Sony SRF59SILVER AM/FM Walkman Stereo Radio

Still working after many years. Good radio reception, AM and FM. Perfect with smaller headphones when one cannot become totally sound-isolated from the rest of a home or workplace, for safety or having to be on-call. Can go into a pants pocket, or a small pouch to slip onto a belt. Some good things really do last forever; not allowing the required batteries to sit around leaking away for years also helps. On this point, everyone slips up-- but if that happens, cleaning the white residue with gloves an paper towels moistened with baking soda and a little water resolved that issue with this radio.

Sony is offering a nearly-free gift. For fifteen dollars, you can purchase a phenomenal AM and FM Walkman radio complete with headphones. Light as a feather, the SRF-59 is so sensitive that Internet groups have popped up just to discuss its use. Sony's radio has become the standard in a new category of 21st century portables known as ultralights. Hobbyists who relish exotic long-distance reception have heralded the SRF-59 as a technological miracle. The unit houses a little printed circuit board with two integrated circuit chips. One is a self-contained complete AM / FM tuner and the second is the audio amplifier to drive the headphones. Due to its concise nature, its single AA battery lasts for over 100 hours. The SRF-59's performance is comparable to other radios costing hundreds of dollars. Sony's ultraweight Walkman has been compared favorably to legendary units such as the GE Superadio, The Sony ICF-2010 and the Sangean CC Radio. If you are looking for the ultimate receiver to hear distant ball games or talk shows, this is it. Seasoned DXers, the skilled sophisticated listeners who often homebrew their own equipment, have devised several modifications for the radio itself along with ideas to augment its circuitry with powerful outdoor antennas. Even as a stock unit, right out of its plastic bubble packaging, SRF-59 owners have heard AM radio stations all the way across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans from places like Japan and Saudi Arabia. The SRF-59 truly has enormous ears. After using Sony's miracle for several years, only a few criticisms can be made. The headphones are only average quality. Tuning the Walkman is a little fussy. The knob provided to adjust what station you are listening to is pretty tiny even for petite thumbs. With ferocious abuse, you can wear out the radio. After about a year of pounding during train commutes, and walking across Manhattan, I had to buy a new one because I wore out the tuning capacitor. The SRF-59 is worth the price of admission. I used to listen to WWKB in Buffalo, New York, on AM radio, while sitting in an electronic noise nightmare (a steel Metro-North commuter train) on my way to New York City. WWKB was 300 miles away! Whenever you need a little casual entertainment, the SRF-59 can't be beat. Leave one in your purse or coat pocket or in your attache case. The SRF-59 is low maintenance. You don't need to download to it. It almost never needs a battery. You can hear amazing things nearly everywhere you go. It weighs so little, you'll have to feel into your pocket just to know it's there. For in-depth information, take a look at two radio hobbyist web sites: [...]. As a dyed-in-the-wool radio listener, I couldn't recommend a purchase more highly! At this incredibly low price, you can't miss!

