Memorex iWake Review

I picked a Memorex iWake iPod/AM-FM alarm clock this week and so far I'm very pleased with the results.

I'd Call That A Bargain
First of all, the price was outstanding. I purchased it at Linens 'N Things for $42 including Massachusetts taxes. It was on sale for $50 and I used a 20 percent-off coupon to knock off another $10. When you consider that Overstock.com is listing the same unit for $74.99 plus shipping, that's an incredible bargain by any standards.

Setting it Up
Like many companies these days, Memorex has created attractive packaging, but it uses way too much styrofoam--by now companies should be using recycled card board. The box includes the iWake, a remote control with installed watch battery and several plastic adapters. It took me a few minutes to understand the purpose of these adapters and I couldn't find any reference to them in the documentation. The iWake is designed to work with just about any docking iPod, so it comes with a variety of adapaters, which snap into place in the docking area to enable you to dock the iPod firmly in the unit.

The unit includes a very small wireless remote, which is a nice add-on and allows you to pause the iPod quickly--if for instance, the phone rings. But the remote is so small I'm sure I will lose it under the bed before too long. To Memorex's credit they include a belt clip, so you can carry the remote without losing it, but I don't see myself (or many people) doing that.

Lay of the Land
The iWake is very sleek looking (see pictures in this iLounge review). Memorex is very much into design and the unit is black with a reverse-beveled top where you dock the iPod. The only draw-back to this design is that dust collects easily in this well. All controls are built flat against the sides with the exception of a large Snooze button, which is easily accessible front and center.

You can wake to an iPod, plug in a third-party MP3 with a line-in jack on the back, play AM or FM stations or wake to a buzzer. There is no Scan button for the radio (which would be nice), but on the back are two additional buttons. One allows you to dim the clock display, a good thing too because the default setting is way too bright for my taste. It also includes a Daylight Savings time toggle so all you have to do is flip the toggle to adjust the clock, a nice touch.There is a battery compartment on the bottom, which takes two AA batteries for battery backup in the event of a power outage.

It's a small unit, so it doesn't take up a ton of space on the nightstand and it has a decent sound considering the price. I would like to have had control over the bass and treble because some music does sound too rich on the high end , but for the price, this is hard to beat.

The iWake is not flawless by any means, but if you can find it for a decent price, it certainly beats the cost of the $100 iHome H5 I've seen elsewhere.

10/13/06 Update:One other thing I should mention that bugs me is that when the alarm goes off, by default, it starts at volume-level 2 and then every five seconds raises the volume by one "notch" until it is at level 12 (quite loud). There does not seem to be a way to adjust this setting and it's really annoying if you want to linger in bed and actually listen to the wake-up tune. Instead, you have to quickly shut the thing off and then restart it to play your music. I realize this is probably by design since it is an alarm clock, but not everyone needs such an abrupt wake-up.

Also, I was paging through the documentation last night and there is actually an explanation of the plastic iPod adapters. I just couldn't find it, mostly because I didn't know what I was looking for.

Comments

[yoerricaa]

does it charge the ipod?

___
Good question. Yes, it does.
RM

[andy kuhn]

Yes,it charges the ipod

Question:

My Iwake seems to turn on the radio at will every few minutes. I cannot keep this thing from turning on. I had to unplug the dang thing because it consistently turned on by itself. I cannot find an explanation as to why it does this. i have no idea if it is because of design flaw or user ignorance

HELP

___

I'm no iWake expert, but it sounds defective. I would return it to the store where you bought it and ask for a replacement.

Good luck.

RM

[Cory]

My iPod plays music when its connected but doesnt when the alarm goes off, yet, its set to iPod on Alarm.. WTF!

[katw]

I had the same problem that someone above had with the radio coming on at random times. I returned the unit thinking it was defective and bought the same model at a different store and it still does the same thing. The company said they haven't heard of this problem before so I have no idea what's wrong with it. Could it be some kind of radio interference or something like that in my room?

[Mariah]

mine is constantly blinking the dead batter symbol, even when it's plugged into the wall and the battery is fully charged. what should i do?

[Mariah]

mine is constantly blinking the dead batter symbol, even when it's plugged into the wall and the battery is fully charged. what should i do?

[marie]

my iwake also keeps blinking the dead battery symbol(at least that's what I think it is). even when my iPod is fully charged or not even hooked up. what's going on?