Radio Reviews

I expected much better sound, even for the price. I bought a Philips Boom Box for my other son for less. That one sound sooooo much better! This RCA sounds like it's coming thru a tin can. Extremely disappointed!

I bought this for my home office. Basically, I was looking for a small, attractive unit with CD-radio-tape functions.

The footprint is small, taking up about a 18-inch area. Not bad.

The look is nice. In order to get the smooth contour to the system some ergonomics suffer. For instance, the tape buttons are placed almost vertically on the front of the unit, so when you push a button (stop, pause, play, etc.) you tend to push the entire unit back a bit. Annoying at first, but once I got used to it and used less force I stopped minding.

OK, the sound: there is no treble tone control, although there is a bass boost. I use the base boost when listening to music and turn it off when listening to spoken word (talk radio, books on tape, etc.). Works well for me. The music sounds fine (although you shouldn't expect this to replicate the sound of larger units with spatially distant speakers -- the stereo separation here is small -- about a foot). I have had no problem with any audio book I've listened to, as long as the base boost was turned off.

By the way, turning the bass boost on and off is pretty easy -- just hit one button and you're done.

The radio presets are fine, but they are not represented by separate buttons (i.e., one button for each preset station). Instead, there is one preset button and by hitting it over and over, you "scroll" through the presets you've programmed. This is kind of irritating.

The radio reception is fine, especially if you're used to listening to popular, powerful stations. I can get my local NPR station fine, but a couple of other local public radio stations -- including the classical music station broadcast by a local college -- come in with a lot of static. So I'd say the reception is fine, but not extraordinary. (All this might have to do with where you live and how you position your unit, of course.)

All in all, I'm satisfied with this purchase. I didn't expect a lot since it looks nice and is inexpensive. I should also mention that I don't use this as my primary media device, only as an office unit. So my expectations have been very adequately met.

In short: This is the sort of inexpensive, small, multifunction unit that works well in an office cubicle, in the garage on the workbench, in the laundry room, etc. It won't replace a component-based stereo system, but at this price and this size, you shouldn't expect it to do so.

I purchased this product because I wanted a 3-in-1 player for the kitchen. CD's sound great; the radio is just OK; but the corker was the sound for the tapes. Ugh! They are so muffled with this machine that you can't understand any words. There is no tone adjustment. Forget the talking books! Did I get a lemon? I sure wish I could find out who to talk to! I could have paid less with a different brand. I thought it was "safe" to buy RCA before actually hearing it. Buyer beware!

Nice shape and size. The speaker grill looks cool. But the CD player is the worst I have used.

Does not play audio CD-Rs that even my 5 year old boombox plays effortlessly. With regular CDs the delay before the first song comes on is longer than most other CD players - upwards of 10 seconds. Occasionally fails to play even regular CDs on the first try. No sleep timer for CD.

Looks like Sony slapped a mediocre CD player on to an otherwise good clock radio. BTW the clock supports 'World Time' but only as an offset to 'Local Time' in multiples of whole hours - it should have supported offsets in multiples of half-hour.

pro - compact; light weight; reasonably sound quality con - no universal a/c adaptor for travel; no carrying case; no cd sleep mode

This is a good choice for an office radio because: a) the small size makes it easy lock in a drawer each night; b) it has an antenna that extends or retracts; c) it has digital tuning (and mega-bass); d) it can play very softly or pretty loudly; e) I can hit the stop button quickly.

Among the drawbacks are: a) the controls are not quick to find (for example: I always have to look for the CD play mode button) and not the easiest to understand; b) the high price - I think you pay for the Sony brand and the lightweight size.

