PURE Chronos iDock Series II, DAB and FM Stereo Clock Radio with Dock for iPod/iPhone – Black
Product Description
Chronos iDock Series II DAB and FM Stereo Clock Radio with Dock for iPod/iPhone Now compatible with the latest iPod and iPhone models Chronos iDock Series II brings together digital radio and iPod/iPhone docking to give you the best of both worlds. Alongside the new looks improved audio from its highly-optimized 2.5†custom-wound speakers and digital amplifier and reduced power consumption are improved features including multiple customizable alarms adjustable sleep and snooze timers automatic brightness control and a new PowerPort providing power for handy USB accessories. Chronos iDock Series II has four alarms each of which can be set for weekdays only weekends only or as a one-off. A sleep timer allows you to drop off to your favourite station and there’s an adjustable snooze time for an extra lie-in when you deserve it. Works with iPhone approval – your guarantee of perfect iPhone compatibility Made for iPod – designed to work with most iPod models. Four independent alarm settings with wake to iPod/iPhone DAB FM or a tone Light sensor automatically adjusts the display brightness to suit the light levels in your room PURE PowerPort for USB accessories Browse and play tracks stored on your iPod/iPhone via remote control Connect an iPod shuffle or other device to the auxiliary input and play directly through the stereo speakers Pause and control scrolling text RDS support for station name display on FM and RDS scrolling text 30 station presets (DAB or FM) Listen through headphones using the 3.5mm connection
- Works with iPhone approval – your guarantee of perfect iPhone compatibility
- Made for iPod – designed to work with most iPod models
- Four independent alarm settings with wake to iPod/iPhone DAB FM or a tone
- Light sensor automatically adjusts the display brightness to suit the light levels in your room
- PURE PowerPort for USB accessories
PURE Chronos iDock Series II, DAB and FM Stereo Clock Radio with Dock for iPod/iPhone – Black
The setup was easy. I just had to press the standby button and it set the time, found all the DAB stations, and was ready to go.
The auto-dimming feature works great and really does dim the clock enough. What a relief!
It really is iPhone compatible. Phone worked fine, received calls and texts while docked, and also was charged as well. No interference at all from the GSM radio in the phone.
The sound is as I expected and here in London we get all the DAB stations with no trouble – I didn’t even bother to unwind the antenna.
I am not sure about the UI with respect to setting alarms. There are a number of buttons to press but luckily you can set up 4 alarms, each one being either every day, week day or weekend. I won’t repeat the rest of the manual here.
My only concern so far is that the main knob seems slightly flimsy. Not sure about that yet.
Rating: 4 / 5
I have owned a PURE Chronos iDock Series II for about three weeks now and am generally happy with it. When deciding which product to buy, I compared the sounds of the Series I (the Series II was markedly better) a much cheaper system and a Sony rival. I thought this the best but it is certainly not a living room sound system; the quality is fine for the bedroom but not good enough for elsewhere.
To set it up, plug in and press the “standby” button (not mentioned in the instructions!) and that’s it. The clock, date and DAB radio automatically set themselves up. Once done, there is an extensive and user friendly menu of personal settings. My favourites have been being able to choose different alarm times, settings (i.e. wake up to iPod or a choice radio stations or buzz) and volumes for weekdays and weekends, adjusting the backlight intensity and the sleep modes. I also like the light dimming itself at night thanks to a light sensitive cell, though I would like it to be even dimmer. The iPod is easy to switch to, charges itself and comes back on wherever you last left off. There is a remote supplied should you need it. A real plus is, that if there is a power cut, the Chronos II remembers all your settings.
Those are the good points but I have had troubles too – the first of which I would like feedback on, please. When the device is on standby, but without an iPod docked, the plug emits a soft but most annoying rattling whine – when the radio is on, or the iPod is attached, the problem disappears. PURE were good enough to send me another plug but there was no change. Has anyone else suffered this problem please? A design improvement I would like to see are the buttons either lit or being given a textured surface as, at night, one has little idea which button to press. Lastly, and as has been mentioned elsewhere, when the alarm comes on at its preset volume, one cannot turn it up or down without having to switch off and on again.
So, would I recommend you buy this for the money asked? Well yes, but only just!
30/11/09
UPDATE. I took the unit back to John Lewis where I purchased it. They were very helpful and tried many different units with different plugs. All the PURE plugs used made the same noise but a generic 9 volt adapter was silent. Obviously a fault needing to be corrected.
