Radio Reviews

Don't believe the last review. I had mine about a month before I tossed it out the window somewhere near Charlotte, NC. Nothing but problems, barely recieved or transmitted and was extremely weak when it did. I actually had truckers ask me to stop transmitting because all they could hear was squealing when I keyed. Tossed it, kept my K40 antenna, bought a Uniden Pro538W and have loved it! Much better radio! Don't buy anything Cobra makes!

My is working good for over years now so Please buy one & try them & you will see that RedDog was wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've had my Cobra 29 for over five years now. It's been in four different trucks, and traveled over 500,000 miles with me. Once I added two wilson antennas and a power mic, I can get out over four miles on a good night. My personal record is a line of sight 130 miles from a mountainside. I love it. I was thinking of getting a galaxy, but why? I have a great radio here.

An electronics fan from New York State USA They are not good radios! they do not function right and always break. I'm from a company who rates diffrent dadios do not come out on top. Out of 350 radios tested it can out as 310th it is a waste of money!

We've been using the FRS250 radio for about three years now with no major complaints.

The radio offers the 14 FRS channels, and can optionally use the 38 "privacy codes" to suppress communications from other radios (assuming that they aren't using the same privacy code as you). By setting the privacy code to 0, you hear everyone's transmissions, regardless of their privacy codes.

Battery life so far has not been an issue. Though we haven't measured how long you can listen or talk on a channel before the batteries die, we have yet to run into a situation where a fully charged set of batteries has run out on us during use. A fresh set has lasted us a week at Disney World, for example, with moderate use (a few minutes of communication about a dozen or so times a day). Still, rechargeable NiMH batteries would be a wise investment.

Some of the more interesting features:

1. This model does voice-inversion scrambling (referred to as "voice privacy"), which reduces the likelihood of eavesdroppers: only other users with a Cobra radio and the "privacy" feature will be able to understand your conversation.

2. There is a "squelch suppress" button that will allow you to hear faint transmissions that would normally be silenced by the radio. Note that you'll hear tons of static too, so only use it when you need to.

3. A lock button, to prevent accidental changes in your radio's configuration. This is more useful than it sounds, particularly in environments where the radio can get bumped around.

Some caveats:

1. Cobra's marketing refers to the privacy codes as "sub-channels", which is a misnomer. The radio only has 14 channels, and these 14 channels are set by the FCC for the Family Radio Service. There is no such thing as a sub-channel. See the FRS FAQ for information on privacy codes and what they do.

2. The voice-inversion scrambling offers privacy only from casual listeners. People with Cobra radios or that have equipment to invert the voce signal will be able to hear you. It is a very nice feature, but it does not offer enough privacy for things that you do not want others to hear (your credit card number, etc.)

Overall, we've been satisfied. It would be nice if the headphone and microphone jacks were combined into a single jack, but this is a minor nit. The unit is less expensive than the equivalent Motorola models, and performs well enough for general use.

These radios are the best that I have ever used. They feature 14 channels and 38 sub channels, that makes 532 different channels so even in the most crowded areas there is no problem finding an open channel. In the rare case that someone wanders onto your channel they will not be able to listen in on your conversation because this radio encrypts or scrables your voice. The radios have a tremendous range of two miles considering how small they are. At this price you can't afford not to have one.

Easy to use, but the signal keeps dropping out unexpectedly in both home/car use. If the unit is turned off and then turned on again, the signal often comes back for a few minutes. I will be looking into higher-end products.

I got the JVC kit for my birthday in early November and I've got to say Im hooked. The music channels are great and I havent heard a commercial since receiving the unit. I've had no problem with receiption in my home or car.
My new favoriate toy.

Tim

Wow is this unit nice, like a PDA for Satellite Radio. Sirius is the best service, used to have XM but switched when they added NFL coverage, I will be a life long sub!!

In an entertainment center on a shelf by itself, my H2A seriously overheast after about two hours of use. The signal usually is lost and I have to shut it down for 20-30 minutes to get the reception to work again.

