This little gem reminded me how much I appreciate clean, straightforward design. Panasonic has done a marvelous job in recreating the classic "transistor radio" which fits perfectly in your hand. It's controlled by the three standard radio controls: (1) an off/volume wheel, (2) a tuning wheel, and (3) an AM/FM band slider. There's also a headphone jack, a telescoping antenna and a carrying strap. The sound from the tiny speaker is surprisingly good, and it can be heard from the next room at half volume.I bought one of these rather than paying money to MLB to hear baseball on the web. The reception is just fine in my basement apartment, which is more than I can say for my cellphone. And unlike the transistor radios of yore, it runs on two AA batteries. Panasonic RF-P50 Pocket AM/FM Radio, Silver
I remembered transistor radios from when i was a kid and this one does not disappoint. Outside raking leaves on a Saturday evening, there's a game on the radio, there's nothing like it. Time seems to slow down and for a bit. . . life is simpler and happier than it had been. Or on a hot Saturday afternoon, my wife and I may sit out on the patio with some beverages, she'll read and I'll stare off into space while I listen to the gentle ebb and flow of the play by play of a local baseball game. This one has great sound and tunes in very well. Batteries are very long lived in it. And for the price? Can you beat it? Slow down once in a while and be transported to the Saturday afternoon you imagined you'd have when you were a kid. Forget about things for a while. When it comes to unwinding, this is your ticket to sanity.
I have been looking around for some pocket radios to keep in the house in case of an emergency. I found some by other companies but were too expensive. The Panasonic is great! The reception is very clear on both am/fm. I didn't even need to put up the antenna. I bought 3 of these little babies, one for myself, one for my husband, and one for our 'Emergency Go Bag'.
I recently purchased the Panasonic RF-P50 because I was in need of a portable radio that has a built in speaker. I have discovered that this is hard to come by in a brick and mortar store. So I did a little search on Amazon.com and came across this product.
I also own its direct competitor - the Sony ICF-S10MK2.
The Panasonic radio is great because I can carry it around anywhere and always have music with me where ever I go. I especially like to use it in hotel rooms when I go on trips, but it's also nice to have in order to listen to music in all of the rooms of my apartment.
The Panasonic RF-P50 has a telescoping antenna which can be swiveled back and forth, and on/off/volume switch, band selector, and tuning dial. The speaker measures at 2 and a half inches.
I live in a basement apartment, so it is not always easy to get a fantastic signal. I have discovered that this radio pulls in all the major FM stations quite easily - although sometimes I have to fiddle with the tuning and antenna to get a good reception.
The few local AM stations can be pulled in as well.
The appearance of this radio is quite nice. It appears that Panasonic has taken some time into building a radio that is pleasing to the eye. It's a pocket radio with a nice contemporary look. The radio frequencies are listed on the unit quite clearly - much bigger than what I've seen on similar units from other companies. Also the tuning light, which lets you know when you've locked on to a strong station just right, is bright and easy to see.
This Panasonic pocket radio comes with a wrist strap. This is one of my only gripes. I wish it came with both a wrist strap and a belt clip. Another nice feature that would make this radio better is if one could remove both the wrist strap and belt clip.
How does it sound? Keep in mind, it's a pocket radio, you're not going to get huge sound as you would with a stereo system. However, for its tiny size, the speaker sounds surprisingly good. The sound quality sounds clear, but not too tinny. I've ehard models with much harsher sound. Also don't expect glass shattering bass, you won't find it here. But as I said, for its size, it has a pleasant sound.
In comparing this model to the Sony competitor, I notice a few things.
1. I like the appearance of the Panasonic model over the Sony model. I just feel that the Panasonic model looks nicer.
2. In terms of when I'm holding both radios in my hands, the Sony model seems to have a better build quality (harder plastic, less flimsy feel to the radio). However, I've had the Panasonic model for a while and have had no issues with its build quality. Of course, I'm very careful with my electronics, I don't abuse them.
3. Both models seem about equal in terms of receiving FM signal. Both models pull in the local stations quite easily. The Sony model seems to have a slight advantage in pulling in the slightly weaker stations but this could be due in part to the fact that its antenna is longer.
4. AM reception on the Sony is much better than the Panasonic. It seems to be able to pull in the stations with more clarity. But again, the Panasonic radio can pull in the strong local AM stations just fine.
5. To my ears, both of these models sound exactly the same. Sound quality of music/talk shows sound the same with both units.
NOTE: People should note that the headphone jack on both of these models are in mono only. This means that when you plug stereo headphones in either model, you'll only get sound in one side of the headphones. Please bear in mind that this does not mean the radio is broken. These units were designed this way.
The Bottom Line: I definitely consider the Panasonic RF-P50 a steal at ten bucks. It's a small sized radio that you can carry with you anywhere to listen to music, or get the latest news. Both the Sony and Panasonic models are what I consider to be excellent deals. I prefer the Panasonic over the Sony model though.
For most cases I'd recommend the Panasonic model. But if you're looking for slightly better build quality and better AM reception, then I'd recommend the Sony model. Of course get the Sony model if you prefer its appearance over the Panasonic model. - Am-fm - Radio - Panasonic Radio - Portable Radio'
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