Sony ICF38 Portable AM/FM Radio (Black)
by Sony
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Our Price: $20.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Speakers See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sony ICF38 Portable AM/FM Radio (Black)
Customer Review: Durable, Exceptional Battery Life
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this radio to replace my RCA radio that lasted only a single beach season before malfunctioning. I bought this on reviews alone, and little did I know this would be the best purchase of the last calender year for me.
This radio sounds fantastic! The reception is unbelievable, and this radio can pick up signals that my auto cannot. It produces a very loud, clear sound that doesn't become distorted, even at high levels.
I can attest to the durability of this radio. We take it to the beach multiple times a week, and it has survived many drops in the sand, sprays of salt-water, and even the occasional light-rain shower. The radio fell out of a bike-basket and survived a 3 foot drop onto asphalt with nothing more then a few surface scratches.
Battery life is AMAZING. On 4 AA alkaline batteries, this radio has run daily since the 12th of April, and now it's the 6th of September. Almost 5 months without a single battery change and without a noticeable drop in sound quality, even with the volume turned up.
This radio is a little larger for a portable, but still is very easy to pack inside a backpack, beach bag, or just to carry. One would be hard pressed to find a flaw with this unit. The headphone jack is mono, but I cannot see myself ever using headphones with this radio.
Exceptional product.
Customer Review: A GREAT VALUE OF A RADIO!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you just want to have a good sounding AM/FM radio that can pull in radio signals clearly, and do not want to pay more than $30, this is it. It is very simple and has no frills (no clock, alarm clock, timer, bass and treble controls, remote control, short-wave tuners, etc.). It does have a 2-position tone control and it has a LED indicator on the front panel to tell you the dial position where a radio station signal is the strongest. It can take battery power (four AA size batteries) and AC. There is no AC adapter, just an attached AC cord that can be wound up and stored inside the battery compartment.
Everything about this Sony radio is analog, but this is actually a good thing. I leave my radio on all day, but I don't want to be bombarded by all the radio commercials, so I connect a remote power switch to the radio. When I do not want to hear a particular commercial, I just turn off power to the radio by pressing a remote control button, and the radio will be turned off. In a few minutes, I would press the remote button again to turn on the radio. This is only possible if the radio is analog type. If your radio is digital, you cannot remotely turn it on using my setup. Of course, if your radio has its own remote, you can turn it on and off remotely. And you probably paid for it at several times the price of this Sony.
Customer Review: Much better than the price would suggest
Summary: 5 Stars
This little radio is amazing!
Simple handling, great reception, clear and voluminous sound, very long battery life, and yes, it survives the curiosity of a 18 month old junior-scientist.
I did not expect this radio to such a performer in every aspect, given the comparatively low price.
I bought this for my wife, with the fact in mind that electronic items usually have a somewhat short lifespan in our household. So one of the conditions should be a low price, in case we had to replace it after a while. But after almost half a year in constant use, being thrown to the ground numerous times, heaving been thoroughly inspected from each angle, even the antenna is still in place. We since lost the power chord, but my wife carries it around with her anyway during the day, so she relies exclusively on the batteries. Which we haven't changed yet. It is amazing how long they last.
Handling couldn't be simpler - there are only three controls: AM/FM, volume, and channel. The only thing I am missing here is some buttons for preset channels. But for the price, one clearly cannot expect these more sophisticated features.
So, it is a very simple radio with great sound, long battery life, rugged construction and a low price. One of the best deals I ever made ...
Customer Review: A Great Radio
Summary: 5 Stars
This radio has really great reception for the station I listen to. (I haven't tested it on other stations.) The sound quality is great. The controls are very easy to operate. And the footprint is small, which is good, because it sits on my desk, and there isn't much free space on my desk.
There is only one negative with this radio: When I turn it on or off (control is on the top near the right), if I am not careful, one of my fingers will touch the tuning control (control is on the right near the top) and change the station. The natural tendency is to "grab" the radio with one of your fingers, while your thumb is on the top turning it on or off, in order to hold the radio in place while you are sliding the on-off control. Unfortunately, the tuning control is right where your finger lands when you do this. However, you can slide the control with no problem without holding the radio in place.
When I broke the habit of putting my finger on the side of the radio when turning it on or off, this problem vanished.
As long as you are mindful of this when turning the radio on or off, there is no problem with this radio.
I would buy another one if I needed another radio.
Customer Review: Pleasantly surprised
Summary: 5 Stars
After breaking the antenna on my 5 year old portable, I researched new prospects. I was torn between Sangean and Sony. I was drawn by Sangean's modern features including digital tuning, sleep timer, and rechargeable feature. Well, based on the reviews and local availability, I bought the Sony.
The Sony has very simple operation, amazing sound, and picks up FM stations with great clarity even with the antenna retracted. My old portable had to have the antenna fully extended and, even then, did not always get good reception. It has a 3 5/8" speaker which is very clear, even from a distance. I do not miss the digital tuning as it is easy to find the stations I listen to and has a tuning LED to lock in the best reception. Adding a rechargeable feature would be the only thing I would change. I use rechargeables which the manual says should last 28 hours on FM. Regular alkalines are stated to last 74 hours. If you want to use AC power, the power cord is stored in the battery compartment.
If you are looking for a simple, reliable, nice sounding portable AM/FM that is easy to use, this is the one. And it's a Sony.