RCA RP3765 AM/FM Dual Wake Clock Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This model looks nice and has some good features, but also some major flaws. The biggest problem is the CD player. Instead of having a simple mechanical latch (push a button to pop it open), this one opens by pushing a button that electronically opens it with a motor--needlessly complex and just one more bit of circuitry to go bad. The problem I had after a few months is that the door wouldn't close properly because it started catching on the ribbon of wires that connect the door to the rest of the unit. I was able to poke things back into place and make it work, but the opening mechanism seems poorly designed and I have a hunch I'll have more problems with it.
The biggest annoyance is that the CD player tends to make a fairly load whirring, clicking sound as the CD spins. That's a problem on most small CD players, but this one is especially loud: enough to drown out the soft music or nature sounds CDs I like to play at low volume while falling asleep. When playing things at higher volumes it's not a big problem, but this issue alone makes me wish I hadn't bought this model. As another reviewer said, the vertical CD player seems to be the cause of problems, so I'd go for a traditional set-up where the CD is laid flat.
Another weak spot is that the set-up of the button controls are poorly designed. Some key controls (like the nap and sleep-to-music buttons) are on a top panel that slopes downward toward the back of the unit, making it difficult to see or even feel what you're pressing if the unit is at head level, as most clock radios will be when people are in bed. The buttons on the front are also confusing, with several identical buttons in a row. There are separate on and off buttons, on opposite ends of the row of buttons. Why not simplify things with just one on/off button? Similarly, there are separate up and down volume buttons. Why not use an old-fashioned wheel- or slider-style volume control? That would be easier to use and would avoid cluttering up the unit with so many identical buttons. The buttons to change radio bands and stations are especially confusing, and not even placed next to each other. Even after using this every day for six months, I still end up hitting buttons at random to change stations because the set-up is so counter-intuitive. It would be better if it was set up like a car stereo: one button to change bands (FM1, FM2, AM, etc.), then have five or six separate buttons to select each station within that band.
The general problem with this is that the designers made it complex and overly fancy when something simpler would have worked better. For example, you can change the color of the clock display, and the display automatically brightens or dims based on how much light is on in the room. Those features seemed cool for about five minutes, but then I settled on the color I liked best and haven't changed it again, and I wish that the brightness of the display could be controlled manually.
Despite the weak spots, there are some good features here. The unit does look pretty nice and sounds good. Not hi-fi, but it has two speakers rather than one and the sound is decent for a clock radio. The nap timer is also great, letting you set a timer to count down from any 10-minute interval (up to two hours), then have the alarm beeper (but not radio or CD) go off without having to reset the actual alarm time and then reset it again to your usual morning wake-up time.
With some redesign this could be a very good product, but the whirring of the CD is a big problem for me, and the CD door and the arrangement of buttons are definite weak spots, too.

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With the RCA RP3765 AM/FM Dual Wake Clock Radio with Remote Control, not only can you wake to an alarm or your favorite CD or radio station, but you can also wake up to your favorite television broadcast or weather station. A unique one-touch instant weather function also allows you to get the weather, on demand, whenever you want.Digital tuning, 11 AM/FM presets, and a high performance system with bass reflex speakers means that your favorite radio station, at high-performance sounds, is just a button away. A motorize CD door system provides for smooth and easy access to your favorite CD. Best of all, the RCA RP3765 runs on a unique ASIC chip, in which three features are combined to make life a little bit easier for you and yours. The Graduwake Ramp-Up Alarm gradually increases the volume of the alarm as you wake up; a "nap" function allows you to take a refreshing cat nap without fear of sleeping all afternoon, and a programmable snooze feature means you can sleep for up to an extra two hours after your alarm initially wakes you up. A large, backlit 1.25-inch display for easy readability rounds out the features of this outstanding CD clock radio.

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