Plays 10 soothing sounds designed especially for infants to lull your little one to sleep. Sounds include summer night white noise thunderstorm running stream ocean waves songbird rainfall tropical forest waterfall and heartbeat.

• Soothing sounds designed especially for infants


• Includes AM/FM radio


• Comes with 10 different sounds


• Includes dual alarm snooze button and timer


• Works with AC adapter (included) or 4 AA batteries (not included)

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Stylish Design takes up a minimum of space on the nightstand desk or dresser. Visible 0.9" Green LED allows the large size numerals to be seen easily even at night.

• No Power No Problem Alarm System


• Automatic Daylight Savings Time


• Alarm Volume(High/Low)


• Programmable Sleep Timer

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Stylish Design takes up a minimum of space on the nightstand desk or dresser. Visible 0.9" Green LED allows the large size numerals to be seen easily even at night.

• No Power No Problem Alarm System


• Automatic Daylight Savings Time


• Alarm Volume(High/Low)


• Programmable Sleep Timer

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Not just for babies

Conair's Sound Therapy & Relaxation Clock Radio model SU7 which bills itself as "Soothing to babies" is misleadingly packaged for infants yet is identical in sound-selection makeup to its more expensive cousin marketed to adults: the Obus Forme Sound Therapy Relaxation System (which retails nearly double sans the grownup features). In what would appear to be a marketing mix-up the infant version of this Conair-branded device offers a dual alarm AM/FM tuner and a LCD readout whereas the model marketed to adults has no clock no radio tuner and no alarm. Go figure.



The good: ten sound choices including rainfall running stream waterfall songbirds heartbeat white noise ocean waves summer night thunderstorm and tropical rainforest. What sets this apart from other clock radios that use batteries to back up the clock and alarm settings is that it is entirely functional on four AA batteries alone (although the AC power adapter is included).



Another strong point: This unit has good AM/FM reception -- better than a number of HoMedics which I also tried.



Better yet the unit was easy enough to operate that I didn't have to pull out the manual to figure it out. It should be noted however that the implementation of the alarm is somewhat different then other alarm clock radios. Snooze provides a 10-minute extension but you cannot hit it more than three times without deactivating the alarm. To turn an alarm off simply hit the alarm button OR your choice of the Radio or Sound Therapy button which are placed to the right and left of the large round snooze button. (Fortunately the remainder of the buttons on the surface will not result in accidentally disabling the alarm.) Rounding out the feature set is the sleep function ranging from 15-90 minutes. Last but not least you may opt to wake to radio nature sound or buzzer. There is a headphone jack but no line-in by which to connect an MP3 or CD player.



The only significant downside unique to the Conair SU7 is the blue backlight. At certain angles/distances it is difficult to see the black LCD digits on the clock. I don't know who in the "high fashion" world of consumer product development decided it was cool to have nearly all today's digital clocks backlit by a blue or amber light instead of providing the high-contrast green- blue- or red-on-black numeral readouts but those product developers should be forced to squint through the nightlight-like light emitted from their products to try to read their poorly conceived black LCD digits across a darkened room -- no easy task even for someone with 20/20 vision!



As for sound quality I would put this somewhat above the HoMedics natural sounds line -- although you shouldn't expect it to rival CD-quality audio. The sound samplings are more distinct than HoMedics and more varied than those offered by Timex nature sound machines but they are also higher pitched. By contrast the HoMedics models provide nondescript relatively low-pitched sounds which are more akin to white noise. Consequently it should be noted that less distinct nature sounds are probably easier to sleep to if only because the loop is less obvious when the sound stage is somewhat muted and flat (or the speaker is poor whichever is the case). On the flip side the HoMedics nature sound generators are not quite as pleasant on the ear during the day. To create a daytime oasis Conair receives my vote because the sound samples are somewhat more realistic (not to mention the fact that Conair offers the most natural sound selections in the sub $60 price range). Insomniacs nevertheless should consider the tried-and-true option of running an air purifier which is a good year-around white noise generator (one that won't chill you like a fan or a running air conditioner in the winter toast you like a forced-air heater in the summer wear out your television set prematurely or drive your electricity up like a running clothes dryer). Similarly audiophiles should look to a CD for authentic non-looping stereo-quality nature sounds. (Consider "Echos of Nature" a five-CD set also sold on Amazon. The great thing about this boxed set is the fact that there are no New Age soundtracks mixed in to detract from the outdoor/wilderness ambiance.)



