Reviewed: February 21, 2009
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Manufacturer
Logitech

Type: iPod/iPhone Dock
System: iPod/iPhone

Rating: 7.0

Features

I had no idea how many accessories were actually available for the iPod/iPhone from a variety of manufacturers, but GCM has always had a great relationship with Logitech so we started there and were given the opportunity to review their Pure-Fi Anytime, just one of several options when it comes to docking stations for your iPod/iPhone.

Technically speaking, the Pure-Fi Anytime is amazing, both in quality and innovative features. It has a slick design with a glossy black finish and fabric speakers. The motion-activated backlight is super-cool and with just a wave of your hand the top buttons illuminate. In the morning, a wave of your hand will silence the alarm for a few additional minutes of sleep. You can set the dual alarms to wake to a buzzer, the radio, or even play a specific play list on your iPod/iPhone. You can also setup a special play list to play while you doze off at night to the sleep timer.

Billed as “The Perfect Nightstand Companion”, the Pure-Fi Anytime is obviously targeted for the bedroom with the primary function of becoming your new alarm clock. Sadly, I had a few problems, none of which were directly the fault of Logitech but more of a commonsense design element and my own personal situation.

First off, with the Pure-Fi Anytime sitting on a normal nightstand you won’t be able to see the top buttons while lying in bed. I suppose the handy remote control might come in handy at this point, but using a remote with the radio at arm’s reach seems a bit excessive. Secondly, the clock display is a bit small, especially compared to the overall size of the unit. I wear glasses, but not to bed, so if I wake up in the middle of the night I either have to squint really hard or put on my glasses to see what time it is.

Some other issues I came across were that my iPhone, when inserted in my silicon skin did not fit very well at all into the docking station. I could force it to make a connection by pressing really hard but I wasn’t comfortable with the amount of pressure I had to exert on the fragile docking tab. I’m not inclined to remove my phone from its skin every night just to plug it into the Pure-Fi Anytime.

Another usage issue is the fact that this radio is designed for your bedroom. Admittedly, by the time I get home from work my battery is in need of charging but my iPhone is also my only phone, and I don’t want to have my only phone stuck back in my bedroom where I can potentially miss calls or important text messages. This wouldn’t be an issue for iPod users as much as iPhone users.

As far as quality, the omnidirectional stereo sound output is excellent when listening to music from my iPhone, but I do have problems with clear radio reception for local stations that my previous generic Durabrand alarm clock had no trouble picking up. I often wake to music or news with a lot of static and hiss.

Ultimately, I concluded that the Pure-Fi Anytime probably isn’t the best nightstand alarm clock for me or anyone else who shares my same concerns. I found it worked much better as a desktop accessory for the office, either at work or a home office, or even the kitchen. It was nice to have access to my vast music library and hear it with pristine quality speakers. I don’t get as much use from the dual alarms or the motion controls, but at least the Pure-Fi Anytime is working well out of the bedroom as a docking station more so than a clock/radio.