Rating: 3 / 5
The Pure Chronos iDock is a great way to have flexible music around the house (although it does lack a carry handle), the small footprint of this unit makes it ideal. I use mine in the kitchen and the bedroom; with the package being fairly compact it lends itself well to lifting and shifting. The other advantage is that the settings (clock time and DAB stations) aren’t lost when you unplug it; they take only a couple of seconds to restore themselves. The aerial is just a loose wire type, so that’s a bit messier than a true portable.
The sound quality is surprisingly good for an all in one unit (speakers built in) and certainly good enough for any room, other than your main living-room entertainment. I’ve got into the habit of tuning both this and my main stereo into the same DAB station so I get the same tracks as I wander around the house.
The controls are simple and self explanatory, so no need to refer to the manual; however, the lack of presets can be frustrating as this means you have to scroll through the stations (with the front knob) each time you want to change. My wife gets annoyed when she constantly has to `re-tune’ from my preference (Planet Rock) to hers (Radio 1), but it’s really not that tricky. The only control that migrates on to the unit (from your iPod) is volume; everything else is done from your iPod as normal.
The display is clear and informative, with large clock time display, smaller station name and a scrolling information bar (sent from the radio station). This changes to the track progress (time) and track name when you’ve got your iPod docked and playing.
The unit’s straight-forward and good quality, just what I was looking for.
Rating: 4 / 5
Pure seem to have listened to most of the criticisms surrounding the previous version. The device looks nicer. The display is sharp and clear with a wide field of view making it just fine to look at during the night without having to raise/move your head. The display can be set to your desired level of brightness, or left on auto, which does a nice job of adjusting itself based on an ambient light sensor. Buttons have a nice, soft touch, and are easy to press, so you no longer move the unit when you want to press something (that’s what stopped me from buying the previous model). It has a central adjustment knob for selecting/changing things that’s quick and easy to use. iPod function works fine as does the remote. Even though Pure pride themselves on low power consumption, the device can be unplugged entirely without affecting the preset/preferences set, which is something I like as I only need it at night – the clock will set in 2 seconds when plugged back in. The sound itself is ideal for bedside listening.
Niggles:
The ‘powerport’ which is located on the top surface could do with having a cover on it as I’m sure it will slowly fill up with dust over time if it’s not used.
The buttons should have been backlit as it’s impossible to see them at night. Choosing a different radio preset becomes a real problem if you’re like me and wake up in the night and want to listen to the radio. You can use the remote to change stations, but not presets, so if you receive a lot of DAB channels you’ll have to click the button quite a few times until you find the one you want.
Using the remote to control the iPod is mostly fine, except if you have a large collection and want to use the search function. You can do so with the remote, but you can’t remove any letters you’ve changed your mind about. On a Classic you simply hit the ‘previous’ button which deletes one letter at a time. On the remote this has no effect so you have to reach up and do it manually using the scroll wheel – a bit of a pain, especially if it’s not right next to the bed.
Sound is fine, except, as I have the device right by the bed, when I listen to the DAB radio, I can’t get the sound low enough for middle-of-the-night use. It’s close, but just a fraction too loud. The audio when using an iPod is fine though and I can listen to a podcast while still having a few lower options left on the volume scale.
The unit remembers which track you were listening to regardless of what you do with the iPod when not on the dock, however, if you were listening to a podcast, and delete it once you’ve heard it, or it finished and you let it stop on its own, when you later dock the iPod, it defaults to playing the first music track in your library – I find this a little annoying.
When pressing the central knob to confirm a selection, if the button is not pressed right in the centre but slightly higher, it tends to make a squeak.
As I said, these are niggles to me, rather than major issues, but there’s definitely room for improvement.
UPDATE 27/11/09
Seems to be a firmware bug in this one. The Source button becomes intermittently unresponsive requiring putting into/out of standby to release. Also, on several occasions, after changing source from iPod to DAB, just as the radio comes on, the unit will either go into standby on its own, even when I’m in the middle of adjusting the volume, or change to FM mode. The symptoms can’t be repeated at will. Obviously I’m having it replaced. Hopefully this isn’t affecting anyone else.
UPDATE 7/12/09
The replacement has begun to exhibit the same symptoms. Seems like it must be firmware related but there’s no update on Pure’s website. Will just have to get a refund this time.
I would lower the star rating down to 3 but it doesn’t change.
Rating: 4 / 5
Having read the reviews it was with some mixed feelings that I ordered it. I did this as I wanted it to fit a specific place in my kitchen. However it has excelled my expectations.The sound is excellent as is the sound from the iPod.We have even used it in our large lounge and it is great in there too. Very easy to set up and use.
Rating: 5 / 5