Prinzsound DC16 Flip Clock AM / FM Radio and Alarm

How’s this for “bedside manner”? It’s certainly a bold statement and a large statement at that! Perhaps a little too much for the bedside, but wherever you chose to locate it, the Prinzsound DC16 is a big unit comprising a flip clock and AM/FM radio tuner and alarm with sleep and snooze functionality. It also has a surprisingly solid manufacture and equally robust sound from its speaker. Encased in an uncompromising but stylish black and silver housing the main feature of the DC16 is a clear panel which starts on the top of the unit and wraps around the front, where the main functional buttons and knobs are located.

The front comprises a flip clock which works flawlessly and alarm time and rotating seconds indicators, tuner display and a row of buttons for setting various options such as the alarm function and type (radio or buzzer), tuning band, radio (manual or automatic) and volume slider. The tuner display is duplicated on the top of the unit and both have a red light indicating the position. To the right hand side of the unit is a large tuning adjuster, whilst to the far left of the front of the panel is a knob for setting the sleep time and a dual-purpose knob for alarm and time adjustment. The chromed knobs feel reassuringly solid and offset the look of the black and silver housing nicely.

Our DC16 is in good cosmetic condition and fully functional. The volume slider is slightly noisy but the radio plays clearly once the volume is set. There is some slight wear underneath the clear panel and some very minor dust inside, but nothing too detrimental – overall, this is very good aesthetically and very well made, a quality which belies its rather humble origins as a product from a “High Street” brand.

The unit is large – 33cm (13 in.) wide at the front, 18cm (7 in.) from front to back, and it sits 11cm (4¼ in.) high. It weighs in at a hefty 2 Kg.