Poorly legible LCD clock aside the price of the Conair SU7 relative to the number of sound choices and the portability offered by the battery or AC operation really can't be beat. Don't allow the mother-and-child packaging or Amazon's product description fool you: There's nothing inherently "infant" about this unit's design. Because this product has the appearance of being a "baby item" that is not positioned in the baby section of most retail stores such as Target it is seemingly a slow seller which may explain why I found mine on clearance for half the $20 list price. If you have been considering the newly released $40 Obus Forme Sound Therapy Relaxation System take advantage of Conair's marketing mistake and pick up the SU7 instead. At $20 it is a deal but at $10 it is a steal!More detail ...

Best iPhone/iPod Docking Clock Radio

I searched a long time for a combo clock radio and docking station for my iPhone. Although there are several on the market I wanted something that took up as little space as possible on my night stand had a display with large numbers would charge my iPhone play music from my iPhone as the alarm instead of the radio and was easy to use.



I FOUND IT!! This Sony clock radio is great and has TONS of features. I like the large illuminated display which has different settings depending on how bright you want the light at night. Setting the alarm is very easy (you can go forward and backward through hour and minutes without having to run completely through the cycle like most clocks) and there are TWO alarm settings. You can set an alarm for weekdays to get you up for work and then a separate alarm for the weekend. Pretty cool.



The snooze button is nice and big on top of the unit and let's you take the standard 10 minute snooze or you can keep pressing the button and lengthen the snooze time up to 60 minutes in 20 minute increments. A nice feature.



There's a sleep feature timer so you can listen to radio or iPhone/iPod music while you fall asleep. For the alarm you can have a buzz AM or FM radio or a tune from your iPhone and it works great.



Buttons on the front and side are nice and large so you don't have to grope in the dark and there are a variety of customizable settings.



The best part is the hidden slide-out docking tray. Pop it out when you want to charge your iPhone/iPod or listen to music through the clock's speaker and push it back in when you don't need it making the unit's footprint as small as possible. The docking tray comes with adapters to fit iPhone or iPod. I use mine without either adapter because I have a protective case on my iPhone but it still fits in nicely.



In reading back my review I sound like a Sony employee but I'm not. Have no connection to the product other than I'm a satisfied customer and would recommend this unit highly to anyone looking for a docking station/clock radio for their iPhone or iPod. There are too many other features to go into here. Have fun discovering all the great things Sony thought of to include on this unit.



Thanks for a great unit Sony!More detail ...

A Well-Made Easy to Use Invention

I checked very carefully and this *is* the model I have. This is a GREAT easy to set up easy to use product that I wouldn't trade for anything. It has been prominent in my kitchen for over a year now and I love it!



There is a slight catch: you do have to read the directions. Apparently this a far more daunting challenge for most people than I would have guessed as they only took me about five minutes to read.



Yes the moon phases can appear backwards but the illuminated portion of the clock matches the illuminated portion of the moon. This is a very minor complaint and after I got used to it (again about five minutes) it hasn't thrown me off since.



Again yes you have to put a thermometer outside to have the outside temperature. I'm not sure what the other reviewer was expecting. On the plus side I've always found it extremely accurate and what's more the signal appears to be able to pass through an entire house with no problem.



But no this clock adjusts itself and I haven't had to worry about resetting it for a long time.



I love this thing and never plan on replacing it with anything else. After reading these other reviews I guess my only complaint is that it doesn't have a drink ready for me when I get home.



