Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Note: Amazon's description of this item is incorrect on three crucial features: 1) the LED display is BLUE (as in the photo), not green and 2) it has DUAL alarms, not a single alarm, and 3) there is no USB charging port. I have owned and used a multitude of clock radios over the years, and I have never found one without room for improvement. The Emerson CKS1708 is the best so far. It has the basic features I wanted (dual alarms, digital radio presets, battery backup) and some nice extras (automatic time/date setting, display dimmer, great radio reception and sound quality for its size & price). It has a few features I probably won't ever use but which will probably appeal to others. For example, the time is set automatically, but if you like to set the time ahead (something I never understood), there's a way to do that. It also has a sleep feature that turns the radio off automatically after a customizable amount of time (2 to 90 minutes). The user interface is not intuitive (you will need to read the manual to use some of the features, such as storing and recalling the radio presets), but once you understand how it works, it's easy to use. All of the buttons are on top and serve two functions, one when the radio is off, and the other when the radio is on. There are only a few buttons, which are separated enough so you'll be unlikely to hit the wrong one in the dark. The Snooze button is large and centrally placed. Many people will find the small lettering on the buttons (except for Snooze) hard to read, especially in dim light. The tiny button labels seem incongruous with the ginormous LED display. The display has two brightness levels, very bright and less bright. The display always shows the date of the week below the time, but if you hold down the Date button on top, it will show the full date until you release it. Similarly, if you hold down the Date and Time buttons together, it will show the year. (It's hard to imagine a situation in which you would need to do this, but you can.) If you press one of the two alarm buttons, the display shows the alarm time and whether it's set to radio, buzzer, or off, as well as whether it's set for all days, just weekdays, or just weekend days. (Weekdays are displayed in blue and weekend days in red.) It is important to note that the battery is used only to preserve your settings and play the alarms (if set) in the event of a power outage. When power is disrupted, neither the display nor the radio will work, but the alarms will beep at the appropriate times. It would have been better if the radio had a battery with enough power to operate at least the display (even if it were dimmed) during a power outage. (This limitation appears to be shared by most, if not all, alarm clocks and radio alarms that use 3V lithium batteries.) In my case, this limitation shouldn't be much of a problem because my power outages tend to be very short, but if you often experience long power outages, you may want to look for a different solution. Just for the record, Waltmart sells this for much less ($19.95). LIKES: Suprisingly good radio reception and sound quality (no static or hissing) Bright, clean, BLUE LED display that can be dimmed Dual alarms Choice of alarm modes (every day, weekdays, weekends) Styling Presets for AM/FM radio (10 each) Digital volume settings (16 levels) Date display feature Battery backup for settings and alarms Long-life lithium battery and low battery warning Audio line in (for MP3 players, etc.) DISLIKES: Size is OK, but I'd prefer a smaller footprint Battery is used only to preserve settings and to play alarms, not to operate the display or the radio No USB charging port (even though Amazon's description says there is) No Bluetooth Only basic alarm options (would like options for individual days, the ability to link an alarm to specific radio stations, etc.) No nap feature User interface could be improved -- don't lose the instructions No Aux Out port for headphones