Sony ICF-CDK50 Under Counter CD Player/Radio Audio Shelf System
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Similar in Audio Shelf Systems
- Playable Disk Types: CD (Audio) CD-R CD-RW
- Number of Discs: 1
- Functions: CD Player
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1318
Sony ICF-CDK50 CD Kitchen Clock Radio: Keeps Me Well Entertained!
Pros
great sound quality, easy to use, inconspicuous yet attractive
Cons
none
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If you're looking for a radio/CD player for your kitchen, this is a great option.
Our house came with an ancient radio and tape deck that I used to use for listening to books on tape while I baked. The tape deck finally died and I knew the radio was on its last legs as well, but I didn't really have any plans to replace it. My husband, Austin, was thinking ahead, though, and last year for Christmas he presented me with the Sony ICF-CDK50 CD Kitchen Clock Radio, which features an under counter CD player, a radio, and an input device for an MP3 player.
Description
This is a sleek silver radio, which is meant to be mounted under a cupboard or counter. It features five radio presets, a digital display, buttons to control the CD player, a removable bracket to hold an MP3 player, and an input cable for an MP3 player. The volume remote is on the right side, which allows you to select volume levels between 1 and 10 (no, this does not "go to 11!"); there is a kitchen timer on the left hand side. Other buttons allow the user to cycle between clock and date, to turn Mega Bass on and off, to open and close the cd drawer, and there's an "audio in" button to select the input cable. This radio also comes with a slim magnetic remote, which I keep attached to my refrigerator.
I love how this looks in my kitchen. It doesn't take up much space, and it so well designed that it is rather inconspicuous. When you look it, though, the overall effect is pleasing to the eye.
Use and Experience
Austin installed this unit, and found it very easy to do. It mounts with four screws to the bottom of the cupboard. The one thing he found challenging was that this radio extended back further than the one he removed. Figuring out how best to fit it under the cupboard took some thought. Knowing the dimensions of the area in which you plan to place the radio would be helpful before purchasing this item.
This radio is quite easy to use, as most of the functionality is fairly intuitive. Opening the CD player requires the user to push the button labeled "open/close;" to close it you merely close it again. The buttons labeled "tune/track," "CD," "off," and "radio" do what you'd expect them to do. The "audio in" button must be pushed in order to access and MP3 player, but from there you merely have to turn on the accompanying machine.
The five radio presets are very easy use after they are set up; to set them, you tune the radio to the station you want and hold the preset button down (1 through 5) to store the information. The presets do need to be reset if you lose power, as we've discovered this summer after several power outages during storms.
I never use the remote because my kitchen is quite small. My husband does use it occasionally, mostly to control volume if he's not standing right by the radio, and it works very well. The remote also offers buttons for audio in, preset, turning the radio on and selecting AM or FM, and turning CDs off, pausing them, or skipping forward or backward on an album.
The sound quality from this radio is excellent, and I've been very pleased with all of its functions. The one thing that I have noted is that the volume at which I can hear my MP3 player through this radio is pretty high; if I switch to the radio without turning the volume down significantly, the radio comes on quite loud. This may be due to factors unrelated to the radio (for example, my MP3 files seem to have a lot of different volume requirements themselves). It's not hard to adjust the volume before turning the radio on; I just need to remember to do it.
This is a great-looking unit and it does everything I want it to do and it does it well. I've used it almost every day since I received it and it continues to work well for me.
Cost and Where to Buy
While this was a gift, my husband was willing to reveal that he purchased this system at our local Target store for around $70.00. Amazon.com is currently offering it for $77.97, so wherever you find it, I'd expect to pay between $70.00 and $85.00.
It took me a few days to learn to use it, but I love my Sony ICF-CDK50 CD Kitchen Clock Radio and I use it all the time. The sound quality is great and I love that I can finally play CDs and use my iPod in my kitchen. The radio reception is excellent, too! 5 stars.
Description
This is a sleek silver radio, which is meant to be mounted under a cupboard or counter. It features five radio presets, a digital display, buttons to control the CD player, a removable bracket to hold an MP3 player, and an input cable for an MP3 player. The volume remote is on the right side, which allows you to select volume levels between 1 and 10 (no, this does not "go to 11!"); there is a kitchen timer on the left hand side. Other buttons allow the user to cycle between clock and date, to turn Mega Bass on and off, to open and close the cd drawer, and there's an "audio in" button to select the input cable. This radio also comes with a slim magnetic remote, which I keep attached to my refrigerator.
I love how this looks in my kitchen. It doesn't take up much space, and it so well designed that it is rather inconspicuous. When you look it, though, the overall effect is pleasing to the eye.
Use and Experience
Austin installed this unit, and found it very easy to do. It mounts with four screws to the bottom of the cupboard. The one thing he found challenging was that this radio extended back further than the one he removed. Figuring out how best to fit it under the cupboard took some thought. Knowing the dimensions of the area in which you plan to place the radio would be helpful before purchasing this item.
This radio is quite easy to use, as most of the functionality is fairly intuitive. Opening the CD player requires the user to push the button labeled "open/close;" to close it you merely close it again. The buttons labeled "tune/track," "CD," "off," and "radio" do what you'd expect them to do. The "audio in" button must be pushed in order to access and MP3 player, but from there you merely have to turn on the accompanying machine.
The five radio presets are very easy use after they are set up; to set them, you tune the radio to the station you want and hold the preset button down (1 through 5) to store the information. The presets do need to be reset if you lose power, as we've discovered this summer after several power outages during storms.
I never use the remote because my kitchen is quite small. My husband does use it occasionally, mostly to control volume if he's not standing right by the radio, and it works very well. The remote also offers buttons for audio in, preset, turning the radio on and selecting AM or FM, and turning CDs off, pausing them, or skipping forward or backward on an album.
The sound quality from this radio is excellent, and I've been very pleased with all of its functions. The one thing that I have noted is that the volume at which I can hear my MP3 player through this radio is pretty high; if I switch to the radio without turning the volume down significantly, the radio comes on quite loud. This may be due to factors unrelated to the radio (for example, my MP3 files seem to have a lot of different volume requirements themselves). It's not hard to adjust the volume before turning the radio on; I just need to remember to do it.
This is a great-looking unit and it does everything I want it to do and it does it well. I've used it almost every day since I received it and it continues to work well for me.
Cost and Where to Buy
While this was a gift, my husband was willing to reveal that he purchased this system at our local Target store for around $70.00. Amazon.com is currently offering it for $77.97, so wherever you find it, I'd expect to pay between $70.00 and $85.00.
It took me a few days to learn to use it, but I love my Sony ICF-CDK50 CD Kitchen Clock Radio and I use it all the time. The sound quality is great and I love that I can finally play CDs and use my iPod in my kitchen. The radio reception is excellent, too! 5 stars.
