Sound Rise II, SFQ-16: Bedside Alarm Clock Radio & Bluetooth Speaker, with Large Display Screen, FM Radio, Fast USB Charging, and Nature Sound

Really fantastic, modern alarm clock. The design looks great, I have a wood bed frame with shelves that it sits on and it looks right at home. It is also very light weight which is nice. The display is great. It is easy on the eyes and the various dimmable settings are perfect. If you turn the screen off it does come on when the alarm sounds but goes off again from there. If you are a terrible waker upper like me you want that back on in the morning. Otherwise you can see the display across the room but it can be dim enough for light sleepers too. Great sound. It is not going to compete with Bose...but it is an alarm clock so why would it. Happy with the radio and bluetooth quality. Yes, the bluetooth alarm option works! It will play whatever was most recently playing but it absolutely wakes up your phone and reconnects. If for any reason this does not work (phone battery dies, you accidentally set it to airplane mode, etc) it will simply default to the regular alarm so you still get up. The regular alarm sound is very standard. I find I have to turn the volume all the way to max but it does get very loud when all the way up. Nice long power cord if that is important. Seemingly good back up battery. I have only had it a few weeks but it certainly has stayed powered as I moved it from one shelf to another a couple of times. Here is my one real issue, the buttons are difficult to deal with in the morning. It has not stopped me from enjoying this and I am certainly not returning it but it is difficult to feel around for Alarm 1 vs. Alarm 2. It actually makes it harder for me to keep hitting the snooze button so it has worked in my favor reasonably well. A little bump on each button so you can feel it without having to see would be perfect. Again, a small complaint, but throwing out the info. I wouldn't let this stop you from purchasing it though. You can easily add a little piece of tape or something to help with this, I have certainly not found anything else as nice as this during all my searching.

After our warhorse of a clock radio bit the dust, finding a replacement was like going down a rabbit hole. Bought several in the $30+ range; they did not keep time (how is that even possible?), the phone charging connection (the one upgrade I was excited about) stopped working almost immediately, and the clock radios themselves died with a whimper within several months. Delighted to find the Sound Rise. Pros: Beautifully crafted clock radio. Excellent sound; balanced, rich and fills the room, with a few helpful options to adjust balance. Radio connection works well with antennae and Bluetooth sound quality is excellent. Phone charging connection is a lovely perk Has helpful options to dim the time display. It's also a beautiful looking clock radio. Has an elegant design and does not take up a lot of room. Unsure if the taupe/wood version would be drab, but it is stylish and attractive. Easy to operate and well-designed and the instructions were clear and helpful. And it keeps time! This is the clock radio I was searching for. Cons: These were out of stock for months. Don't know what the supply issues are with the company, but it's frustrating that their website is never updated to reflect when items may be back in stock. Signed up for their mailing list to be notified, but never heard back. Might have waited for some of the other designs, but no way to know; when I emailed, I heard back after several days that they would not be available in the foreseeable future. For a company that puts so much care into their product, the failure to update the website is baffling. However, after pondering the rating, while this was frustrating, none of this takes away from this high quality product.

I bought 5 clock radios this year, from cheap to very expensive. None of my previous purchases have been an icon for truth in advertising, that is to say, they didn't work as advertised. If they had good sound, the clock didn't work. If the clock worked, the radio sounded like crap. All had unacceptable shortcomings. I was about to give up on the idea of buying a decent clock radio when I decided to try the Soundfreaq Sound Rise II. I can happily that it works exactly as advertised. The sound quality is pretty good for a speaker of that size. The clock is perfectly reliable and the alarm offer several choices of wake up sounds. The bluetooth connected instantly to my phone and has been completely dependable, every time. The unit has a number of bells and whistles. (Sleep timer, nature sounds, USB charging, large display screen with dimmable settings, and more). Unlike other radios the set up is relatively easy and the instructions are better than any others that I have used. I consider this radio an excellent product, particularly in comparison the all the other radios that recently purchased and returned. I have found no equal even in the $200 models. Update: After using this clock radio for several weeks I can enthusiastically say this is a great radio. It does everything well, it's easy to operate, sounds good, all with good operating instructions. You can't beat it.

