Sony ICF38 Portable AM/FM Radio (Black) by Sony
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Our Price: $21.09 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Speakers See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Sony ICF38 Portable AM/FM Radio (Black)
Digital camera Review: A Disappointment
Summary: 2 Stars
I have been very disappointed in this product. My experience with Sony products in the past has been excellent, but this one let me down. Both reception and sound quality are poor. The construction seems cheap. I would not recommend this product.Digital camera Review: A Fair Radio For The Price.
Summary: 3 Stars
If possible, I would RATE THIS ITEM 3.5 STARS
I've had the Sony ICF-36 radio for over 4 years. In general, the radio I have is a tad tricky to tune on both the AM and FM as the selectivity in this radio is not very good. I've also noticed that this radio is very sensitive to multipath interference, hence works best when people are not walking about the unit.
In terms of sensitivity and pulling in the weak stations, I find it better if the antenna is fully extending for FM. AM sensitivity is about average and helps at times to rotate the radio for better reception and less noise. Being on the other side of a small ridge makes picking up radio signals in our area challenging, but the Sangean ATS 909 I have never seems to have an issue, AM or FM. That sort of comparison maybe a little unfair.
Tuning, because of the friction in the tuning wheel system and small wheel rotation ratio makes first time spot on tuning for both AM & FM a bit of a hit or miss. I usually have to go back moments later to re-tweak the knob at least once.
The AM & FM frequency scales on this radio are of marginal value because of the course scale markers. The AM scale marker goes from 800 - 1000 - 1300, and the FM goes from 96 - 100 - 104. In our area we have allot of stuff between 800-1300 AM and 96-104 FM so a finer and longer frequency scale would be very helpful.
The audio quality is about as good as one might expect from a low cost radio. Compared to a similar GE radio I had, the Sony sounds better and easy to listen to.
I do not use the TV or Weather bands and cannot comment on them.
Minus half for FM tuner quality.
Minus half for AM tuner quality.
Minus half for tuner knob mechanics and easy of tuning.
Digital camera Review: A Fine Little Radio
Summary: 5 Stars
This radio brings in distant stations, sounds good, and takes up little space. The controls are easy for me to use. These were the qualities I was looking for so I am pleased I made the choice to buy Sony ICF38.Digital camera 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.
Digital camera Review: A Good Basic Radio for a Good price !
Summary: 5 Stars
I wanted a basic AM-FM Radio with analog tuning to take traveling with me. As different countries have different channel spacing digital tuning would not always be suitable and I prefer analog tuning anyway. Initial comparison testing prior to my travels indicated that, for the price, the Sony ICF38 has quite good signal sensitivity and selectivity for a basic radio in this price class. One area I was going to with this radio is in a strong " RF " enviornment where several nearby broadcast stations can easily overload the front end of cheap radios making them nearly useless. This Sony ICF38 proved itself when used in this strong signal area without front end overload which also allowed listening to weaker out of town stations on both AM and FM.
Basic and decent quality radios like this are not always easily found in retail stores, especially the nationally known chains where shelf space is at a premimium. I am happy I was able to find this radio available on line. It is a fantastic, basic ( easy to use ) portable radio reminiscent of portable radios we had years ago long before the digital tuning age. Battery consumption is conservative. The sound quality is pleasing for a radio in this price range and size. I find it rather attractive in visual appearance and very practical including the detent in the carry handle to position it up or down without it flopping around if the radio is moved. The tuning indicator calibration is fairly accurate as well if you know the frequency of the station you want to listen to it will not be difficult to tune in.
I like the Sony ICF38. It is a good one to keep on hand for loss of power emergencies. I am seriously considering ordering a second one.