Sony SRF-59 FM/AM Radio Walkman with Sony MDR Headphones
See it at Amazon.com for $13.87Average Customer Rating
(4.5 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
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(5 out of 5)Great Radio -- Great Price!
This is a perfect little radio. The reception is very good (much better than a few headphone/radio setup's I've owned), and it is very well made. It's solid and tough. And it's smaller than a pack of cigarettes.
There are only 2 downsides I can think of:
1. It doesn't have a digital tuner. This can be a major problem with this radio if you're a profuse channel changer. Dialing in your stations is a bit tricky as the slightest adjustment to the tuning dial will send it across many channels. But if you're like me (I pretty much stay on one channel all the time), you'll find this radio to be perfect for you!
2. The headphones stink. They do the job, but the radio is actually much better sounding than the headphones allow you to appreciate.
It takes only one AA battery and it will last a VERY long time. A set of two AA's will last you dozens of hours.
I recommend this radio highly.
(5 out of 5)Awesome.
Man, I wish I knew about this radio a year ago when I bought a highly-rated but, as it turned out, temperamental digital pocket radio. This one has most of the digital radio's virtues and none of its flaws. Reception of the stations I listen to is fine, AM sound is good, and FM sound quality is fantastic, comparing quite favorably to the digital. The local classical station sounds sublime, and "Coast to Coast AM" doesn't fade out on me. Construction is lightweight and extremely rugged. The tuning dial is a little difficult to fine-tune; if Sony wants to improve this model, they'll make a large disk-type dial with a recessed window that shows the frequency instead of this tiny and ambiguous linear scale. The included headphones don't do justice to the radio's clean sound--an extra $8 to $10 and you're good to go. The belt clip appears to be rugged, but only time will tell. It holds the radio firmly in place.
If you want a simple pocket radio, this one is the best value for the money. Sony still makes really good low-end stuff.
(5 out of 5)Amazing Radio
This radio has actually exceeded my expectations. Easily the best pocket radio that I've owned in a good ten years.
As noted by others, this radio has great AM reception. No, the included headphones are not good. But when used with better ones the sound quality is, dare I say, excellent for a radio of this price. A surpisingly warm, rich sound - not the harsh/brittle/thin sound of other radios that I was afraid of. Compare it to a radio like the god-awful RCA RP1667 in order to truly appreciate how great this little radio is. And for the price you can't beat it. I even like the analog tuning and volume controls.
Just to correct a previous reviewer, this radio does indeed receive FM in stereo.
[...I never thought I'd write something so positive about anything... what's happened to me?....]
(2 out of 5)Sony Walkman Radio
THe radio works great....except the last 2 Sony walkman am/fm radios I have had you were able to CLIP onto your WAISTE band when exercising.....it was just a large CLIP thing....THIS new one has a different type that you HAVE to use a BELT with! and WHO uses a belt to work out ? I certainly dont.....so I am using a VERY LARGE safety pin thru the hole in the back and then I pin it onto my shorts....which has made a nice hole in the material of two pairs. Otherwise it is a great item!
(5 out of 5)Best AM performance on a pocket radio.
Excellent sensitivity and selectivity (both front-end and IF) on the AM band--at least equal to and usually superior to the Sangean ATS-909 (digital AM/FM/SW/LW receiver). Analog tuning very easy despite the technology. Single alkaline AA cell estimated by Sony to last 140 hours on AM. No "soft" on-off switch, a plus to prevent accidental power-up. Battery compartment hatch is attached by hinges and snaps shut securely, so it won't just pop open if jostled nor get lost. Note: lack of speaker is also a plus; a speaker on a radio this small would be next to useless, as it is the case with the Radio Shack Optimus (cat. no. 12-610), another analog AM/FM pocket radio just slightly smaller than the SRF-59.