Update 2 : And the Winner is................................. CARLOS (carlito007@gmail.it) !!
Thanks all for your comments !! Next review + contest coming soon...

Update : To win this contest and then win this Ravon Audio Clock, just let a comment with your name and email.


A drawing lot will be carried out in 1 week.

No name, no email = Null


The Ravon Audio Nordic Alarm Clock with built iPod dock immediately got my attention when it arrived as it had what appeared to be an iPhone friendly unit (according to the pictures of the packaging) which got my juices flowing.

Features : 
  • Power of exit of 2x14 Watts for roomy parts 
  • Dock iPod with adapters for the last models of iPod 
  • Radio FM with preselection of 10 frequencies 
  • Remote control multifunction 
  • Broad screen LCD for an easy reading 
  • Loudspeakers with broad spectrum of 3" 
  • Box of wood for optimal audio performances 
  • Choice of alarms at the alarm clock (alarm, FM, or iPod)
  • Dimensions: 372 X 165 X 108 mm 
  • Warranty 1 year

Contents : 
  • Radio-alarm i231A 
  • Audio cable "jack" 
  • Remote control 
  • Handbook of use 
  • Dock Adapters
  • Sector Adapter

The unit is a great bedroom clock radio with a piano black finish which is nice and is quite solid and weighty. This  was further reinforced when I put the iPhone through it and as expected the bass was warm with lots of punch. It certainly produces sufficient volume and do not be fooled by the specifications as its only rated at 14W per channel. For those that aren\'t aware and I apologise for launching into a mathematics lesson here, the relationship between volume and power is logarithmic so to double the volume of this unit you would need 10 times the power or 100W of amplification. The rule is x2 volume = x10 of power! So when this unit is at half of its rated maximum volume (which is more than ample) it is only using 1W of amplification so do not get sucked into the power debate. Enough of the audio theory  lessons.
  

One of my pet peeves with clock radios is if they are disconnected from mains power or suffer a power failure, they lose all their settings. Not the case with this unit as it appears to have a built in rechargeable battery that saves all the settings so once power is restored, so are all the original settings. Big tick!

The clock also has two alarm settings i.e. his and hers or weekdays weekends. Again the unit scores a big tick!

The ability to wake to the music from your iPod rather than the radio is another big tick!

The radio functionality is as you would expect having analog AM/FM with 10 memory presets. The display is a large LCD type that is clear and crisp. The Ipod dock is universal so you can use one of the provided plates to adjust the opening to accommodate your iPod variety from nano through to touch. The unit comes with a remote that allows you to adjust all the usual suspects as well as bass and treble which earns it another big tick.

At this point I would summarise the unit as a winner as it has all the things you would want from a clock radio with built in iPod dock and recommend it and before I say but, I still think its a winner. Now for the but. Although the unit has a host of great features and looks good it has as an Achilles heel which you may have picked up in my subtle transition from initially being excited about the unit catering for an iPhone to talking about it used with iPods. The iPhone is different from iPods because as it is a phone it has a built in radio and built radios are constantly transmitting a heart beat every so often to let the nearby mobile tower know its on air. This causes electrical interference when placed near a radio. Leave you phone next to a radio and see for yourself. The workaround is to put the iPhone in airplane mode when docked but that takes you off air which for many people wouldn\'t be an issue but for those who need to take calls when they are in bed, well you need to look at some other solution.
  

Now we need to be very clear here, the issue with interference from iPhones and AM/FM clock radios appears to be universal so it's not a failing of the Ravon Audio Clock Radio but rather the industry not being able to find a solution or maybe an affordable solution. Personally I would have thought some shielding in the unit could/would negate the problem but I am not an expert. Maybe there is a rocket scientist out there that can come up with a solution. Of course this issue is why this unit and all its competitors clearly state iPod and if you see what looks like an iPhone on the box, take a second look and you will realise its an iPod Touch.

Again in summary, I give this unit the thumbs up and would recommend it and I would recommend it even more if were iPhone friendly.
Price : 129 € with Crazyphonic

If you like this post, share it ! | Post views: