Sony Walkman Digital Tuning Weather FM/AM Stereo Cassette Player (Silver)

My first prerecorded cassette was ELO's first album--that's how long I've been listening to them! We all know the day of cassette recording or playing is long gone; even CD's are considered done in this day of MP3's. However, that doesn't negate the millions, maybe billions, of cassettes that have been sold over the past 30+ years. Cassettes have their faults, but there are so many productions out there that aren't available on any other medium.

I've owned cassette players running $300 'way back in the 80's; these are gone also. The challenge now is to find a portable Walkman-type player that doesn't sound like crap, and that's last longer than a week or so. I came across a number of books on audio cassette at home and wanted to do a re-listen. Only a couple have been converted to CD.

I initially purchased a 'Craig' model for less than $20; it's also sold as a Jensen, a Coby, and various other names on Amazon. It was a piece of crap; see my review under the Coby name. Virtually useless radio because of tuner problems, and a cassette function that ran at whatever speed it felt like. Needless to say, an adventure for the book listener and worthless for music listening.

I came across this very inexpensive Walkman and didn't expect much for the $30 price. Have I been surprised! Now, the photo shown at the top isn't my model, as it has a TV band on it that mine doesn't have. Mine has AM/FM/Weather/cassette. It appears identical to the one shown.

Unlike virtually ever other cassette player I've owned, this one only uses 1 'AA' battery--not 'AAA' as other reviewers have stated. The great thing about this is that not only are 'AA' batteries ordinarily cheaper, but they last longer, too. I expected the battery life to be shorter as the result of only one battery, but I was wrong. Sony states they are using some new technology to extend battery life, and it's true. A decent 'AA' will last around 35-40 hours, and when running on cassette, around 30 hours. This will vary, of course, according to the quality of battery purchased.

Unlike the Coby/Jensen/Craig derivative, this machine uses digital tuning with an LCD readout. The tuner has functioned with complete band accuracy; none of that playing with a stiff little wheel trying to find the best signal. As stated in the item description, there are 33 presets for the radio. I live outside Houston and can't imagine needing 33 stations to store, but I guess it's good for someone. Additionally, the procedure for storing and revising stored stations seems unnecessarily complicated. Probably not for the younger, computer generation, but it does require a lot of steps. I will certainly be retaining the instructions! Actually, it seems equally easy just to set the thing on 'manual' and use the rocker switch to find stations. Regardless, through the included headsets, the sound is equal to those players I've had in the past costing 10 times as much.

The tape loads through the back, not visible on the photo above. It is a dark smoked plastic cover that flips open with a fingernail. The cover contains two little tabs that hold the cassette, then the cover and cassette flip closed to contact the tape heads. Again, much, much less fiddly than the Coby version.

Another advantage for this Walkman over some competitors is that it contains a 'rewind' button. Many players, compact and otherwise, have deleted it over the years. If one is listening to a book or music and needs to re-listen, those units require taking the tape out, flipping it, using the 'fast-forward' button, then reversing the procedure. The convenience of a 'rewind' button can't be overestimated.

I don't think there's any Dolby noise reduction on this machine, but I never liked using it anyway. I prefer a little hiss to the muddy sound of Dolby-B.

The tape mechanism has worked perfectly for me on a bunch of different cassettes, both well-used and new. Some players get touchy with used cassettes, and are weak with the power required. I have no doubt this Sony will weaken with age, but for now works great.

Headsets are an individual choice; I prefer earbuds. However, the included headsets give a fine sound, especially for their price.

One practical benefit of this machine is that there is an LCD battery life indicator included. For those of us who do a lot of listening it saves being stranded.

No doubt the market for these players will continue to contract. I'm thinking of buying another example of this little Walkman because I do have thousands of cassettes I still enjoy. Highly recommended for those shopping.

THIS IS A GREAT PRODUCT! THE SOUND WITH THE MEGA BASS SOUNDS GREAT AND THE HEADPHONES ARE THE FIRST SET I CAN ACTUALLY SAY SOUND GOOD. USUALLY I END UP WITH MY STEREO HEADPHONES AS THE ONES THAT COME WITH THE CASSETTE OR CD PLAYERS SOUND SO TINTY. FOR THE MONEY VALUE THIS IS A GREAT WALKMAN AND I AM GLAD I CHOSE IT!

This is my 4th Sony. It is perfect for my uses---listening to tapes, radio both AM/FM. Two complaints: The mechanism doesn't warn far enough in advance when the battery is wearing out. Thus, it's a good idea to carry an extra battery---just in case. One other problem occurred with radio settings. One day, suddenly the prorgam I was listening to went off and the settings on the radio switched by themselves. It was impossible to reset both the AM/FM stations. I am not sure what caused this to happen---possibly an external interference. Having used the walkman many times in this same location there had never been a problem before. Oddly, several hours later and in another location, it was possible to reset the stations and use the radio! The tape worked throughout and wasn't affected bu the glitch. Problem, I had wanted to listen to a special program.

Being an avid listener of books on tape I was upset when
I could no longer find any local retailers selling the portable
cassette players I had been using. After a long search I decided on
this Sony Walkman. I was not disappointed. The Walkman has great sound
and also has a radio and weather radio which I never had on any of the
less expensive ones I used before. Overall, this is an exceptional value
for your money.

Fine cassette player for simple use. no bells and whistles to this walkman, just a basic 80's type version. I recommend when not in use to take out the battery, to avoid draining the battery life.