Like to listen to the radio, but aren't in an environment where you can use a portable unit? Want to have AM/FM on your hip without risking your pricier MP3 player? Want radio that goes everywhere you go and lasts nearly forever on a single AA battery? This portable radio just might be for you. This little radio is stashed in the glovebox of my work truck and I use it on the job site, when walking, or in the back yard when I am moving from place to place that makes having a stationary radio impractical. Based on my experience of this radio.... Pros: * Reliability - This radio has proven to be utterly reliable over time, despite knocks, drops, bumps, and the occasional splash of water. It's nothing fancy, but it does AM/FM just great. * Features - This is a basic product, yes, but it has a couple of thoughtful features that really count. One is an on/off switch that is not tied to the volume control. Other typical transistor radios have the on/off tied to the volume control, where as you lower the volume the wheel will ultimately 'click' and turn off the radio; the great advantage of a dedicated on/off switch is that the volume setting remains exactly where you left it. If you are choosy about this sort of thing, as I am, you will really appreciate this little touch. The other thoughtful touch is the addition of a DX switch. For old-time transistor radio users, this will be familiar: it allows a boost to bring in distant radio stations with a weak signal with improved sound. (less background hiss) My favorite daily-listen news station is some sixty miles away, and this switch really comes in handy. These are minor things in an otherwise no-frills radio, but they combine to increase the radio's performance and usability. * Value - I think the value is good. Having said that, I would have preferred the price to be a couple bucks less if it came without the marginal headphones, which are terrible. (conversely, I would have paid a couple bucks more if it had come with the excellent Sony earbuds that I ended up getting anyway) Decent value for around fourteen bucks, then, but not the steal that is the excellent Sony transistor radio: Sony ICF-S10MK2 Pocket AM/FM Radio, Silver * Battery - Battery life is outstanding, and it gets there with a single AA. Grab a four-pack of quality AA batteries and you've got yourself months of daily use. Or, use Sanyo's outstanding Eneloop rechargeable ni-mh batteries, like I do: Sanyo Eneloop 8 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries These are the best AA batteries I have found for small electronics, bar none. I also like things that run on AA batteries, in general, because they are inexpensive and utterly ubiquitous. * Reception - This has proven to be good in my experience. The tuning is old-school analog dial and require finesse of the finger to tune in your stations. That's just fine by me, as it's super-reliable and keeps the cost down. The antenna comes in the form of the earbud/earphone cables and works well enough. Unlike a stationary radio, your Walkman 'antenna' will always be shifting and swishing around, giving you variable reception especially with some dimmer stations. All things considered, reception has been generally impressive. Cons: * Old school styling - Well, if you are yourself old school, as I am, you may well see this as a positive thing! Personally, I have no complaint about the styling as it is, after all, just a basic transistor AM/FM radio. (But remember when a Sony Walkman was hip and cutting edge? I do!) This reviewer thinks the styling is clean but basic. It's no Ipod, but then it doesn't aim to be, either. * Headphones - are awful. No, really, they are. Will they do the job? Yes, and they are perfectly adequate to transmit sound. BUT: they are utterly bargain basement and the sound isn't a match for even moderately priced earbud-style phones out there. I ditched these in favor of the very good Sony 'buds, at a very reasonable seven bucks: Sony MDRE828LP/SLV Lightweight Earbuds (Silver) While these are not top of the line, they pair well with this Walkman. I've become accustomed to earbuds and really prefer those to headphones that make my head hot. This is my preference creeping in, and your mileage may vary. * Size - The two cons above are, for me, quibbles. The size, however, could use to be smaller. True, the unit weighs little - under a few ounces with battery - and the size is about the dimension of a pack of cigarettes. (or a deck of cards, for us non-smokers) So, while it's not huge, it is also a lot bigger than some MP3 players that allow for zillions of songs as well as FM reception and come tiny enough to clip on your collar. Would I like it if this came smaller? Yes, I would. But I also have to allow that it is an unfair comparison to MP3 players and admit that when I wear this Walkman on my hip I really forget that it's there. So, smaller would be nicer, but it's not a deal breaker. Other thoughts: I like this player because I don't have to worry about it getting knocked about when I am on the job, in the garden, or anywhere else. It's a small investment and so I don't worry about breaking it or losing it like I would my Ipod. It has also proven to be robust, durable, and easy on the batteries. I would rate it at five stars rather than four if it came with quality earbuds (or came without any and was a few bucks cheaper) and had a slightly smaller profile. As it is, though, this is an excellent solution when you want a small, tough, reliable AM/FM radio to use on the go. Recommended!

