Radio Reviews

I love the clock, but I expected better disney sounds. I like the harp to wake up to, but the giggling and such is not what I expected. Though the radio, clock, etc. is great high quality. I love the big snooze button.

Although the clock is cute, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. I was under the impression that the disney princess alarm sounds were actual songs. Instead, your 5 choices are a ringing bell with birds chirpping, someone giggling with a bell ringing, someone giggling with the ocean waves, someone saying la la la, and a magic wand sound. You also have the choice to wake up to the radio. Overall, the clock is OK, but it is not what I expected.

We got this for my daughter, she is a Disney Proncess Nut, dresses like one, and wants to have anything, and everything Princess. (We hope it is just a phase, she used to be into Dinosaurs. It could be alot worse, and you are only a kid once so what the heck.) But it wakes you up to differnt recognizable Princess tunes. It is very durable, and well made, and looks great.

I don't know what else to say, it wakes her up in the morning, and at least for now, she is in a much better mood than when the buzzer or mom/dad woke her up.

I highly ecomend this product for your little Princess.

I bought this item because one customer stated that the radio does not fall out and that it sits quite secure in the carrying case. Well...this carrying case contains a little neoprene pocket where the radio sits, with a mesh front in the area where one transmits, and an elastic band on top that "secures" the antenna. The problem is that the little neoprene pocket, as it's interior is made of a slippery material, squeezes the radio up and out of the pocket as one walks (notice I didn't say run). That elastic band holding the antenna now becomes terribly inefficient and your radio falls prey to gravity. Had the designers used a more pro-friction material on the interior of the pocket(rubber maybe?)the radio might not work it's way out (I place a rubber band around the radio and then put it in the carrier; it works). Also, the radio has a place on the back to attach a lanyard -- a velcro loop/strap, like on a gun holster, would have been very secure. Overall, I'm happy with this product but I should not have had to look for a way to make it functional.

Well built. Secure and functional for use with the T6400. (Note: Several online retailers advertise this accessory for the T6400, though it is clearly built for use with a smaller radio.)

This carrying case is the greatest thing to bring out all the features of the TalkAbouts ALL the time.

The belt strap was just not enough while hiking, biking or other activity. It was too difficult and cumbersome to get at when paged. I use this case as an arm band, and the TalkAbout is right there when needed, and out of the way, all at the same time. Easy access to the mic, or to listen to, right on your arm.

The case is built sturdy with a strong elastic band to hold the antena in place. The arm strap is a strong velkro about 3 inches wide, very sturdy and holds it's place even during the most stressful activity. It works great with biking and hiking, this winter I will try it with downhill skiing, should work great.

I've liked using this radio so far, and have used it with Sirius successfully, but I would advise those looking for a new radio and want it to work sith Sirius Satellite service to look at Kenwood, Audiovox or another brand that offers Sirius ready units. I've tried to put back this unit in a new car I just purchased that replaced one that had been stolen (and had replaced this head unit as well), and found that the process of finding a receiver to work with this head unit is near impossible. The CR-SRT100 receiver that is necessary for Sirius service with this unit has been discontinued by Panasonic and is only available at places like Ebay. Also, some of the newer satellite radio antennas like the TERK SIR3 are geared to work with a single input receiver rather than the dual input receiver that the CR-SRT100 is. The splitter necessary to connect these antennas to this hard to find receiver is equally hard to find as well. You will spend a lot of time trying to find these parts if you try goind down the route I did. This isn't a radio that you can just take to Circuit City and have them "install Sirius" one afternoon and be done with it. It won't be as simple as that.

I called Panasonic about this, and they just told me that the newer 2004 models of Panasonic head unit models are no longer Sirius ready, so don't count on much future support from Panasonic, even though there don't seem to be any public announcements about this. If you want Sirius Satellite Radio, get another brand like Kenwood or Audiovox instead.

The sound quality is incredible, now I can listen to commercial free radio and the genders that I want, choosing between 100 channels! Amazing

This is the best product I have bought in a long time. I now can get over 100 radio channels anywhere, anytime. It is great.

Overall this clock radio functions very well. I also like it's ease of use and sleek exterior. However, I was looking for something that could run on batteries in case of a loss of power. The description said "24-hour battery back up". I mistakenly assumed that this meant I could use this product with batteries. WRONG. The only function the batteries perform is saving the time and alarm settings. The alarm and radio do not function, and the time does not display with battery use. While I will keep the product, I would NOT have bought it if I had known that it could not run on batteries.

Simple to use, very limited features and rugged. Good for someone looking for basic alarm clock with added radio features. The radio quality is good too. True to the Philips name. They can't MAKE THINGS BETTER than that at this price.

