SonyICF-S10MK2 Pocket AM/FM Radio, Silver

This radio has amazing reception for its size and price point. The reciever, particularly in AM, is as good as any I have ever owned. Granted, I never bought one of those $200 'professional' radios, but for under $15, it delivers far better reception than I could have hoped for. FM reception is also excellent, as good as any portable radio I can remember using, but in the case of the one I bought, the AM tuning is exceptional. We have a strong local AM station 15 miles away that plays what I consider noise, and another, 200 miles away, only 50 Mhz away, I sometimes have difficulty in my car, catching the weak station, without noise bleeding in from the closer station, even with a digital tuner. This radio can not only separate the two stations, but receive the weaker station as clearly as my car radio does on the open road, while being inside the walls of my house! A+ on that one, Sony.I wanted an analog tuner because 90% of the time, for my personal uses, it will be left on my favorite station, and I don't have to re-tune it every time I change batteries, plus an analog tuner will not drain batteries when turned off, like a digital one does, to retain the station 'memory'. Originally, I got one of these radios for one of my kids (and a Kaito for the other, more on the differences between them later) and love the ability of this Sony to pull in weak stations, I think I will get one for myself. For less than $15, it will be easier than fighting one of the kids for use of a radio. I like to have a battery powered radio for severe weather instances, and this one has much superior reception compared to the old one we have in the basement now, I almost view it as an investment in potential greater safety in an emergency situation. If something happens that we lose our local station, I can still tune into many more other stations than I would be able to with our old basement radio. Other features I like, include the headphone jack (sends sound to both ears, but not in stereo) and a little signal indicator LED that is dark when there is no signal (static) and glows when the radio is receiving a signal, which glows brighter, the stronger the signal is. This is one feature I like on a child's radio especially, because it makes it easier for them to find stations as they search the dial, and also helps them tune stations in better.While this is an excellent radio for the price, a real bargain, it is not perfect. For one thing, the FM antenna does not pull out of the radio, it stows on the outside of the radio, and swings out from the side for use. This would be fine, except that it does not swivel, it only hinges out and up. I prefer an antenna that either pulls straight out (better protection when not extended), or if it does hinge as this one does, I feel it should also swivel (less likely to get bent, and easier to orient where you want it). Also, the volume control is not very precise, especially at lower volume settings. These are minor quibbles, that do not detract from the 5 star rating, but are areas that could be easily improved, in my opinion.Now to the differences between this, and the Kaito.Size: This one is about the size of those old AM only transistor radios that used a single 9V battery. Height and width are very similar, but I think this Sony is a little thinner. The Kaito is downright tiny, about the size of a deck of cards. Also, the antenna retracts into the case of the Kaito, with the top of it only sticking up enough to just be easy to grab to extend, making it well protected with the radio in a pocket. To farther describe just how small the Kaito is, compared to a pack of cigarettes, it is not as tall, roughly the same width, and notably thinner. Get the Kaito if small size is of the upmost importance, get the Sony for better tuning, and more sound.Sound: They sound about the same with headphones, sending sound to both ears, but not in stereo. There is a difference in what you get out of the built in speaker, though. The Kaito has a more precise volume control, able to go from a whisper, to full volume very smoothly and with great control. The Sony has a larger speaker, so it puts out notably more volume, at the expense of a little less precision on the control, especially at lower volume settings. If you don't have headphones, and want the volume low enough to not disturb anyone else, it is doable with the Sony, with a bit of fiddling, but a breeze with the Kaito.Tuners: The Sony, hands down, has the better tuner. Not that the Kaito is a slouch, by any means. For a radio so tiny, it works very well, especially considering it has a built-in speaker. In fact, I received the Kaito in the mail first, and was impressed with how well the tuner worked. It caught any station my old radio could, both in AM and FM. However, it wasn't until I put batteries in the Sony, that I realized just how many stations are out there. I was not at all disappointed with the Kaito, but I was very impressed with the Sony, especially considering it was under $15 (and I think the Kaito was $12)Batteries: The Sony uses AA, the Kaito uses AAA (even though the specs say AAAA) Both are easy to find, and seem to give decent life. One advantage to the Kaito is the battery compartment cover is captive. When you change the batteries, the cover hinges out of the way, but does not detach from the radio. There is no way to remove/lose it without braking it off the hinge. The Sony has a battery cover that you remove completely when you change the batteries. I can see the potential of someday using Duct or Masking tape to hold the batteries in place for the radio I got my daughter.Intangibles: There are little differences, that really don't make me sway one way or the other, but probably bear noting between the two radios. For example, they both have the tuning indicator lights mentioned above.The Kaito has a better protected, but shorter antenna.Controls: They both have pretty good tuner controls, stiff enough to stay on station, easy enough to turn for precise tuning. The volume control on the Kaito is more precise, but takes very little effort to turn, making it more likely to move if bumped. The Sony's volume control is less precise, but a little harder to move accidentally.The Sony has a switch where you select OFF/AM/FM. The Kaito has a switch where you select AM/FM, and it is turned on and off by rotating the volume control past a spring-loaded detent, like the transistor radios of old. Neither one 'better' but they are different.Anyway, to sum up my thoughts, buy a Kaito if you want what is the smallest radio I have found, that still has a good tuner, and can put out decent sound through a built-in speaker.Buy the Sony, if you can live with a somewhat bigger radio. For about $2 more, and a little bigger size, you gain a somewhat stronger speaker, and an excellent tuner (amazing, actually, considering I gave under $15 for the radio, and as I type this, the price dropped to under $13)

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.