iHome IH9 Alarm Clock for iPod (Black)

As in the past, iHome has created a great product. The new iHome IH9 carries the torch to the new generation. Pros: 3D sound feature and excellent sound quality and reliability. Cons: none so far.

A remote control!!! How great is that??!! This product not only looks great, but sounds great as well! The packaging was terrific...there was no way it was going to be damaged in transit. The remote control makes this perfect. Def. would buy from this seller again.

The IH9 comes with a huge power brick, an immediate sign of inefficiency. More efficient power supplies are smaller, partly because they need to dissipate less heat. For this one:

Input: 120V AC x 0.6A = 72W
Output: 12V DC x 1.8A = 21.6W
Efficiency: 21.6/72 = 30%

Annual Max Usage: 72W x 24hr x 365d / 1000 = 615KWH
Annual Max Cost: 0.20 * 615 = $123
Cost of wasted energy: up to $86/yr

Now it won't draw all that all the time. But it won't be sleeping, because it has to power the clock. These things are less efficient at low draw.

Power supplies of up to 90% efficiency are generally possible for a dollar or two more in manufacturing cost - well worth another $10 retail. However, I cannot find a generic one that meets these specs, so I'm taking the unit back to my shopping club.

The IH9 looks like modern upgrade of my 25-year-old stereo Panasonic clock radio, with digital tuning and i-features. I never plugged in the IH9, and don't have tools to measure actual power draw. For comparison, the old Panasonic says it draws 10W.

A ton of features for an alarm clock, my favorite of which is the fact that it charges my iPod. The sound quality isn't great, but the rest of it...I am happy with it.

The iHome was a huge upgrade over the old alarm clock I was using. I love having the digital tuner so I don't have go guess where my station. It's easy to set up and use. The only thing I don't really like are the dials on top. One controls volume and the other controls the clock. In the stupor of just waking up, I forget which one is which and either give myself a painful surprise when the music suddenly blasts, or I mess up the alarm when I really mean to turn up the volume. I'd prefer simple buttons, but that being the only drawback, I still would have purchased the IH9.