This is the best alarm clock/radio i have ever owned set it once and it's all good wake up to an alarm or the radio this one is a keeper and the price is perfect for the quality.

I purchased this same make and model radio...had it for about 1 year...and as soon as the one year warranty expired...the sound doesn't work well anymore. I have to play with the sound dial to try to get the right sound volume..and then hope that the volume will stay at that level. I was happy with the radio for the first year...but now i get angry at it..when i want to use it! I guess i am just one of the unlucky consumers, you'll probably get a good one. i thought about having it repaired..but i guess its probabably not worth the money to get repaired...might as well look for another...will i buy philips magnavox?....Hmm...not sure, though the boom boxes they make are attractive.

I am delighted with this product. With the base boost, the sound quality is excellent for such a small player. It is well designed and does not take up much space. It is also very easy to understand the controls. I found it simple to program and operate different functions. I only have it a week so I can't vouch for its longtime performance but now I am very satisfied with it.

I purchased a $200.00 boom box from Radio Shack to take on vacation. I then purchased this smaller one for my office. Imagine my amazement when the Phillips cheaper version was extremely better than the higher priced item I purchased at a specialty store. I even forgot and left it in the rain for 6 hours. I dried it out with a blow dryer and it still works. Needless to say, I was extremely satisfied with this product and think it is well worth the money.

Overall, this is a good product...good sound quality (awesome surround sound), and it gets very loud...good if you're throwing a party and need music to fill a room. However, the remote control leaves a lot to be desired. Sometimes, when I press it, it will skip a couple of preset stations, skipping over the one I want. It does the same thing with the volume. Another flaw...you can't switch modes via remote (tuner to cassette to CD) -- I must resort to getting up and manually switching modes. Also, you must manually turn the machine on and off.

Despite all of the complaints, it does produce incredible sound, and it is an attractive piece of machinery. The speakers are also detatchable, and the wires connecting them to the middle piece are pretty long...again, good for a party.

Overall this is a good product. It produces rich, full sounds when the music is processed through its effects processor. The unit is mostly plastic, but it is well-built though you won't get that sturdy feel. The remote control is disappointing. It does not include a power button. This limits its usefulness since I have to get up and turn on/off the unit manually. The product description should have mentioned this.

Overall, this is a good product. The sounds coming from it sounds rich and full when processed through its effects processor. Although made of mostly plastic, the unit is well-built, but you're certainly won't get that sturdy feel. The remote control is dissappointing. It does not include a power button and hence not as useful as it can be since I have to get up to turn on/off the unit manually. The description should have mentioned this.

Do not expect this product to work with any D-Link ethernet device, e.g. router, switch, ethernet to wireless bridge. Also don't expect any type of tech support. The people you end up talking to expect an education from you.

If you want to stream mp3's from your PC, this product only works with an old version of MusicMatch Jukebox v7.2 MusicMatch in general is very unstable and I for one cannot get it work at all in Windows XP. It does work though when I log in as Administrator.

If you have a lot of time on your hands to try and get this stereo working properly go ahead and give it a try.

The MCI-200 Streamium was given to me as a Christmas present. I plugged it in, attached speakers (easy), and connected the ethernet caple to my router. WALAH! It worked! I was instantly listening to my favorite mp3 internet radio stations. Doesn't display track 1 track 2 track 3 for your CDs but actually goes through an online service to get track titles. GREAT customer support. Only con is that the AM antenna is really short.

Spencer P...

I purchased this stereo in December 2002. This is absolutely one of the best electronics buys I have made in while. On the pro side: The system was easy to install and delivered instant results without the need for a lot of technical adjustments. I have mine connected via Cat 5 cable. I primarily use this system for playing streaming audio music (vs. MP3's from my PC). The quality of the sound is excellent - CD quality. Philips provides a service they call Streamium. You can get a fairly robust set of stations with this service at no extra charge. Alternatively, if you want to create your own custom stations you will need to subscribe to a service like MusicMatch. This is what I have done. This service is fantastic. You can create virtually any combination of artists that you want as many as you want and change it whenever you want. The ease of use for the system is worth the price alone. This is a true network appliance. You do not need to be connected to a PC to operate this system. You can just walk up to the unit, turn it on, and select one of your favorite custom radio stations - it's that easy. I have had many friends over who have gone out and purchased the same unit once they've seen it in action. On the con side: Occasionally, the system drops a station - this is rare and easy to correct simply by repushing the connect button. Also, I wish the unit had a digital audio interface for connecting to higher end stereo equipment. It does have a full complement of RCA jacks which actually work pretty well for that purpose. There is a wireless version of this system which you might consider. It wasn't available when I purchased my system. The system is sized for a den type setting. It would be great if they offered a higher end version or a version that you set along side your main sound system. All in all this is truly an amazing stereo. It has changed the way I listen to music. I highly recommend it!!