I am writing this review after the company contacted me and asked me to write them a five star review - unfortunately this is not a five star product. The alarm is nicely featured and provides the necessary features that one would need in radio/alarm: Pros: -Dual Alarms you can set at different times and days, wake to alarm, buzzer, radio or Bluetooth. -It offers a gradual increase in the sound as the alarm activates (an absolute must!) -Legible display that isn't overly bright. -Attractive design with a very small footprint -Bluetooth -Backup battery Cons: -The sound quality is that of a $29.95 radio - with decent highs, below average mid range and absolutely no bass at lower volumes. It produces produces bright unpleasant sound that isn't meaningfully affected by the tone switch on the back of the speaker. For a $29.95, basic radio this wouldn't be an issue, but this alarm radio is marketed as though it offers breakthrough sound quality. It doesn't. I own two small Bluetooth speakers that produce excellent sound (TDK A33, Logitech S715) and used the Boston acoustics solo alarm radio (which I only stopped using because the built in backup battery stopped holding a charge) and this radio in no way compares to any of them. The sound quality of this radio does not compete with a nice (not necessarily expensive) Bluetooth speaker. -Buttons are small and invisible at night - I now have to turn on a light to change the alarm - frustrating. -The display doesn't automatically dim -Price (only an issue because of below average sound quality) Overall: This is not a great Bluetooth speaker with alarm functions, it is an above average alarm with a basic speaker. For people that want a radio alarm there really aren't a lot of options at this price point as most are using their phones and tablets for this function. I'm not going to return mine, not because I'm thrilled with the product, but because my wife threw away the box. I seriously considered buying the Yamaha TSX-B72 (and still am). Obviously the price difference between the two is significant but it may be worth it for the improved sound quality alone.

This clock/radio was exactly what I was looking for to put in our master bathroom. I wanted something with a clock, a decent sounding radio, and something that looked nice. After a lot of research, I was having a hard time finding anything like this (everything was either super cheap typical clock radio for your bedside...or something extremely expensive and high-end). Finally, I stumbled across this...perfect. Pros: -With the wood grain and tan-ish speaker covering, it looks more like furniture than a basic clock/radio. -It's the perfect size (IMO) -The sound is 10 times better than a standard cheapo clock radio. It has more bass and depth. I will note that this is not a high-end unit so it will not compare to those $200-$300 units by Harmon Kardon, etc. If you are looking for a good audio system to fill a dorm room...this is not it. -The radio gets several more stations that the cheaper Sony clock radio it replaces. Reception is very good. It has a removable wire antenna that helps if you need it (and you can remove it if you don't) -Blue tooth works well but I don't use it much...mostly radio. I did connect my phone to it just to see if it worked and it did. -USB port is nice to have. I use it to charge my phone over night. Cons: -As mentioned, the sound is very good for what it is but a true audiophile may not be impressed. -It has tone adjustments that are decent, but I wish it just had simple adjustments for Bass, Midtone, and Treble instead of the multiple presets for different music types. Not a big complaint since the Sony clock/radio it replaces sounded terrible and had no adjustments for tone. -Not a knock on the product but I thought it was strange that the wood grain version of this clock was about $20 more expensive than the black unit. Both are just plastic (although the wood version looks nice...not cheap). Thought they would be the same price.

One word: WOW. I hesitated on purchasing this for over a year - I mean - 80$ for an alarm clock (going price when I purchased) is a TON of money for somethiing that you can use your cell phone to do (which I've been doing for the last 5 years). But I have to say, you really get what you pay for - this is totally worth it and then some. In a nutshell: If you're looking for the perfect gift, esp for brothers, husbands, whatever - this is definitely it. This is one of those "You never knew how much you were missing out until you switched from dial up to cable modem" purchases -- and whoever you buy this for might be skeptical at first, but, they will appreciate it 5 minutes after plugging it in. This is both an elegant, and simple product - nerds, geeks, minimalists, fashionistas, guys who buy scarves (there's a word for that) - will love it. Think if Apple made an alarm clock. All the controls are wonderfully intuitive, and every "I expect it to do this" - this alarm clock fulfills. If you're on the fence, just go for it, you won't regret it! I wish I had bought last year! ---- Details Alright, I'm not great at reviews (the above is largely a gushy BUY NOW sign) but here's a couple of key things: 1. SOUND As others mention, the sound quality is SUPERB, given the fact that it's over bluetooth and not stereo. The sound can FILL a 350 square foot room, and is as loud as my bluetooth wireless Logitech UE Boom speakers. 2. CONTROLS In one word: intuitive. To the reviewer earlier - re: dimming controls on back - yes that is true, but in fact, you can use the -/+ sign to dim the alarm clock as well! Brilliant! 3. BRIGHTNESS GREAT control over dimming (you can even turn off the display ENTIRELY if you must sleep in the dark) 4. BUILD QUALITY Yes, it's not real wood, and it's rather light. But it looks good, and FEELS good - even if it's not all real wood. 5. OTHER Just from packaging, instructions, everything you can tell a lot of care and thought has gone into this product. I've only written 5 Amazon reviews in like 15 years, so it says something that this product impressed me enough to write one!