The provided antenna has a 21 foot long cord. Check your desired location and what window/exit you want to mount the antenna on (the antenna has to face toward the Mason/Dixon Line or face "up" if you are in a state in the center of the country near the Mason/Dixon Line). The short cord length can seriously limit where you put the system. A 50 foot extension cable is listed as an extra cost accessory but finding someone who both carries it and has it in stock is difficult.

The antenna provided with the kit works adequately indoors. Best reception however requires an external mount (especially in Missouri where the unit has to face "up"). The provided antenna is not very rugged so fails to work in rain, etc. There is a high gain antenna available as an extra cost accessory but again, the trick is finding someone to sell you one.

Great radio sirius is a great service .

Truly amazing. I love my Siri gear. I purchased from Circuit City and had a chance to compare both. Siri is the way to go. I love it.

I bought these headphones because of the quality Koss has provided me in the past. Five years ago I purchased the Koss UR-20s and just now they are going out which is one of the reasons that I am deciding to buy a new pair of headphones. The UR-20 has both quality sound and comfort. I expected these to be the quality of the UR-20s in both sound and comfort. The picture listed sizes it to be about the size of the UR-20s which surround the ear completely. These do not unfortunately which is very misleading.

I have been looking for wireless headphones as I move around a lot and the wires can be bothersome. I went to Radio Shack to test out a pair of wireless headphones. I received less interference and quality in Radio Shack (Which as you can imagine has plenty of interference.) with a pair of headphones that were of a lesser value. These headphones produce a heavy hissing sound and dull quality on a low or high volume setting near and far from the receiver. The sound quality is very dull and sounds as if it was coming from a pair of headphones you would buy at the dollar store.

I am very disappointed with the quality of these headphones as they were quite expensive and from a reputable company such as Koss. I do understand that wireless headphones will produce static. I am surprised that the static is as bad of this. I also do understand that when you buy a product online without seeing the actual item first hand you are taking a risk.

I called Amazon and I was told I can return them, which I will as long as I cover shipping costs. Very disappointed with the headphones! I am off to Radio Shack tonight to buy the original wireless headphones I looked at for $20 cheaper.

This is my first pair of Wireless Headphones, and I am happy to say they are awsome. I have purchased Koss headphones in the past, and used their Lifetime Warranty on one occasion, that's right Liftime Warranty on all of their HEadphones. I bought a pair of $20.00 earbuds which I loved, and after about 5 years of daily use they finally died, I sent them in under warranty and they sent me a newer style, at no cost. I will only buy Koss from now on. I work in a machine shop, and have converted a number of my co-workers, who have also used the warranty, and had great success with both the headphones, and the warranty. I figure if they believe enough in their product to give a lifetime warranty then it must be great product.

I am very impressed with these headphones. They sound great and I very seldem hear any static. These headphones also have a long range. I hooked it up to my computer in the basement, and I use them to listen to music while I cook dinner upstairs. They also sound great when I'm in the garage.

I bought this CD player with a gift certificate I got for Christmas. First of all it ways about 10 pounds, and it only comes with only 3 secound anti-shock"which they don't tell you in the review or on the web site". I didn't even use it as soon as I opended the box and saw how big it was I repacked it and sent it back.

very smart design, allows user to recharge batteries in sameunit, am/fm tuner with pre-sets is a rare feature for portable cdplayers especially at this price. actual weight is less than a pound (...)

This thing is rock solid, and un-like the other reviewer, I did turn it on, It sounds great and works well, it didn't skip unless I shook it for more than 3 seconds, and when I say shake, I really mean shake. It is a little heavy, but it doesn't seem overly heavy, it just feels well built.

can anyone tell me the range of this CB radio

The range of any cb depends upon the antenna. A $30 cb on a good antenna will have considerable more range than a $150 cb on a cheap antenna. Inexpensive cbs do have less sensitivity and features of more expensive cbs, but if you are just starting out, I would suggest an inexpensive cb with a good antenna such as a Wilson 'Lil Will' magnet mount. If you purchase the antenna at a cb shop, normally they will be more than happy to install and tune the antenna for you free of charge. The antenna normally runs around $30 and is one of the better entry level antennas out there. I have ran a cb for 10 years and I still use one as a back up. But remember, the secret to range is in the antenna system.. not so much the radio. But whatever you choose.. do not get one of those 'through the glass' or a 'rubber magnet mount' antenna. These are poor antennas with very limited range, usually less that a mile. Get something with a steel whip equal to or over 36" in height.

