by Noah Kravitz, Reviews Editor

15 May 2006

Clock, Dock, Ready to Rock

iHome's iH5 iPod Clock radio is a great idea done very well. For $99 you get an AM/FM clock radio, iPod docking station with recharging capabilities, and a pretty decent little stereo system that can fill a room with music from the radio, your iPod, or an alternative source via an aux input jack. While a small handful of iPod speaker systems in the iH5's price range offer slightly better audio quality, none of them offer the combination of sound, features, and price that iHome has served up. Were it not for two minor - but important - sticking points, the iH5 might just be the perfect system for any bedroom on a budget.

iHome sent me the iH5 finished in white - a black version is also available. The clock arrived packaged in a pretty box which also included an AC adapter, AM and FM radio antennas, an 1/8" to 1/8" stereo patch cord (for the Aux input), two AA batteries and a plethora of iPod adapters for use with the clock's dock. I literally had started searching for the missing remote control before I realized that a remote is an optional add-on with the iH5, and is not included. One look at the box and you'll understand my confusion: the box photo shows the iH5 with matching remote, and the word "optional" is nowhere to be found.

Once I figured out the deal, I snapped the proper adapter (for my 30GB 5G iPod) into the top-mounted dock, installed the two AA batteries, and connected the wall wart adapter to the clock. Plugged in and turned on, I docked my iPod into the iH5 and ... "Wow!" I thought "This thing sounds pretty good!" I was immediately impressed with the sound quality of the "Reson8" speaker drivers iHome stuck behind the silver metal grilles on the front of the clock. The iH5 isn't going to best my component stereo system, or my Tivoli Model Two for that matter, but for a sub-$100 speaker system (let alone a clock radio) it really sounds pretty good. As a tabletop radio/iPod system, the iH5 will serve you well so long as you don't judge it with the same critical ear reserved for topflight audio rigs.

Since the iH5 is an alarm clock, I decided to place it on my bedside table where, conveniently enough, I usually keep an iPod dock for charging purposes since I often listen to music while falling asleep. Obviously the iH5 takes up more room than a standard dock, and it also has a bigger footprint than many clock radios, but it's not at all overly large. iHome did a great job with the iH5's styling - the radio looks very sleek and modern, but in a design-friendly way that doesn't scream "Electronics Store!" the way too many "hi tech" devices do these days. The white and silver color scheme coordinates well with any iPod save the newer black models. Luckily, iHome makes a black version of the iH5 to go with those.

iHome left the front of the iH5 button-free, which goes a long way towards preserving its serene good looks. They stuck two big wheels and a bunch of rectangular buttons atop the unit, and some ports and switches on the back panel, to control everything from setting the time to skipping songs on your iPod. The controls all work very well, and setting the time and alarm on the clock is an easy process so far as these things go. But there's a problem I encountered which might not matter to you but turned into a deal-breaker for me...

Don't Leave the Light On
When plugged into AC power, the buttons atop the iH5 glow orange a la the 3G iPod. The front panel LCD display glows blue, and information is displayed in black. This makes for a very handsome clock radio. Problem is, even with the dimmer set to its dimmest setting the iH5 still lit up my bedroom with no regard to how late it was or how much light bugs me when I'm trying to get to sleep. For the weeks that I tested the clock, I wound up blocking the front panel with something (usually the cable box remote) in order to muffle the light emitting from the LCD. I'm a little sensitive, I'll admit, but this thing is seriously bright. Bright to the point that I couldn't keep it in my bedroom.

I rather sheepishly admitted this to my PR contact at iHome and he admitted that mine was not the only complaint about the iH5's brightness. Word is that iHome is working on a revision of the clock that will fix this problem (perhaps by letting the user turn the backlights off?). I'd really love to get my hands on a "revised" iH5 because it's a great little clock-dock-rock station. I just can't stand sleeping with the light on.

The other problem with the iH5 is that there's no remote control in the box. On the one hand, being the astute reader you are you might ask, Why would I need a remote control for a clock radio that's on my bedside table? Good question. Well, the thing is, the iH5 is entirely capable of doubling as a bedroom stereo for the budget-conscious music maven. A remote would let me move the clock from my bedside table to the dresser on the far side of the room for a better listening experience, but still allow me to control volume, power, and (most importantly) snooze without getting out of bed. So even though a remote is available as a $19.99 option (in black or white), iHome would do better to just package the little sucker in there with the clock so people would be charmed by the iH5's versatility and get really psyched about all those new products iHome has coming out this Spring.

Seriously, one look at and listen to the iH5 will tell you that iHome is a company to keep an eye (ear?) on. And one look at iHomeaudio.com will tell you that they've got some interesting looking new stuff on deck. All they need to do is dot those I's and cross those T's, so to speak, and iHome might find themselves with a substantial following in the very crowded iPod accessory market.

iHome's iH5 iPod Clock Radio is available in black and white and retails for $99.95. iHome's entire line of iPod speakers and accessories is available direct through their online store or through major online and brick-and-mortar retailers.

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