The iLuv iMM178 iPod clock radio is compatible with all the latest Apple mobile devices. You can listen to your favorite music while it charges and even use your potable music devices to help wake you up. However, the iPod clock radio's most innovative feature is a small plastic device that vibrates when the alarm goes off called a "Bed Shaker". Extreme shaking combined with music or buzzing makes it virtually impossible to sleep through this alarm. The innovative features help this iPod clock radio earn our TopTenREVIEWS Silver Award, but the sound quality is lower than the iHome iPod dock.
You really have to see it to believe it. The iLuv iMM178 model has a small device that looks like a computer mouse attached to the iLuv iPod clock radio by a cord. This iPhone clock radio is placed under the pillow or alarm and as the alarm goes off, the entire bed shakes. This feature is great for teenagers who have a hard time waking up in time for school or exceptionally deep sleepers. The shaking of the bed is very annoying. The purpose of the iLuv clock radio is to make you wake up and get out of bed. This shaking is not going to wake up just one person on the bed; it is violent and shakes the entire mattress, even if placed under only one pillow.
The iPhone clock radio works well with music from your iPhone, iPod, radio presets. It has seven unique buzzer alarm sounds. You can select from a loud buzzer, a rooster crowing, a train horn, a xylophone, a phone ringing, a cuckoo clock or even a horse race. To test these sounds and see if one fits your fancy, go to the manufacturer’s website where they have all seven sounds posted. You can hear them with the click of a mouse. When the alarm goes off the bed shaker turns on and the alarm sounds. Whether you choose a buzzer, the radio or a docked iPod, the combination of these two sounds can even wake the neighbors.
The iLuv iMM178 is compatible with all the different Apple mobile gear, including fifth generation iPods and all the different iPhone models. A line-in jack allows you to listen to other MP3 players and devices. You can’t charge the devices, or use them as alarms, but the speakers produce a quality sound.
The iLuv iPod clock radio is completely customizable. You can change the light settings on a scale of zero to nine. This can help you sleep more easily at night. There alarm has different settings for weekdays and weeknights. This feature prevents the alarm from inadvertently waking you up too early on a Saturday morning. The sleep and snooze functions are also customizable by time and sound medium. The time functions are set by a syncing process with the iPod or iPhone so you know you’ll always have the correct time. The clock will even automatically adjust for daylight savings time.
As is the case with most small portable speakers and docks, the sound quality of the iLuv iMM178 iPod clock radio left us underwhelmed. The iLuv iPod dock can get quite loud and has adjustable settings such as bass and other effects. Overall, the sound is not as high-quality as some might hope. We also noticed a significant amount of static as we increased the volume. However, this model is significantly better than many other similar iPhone clock radios. For the casual music listener this product works well.
If you’re looking for an iPhone clock radio that can wake really, really deep sleepers, this is the product for you. The bed shaker works fantastic under the mattress and under the pillow. With the combination of the shaking and the loud music or buzzers, this alarm will surely help your teenager wake up and get to school on time.
It can be overwhelming to set up the product because the iLuv iPod clock radio has many different customizable features. The iPhone clock radio product manual is useful and most of the options are clearly labeled on the iLuv iPod dock. The rotating alarm dial helps you to scroll through the numbers quickly. If you follow the process in the user’s manual, setup should only take a few minutes.
You can also use the buttons on the alarm to set up customizable snooze times, sleep times and sound settings. Finding the right bass/treble balance is simple with the iLuv iPod clock radio dock. The screen is large and easy to read. You can also customize the screen display brightness to help keep the room dark while you sleep. Exploring all the different lighting, snooze and sleep functions to find the right fit for you can be fun and it is simple to do. Again, the user manual is especially useful for this part.
The manufacturer provides a variety of methods for you to contact the customer service team. When we called the toll-free telephone line we were instantly connected to a very friendly customer service representative who helped answer all our questions about the iPod clock radio. On the manufacturer's website there is a downloadable user manual sections of frequently asked questions and customer support email addresses. The iLuv iMM178 iPhone dock has a limited one-year warranty.
The iLuv iMM178 iPod clock radio is a perfect fit for even the heaviest sleepers. The innovative “Bed Shaker” will rattle you awake as it soothes you with all of your favorite tunes. While the sound quality is not the best we’ve ever heard, we still loved this outstanding product.
