ICF-S10MK2 Pocket AM/FM Radio, Silver

Anyone who thinks AM/FM radio is dead needs to read the article over at Slate from Dec 14, 2014 entitled "Don't Count AM/FM Radio Out Just Yet". Broadcast radio is still extremely profitable and big here in America and isn't about to disappear anytime soon. Besides, everyone should have a good, portable, low battery usage AM/FM radio at home in preparation for natural disasters. Given the large number of Taiwanese and Chinese brand portables on the market, why stick with the Sony brand even though it is also made in China like all the other brands? Because Sony has developed some excellent AM/FM chip technology for radio reception and these Sony proprietary chips are used in almost all of Sony's portable radios. The ICF-S10MK2 is one of these Sony radios. Reception of AM and FM is surprising good for such a lightweight, inexpensive radio. Unlike some of the recent "Fully Digital" radios that are based on the Silicon Laboratories chip, I find that the Sony radios handle Automatic Grain Control (AGC) functions much better on the AM band. You won't be treated to the irritating digital "pumping" AGC effect on weak AM stations like you find on many of the radios based on the Silicon Laboratories chip sold by Sangean, Kaito and Tecsun. The Silicon Laboratories chips are getting better in this regard but still have problems in the area of effective AGC functions. The speaker on this little gem is also a big plus. It puts out decent sound for its small size. Tuning is analog, which is a bummer, but the advantage of this over a digital display tuner is that you get much better battery life. The size and weight is a little too high to consider this a shirt pocket radio. Quality of construction is OK, considering the low price of $10 - $12 US dollars. I've seen much worse in this price range from some of the "no-name" Chinese producers. Along with the ICF-S10MK2, I also own Sony's SRF-59 AM/FM Walkman (ultra-small, analog dial) and the much pricier but much sturdier SFR-M37 AM/FM Walkman (small, digital dial, sporty model with presets). The SRF-59 is very small with amazing battery life and it can easily fit it a shirt pocket. However, it requires you to use headphones. The SFR-M37 adds the weather band along with AM/FM and also has no speaker. It runs on a single AAA battery and has acceptable battery life. All three of these Sony portable AM/FM radios are good buys. On the high end, I own a much larger Tecsun PL-880 that has AM/FM plus shortwave that I absolutely love! It has great sound from the enclosed speaker and does an excellent job at shortwave reception. However, in that class of portable radio you are looking at something that is about the size of a paperback book and that is much heavier. The price (~ $160 ) is also much higher than what you'll pay for these small Sony AM/FM portables. If you know some people that don't have any AM/FM radios in their household, consider buying a couple of these small Sony ICF-S10MK2 AM/FM radios and handing them out as and inexpensive but useful gift. When natural disaster strikes (and eventually it will) they'll appreciate having one of these little gems to turn on after the power goes out and their internet goes dead. Most broadcast stations have emergency generators and can continue to broadcast on the airwaves even after the power goes out.

In this age of smartphones and MP3 players, I had almost entirely forgotten the simple pleasure of listening to a small, mono, transistor radio while enjoying some suds in the back yard or working on a small project on my garage workbench. Maybe I've just come to a point in my life when I can appreciate something less than surround-sound and high-fidelity. This, my friends, is simply a terrific - let me say that again - TERRIFIC little radio. Keeping in mind that this is a small, inexpensive, and very, very basic transistor radio with one small speaker: Reception: Has proven to be outstanding. Sensitivity is high and I can receive remote stations in a canyon setting that my car audio has trouble picking up. No digital here, folks, this baby is pure analog: With only an old-school linear display depicting the frequency, you've got to dial in the stations yourself with the tuning dial and judicious directional placement of the antenna. (or of the device itself, as FM comes in through the metal aerial but AM tunes through a directional ferrite metal rod inside the radio) Tuning in a weak signal, therefore, requires a good ear and certain finesse of the finger. For the size and power of the unit, however, reception is excellent. Sound: Is adequate for a device sporting two AA batteries and one small speaker. Well, let me say this: It is more than adequate in a small space like a garage, or when in close proximity as outside in the back yard, or even outside at a distance if you crank the volume and it doesn't have to compete with a lot of background noise. The speaker is small and low power, however, and this will never be able to compete with a lot of background noise. Passing jet planes, leaf blowers, or the cabinet saw in your garage will cancel this little guy out. But then, so would it also just about any other radio you might be listening to. Basically, the sound is well-matched to the device and I doubt anyone would find it unsatisfactory. Pricing: Totally reasonable at around 12 to 15 bucks, but a veritable steal if it sinks to single digits. Considering size, weight, portability, reliability, and downright enjoyment of this radio, the bang to buck ratio is huge. Huge. Battery life: Is incredible. So much so, that I have abandoned all my hand-crank emergency radios in favor of a couple of these. A single set of good quality AA batteries has lasted me months. Use has been occasional, but certainly for hours at a time and often for days at a time. And they are still going. So, why would I want a cheap hand-crank radio of dubious quality for emergencies when I could have an outstanding little transistor radio of excellent quality which could run for days and days on a single set of batteries? Right, I wouldn't. Besides, I can't be the only one out there envisioning that teeny, flimsy plastic crank snapping off just when you're trying to receive critical emergency info. High quality alkaline batteries are the ticket for this radio, but in my opinion the best way to go are these: Sanyo Eneloop 8 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries Once charged, they stay charged for a long time and they last a looooong time in small electronic devices like this. Charge up a half-dozen to keep on hand for emergencies and back up. Other thoughts: This radio does not come with a cord to plug into the wall, but then it doesn't need one. it does have a small jack for headphones (mini jack) if you are so inclined. Use is really, really easy: Pull up the antenna, turn the dial on the side for on/off function and volume, use the other dial for tuning, and adjust antenna and dials to suit your experience. The unit is small - No, not ipod small - about the size and weight of a man's moderately-stuffed wallet. You know, the kind that makes your back ache if you are sitting on it for an hour's commute. It's a handsome little unit, too: Just what one might imagine a small Sony transistor radio would look like. Simple. Clean. Sharp. Lastly, the experience. Yes, it's a great companion sitting on your workbench as you sharpen your tools or fix your child's toy. Certainly, it can be a lifesaver during an emergency when the power goes out and you really, truly need to know if you should get out of town. Absolutely, it is a great thing to have in your truck's console storage for whatever: desert camping; working that desolate jobsite on a weekend... But, the best - just positively the very, very best - place to have this radio is with you in the back yard. With a beer in your hand on a summer afternoon. Listening to a baseball game under a shade tree. Folks, if that doesn't transport you to another place then I don't know what will. One last thought. Do you really need this with all the internet and cable and ipods laying around? I've got all that, and more MP3 players than I care to count and I say unequivocally yes, you do need this radio. Because when every other device and situation around you isn't, you will appreciate something that is simple, uncomplicated, and reliable. Aside from all its other attributes, these qualities alone make it worthwhile. Five stars.

