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- Verified Buyer
Old fashioned device but works GREAT! I was afraid it could not be replaced after my prior unit stopped working after 15 years!Comments for prospective buyers:1) PLL (Phase locked loop) digitally synthesized, am/fm/weatherband radio with very low noise, i.e., very good sensitivity as well as good selectivity (the ability to distinguish between adjacent frequency, interfering signals).2) This radio can only be manually tunned by pressing the + (forward/up) or - (back/down) frequency tuning button. It will even advance semi-automatically if you hold the button down and you will hear the stations as the radio sweeps through the frequencies so you know how/where to locate stations (unlike Sangean pocket radios which mute during automatic scan and seek functions). Thus, there is no fully automatic, press and scan or even a seek function, but I have found this manual tuning capability totally adequate because of the simplicity of the five preset tuning buttons for each band (with 2 sets of five presets on the fm band). It is quite silly that Sony didn't take the time right now to also add 5 more presets on a second set of am bands just as they did on fm on the SRF-M37V for example which has 25 presets available and not 20 presets as on this newest model. This is especially because the am reception on this radio is quite exceptional in addition to all of its other very nice features.3) It is as good as the Sangean pocket radios that I have recently tried as well (including the famous DT-200VX). It remains to be seen if the new (June 2008) Sangean DT-400W (with NOAA weather coverage and broadcast alerts) will compete with the Sony SFR-37W.4) It has a one year limited warranty and clearly not just 90 days as listed on numerous websites, including Amazon.com. This time limit is clearly listed on the instructions with the radio (the included Sony warranty certificate comes attached to the radio instructions).5) I get excellent reception here in the mountains of New Mexico for a super-portable am/fm/weatherband radio receiver with 20 presets (5 on am/10 on fm and 5 for weather) that lasts 30-54 hours on one AAA battery. Weatherband signals are weak by the nature of the short range, low power NOAA transmitters and you must turn up the volume to adequately hear them and then adjust it back down for most am/fm stations especially.6) All presets are very intuitive and extremely easy to use (a one button press system) as well as very easy to set. They are also easy to change as needed, especially if you travel a lot. Also, as long as you change the battery within 3 minutes of removing it, no presets will be lost (fortunately changing the battery is a snap).7) The SRF-M37W is as extremely durable and well made and should last a very long time. In fact, my son's SRF-37V (its immediate predecessor) was extensively chewed 3 years ago by his young puppy (whose name is his gal Friday since he first got her on a Friday) and it still works quite well! Also, the battery cover is normally hinged to the radio so that it can't be lost (unless excessive force is used when it is opened and in this case it is designed not to break, but instead to simply pop out, but can easily be reinstalled as shown in the Sony manual). It also comes with a belt clip that nicely and firmly attaches to the radio for convenience. It also has a lock switch to keep all settings unchanged (except for the volume control) with an LCD screen indicator for the locked position as well as a battery level indicator, etc.8) When using it inside a building go as close to the windows/doors as you can to get the very best reception. Radio waves do not penetrate very thick structures well so the best reception should generally be found outdoors for hiking, jogging, just plain walking, etc.9) As others have stated you probably will want a better set of earphones to fully enjoy listening on all bands, but the supplied pair is certainly adequate for most purposes. In addition, however, I have found that if you use a set of headphones with a longer cord (such as the ~1 m cord on the Sony MDR-Q22LP clip-on earphones), substantially improved fm reception results since the cord acts as the fm antenna on these radios.10) For those like me who will use this device near a computer, some degree of RF (radio frequency) interference (static on both the am and fm bands) can be expected. The RF interference is substantially reduced the further you move away from the computer or if you hold the radio in your hand or if you can extend the headphone cord fully. This Sony is my personal update for an old analog Sony radio (the SRF-19W am/fm stereo radio Walkman) from the late 1980's that is still working (also with no speaker and with a DX RF (radio frequency) gain switch even way back then)!This company did an outstanding job all way round. The product arrived EARLY!!!!!! In excellent condition. It was packed and packaged in an excellent manner. It could have withstood anything. I commend them for a job well done and give them an A+++. If I do business with them in the future, it would be a pleasure. I give them a BIG COMENDATION FOR FINE JOB WELL DONE. The product is in excellent condition and works great. I have been using this product for years and can't thank them enough for a great job all the way around. Thanks again for everything!!!I've 3 of these radios, one in my gym bag, one in my car so that I can listen to AM if out eating by myself and a third as a spare. I learned my lesson on this. Some years back, Radio Shack under their Optimus brand made the finest little AM/FM radios. In particular