I've been using these radios for the past 20 years or so, starting with the original model that had a black case but, I think, the same circuitry as this one. I use the plural because I've had to replace several. Most required replacement because the earphone jack quit after about a year's use. I tried to get inside to push the contacts back in place, but the one contact I needed (the middle one) was inaccessible. I think they've improved the jack in the last few years; my replacement frequency has decreased. I note that my radios receive VERY heavy use, as I am an NPR addict. Moreover, my local NPR station is AM and there is simply no pocket AM radio on the market that can hold a candle to this one. Good AM radios cannot be made smaller than this, because the antenna has to fit within the case, and the bigger the antenna, the better the reception. The circuit design is an old one with no presets and analog tuning and volume control; it uses a "potato masher" variable capacitor as a tuner, and a variable resistor as a volume control, which, in my opinion, are good things on balance, because you have actual round knobs you turn to perform both of those functions. Another advantage of the "old" circuitry is that when you switch the radio off, it is truly off and not running down your battery. I must admit that one of my radios had a defective volume control that emitted a scratchy sound when you turned it. One downside of the variable capacitor tuner is that it is difficult to tune to a weak FM station that is right next to a strong one (this often happens to me with NPR stations in other cities I visit). For this case, I think the newer lock-in circuitry might be preferable, but those radios typically use AAA batteries and draw power even when switched off. It almost appears that some radio manufacturers are taking bribes from the battery companies. You see these ridiculous radios and other portable electronic devices that take three AAA batteries. I hate that. I love the design of the Sony, which uses ONE AA battery. Simpler, cheaper, and lighter in weight. It makes it easier to carry a spare. And, by the way, the battery life is the best I've seen in a portable. I use a rechargeable NIMH in mine and it works fine. And, best of all, it doesn't quit when IT thinks the battery is low; it lets YOU decide (here again, an advantage of old technology). As the battery is depleted, and the amplifier section gets more stressed, the sound gets progressively more distorted. Finally when the voltage is insufficient to run the tuner section, it quits too, which causes the radio to emit a scratchy hiss. At that point you can turn it off, wait a while and turn it back on to get another 30 seconds or so of use. It's probably best always to carry a spare battery. But don't put it loose in your pocket with spare change and keys; it will short out and be useless, possibly even setting your pants on fire. I keep mine in a prescription drug vial and that works fine. One downside perhaps is the set of earphones that come with it. I throw them away (what a waste) and use a cheap set of earbuds (also Sony) that I get from Amazon. Pretty good sound for a pocket unit, much better than others. Certainly good enough for NPR news shows, which is all I listen to. Another downside is that compact fluorescent lights seem to interfere with AM reception, but they seem to do so with all AM radios except for the large ones that are probably well-shielded. All in all, I'd say this radio is TOO good a deal, which is to say that, because of what must be a low profit, it's hard to find at brick-and-mortar retail stores, who would just as soon you not know it exists, and who would much rather sell you a $50+ radio using the "latest technology." I had one of those once and it was a disaster, even though, it, too, was a Sony. It had the fancy presets (which I don't need because I usually only listen to one station), ate batteries like crazy and quit well before the batteries were completely depleted. Upon battery replacement, all the presets had to be reset.

I have two that I bought years ago. I had the first one and liked it so much that I bought another to keep in my vehicle in case I forget to pack it. I am an avid sports fan, and have season tickets to multiple sports at both the college and professional level. I enjoy play-by-play while watching, and this is the perfect radio. Yes, it's old school, but it is very very durable and has great sound for what I use it for. With analog tuning and the local/DX switch, I can hone in on many stations that a digital radio cannot even tune to, and that's even more the case at indoor stadiums where reception can be tricky. I like to always keep one headphone on while leaving the other ear open, getting the best of both worlds. I forget it's there, it's so small and light. Easily fits into any shirt pocket and durable enough to have in the rough environment of a jeans pocket when the shirt does not have one. They have gotten wet from rain, sweat, and being dropped into a sink, and never missed a beat. They have both been dropped countless times The only bad thing that has happened to both is that the plastic flap that holds the battery in broke off, but I use a piece of duct tape to hold it in with no problems at all. As others have stated, the battery lasts amazingly long. It is compatible with every type of earphone I have ever used with it. The headset that comes with it sounds great, I just rather small earphones for the purpose that I use this radio. It so small and concealable, it can be worn and not detected in many situations that would otherwise be inappropriate when there is a game on that I simply cannot miss! At this price, I went ahead and got another one when I ran across it on Amazon, as I haven't seen them in stores for years.

Before I bought this radio I owned the earlier Sony version which I absolutely loved ... it had great reception for both AM & FM and was almost indestructible. After years of great service it finally broke and the only replacement I could find was the model shown here .. which sadly turned out to be nothing like the original. I ordered 2 of these radios figuring I save with the free shipping ... what a sad mistake. The AM reception was OK at first .. FM reception was never any good (and I live in a major city). After a few weeks something happened to the AM reception such that it cut in & out ... volume would almost disappear until you gave it a gently whack after which (if you were lucky) it would come back for a bit. After putting up with it for a couple weeks I tossed it and began using the second radio. Again AM reception was OK .. but FM reception was terrible. To get a decent signal you had to orient the radio in a particular direction (not good if you are moving around) .. or even when listening while stationary you had to "arrange" the headset wire in some particular fashion to get any decent reception. I'm somewhat shocked that a manufacturer with Sony's reputation would put out such a lousy product ... makes me wonder if these are not some kind of bogus knock-offs of the Sony product line. Overall I rate these as JUNK and advise avoiding them.

