Radio Reviews

I bought this GPX unit looking for a ..., digital radio to use while jogging. The good news is that the radio worked well, the unit stays on your head well while jogging, and even though build construction wasn't great I was happy given the low price.

After three months the AM radio stopped working. I still use it on FM stations, but I wish I had spent a few extra dollars and bought the Koss headphone radio. I had a Koss model that lasted for 5+ years through all sorts of abuse.

For the first few weeks this headset was fine for morning workouts. Good sound, comfortable fit, relatively easy to use. I've had it about six months and the flaws in the design are becoming evident and annoying. The little metal parts like the screws have corroded, the set gets stuck on a single channel -- not the one I want -- and it's impossible to change, it goes through batteries way too quickly, and sometimes it just doesn't work. The channel settings are lost when you change batteries, so I stopped using that feature after the second battery swap-out. The low-battery indicator light always seems to be on no matter how fresh the batteries are. As new as my unit is, I feel like it's on its last legs. This said, if the company came out with a much better version of the same product I would buy it because the basic concept is strong.

This product is so great! I go for a run and everythings perfect! it's batteries are so longlasting, and its great for outdoor running..

I recommend this only if you go outside and exercise a lot.. If not, then I'd just reccomend any other radio..

I bought the Midway G-300 radios thinking it would be very useful because of the advertised 10-mile range but after some testing I found out that it does not even reach 2 miles maximum power. The FCC regulations require a permit to operate this and other powerful radios, as to prevent abusive uses with it, but I would not waste time and money to apply for this because of the short range (thus limited usage) of this.

The G-300 is good for many short-range outdoor activities, inside stores, etc. The volume can be set loud enough for any purpose (sometimes the minimum is not quiet enough!). I found the vibration mode very useful.

I got this at Staples for $35 after mail-in rebate, which at that price it may be worth the value. Unless you can get a good deal on this I would not recommend this.

I realize that in the real world you're not going to get a 10 mile range like Midland advertises (don't know how they came up with that figure), but I did expect better than the 1.5 mile range that I obtained. The problem could be that the antenna appears to be smaller than on some of the other frs radios I've had experience with. Also, the g300 is more complicated to operate than need be. In order to get access to the 3 watts of power, you have to go through the menu every time you turn the radio on. Then there's the volume control. Lowest volume is not low enough. Sorry, but I can't recommend this radio.

Chose this model because of the 3 watt feature for longer distance. Very easy to use with simple instructions. All settings are saved when turning off (including power level), so they are the same when turning unit back on.
I do agree, the lowest volume is not low enough, but I don't plan on using it in a movie theatre. Very satisfied with this choice for the amount of money paid !!

I picked up pair a month or so ago from a local "Mart." Nicely sized, however, no sub-code feature makes these units almost unusable in any type of crowded (theme park) venue. In addtion, the speaker quality was poor. Frequent message repeats were required to communicate effectively. Pass.

Picked these up with some X-mas money, mainly for play use with my 4yr old son, with some minor utility while out with the family.

For the kids, and light usage, they can't be beat considering the price. I did take them to the mall, and frequently had people on the same channels, as well as reception issues (it's a big concrete structure after all).

But for walking around the neighborhood, going to a park, or maybe usage in a department store, they serve their purpose well.

If you're looking for more heavy duty, longer range, high-security 2-way's, these aren't for you.

If you want simple, easy to use, light usage radios, this is your best bet.

Being a ham operater I also have a need to be able to track small children and also use to have car to car comunications we found the units good for both uses. the smallness made them most useful while hikeings and for keeping tabs on the kids. I would recomend to anyone.

The concept is great-CD,AM/FM,tape,clock radio with remote-all in one unit.However, the product needs improvement. Despite the 4 pre-set tone controls and spatial equalizer, the tone quality is poor. Very scratchy and shrill no matter which setting is used. Has honky quality to the sound. The FM radio is the worst I have ever heard-noisy background on every FM station. I live in a strong signal area with many stations...any fringe area would be much worse. Only switching to MONO clears it up. I placed a Sony CFD-e75 right next to it-the reception was perfect-totally quiet background. Get the Sony!