what they offered was the ability to preset stations, and just as in your automobile you could push a single button to call up the station that you wished.Additionally what made these pocket radios(and yes they were true pocket size) was that they had speakers, therefore you were not forced to wear earbuds when listening. You were able to clip the radio to your belt or carry it in your hand or lay it on a countertop or your desk(try this with earbuds) as you went about your daily routines. I've always suspected that postal workers on their daily rounds were keen fans of these pocket radios.I had purchased some 4 or 5 of these radios(Optimus actually had 2 similar designs but different models over the years), but over a period of years and much abuse they were all eventually broken,,,and then I could no longer get another as for some reason Radio Shack no longer offered them and Optimus no longer manufactured them.I was then forced to buy pocket radios without this "preset digital capability" and could only obtain those with the very primitive "preset" with the so called "scan" "feature" where you had to scan thru all your presets to select another station that you wished to listen to. To my knowledge no one has ever built such a radio since,,,,except in China, but they only function properly on Chinese standards for radio stations,,,,each station is 9 numbers apart and instead of the USA standard of 10,,,I think that the way it works.Sony addresses the tuning issue with this fine little radio with their presets,,,but alas no speaker so when out walking your dog or just slepping around the house or working in the garage, you must use earbuds which are of course uncomfortable if worn for long periods.In this day of 50 different smart phone models, 40 different MP3 players etc. you would think that one manufacturer would build a small high quality radio with both the correct preset capability and a speaker. I guess no one listens to radio anymore and so they feel there is no market. I would think that some major radio broadcaster would design such a radio,,,,perhaps more people would listen to it again.Yes,,,,I've the Sangean type radios with speakers,,,but again the "scan" thru to the next station is beyond my understanding of "why bother" when with just a bit of ingenuity they could do what Optimus was able to do in the 1980's or early 1990's.How about you Sony,,,,create a slightly larger version of your neat little radio with a speaker,,,,,it is evident that your current radio is a good seller as you've been selling it for many years,,,,perhaps an added speaker would sell many more. With a built in speaker, your radio would deserve a strong 5 stars and I would pay double the price as you currently sell your current product for.And of course C. Crain,,,,where have you been? C. Crain does sell a clever little radio with recording capability. They sell it for about a 150.00 which is expensive,,,,but it does not have push button tuning support even at this price. If it did, I would consider buying it.I owned one of these before but I dropped it from the top of a set of ladders and it broke. I was pretty sad as this was by far the best radio I've ever owned of the "Walkman" type of pocket radio. I decided to replace it with something else which proved to be a mistake so in the end I have returned to this particular model. The presets are really great so there is no messing around with tuning and once set, it tends to hold the station. Once set up it is a time-saver for me whilst at work. I like the earphones a lot as they are light and reasonable quality and when I need to take them off in a hurry, its easy instead of the type you have to push into your ears which often fall out. Overall, a good radio and worth the price bearing in mind - you only get what you pay for. Sony quality and reliability.Looked for some time for a decent small personal radio and this Sony Walkman is brilliant. It's small and compact enough to fit in your pocket, easy to tune and holds a very good signal, it's great to have pre-set stations and there is a handy lock switch you flick to avoid any buttons being pressed whilst in your pocket. Build quality is nice and the headphones that it comes with are a perfect complement which give a better base response than 'in ear' phones. Very pleased.This radio is really good for out and about, the presets are very handy for switching stations without the bother of fumbling with manual tuning, this is a real bonus as it saves you from having to keep stopping. The fm tuner is sensitive enough to pick up weak signals that other radios failed to do. The radio is of quite robust build and is much smaller than the pictures would suggest. It only needs one AAA battery which looks like it would run for many hours before needing replacing. Aimed mainly for the USA market, you will find that the weather band is of no use in the uk. However this in no way is a pull down of the excellent performance of this radio and in fact you may well find it as a big bonus if you are traveling to the USA. It may cost more than other radios that are around but it really does work well and is a very practical radio for out and about.Great little radio... very god sound.Ultra simple to operate... only one baterry (3 AAA)... small, but robust, it's all in plastic but you can feel it is solid!As an radio it works very very well.Great little radio. Neat and compact - easy to slip into pocket to carry around. Great sound, and comfortable headphones, NOT those awful pop in ear plugs that always fall out!! I have used this every day since purchasing it and have no complaints. Would definitely recommend it.
