Review on 🕰️ iHome iA5: The Ultimate App-Enhanced Alarm Clock and Speaker Dock for 30-Pin iPod/iPhone by Stephanie Burke

After reading some of the other reviews I was a little apprehensive but I tried a few other speaker/clock combinations and was disappointed. So I decided to try this device which is designed to work with iPhone especially the app. First, this clock is stylish and eye-catching and looks great next to my bed. The dock is completely open and not in a cutout, which is nice because it works even when my phone is in a thick silicone case. Plus, unlike many docks, it supports the back of the iPhone when docked so you can press the buttons with one hand rather than holding it with the other. Nice gesture! The dock portion itself is quite springy, so it absorbs some of the shock when you place your iPhone in it. Overall it seems well done. Sound quality is pretty good, especially considering there's only one speaker and no stereo. There is an equalizer button on the back that allows you to separately adjust bass and treble to your liking. This is VERY good for a clock that will wake you up, as a tinny sounding speaker can be very harsh when you first start it up. Dampening the treble and boosting the bass a bit can make the alarm more comfortable on the ears, while the opposite setting can be good for listening to music. The free iHome + Sleep app looks well designed, but has some flaws and requires a bit of fiddling to figure out all the features. Sometimes it just closed without warning, but usually it happened after I messed around with the settings a lot. Once you set it up the way you want it and start using it like a clock, it becomes very stable. I also got the $1.99 iHome+Radio app, which adds the ability to wake up to an internet radio station at any time, or just listen to a radio station. There are thousands of stations to choose from and there were about 20 stations near me. The interface is easy to use and lists radio stations by type as well as by locale. I'm sure you understand how it works and don't be surprised if you don't have an alarm clock in the morning. Set an alarm for a very short time and wait for it to sound to see how it works, how loud the sound is, etc. The only thing I find a bit odd about how it works is that you can select a "On " condition or the iPhone alarm will not play through the speakers. However, a glowing clock does NOT indicate that it is on. At the top is a button with the iHome logo that needs to be lit for the device to actually turn on. If you forget to press this button and the logo lights up, you won't hear the alarm clock in the morning. But that's a bit of a quibble. Overall, it's a well-made, attractive device that does MUCH more than any other I've tried. I highly recommend it!