One long-asserted myth of consumer capitalism is that products improve over time, tested and winnowed by the market. This Walkman disproves that. I had a Sony Walkman that I used every day for over a year (until I dropped it down the side of a mountain); it had auto-reverse, a convenient belt clip, it was compact enough to fit into a pocket; it was everything I wanted in a Walkman. And, of course, it's not being made anymore. Instead, you have stuff like this.
This is a device that's designed for one apparent use: to hold in your hand (a large hand; it's too big for my wife to hold comfortably) (and only in your right hand; it is not laid out to fit comfortably in the left hand) while jogging in the rain. Or, perhaps, trail running or some ther "edge" sport.
It's big and heavy; about twice as large as it needs to be. This means, among other things, that you can't easily fit it into a pocket.
The cassette bay opens a bit like a submarine hatch, which is to say it takes two hands and a lot of attention to get the cassette in and out. So, you'd think they'd put auto-reverse in it to reduce mucking around (and keep the water out) but they don't.
The volume knob is very easy to find and adjust, but if the Walkman is anywhere but in your hand (in a coat pocket, perhaps?) the volume changes every time you move.
There's a belt clip, which is on the short list of things I need on a Walkman, but there's also a fabric strap to hold it onto your hand with, and the strap, which is not removable, gets in the way of the belt clip and makes it really difficult to clip securely.
It is ostensibly water-resistant (though it's not meant to play underwater) and there's a rubber seal in the cassette bay. I use my Walkmen primarily for bicycling to work in rainy Seattle, and I've never had a problem with any of them being damaged by water. I guess I'm not extreme enough. This would be a useful feature for a kayaker, I suppose, except that a kayaker would have a hard time holding it in one hand, as he paddled.
But it looks great: if you have one of those traffic-cone yellow Nissan Xterras, this Walkman would look really cool sitting on the hood.

but hard to hold without hitting the radio buttons. Lots of options, though.

I have used this walkman for two years of extensive listening to books on tape. It is perfect for this use. It is true that the buttons are easy to bump accidently, but I just leave the hold button on, and the problem is solved. My husband needs a new tape player, and this is the one I'm getting him.

I've owned Sony Mini disc players - the first one I owned had this AVLS - I didn't like it at all and wrote to Sony to let them know. This AVLS feature limited the upper volume of my first mini-disc player. I told Sony that they had no right to "control" my choice of the amount of volume I wanted to listen to my music. The second Sony mini-disc player I bought (the first one was defective) did NOT have the AVLS and I was pleased that they removed this Sony control over my choice. This product (the cassette player) has this Sony "big brother control". I was ready to purchase this product until I saw the AVLS feature. Now I will not buy this product simply because of that feature. I will write to Sony again about this cassette player. Believe me, the highest volume that Sony sets the AVLS at was low, insufficient. It was frustrating to not be able to turn up my volume, especially while I power walk and I hardly think that when I'm at my football games, I would even be able to hear the TV bands at all. The other features are nice - but Sony has lost my purchase due to the AVLS.

I recently purchased this player for my birthday as a gift to myself and I am so pleased with it that I actually just got done ordering another one as a back up, just incase I break my first one.
Very Happy, I love the Auto-Reverse feature because I listen to a lot of tapes at work and it saves me from having to stop my work to flip the tape over when side one has finished.
Wonderful unit, and reasonably priced, Great for the Audio Book fan.

I got this walkman about a week ago and I'm loving it. It weighs about half as much as the 12 year old sony walkman its replacing, and the digital tuning is a great feature. I learned to work it easily in about 5 minutes of playing around and mimimal instructions. The tapes load from the back, which is a little odd, but doesn't do anything bad. AM radio works GREAT, FM pretty good, TV good on some stations, and WB not at all, but I don't really need that anyways. The battery indicator is a great feature that they happened to throw in, and all the buttons are in good places and work well. It comes with a case and headphones which both work well, and look dorky. I recomend this cassette player!

This is a great idea: a small CD player to match the rest of the Tivoli line. Unfortunately, the quality of the units I tried came nowhere near the quality of the rest of the Tivoli line. All in all, Tivoli sent me four of these units and each had problems: one wouldn't play the disc, one wouldn't eject the disc, one had an LED readout that would go blank, and one had variations on all of these problems. The Model One is a great product and the PAL and the others are close behind, but the Model CD needs a lot more work.

Like the previous writer, I also had trouble with my first Model CD that was attributed to a "software error." Tivoli had it picked up, and sent me another, which has been trouble-free. I've had it connected to a Tivoli Model Two radio ever since.