Bought this for it's good reviews, small footprint, and many features for the money. Sound is great. Keep your instructions handy as settings are complicated and not at all intuitive. I defy anyone to figure it out without the instructions. Also, the dial readout is overly busy and hard to read. For one thing, there is too much information on the dial. For another, the beginning "1's" are MUCH too close to the next number when dealing with 10, 11, and 12 o'clock. The dial is plenty bright (and adjustable), but it often looks like Chinese to me during the night (due to the too-close numbers and superflous information presented). So much so that I am thinking of moving it to another room and finding something else for my bedroom alarm. I've had it over a month and thought I would get adjusted to it, but I have not. Another minor issue is the ridiculously large plug...wonder why it's so darn large for such a small device?

I'm not a technophile by any stretch, but once I saw a preview of the revised Sound Rise, I had to have it. The radio fulfills all expectations and is unexpectedly lovely to see and use. What distinguishes this clock radio from competing products? In the first place, many tabletop radios (think Tivoli) seem purpose-built to entice fans of Mad Men's mid-century modern aesthetic, which these days seems impossible to avoid. Within our culture, radio exists in a nostalgic opposition to television and the internet, so any clock radio has a halo of vintage appeal. Radio is an old medium, audio companies suggest, so radios should look old. What looks good on Don Draper, however, does not necessarily work for an alarm clock with many modern features. Several other radios have analogue dials for tuners and alarms, which look great but are annoying to use. Do you want to risk waking up late because you sleepily wound your slender alarm dial? Of course you don't. The Sound Rise is above all easy to use, and it performs its duties as a radio, alarm and speaker brilliantly. The accompanying owner's manual is almost unnecessary; you'll master the device's controls within two minutes of plugging it in. Because of this ease, the Rise's unadorned simplicity is lovely to behold. The wood-and-taupe model looks particularly striking, the dense grain contrasting nicely with the muted fabric that shields the speaker. The display is large and clear, the buttons have a satisfying heft and, although the Rise is lighter than I expected, it feels well built. What could be better than an object that doesn't pretend to be more complex than it is? In a pinch, the Rise could deputize as a ghetto blaster and be heard above the din of a crowded room, but this is obviously not its life purpose. This is a radio to clean your house with. The bass is resonant but doesn't obscure the warm midrange, though the treble sometimes lacks punch. Overall, the sound is clean and bright, an enormous improvement if, like me, you listen to music primarily on a laptop. The Rise's feature set contains almost everything you want and very little you don't, a virtue that might be unique in the world of music players. It has two alarms that slowly crest in volume to ease your morning anguish. Adjustable snooze and nap timers, but not too many. Bluetooth pairing and line-in for when you worry about your phone's charge. USB charging if you're really worried and want to do something about it. The screen dims, which should be a federal mandate in all alarm clock radios but somehow isn't. It's small enough to fit on almost any nightstand. And best of all, it didn't cost so much that I become wracked with guilt every time I look at it, which is several times a day (thinking of you again, Tivoli). What's not to like? I wish it had an AM tuner, even though I never listen to AM radio. It just seems like something that should be included. I think that's it. It's a really great clock radio, and if you're using your phone as an alarm or thinking of buying a clock radio, you should buy this one.