J'avais déjà acheté ce poste il y a environ 15 ans, il commençait à donner des signes de faiblesse de fixation de l' antenne. J'ai voulu racheter le même qui me donnait toute satisfaction pour mes déplacements. Pas trop simple de régler les fréquences (sans doute à cause de la petite taille), mais très bonne réception, et son parfait. Donc très satisfait.

After reading 300+ reviews on Amazon. Com I decided to buy this amazing radio as I am a radio lover . currently I have 5 radio device but this radio has left behind all my previous radio. My pros and cons are:- Pros 2) Excellent reception quality no distortion while travelling through bike. 2) 2AA batteries required as I can use rechargeable batteries currently using 2800mah rechargeable batteries playing non stop 24 hrs daily. 3) very light weight. Cons:- 1) costly as this imported radio 2) plastic is little flimsy but ok with it but needs extra care as I spend 1500 for this radio. 3) sound output is good not excellent as increasing volume may cause distortion. Overall GOOD SHOPPING EXPERIENCE WITH AMAZON Must buy for those persons who love listening Radio as I do!!!!

Auch im Zeitalter von Internet-Radio & Co. ist so ein kleiner Radio-Empfänger praktisch. Man darf natürlich kein High End-Gerät erwarten. Der Empfang ist gut bis sehr gut, je nach Sendestärke der empfangenen Radiostation. Das Einstellrad für die Sender lässt sich gut verstellen, ohne dass man mit einer Berührung den Sender verliert. (Also fest, aber nicht ZU fest) Am Design gibts nichts zu meckern. Obwohl ich nicht verstehe, warum die Empfangs-LED nicht gleichzeitig als Skalen-Beleuchtung Verwendung findet. Aber das nur am Rande. Die Lautstärke wird erst bei Maximal-Einstellung unangenehm scheppernd, was sich bei abnehmender Batteriespannung relativiert. Aprópos Batterien, mit einem Satz Discounter-Batterien läuft der Empfänger jetzt schon eine Woche lang täglich etwa vier Stunden, also etwa dreißig Stunden ohne Ermüdungs-Erscheinungen. Fazit: Ein preiswertes, stylisches und sparsames Radio-Gerät für unterwegs und für die Beschallung von Räumen, wo eine Anlage kaum Sinn macht.

This is an amazing little radio. Reception is fantastic, and the battery life is unbelievable. The sound quality is satisfactory at best, but I'm not sure what people would expect for a small portable radio that runs on 2 "AA" battery. If you are looking for a portable, inexpensive option for some music while camping then this is a great radio. If you are looking for something with amazing sound quality, buy a proper speaker.

Elegí esta radio por su fama de poseer una buena calidad de sintonización distinguiendo adecuadamente unas emisoras de otras: y las expectativas se han cumplido a la perfección. Algunas señales débiles de emisoras con pequeña frecuencia las distingue perfectamente (donde otras radios no, se solapan otras emisoras más potentes). No doy 5 estrellas porque el tamaño es como del doble de las radios de bolsillo pequeñitas: lo bueno es que lleva pilas AA que hacen que dure mucho más (de hecho, 10 días lleva con un uso de unas 6 horas diarias casi a todo volumen y sin problema). Lo malo es que en un bolsillo no caben (muy grande debe ser el bolsillo). Para mi gusto podría mejorar en lo siguiente: - antena: no es giratoria, lo cual hace peligrar su durabilidad. - le falta, a mi gusto, una pestañita detrás que sirva para fijarlo a superficies tipo cinturon o similar. - con el tamaño del aparato bien podría llevar incluso dos pilas más. Por lo demás es excepcional su funcionamiento, calidad de sonido (mono), calidad de sintonización y durabilidad de baterías.