The Model CD is fine, within its design limits. It sounds great, and the slot-loading mechanism (like a car player) is handy, but the player is pretty spartan when it comes to convenience features. There is no track programming, the display is rudimentary, and some functions (direct track access, and volume control, for example) are accessible only from the tiny remote control, and not from the player's front panel.

For use with Tivoli's Model Two or Model Three radios, the Model CD is a worthwhile addition. It matches them in appearance and build quality, and its operation is simple. For use with more conventional stereo or home theater gear however, there are choices that offer equally good sound and more convenience features, but for fewer dollars.

Having come across the three preceding reviews, I feel obliged to correct the negative impression they leave. I bought one of the first Model CDs to be made, and it had a design problem. It didn't play all CDs and the drive mechanism was flaky. But it SOUNDED terrific - high resolution and warm, balanced sound - one of the best digital/analog converters I've ever heard.

I contacted the company immediately and learned that they were having problems with many units and that they were already in the process of fixing the design problem. They said that they could send a replacement immediately, but I opted to wait until they knew they had fixed the problem. At that time, they shipped me a new unit and allowed me to return the old one in the same packing materials.

It was a pain to wait for, but well worth it. This is a simple, "bare-bones" CD player that is perfectly matched to the Model One. The design problem was part hardware and part software, and it is completely fixed. What's amazing is how good the music sounds. If that's what you're looking for, you'd be foolish to ignore this CD player because of the other reviews. They are not wrong, but collectively they leave the wrong impression about this CD player. For the price, I doubt you can find any CD player that sounds this good.

the labor warranty is only 90 days. the cost of repaire is more than the value of the product.Aiwa hides this fact and asks you to ship the product at your cost and than asks you for repaire authorization

Has a nice, clear sound. Perfect for the office because the tape cassette and cd player are located on top, allowing you to place desk items directly in front of the unit--eliminating the need for leaving space for the opening/closing of cd trays or cassette tape loading.

Are you looking for a New CD boombox?

You can't miss it. It has cool functions on great sound quality.
You gatta see and get it today!

I bought this a few days ago, I'm going to get my money back. Because I can't communicate with it past a few blocks! It says 7 miles, but I can't even get close to a mile! What a waste of money. I got four for the family plus with a charger. I spent too much money for this to be not working like it says it should. I think motorola would be a better brand, or even pac bell! Stay away from this! Find a different brand.

After a Christmas-crazy visit with my two boys to the states, and repeated fears of losing them in the crowds (they seem to enjoy cutting more years off my life than my ex-wife) I saw some family's using FRS radios. As I work with similar items in the military, I thought 'let's give it a shot'. I have to admit, I bought by price first, features second. I was pretty certain the 7-mile range wasn't going to ever be seen, but it certainly beat standing at the mall information counter paging the family. However, we've found each and every feature to work as advertised. Honestly, I've only tested them out to 5 miles, on a holiday drive in separate cars, but they've worked perfectly. Given price, performance-as-advertised, and easy online warranty and FCC license registration, I can't argue. I'm certain there are better out there, but I doubt it at this price.

I recently purchased the AudioVox GMRS7001-2 2-way radios. I have had several 2-way radios in the past couple years. Motorolas, Cobras and a Garmin. I've found them very useful for hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, etc. The Cobras only had ½ watt of transmit power, the others had the 2-watt transmitters.

In transmission power, the Cobras are virtually tied with the 2-watt radios. This is a little disappointing, considering the 7001s are supposed to transmit at 3-watts. In a side-by-side comparison of my Garmin Rino 120 to the 7001s, they both transmitted the same distance through the same terrain.

In reception, I give an edge to the Rino. It's squelch feature was a bit more sophisticated than the 7001s. While on the very edge of reception range, the Rino would cut out less frequently than the 7001. Basically, 1-mile in a hilly, suburban area is the max of either radio. If you have a large will between transmitter and receiver, you'll only get about 6/10ths of a mile in range. From hilltop to hilltop, about 1.2 miles.