We bought this to replace our 10 year old Sony cassette/radio boombox. The new unit has some impressive features including a nice remote, clock radio functions, stereo enhancer, large backlit display, etc, but the radio reception wasn't as good as our old boombox. Plus, when tuned to our favorite AM station, there was a faint tone in the background. Oddly enough, pressing a button that changed the display would get rid of the tone, but it would come back again when the display defaulted back to the station.
So, sadly, we are going to take it back.
If you would like a compact boombox with a nice sound, and don't listen to AM radio, I would still recommend it.

I started looking for an CD alarm clock to replace my old, analog fm/am radio alarm clock. This unit had most of the features that were important to me: Digital radio stations, CD player, fairly small, reasonably priced. I have a Panasonic portable CD player that I have been very impressed with, and decided to give this unit a try.
PROS: 2 alarms, one is the standard beep, the other can be set for the radio or the cd. It has a good sound for such a small unit--it's more like a boom box in shape and sound, than a regular alarm clock. It has a remote. It has three different settings for the clock display, bright, medium and off. So far, the clock has kept really good time (I've had it a little over a month). You can pre-program 12 radio stations. There is a nice sound equalizer.
CONS: The clock display is a little small, and it does not display while the alarm is going off, just the radio settings or CD settings display. I like to lay in bed a while and listen to the radio before I get up, but I like to know what time it is too. You have to push a button to see what time it is. It is necessary to turn the unit "off" for the CD/Radio alarm to go off--this took a little getting used to. You can still listen to the radio or CD player while going to sleep, but you have to use the sleep function. It is tricky switching the alarm to radio, it wants to always be the CD player, and there are no clear instructions on how to do it. I just fooled around with it until I got the radio set, and now I don't touch that part of the alarm setting.
Overall, I really like this alarm clock. The cons are not anything I can't live with, and I have pretty much used this to replace both my alarm clock and my old boombox.

I bought the Sangean ATS-818ACS because it was recommended and because of its programmable cassette recorder. I was especially interested in listening to shortwave broadcasts for the first time and to recording AM/FM programs that I miss because I work nights. From Day 1, the radio was a pain to use. The manual was written in Taiwan by someone who could barely read and write English. Shortwave reception was dreadful, even after purchasing an outside antenna at Radio Shack. The programmable cassette recorder doesn't include a cut-off time, so the recorder runs until the tape ends, and you can only record one broadcast. Plus, the radio comes on every day at the programmed time until you reset a new time, then the radio comes on daily at that new time. The manual doesn't explain how to avoid that annoyance. ...

I received my Sangean ATS-818ACS AM/FM/SW Receiver from Amazon.com in two days with the book Passport to World Band Radio, 2003 which is a must for anyone just starting out like me. In virtually five minutes I picked up the BBC and a broadcast from China. This is unquestionably the best radio I ever owned. I recently moved to a heavy populated district that is enclosed by trees so it has been difficult to tune in all the stations in my FM listening zone with my conventional radios. I tried XM Satellite radio but although they pride themselves with their 100 channels of variety after awhile I felt like I was being programmed by another conglomerate like Clear Channel plus there is a monthly fee to continue XM. With my Sangean I can receive at least 50 times more stations then XM and a better variety of music, news and different opinions from around the globe. I am new to the world of Short Wave and even if I don't use it often for the price I paid and the fact that I can get all my FM Stations to come in clear makes it worth the money. Since short wave has endless possibilities my next purchase will probably be the Grundig 800 Millennium or a model by Drake. If Amazon has the Sangean ATS-818ACS on sale again pick it up it will lead you out The Matrix.

