Sony SRF-56 FM Radio Walkman with Local/Distant Switch (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

In 2008 I had purchased a Sony Walkman SRF-59, which is the AM/FM stereo version of the Walkman, which I liked and worked well until my workplace was flooded out this year and I lost all of my personal belongings at my workplace. So I needed another little radio for work, and I really only needed FM since pretty much all I listen to are my local NPR stations and a country music station. I came across this Walkman SRF-56 just by accident. And knowing that I liked my previous SRF-59 Walkman I bought one of the SRF-56's. I think I like this Walkman better than the AM/FM SRF-59; the sensitivity seems better on the FM only Walkman, i.e. my local NPR and country stations seem to be clearer. I recently have been traveling back and forth from NY to Cali for work and stay in Cali for 2 weeks at a time. During my first trip to Cali I took my new SRF-56; you know I listen to this radio about 5 - 6 hrs a day for two weeks on the same single AA battery! Actually, I am still using that same battery right as I am writing this review, 3 weeks plus on one battery! I also like the analog tuner, takes a little more fussing with, but digital tuners have their issues. So when I returned to NY from Cali I bought a second one of these radios! Why? I figure...one is not enough! Never know when disaster will strike again and I loose another Walkman.This FM radio uses the headphone wires for its antenna, but the headphones that come with the SRF-56 are not travel friendly... take up too much space. So I repurchase the Sennheiser CX300-B In-Ear Stereo Headphone that I had used with the original AM/FM SRF-59. These Sennheiser CX300-B In-Ear Stereo Headphone's (which are really like earbuds) seem to be fully functional as an antenna with the SRF-56, come with a little pouch which stores the ear things and the wire quite nicely.

I have owned this radio in the past and it is an excellent product. Although it isn't up to today's technology, sometimes a little retro is very good especially if it is an FM radio from Sony. The reception quaility is excellent and the sound quality is also excellent.This radio does a superb job at picking up those long distant stations and the fact that it runs on only 1 AA battery and plays for at least 100 hours is a huge plus in my book. Most of your MP3 players don't even play nowhere near that long and you have to keep charging them all the time just to get a measly 8 to 12 hours of play time out of them. I am not knocking MP3 players because I own several of them.It is just that when it comes to radio, I want my radios to play for a very long time and have excellent reception and sound quality and this Sony has all three of these qualities. Although it is the size of a pager, it only weighs just a few ounces. No, its not digital, and it doesn't have bluetooth and you can't use apps on it. However, for a radio, this is really a good buy. It doesn't have AM radio reception, but not too many people listen to AM when they want music. AM is more reserved for talk, news and sports, but if you want to listen to music, then this Sony FM radio is the one to get if you're able to find it. That's because Sony no longer manufactures this unit, and you can only get it through third party sellers. I am glad that I am able to get it again thanks to Amazon.So if you really want a great FM stereo that packs a punch, then order one for yourself. You will not regret it one bit!

LIKED THE EASE IN ORDERING AND HOW QUICK THE ORDER CAME

a great radio thst has the wonderful local/distant switch. its very easy to operate and couldn't be better.

This radio is pretty much exactly what I expected in purchasing a small radio. It has good reception, handles minor abuse well, and all the switches and dials are in their right places. What more can I ask for?Just an operational tip: This radio is very light weight and has a sturdy clip on the back side. In order to keep it and the headphone wires out of my way I clip it on my shirt behind my neck and put the excess headphone wiring down the back of my shirt. It stays neatly in place, doesn't uncomfortably pull the shirt back, and doesn't get caught on anything (hands, workout equipment, random counters and tables) as it would on my waist band.Enjoy!

good for what i use it for, npr. tuner is clear and smooth to use. it could be smaller, but for the price i guess its fine. its about the size of a large pager. the headphones are junk as expected, but the sound is fine with other headphones. in the price range the competition is cheap badly designed no name junk.

It is much bigger than I expected. It is my fault not to look at its dimensions before purchasing. I did know its weight, which is reasonable. Considering that some MP3 players with FM tuner are at most half its size, it is kind of an disappointment. But of course at this price...

Listening to FM radio on my daily walks.Highly Recommended!