Too bright, too noisy!

I purchased the RCA RP3720 Clock Radio after reading this review in Slate - the price and features were just what I was looking for and I had just tossed a real dud: the Sony ICF-C275RC Dream Machine (Sony has discontinued it).

I like the controls and design, but the RCA's big blue numerals are so bright that they actually kept me awake - okay if you want a nightlight, not okay if you want a dark room - until I adjusted to sleeping in twilight. It kicker is a faint crackling noise which, after just over a year, has gradually gotten so loud my husband refers to it as a geiger counter. It is not subtle. The warranty has expired, so I'm back in the market for a good dual-alarm AM/FM clock radio.