I was looking for a replacement bedside alarm/radio/clock when I found my Ipod 4 which I was using with a Kitsound dock wouldn't download any apps from the AppStore anymore, so listening to podcasts started to become impossible. I decided to go for an alarm clock with bluetooth so that I could connect my new Samsung S5 to it for podcasts and digital radio but I also looked at other things such as wireless charging, having a FM radio etc etc. The Soundfreaq Soundrise came out on top. I didn't really want a DAB radio built in and I wanted to have more than just a bluetooth dock by my bed. This alarm clock is brilliant and ticks all the right boxes. PROS -It has a large, very clear display in a light greenish white colour. You can also dim it using a button on the back so if you can change that depending on your preference, or even turn it off all together. -The USB charging socket on the back is perfect. I have a wireless charger for my phone, so I use this extra socket for my tablet or FitBit etc. It charges really quickly and is incredibly useful especially with a shorter USB cable. -The sound quality for a mono speaker system is lovely, really mellow with a deep enough bass level and nice crisp trebles for podcasts and audio books. It's not the best for music clarity but it's perfectly passable as a bedside device. There is an equaliser function so you can alter the sound quality slightly too. -The bluetooth setup was a breeze and I have experienced no drop outs or failures. -The inclusion of two alarms is a great idea, you can have one for weekdays and one for weekends or whatever you want. The alarm tone is fine though I tend to use my phone for alarms. If you connect your phone via bluetooth and fall asleep it will still be connected in the morning and you might get blasted with your alarm from two speakers which stops you going back to sleep I suppose! -The design of the speaker is really nice, it has a felty material around the base and the rest is constructed from wood-printed plastic. It's not hugely heavy but has a nice upright shape with the buttons mainly located in the top surface in two rows which are easy to feel in the dark. I usually put my phone on top of the speaker as it has a little dip that suits it perfectly. -Connectivity is great too, not only USB and bluetooth, but an AUX 3.5mm input too so you can connect other devices. -The packaging is lovely and it seems Soundfreaq are a company who care about producing a great all-round product. -The FM radio is very good, with a small aerial cable to plug in when you set it all up. I'm not a fan of DAB as I don't believe FM signals should be switched off so I steer clear of contributing to that endgame. I found the tuner to be responsive and accurate and the aerial is long enough for you to get a clear signal if you need to adjust it. CONS -Although I like the design of the Soundrise speaker, I wish it had been made of real wood or veneer perhaps, plus while the buttons are crisp and tactile, they are made of a dull brown plastic which isn't as nice as the fake wood print finish. I am sure it would put the price up but real wooden buttons would have finished the whole thing off perfectly. -The speaker is quite light. I have it on my bedside table so it's ok most of the time but I have knocked it alot and it will move around quite easily, that doesn't affect how well it works, I just thought it was worth noting as I did expect it to be alot heavier. -You can only have one bluetooth device connected at a time. I only noticed this as my friend wanted to connect to play music from her phone while my phone was already connected but not playing anything. I don't know if this is standard but it means you can only have one device ready to go at a time, rather than devices pushing each other off as needed. -The levels between devices can be quite different. So if I listen to the radio I only need the volume at 10, but if I listen to podcasts via bluetooth I may need it as high as 16, and the AUX input is the quietest of all. Not a huge problem but just a shock if you switch between and have to rush to change the volumes at 2am! Overall I've really got alot of use out of my Soundrise speaker clock and I love the way it looks. It was well-priced and is one of the only devices in its class which did everything I wanted it to.

El mejor despertador que he tenido. Vale la pena gastar más que otros más baratos, y tener uno que vaya perfecto, en sonido y calidad de acabado.

Great little alarm radio clock. A bit to get use to in set up - keep instruments close by. I swear alarm gets louder and louder to get you up. Sound is clear on radio - very impressed. Still getting use to it. But it is plug in and solid little clock. Love the fact you can lower the light to black out

Facile à installer son top fait parfaitement son travail

Heute ausgepackt und in Betrieb genommen. Klang sehr warm und Sprache gut verständlich. Bandbreite der Lautstärke sehr gut, lauter darf er nicht mehr werden, sonst fliegt er vom Tisch. Anzeige sehr gut lesbar, dimmen bis 0 möglich. Ganz gut: Während des iPhone-Hörens via Bluetooth kann via USB geladen werden. Mittels eines Schalters kann die Zeit des Einschlaf-Hörbuches programmiert werden. Bis zu 2 Stunden, dann stellt das Dingens ab, das spart Strom. Das Teilchen finde ich sehr ansprechend im Look und wertig gemacht. Übrigens: Es liegt ein Zettelchen bei mit einem Link zur deutschen Anleitung: [...] Fazit: Ich habe ihn für meine Frau gekauft, damit nicht mehr das iPhone im Bett rumkullert und quäkt, während die grausamen Morde geschildert werden. Sie hat Freude und meinte, ich würde das noch bereuen, wenn nun immer in toller Qualität Nacht für Nacht ... Aber ich habe gleich heute, nach allen erfolgreichen Tests, auch für mich einen Sound Rise bestellt, denn die Radioweckfunktion mit dem langsam ansteigenden Radioton finde ich äusserst angenehm, ich bin mir sicher, morgen wachen wir so sanft auf wie noch nie😀