BTW I find myself using the moon phases a lot more than I would've guessed.More detail ...

Easy accurate but politely quiet

I bought two of these (one for my husband and one for my teenage son) since they would automatically reset themselves after a power outage. They both immediately complained that the alarms were not loud enough (both are VERY heavy sleepers). It does have a very light and polite beep with no volume control. However the beeps gradually increase in frequency and after week of use both of them are waking up easily to the sound and without the jarring blasts from our old alarms.

So it may require getting accustomed to for heavy sleepers but it's great for those of us who don't like to be blasted awake every day.More detail ...

Can't break it

I have dropped this thing on the floor stepped on it spilled water all over it. I lost the back and the batteries were held in by masking tape and it still worked. Simple but effective.More detail ...

ICF-C318/BC: simple intuitive and improved

This clock radio shares an obvious family resemblance to its highly successful predecessor the Sony ICF-C218 Automatic Time Set Clock Radio (Black): 90% of the buttons and functions of the earlier version are implemented and placed identically in the newer model. The buttons and their labeling are so intuitive that a manual is hardly needed (but helpful for the Sleep and Time Zone buttons). The ICF-C318 possesses four new buttons switches and controls and a feature that make it a more desirable model than the earlier one: a 3-level brightness button a two-level buzzer volume switch a second alarm mode rotary switch a second alarm time setting control and most importantly the 'No Power No Problem' feature means the alarm will still sound even if the AC power is off when the alarm was set to ring. The efficacy of those new contols and feature were assessed.



The brightness control was a feature requested by many users of the ICF-C218 who complained it was too bright in a darkened room. There is no doubt that the display of the newer ICF-C318 can be set to be very dim (thus pleasing insomniacs bothered by the 'nighlight effect') but at its brightest setting it is still too dim to be seen clearly in a brightly lit room. The alarm buzzer is not really a buzzer its a peeper and the two level slide control has little noticeable effect on volume - its just not very loud either way. When ignored the alarm peeps more frequently. If you need a really loud alarm you will be safer using the radio alarm rather than the buzzer. The rotary switches to set alarm mode (off buzzer radio) are improved in that the indicator on the switch is a larger more visible groove than the the tiny hard-to-see pit of the earlier model. The alarm time set knobs allow a new time to be set very quickly and easily; they are just a little clunkier looking than the sleek recessed toggle control of the earler model. The 'No Power No Problem' feature is the best new feature for this unit that sets it apart from the ICF-C218. I expect my alarm clock to work at a very high level of reliability a power outage is no excuse for failure of that function. In this regard the ICF-C318 performs as expected but the ICF-C218 fails miserably. If the alarm mode is set to radio and the AC power is off when the alarm should ring the ICF-C318 uses the buzzer (peeper) alarm instead; the buzzer probably drains less energy from the tiny backup battery than the radio.



The radio portion of this clock radio performs adequately. The sound can be quite clear for a strong station but it is obviously not high fidelity. The radio portion of this unit is just gravy - the alarm and clock function are the only real crucial parts to me. It seems to keep good time. I synchronised it with an atomic clock initially and a week later see no difference between the two when they were compared again. Clock time is maintained by a Li wafer battery even when the AC power is off; I don't know why they didn't use a more common cheaper higher capacity backup battery like an AA. The clock will perform automatic advance and setback of the time for regions that follow daylight savings time. Fortunately this feature can be disabled for regions like the state of Arizona that do not use DST. By comparison Emerson clock radios that have 'SmartSet' are crippled - DST advance and setback cannot be disabled.



How about aesthetics? In my opinion the earlier version's (ICF-C218) simpler shape and flat faceplate were snappier looking. The rounded faceplate and rear of the newer ICF-C318 seem less attractive. But its easy to dismiss the skin-deep homeliness when the other good features of the ICF-C318 are considered. The ICF-C318 comes in a white case and a black case version (complete Sony model numbers ICF-C318/WC and ICF-C318/BC respectively). This review applies to both color models because they are functionally identical. Although I don't normally like white appliances it is a little bit easier to read the black button labels on the white case than the white button labels on the black case.