After reading some of the negative reviews on here, I'm wondering exactly what those people were expecting? But I guess you can't please everybody. In my opinion, this radio is just what I needed. I'm quite surprised and pleased at the quality of the stereo sound for the small size, and I have no problems with the reception. I just needed an inexpensive, simple, small, personal, portable radio that I can wear and listen to while I'm working so it doesn't bother anyone else in the room. This little unit fills the bill for me. It's surprising to find out how hard it was for me to find exactly what I wanted. I didn't want to spend a fortune, and while I found other radios that might work, many of the choices were just beyond my budget. Then I ordered this one, and when I fired it up for the first time, I was more than pleased. I like the fact that it uses only one AA battery too. Very economical. After using another brand of radio for a few years, this one is a real step up for me. But I guess I'm easy to please. This is a great little radio for what it is. I don't think you could beat it for the price.

It's clear to me that people love to rave about this radio. For $15 it's hard to complain too much about what it offers. The physical construction seems sturdy enough and Sony even throws in a pair of inexpensive headphones that are fine for AM talk radio type listening. PROS: * Audio seems tailored to talk radio, with a prominent midrange & good vocal clarity; lacking in bass * Small and lightweight; the sort of "pocket" radio you can actually put in your shirt pocket! * AGC (Automatic Gain Control) is fantastic; on fading AM signals, this unit handled them very nicely! * Selectivity is good; tighter than most other cheap radios with less "slop" from nearby channels CONS: * The analog dial was way off on calibration, reading about +80 kHz too high on AM (un-fixable?) * This radio is extremely hard to tune; takes a Swiss watch maker's hand to tune the tiny thumbwheel * It's impossible to overlook the fact that not having digital frequency read-out is a huge minus! * FM signal and audio quality was just OK, nothing special I also have the slightly more expensive Sony SRF-M37W portable AM/FM radio. It's a bit smaller in height and width but larger in depth dimension and is heavier. It is "pocket-able" but the weight is noticeable. It is extremely well built and goes for about $28 -- only $13 more than the SRF59. For that slight extra bit of money you get digital frequency read-out, better bass, a clock and the weather band. It sounds much better on FM even when compared to the SRF59 using the SRF59's headphones. You also get a much better pair of Sony headphones thrown in with the deal. Yeah, the AM selectivity is not quite as good as the cheaper SRF59 and the AGC is close to the performance of the SRF59 but not quite as good. However, I have to say that I much prefer the SRF-M37W with its digital frequency read-out and solid, very study design. The poor calibration on the analog dial of the cheaper SRF59 and the inability to have any idea of the exact frequency you are on are deal-breakers for me. Tuning the SRF59 with the small thumbwheel is also an exercise in frustration. One last thing... for some reason, I found the cheaper SRF59 got less performance boost than the Sony SRF-M37W when using an AM signal boosting loop antenna (Kaito AN100). That surprised me and I'm not sure why that was the situation.

On receiving the radio, was disappointed to find that the foam covering the supplied headphones just fell apart after just wearing them for a matter of hours. I would have thought, considering that the radio was quite expensive the headphones would be of the same standard.

Habe den Radio täglich 2 Stunden beim Walken im Gebrauch, mußte bisher noch nicht die Batterie wechseln. Der Empfang ist sehr gut! Einzig die Kopfhörer habe ich gewechselt weil ich lieber INEAR Hörer benutze! Werein einfaches Radio zum Walken oder Joggen möchte ist mit diesem wirklich gut bedient!

I love this little radio - small, compact, takes only one AA battery and is long-lasting - reception is clear and works pretty much everywhere except tunnels (I listen to AM radio) - it's size is a little bit bigger than a flip cell phone. Fits in breast pocket, the clip is very secure and can clip to belt, bag, anywhere. Headphones are the kind I like and came in handy didn't need to buy separately. Of course, always great shipping with Amazon.

This is my third little Sony radio, I LOVE it. company whilst out walking or working in the garden. It is light weight, fits in my pocket or handbag, the headphones on this one are great, with good clear sound. My previous radio's had little ear phones, which I think I prefer ,as they wrap around the radio when not in use, and were equally great sound to the headphones. I found the reception to be great, finding that there were only couple of woodland tracks and Scarborough seafront that I couldn't get any reception. Battery life is long, and I only use approx. 4 batteries per year. (I do buy best quality batteries). Delighted with my purchase and use it all of the time.

A fantastic radio for the money. I use it when out walking. Local stations come in very clearly with terrific stereo. I particularly like the over-the-head earphones which are provided with the Walkman. Ear buds are useless for me. I can never get them to fit properly.