This radio was a replacement for a Thomas Radio. With Television being a medium that is starting to become mundane we were looking for a new form of entertainment. We decided to revert back to radio ( talk / Variety ) and this radio fit the bill. I am very pleased with the ease of use and the reception on the shortwave band ( I am a novice ). Contrary to some reviews I found the sound quality very good. The tape recorder is a plus if you have friends that doubt what you might have heard. Overall, this is a good value. One drawback was the owners manual. If you are a novice you,ll probably have to educate yourself to understand some of the terms.

The only redeeming feature of this clock radio is the display. The sound quality is atrocious. Very harsh and definitely unpleasant. For a small product this clock radio comes with a heavy duty line cord which is more suitable for large appliances. This line cord is thick and un-yielding. If you possibly can, stay away from this radio. There are much better products on the market than this one. Buying a brand name such as this does'nt necessarily mean your getting the best.

the alarm clock is working in good condition,but the radio isn't that clear(sound quality),i mean i've ordered sony 'coz i thought the radio would be fine.it's good for an alarm clock but it's not that comfortable for listening the radio

This is a simple clock with an alarm that you can use to wake you up in the morning(of course). I've had mine for like a year, but i have it in black. Ever since i set the time initialy, it has stayed the right time. it also has a radio, but i dont use that. It uses battery's and mine havn't run out yet. When you buy it the alarm part seems confusing, but after a day or two it you get it.

I purchased this product because it was the best deal for what was advertised on the package. I returned this product for not coming close to matching what was advertised on its package. "Up to a 5 mile range" was what was promised, however, transmissions were unintelligible after 3/4 of a mile and stopped completely after only 1 mile. I could also hardly make sense out of what was being said to me over the radio during transmissions. This model performed worse than other types that I had tried that only had a 2-mile range. ... I had planned to keep them and just use them at the fair, mall, beach,etc... but crowds of people REALLY slaughtered the range on these puppies. ... In all fairness they weren't a total hunk of trash, but save your money and go for a better model or manufacturer all together.

After purchasing a pair of 380's for my wife and I, we are pleased that we only had to pay 25.00 USD for these units. Best Buy was blowin them out as a clearance sale. The range is only as good as line of sight, that is to say if you were on top of a tall building and could see the person to whom you were transmitting to, you might get the advertised range of up to five miles "as the crows flys". R.F. power out is rated at 2 watts! On the other hand, most people use these units for short distance communications, and can be satisfied with maybe a mile with objects in the way of the r.f. that is being emitted. All IN ALL THEY WERE WORTH 25.00 FOR THE PAIR, GIVEN THE OLD ADDAGE,"YOU GET WHAT YOU PAID FOR".

Very nice size. Uses AAA batteries (small) so batteries won't last as long as AA. The volume/on-off control rotates the wrong way. Doesn't have the volume of the Motorola FRS/GMRS radios so hard to hear in noisy places. Very positive tactile feel on transmit button so good with gloves. Battery charge contacts on outside of case so can be used with drop-in charger. Controls very intuitive and logical. Does not have compass or stopwatch so no confusing menus. Display has large digits but no backlight. Nice small size.

i bought this thing a year ago and now all of a sudden the cd player doesn't work. the unit sat in one place and was not moved for an entire year-not very durable for a PORTABLE boombox. it sounded good while it worked, but for 50 bucks its a little expensive to be disposable.

This boom-box is just great. The sound is excellent. It has a T-bass for extra bass and it also plays CD-R discs. It's a best buy for your money.

This cassette player does not have auto-reverse, as the copy says it does.

In my experience AIWA makes boomboxes, cd players and walkmen with excellent sound quality. I have an AIWA "Q Sound" boombox I purchased almost four years ago. It sounds just a good as it did the day I bought it. The Q Sound element gives a whole new flavor to the audio. It really does add a third dimension to what you hear. At this price the boombox is a bargain.

It works well, but the LD display is brighter than a nightlight and has to be faced away from the bed in order to get any sleep--and it's still too bright.

Can't really complain, given the low price on this item, but it would be nice to have a dimmer switch (pretty bright light for a bedroom).