It took a while for me to understand that with this clock there is both a manual and an automated way to spring clock time forward for Daylight Saving Time and to 'fall back' when Standard Time resumes. These two mechanisms don't always play nice together and that can lead to confusion. Well at least it confused me. I should also point out that the instructions that came with the clock just discuss US Time Zones which have designated DST start/stop dates at least until 2015 and spring forward and fall back at 2AM. In other parts of the world the designated DST dates and times often differ from the US so it is unlikely that the automated DST adjustment of this clock will be of any use (except in Canada). So where you don't fall into a US time zone the automatic DST adjustment should be disabled; just remember to use the manual method on the appropriate date. And of course if you live in a part of the US (like Arizona) where DST is not observed the automatic DST adjustment should likewise be disabled.



I have concluded that the Time Zone setting has no effect on anything including automatic DST adjustment. I can only envision one situation where it would matter or be helpful to set or adjust the Time Zone: if you take the alarm clock with you when you travel and in your travels you cross time zone boundaries. Adjusting the Time Zone allows the clock time to be altered in 1 hour increments without having to go through the Clock button to manually reset the time. Its easy to set the Time Zone so why don't you set it for your zone anyway?



I will spare you some of the trial and error I went through to try to figure out how DST was implemented and if it worked correctly on this clock. DST adjustments are explained in the manual that came with the clock but those explanations didn't go quite far enough. I wanted to understand it so I could set this up for my mom and know exactly what would happen when DST started and stopped. Maybe my explanation will help you.



Before you start use the Snooze button to verify the year month and day. If incorrect then set using the Clock button.



To Disable Automatic DST Adjustment For Places That Don't Observe DST

Hold down the DST button until 'Aut' then 'OFF' appear then release. If 'Aut' then 'On' appear release the DST button then press and hold it again to display 'Aut' then 'OFF' and release the DST button. If the DST LED is illuminated on the front of the clock press the DST button momentarily: this will have the effect of extinguishing the DST LED and setting back the time 1 hour. If the time is incorrect find a good reference time source and use the Clock and + - buttons to adjust. So now you are good to go in places like Arizona that don't observe DST. Put some clear tape across the Time Zone and DST buttons so you won't be inadvertantly adjusting them as you are stabbing for the Alarm Reset button in the dark.



To Manually Invoke DST Adjustment

First make sure you have disabled automatic DST adjustment by holding down the DST button to get Aut' then 'OFF' in the display. To 'spring forward' the clock momentarily press the DST button. This will illuminate the DST LED and set the clock ahead 1 hour. To 'fall back' momentarily press the DST button. This will extinguish the DST LED and set the clock back 1 hour. By this method you can easily compensate for DST changes in locations other than the US where the date or time for DST start/end are different from the US.



Automatic DST Adjustment

If you live in a US time zone where DST is implemented the automatic DST adjustment of this clock is handy. It's handy because you don't have to remember to do it and because it's easier than manually changing the time on your clock. To enable automatic DST adjustment hold down the DST button until 'Aut' then 'On' appear then release. If 'Aut' then 'OFF' appear release the button and repeat to display 'Aut' then 'On' and release the DST button. If the date is within the range for DST then the DST LED illuminates. If the date is within the range for Standard Time then the DST LED is extinguished. If automatic DST adjustment is on then at 2 AM on March 9 2008 for example the clock suddenly jumped forward to display 3 AM and the DST LED became illuminated.



Future Proof Automatic DST Adjustment?

I set the clock ahead to March 8 2015 and verified that it 'sprung forward' at 2 AM like it should. Without checking the years between 2008 and 2015 I assume the clock would also apply and remove DST on the appropriate date for those years. So the automated DST adjustment of this clock is probably good for at least the next seven years unless DST gets discontinued or altered by Congress before then.More detail ...