The previous review that mentions antennas are key to a good CB setup is correct. For a normal CB user I would recommend either the Wilson lil' Wil or the Wilson 500 antenna. Both are magnetic mount antennas. The lil' Wil antenna is a relatively small antenna and it's only around $39.00. Actually any Wilson CB antenna will be fine. Also, to do a good job at setting up your antenna you should purchase an SWR meter. They are not expensive. You only need the meter connected inline between the radio and antenna when you are adjusting the antenna. Once you are done adjusting the antenna you can take the meter out of the connection and connect the antenna directly to the radio. Don't be fooled by cheap ordinary CB antennas like you will find at radio shack. Do not settle for anything less then a Wilson antenna. Cobra and Uniden both make fabulous CB radios so either make will be fine.

I've tried a few different FRS radios. I found this Kenwood model to have poor audio -- very muffled tones. No good! The whole purpose of a radio is to communicate, and it gets burdensome if you have to keep saying "What?" "What did you say?"

I bought this couple of weeks ago (...), and I brought it to Universal Studio Escape as well as to Disney with friends and I can't believe with clarity of sound ! It was crystal ! Despite the noisy crowd ,we were able to communicate without significant problem. Doesn't have any plug-in earpiece though, but hey ! what the heck ! no biggie ! For functionality, quality and prize, this is wise !

I've tried a lot of Walkie Takies and this one was the best. I would totally recomend this Walkie Talkie for anyone who wants a Walkie Talkie for their family use.

On the advice of another reviewer here, I bought this item for mydaughter for the Holidays. Within a month or so, it started actingup, and eventually the CD player stopped working. I know that theprice is low, but if this is what you get... save your money and buyan alarm clock at Wal-Mart.

I decided to get rid of my Sony Dream Machine and replace it with the Memorex MC2850. I have had the memorex for 3 weeks now and it's been great! I like listening to music before I go to bed and what better way then to listen to my favorite CD and set the sleep timer to 90, 60, or 30 minutes and it will turn off automatically. The buttons, especially the volume and alarm controls do take time getting used to but after 2 weeks, I memorized where they all were. Although I do wish there was better placement of the volume control. The sound is stereo so for moderate to low level, it's great like in an office or bedroom. It's smaller than I expected, it doesn't take that much more space than your typical alarm clock!

I bought this one for my daughter and she now has no excuses for waking up for school in time. It's slick looking and the kids love it. Great CD and radio sound. I highly recommend it.

it does not play compressed mp3, which is what i bought it for. it plays regular cd's just fine, but so what. so does my computer.

I would recommend this unit if you're not going to do much moving of it. If you plan to buy it to use when you're exercising, I would recommend you look at other available models if you're going to use the CD player because this unit will scratch your CD or skip easily. If you're going to use the radio part, though, it will be fine.

Amazon left out a few things about this product:

1.) The PLL Digital Tuner ((PLL) Phase Locked Loop) offers drift-free reception, and will adjust automatically to better receive your favorite radio station when necessary. You can also presets 3 FM and 3 AM stations for tuning at the touch of a button.
2.) The unit will also playback CD-RW Discs.
3.) The Player has a full LCD Display, when listening to the radio it shows the radio station, (By Number) and when listening to a CD Shows the Track/Minutes/Seconds
4.) 24-Track Selection Programable Memory, which allows you to program the order in which you want the CD played back, up to 24 songs per CD.
5.) The Portable has the standard CD Functions, Track Skip Up/Down, Random Play, and Repeat One/All.
6.) Oversampling: 8X digital filter.
7.) You have the option of turning off the ESP (Electric Shock Protection (Anti Skip)) this will save your batteries when the player is sitting in one place and not susceptible to jolts.
8.) It ships in Clear Hard Plastic with a 4 color display card that has all of the pertinent information on it.
9.) Comes with Headphones. (Over Head, Bar Style.)
10.) Takes 2 AA Batteries, which are not included, so make sure you pick some up.