I bought this as a gift for my mom (she's visiting right now) & she's complained that the buttons are a little stiff & the cassette door doesn't open & shut too easily. She isn't too impressed...

This one is the best that I've ever heard at this price range it's even better than those over hundred dollars. It doesn't look pretty but excellent sound. I thought SONY just over priced on everything they make. I was wrong.

I like this boombox for its versatility, appearance, and ease of use. The sound quality is excellent. The features I use most often are the CD player with the sleep function. I compared other models and prices and am happy with my choice. For the price, I think it packs a lot of features and quality.

After receiving the Sony U655, I was so disappointed with its range and sound quality I obtained a Motorola 280 to compare. I didn't know if the poor quality was the Sony or all FRS 2-way radios. The Sony transmission was broken-up even at close range. The Motorola was nice and clear. I need a radio that I can use while paddling in my kayak, so hands free is important. I visited the Sony web site and called their customer service to try to obtain information on any hands free accessory. Sony has a separate mic and ear plug, but it is not voice activated. The Motorola has Voice Activation capabilities. I will be returning the Sony tomorrow. Sony does not appear to be seriously in the FRS 2-way radio business at the present time.

This Sony radio is top notch. Not even worth comparing to panasonic, vtech or any other.

5 stars

I have tried almost every single FRS radio available, I sellelectronics... Here are my observations. I have personally tried and used all of the Motorola units that I sell, that is the talkabout 250, talkabout basic, talkabout 101, & 280 slk. I also sell the Midland Micro-II, Kenwood & Conair, these being the less expensive units and if you are considering something [that costs] less then the Kenwood is probably the best in that area. If your consideration is quality first, price second, then there is no comparison. The Sony is BY FAR the very best unit I have personally ever used. The clarity exceeds every other FRS out there, regardless of price. The 2 mile distance claimed by all FRS radios is very subjective. All frs radios are regulated to the same micro-wattage and therefore are basically the same in identical conditions. For instance, good low cloud cover will extend the range. I have used the Sony to speak with someone at just over 2-1/2 miles away one cloudy evening, I have not been able to do that since though. The Sony has every possible feature to compete with any other unit out there but let's face it, what matters is sound quality. If you can't understand what the other person is saying, then all of the buttons and gadgets in the world won't help. The Sony is by far the clearest unit out there when held properly, a few inches from your mouth, not IN your mouth which is the natural tendency of most people, including myself. I do not sell the Sony U-CEIVER but it is the only unit I will even consider owning. I own 2 by the way, bought 'em right here.

I was looking to replace a 20 year old GE 4880 clock radio - it had a numeric keypad for entering times and radio frequencies. Very easy to set up a different time. The SOny looked to be a good replacement. So far, it's doing a good job but there are a few shortcomings.

Pro:
Two alarms
Easy to set times
Easy to tell which alarms are active
Each alarm can use a different radio station
Auto time set works well

Con:
So-so fidelity - needs a better speaker
Display hard to see unless at right angle
Too easy to accidently move volume control

First off, the clock itself seems to be great and has all the bells and whistles we wanted. However, the time zone settings on ours were the exact opposite of those shown in the manual (the A setting was actually D for those who may need this info). Figuring this out saved me from returning it - who needs a clock that auto sets to the wrong time and this feature was the reason we paid more for this model. If it explodes any time in the near future, I'll be sure to get back to you.

Pros:
Nice looking housing and display.
Atomic clock syncs up nicely for me.
Fairly intuitive buttons.
Dual alarm display, very easy to see which alarms are active.
"Snoozinator" a very handy feature.
Total snooze time not limited to an hour: if you keep whacking the snooze bar, it'll keep in snooze mode. (This is in contrast to several other clocks I've tried recently which just leave snooze mode, with no warning. You end up late and angry.) The manual implies otherwise, but the "1 hr maximum snooze" refers to maximum time between alarms using Snoozinator .

Cons:
No day-of-the-week or weekday settings. Not a big deal for me.
No battery backup. Better yet, I wish they'd use non-volatile memory, or at least a good size capacitor, in these things so it would just hold settings.
Radio quality just ok, but that's not a big concern of mine.
Not the greatest wake tones, and no "humane" waking option, doesn't bother me.
Display hard to read in the dark at the two dimmest settings.