Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony ICF-M410V Portable FM/AM/TV/Weather Radio with Sleep/Turn-on Timer

Pro: This baby has very good AM reception for such a small radio. It was the best in its price range that I tested (I have bought 15 radios in the past three years). Please note that if you work in a building that is heavy with metal construction that signals aren't going to come booming through no matter how much you spend on a radio. No signals due to building blocking = no signals period. Try this one. If you still can't get your favorite AM station, return it and start listening to internet radio. there is no other way. Safer buildings mean crappier radio reception.
The sleep, alarm, digital tuning are all perfect.
The TV band is strong.
Battery drainage is low and a set will last for weeks/months.
Cons: I hate the purse design of this one. Women may like that but it is not a butch piece of equipment. The design is feminine.
The headphone plug isn't stereo. You get mono through one side of ear plugs you plug in. This is very distracting.
There is no night light.
There is no adaptor included.
There is no handle. This looks more like a table top design than something you would carry around with you.
The weather band is so weak but this may be due to the weak signal in my area.
Overall, because of the excellent AM reception I give this 85%

Great radio, very nice sound, compact size! The weather band and TV band comes in loud and clear. The AM/FM reception is excellent. A terrific compact radio at an excellent price! The memory settings are an added plus. You can't go wrong with this one. Better than other radios of this size with the the same features.

Sadly, strong AM is a disapearing trait from many PLL synthesized digital tuing radios, but the Sony M410V has paid attention to AM; as a result, this Sony gets better AM reception than many digital radios that cost twice as much. 790 AM, which has weak reception on many of my expensive radios, comes in loud in clear on the Sony. The FM is strong. I get all the weak left-dial stations. The TV is strong with the exception of channel 4, a major station. Here's a rundown of what I like:

1. Strong AM
2. Strong FM
3. Ease of use, large buttons, intuitive functions
4. Slender design makes it ideal for bedside use.
5. Costs half of many premium radios that don't have as good AM.

Here's what I would improve:

1. Give the radio more than five presets per band.
2. Give the radio a rear flap so that you can lay it down at an angle for easier operation and to avoid having the radio tip over.
3. Make the headphone jack stereo, not coming through just one headphone speaker like it does now.

Other than those small flaws, this is an outstanding performer for the price.

The Sony ICF-M410V gets great reception. I work in a building that's got some serious radio interference surrounding it. I've tried various clock radio's and a C-crane radio, none were able to pick up anything but static.

This radio is able to pick up all of the stations on AM and FM that I like to listen to. It also picks up 4 or 5 TV stations without any static.

Why not 5 stars? Because, for some reason I can't figure out, Sony thought it'd be a good idea to sell this thing without a power cord.

I bought the Sony AC-E45A power adapter from Amazon along with the radio (they shipped from different retailers btw). Some people reported that this power adapter caused problems with their radios (static or humming) I've not experienced either.

I love it.

This radio is perfect! The sleek shape looks and feels almost like an elegant evening purse. It looks good and fits anywhere and is truly portable, so as I work around the house I can carry it from room to room.

The button settings are easy to use and I can set the stations I listen to regularly and instantly choose between them.

I had purchased a slightly less expensive Sony with tv reception and found it unusable because it was so difficult to locate the desired channel. No such problem here. I can listen to Oprah while washing dishes or the Today Show while making pancakes, and the audio alone carries about 90% of the information you'd get by sitting in front of the tube.

The sound is fine, though perhaps not audiophile quality, but for most purposes, it is completely adequate.

I am delighted with this product.

(There is no cord to plug it in, so if you want to use an adapter, you'll need your own, but it runs for months on 3 AA batteries, so I'm not bothering with a cord.)