY NOW sign) but here's a couple of key things:1. SOUNDAs others mention, the sound quality is SUPERB, given the fact that it's over bluetooth and not stereo. The sound can FILL a 350 square foot room, and is as loud as my bluetooth wireless Logitech UE Boom speakers.2. CONTROLSIn one word: intuitive. To the reviewer earlier - re: dimming controls on back - yes that is true, but in fact, you can use the -/+ sign to dim the alarm clock as well! Brilliant!3. BRIGHTNESSGREAT control over dimming (you can even turn off the display ENTIRELY if you must sleep in the dark)4. BUILD QUALITYYes, it's not real wood, and it's rather light. But it looks good, and FEELS good - even if it's not all real wood.5. OTHERJust from packaging, instructions, everything you can tell a lot of care and thought has gone into this product.I've only written 5 Amazon reviews in like 15 years, so it says something that this product impressed me enough to write one!