Feature-wise, the 7001 is just fine. It's interface is very similar to the Motorolas: press the mode button to scroll through some configuration options. The 7001s have a few less buttons than the Motorolas, which I actually found more straightforward. I rate the user-interface as good. Seeing as I'm comparing the Rino, though, the Rino kicks butt! Though such a comparison is unfair due to the Rino's price ($250) and it's GPS screen and click-stick cursor device.

One nice feature about the 7001s are their ability to use the GMRS and shared channels in low power mode (1/2-watt) which more than doubles the batter life and is all the power you need if within a ¼-mile of your receiver. I never found this feature on any of my other radios. I also thoght that the ability to charge the batteries using a base was a good feature, as well as the weather-band/weather alert. (I never liked the way the Motorolas worked). I wish the Rino had that feature.

The only complaint about the 7001 interface is it's transmit button. It sits a little too high up on the left side of the body, and a little too close to the Monitor/Backlight button. Kids with small hands tend to accidentally turn off the squelch by accident.

I have used Cobra Microtalk 3's for years and I was thrilled to see a higher-powered option. I purchsed two sets of these radios for use outdoors (4 total). As I was trying them out, I found that they were unreliable. I would call with one radio and only two of the others would receive. I would try again and only one would receive. I had one radio that would not transmit under ANY circumstances. I never got all four to work together at the same time. I returned one pack hoping I had a bad set, The new set gave the same response. I thought the price was awefully good. It turns out it was too good to be true. Invest in a better radio and you'll be happier. I ended up taking mine back and trading up.

This is about the 4th different model of GMRS I dealt with. In generall I have to say that I'm fairly dissapointed with the overall quality and transmitting range of GMRS products. And don't be fooled by the hype of 3 watts other models have or some fancy names (like X2) - they hardly work any better and the quality is sometimes very poor.
But considering the price tag and knowing what they are suitable for this particular model serves it purpose fairly well. The beauty of it is that they are very handy and lightweight. Fully electronic control buttons - no knobs to turn. Features Privacy mode/Scan/NOAA. The AAA battery package that comes with it holds up for exactly 1 day, charging time about 8 hrs. (I had models with 3 AA which held much longer.) Operating at 1 watt the transmitting range is slightly less than other 2watt models. Thumbwise you can say that they transmit up to 3 miles in line of sight and about 1 mile in an area with obstacles (mountain/buildings/etc...). The belt clip broke off, other than that pretty good quality.
I had 'em with me for a one week skiing tour in Aspen. If you and your body stay on one side of a mountain (over a mountain the signal deteriorates very quickly) it is really fun to have these. Sound quality is pretty good and we never lost each other.
Because of its ease of use, slime design and exceptable transmitting range they are best for keeping contact in parks, buildings and in the wilderness - not too far away and not too many obstacles in between.

I took these with me on a backpacking trip up into the sawtooth mountains in Idaho. They had terrific range great sound and the batteries lasted the whole trip.

I have a couple complaints about this clock. I am a very light sleeper. I set the alarm to turn the radio on at a very low volume. However, there is a VERY loud internal switch that clicks just as the radio/alarm is being turned on. For me, it's like being awakened by someone slamming an encyclopedia on a tile floor. I actually contacted RCA's customer service about this. They told me "that's just the way it is". My second coplaint is about the large display. It has a dim control, but even on the low setting, it is way too bright. If you're a sound sleeper who doesn't mind having a bright light shining on your face, it could be the clock for you.

Though some reviewers had problems with this clock, I liked it. It works as advertized, and the numbers are easy to read, and in a pleasing color. The brightest setting is a little too bright , but at the dimmer setting, the numbers are readable without being overpowering. It's a good deal for the price.

I have this clock and it works great. I can see the time from 3 rooms away. The other guy who's clock broke must've got BCA brand from Chinatown.

This is a cute little clock that is easy to set. The radio controls are easy to use, but the near station rejection is so poor that a single strong signal takes over nearly the entire FM tuning range. My old (circa 1966)analog tuned clock radio works much better.

This radio does have ecectronic tuning, but adjacent stations easily override the tuner circuit. It is a cute little clock, but not what I needed.

A nice clock overall, but a little expensive. Lacks a back-up battery and has too many buttons to make it easy to turn on and off without looking at the clock directly. Better choices for the money.