I want to start by saying I'm not really a radio person but I'll throw in my "2 cents" anyway.

As a matter of fact the only reason I purchased the radio was so I could listen to it at night, 102.7 Fresh FM (I'm in New York City), has some rather relaxing songs and is my current favorite radio station. I bought this radio to replace an extremely cheap clock radio which I bought a couple of years back just to have something to listen to at a security post. The clock radio had very poor sound and a not so great tuner to say the least. I wanted to replace it and at first I looked into buying another clock/radio,but the "clock part" really didn't interest me because I just want to listen to the radio and having that bright red light in my face from the "clock part" wasn't exactly what I wanted.

Any way so I came across this little radio,it was affordable and it's nothing fancy,it's simply a nice little radio,I mean more can you ask for right?

I think it functions above average in my opinion,first of all it's made by Sony and Sony has a well known and very good reputation when it comes to making good radios,stereos etc. The sound is really what will blow you away,you may be thinking to yourself how could such a big sound come out of something so small. I was totally AMAZED at just how LOUD this thing can get. I mean you just have to hear it for yourself. Now for me sound is not too much of an issue but it may be for you,but unless you're very far away from the radio,you won't have a problem in the sound department. The sound on this radio is very good to say the least,at least in my opinion.
The tuner is very good as well it actually says "Tune" in the upper right hand corner and it has a red light that goes on when you have the station tuned pretty much just right,likewise the light will get dull or just go out all together when you have static,so you really have to just turn the knob until you get it just right. I get 102.7 Fresh FM just fine now and I didn't even have to raise the antenna. Like I said I'm not really a radio person so I don't know how well the other stations will come in,but I'm sure they should be just fine. Also it's FM/AM so if Am is your thing then you have that as well.

The radio comes with a power cord and it can used as a portable radio as well,it takes 4 double A batteries. I really don't have any complaints,I mean I just got it and opened it up barely 2 hours ago so if something goes wrong maybe I'll update this review if that's possible.

I was going to give it 4 1/2 stars because the numbers that represent the radio stations that are printed on the radio seem to be maybe slightly off,again I'm not a radio person so I'm not exacty sure how this is supposed to work. As I said, I have it tuned to 102.7 fresh FM but the dial is pointing to about 104. I actually had to check on the internet and find the station there first and then tune the radio to it,just an idea I had which worked very well. I mean that's kind of nitpicking to me,but it may become an issue if you listen to multiple stations,you may have a hard time going back and forth because the numbers are a bit misleading,or so it seems.

Overall though I'm very pleased so far,I just want to say one more thing and that is, this is just a simple radio. There is nothing fancy here,you won't find any tape or CD or anything like that,no way to program any stations into the radio or any other "extras". The only thing you're getting here is a radio with a band to change from FM to AM and 2 dials,one for the tuner and one for the volume and that's pretty much it. I'm saying all of this because I want people to know what they are getting before they make the purchase. Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great day.

I listen to the radio while getting ready for work but walk back and forth from the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and back again, and was missing parts of the program when in a different room, so I wanted an extra radio in two different rooms. This is the one I chose and have been using it almost daily. I plug it in so I'm not sure how long the batteries would last, but it seems to have very good sound quality for my needs, I don't need super duper surround-sound, etc., it's quite clear on my preferred stations. Would buy it again.

This is one of four Sony Radios I recently purchased. I wanted a whole bunch of radios for each room in my home, one in my shed, my Travel Trailer and one to keep in my JEEP. All the Sony radios are perfect. Just the kind of quality I would expect from Sony.

What sets this radio apart from the others is it's large speaker, among other things. After purchasing all the Radios this one is only one of my favorites. The radio accepts 4 'AA' cell sized batteries which has kept my radio playing for well over 2 weeks. I use the radio for about 2~3 hours per day. I don't use the AC corded power very much but it's nice to have that extra capability.

The large speaker is what makes this rig beautiful, though. It has a full rich bass sound with ample mid-range and very sufficient treble. Compared to other radios with a single speaker (not including boom boxes) the sound from this Sony is almost High-Fidelity. There is a tone switch on the side of the radio which helps reduce the level of noise during AM reception. I prefer the bass tone rather then the treble tone but regardless of how you have the switch set the radio still sounds really good in either position.

I like that there is a large tuning knob which makes for easy, accurate and dead-on fine tuning. I also like the tuning indicator which helps to further fine tune the radio. A also like how the handle folds down into the radio and out of the way, too.. The handle easily flips up into the carry position when your ready to go.

This Sony sits easily on any table and is very stable since it's very wide and not so tall therefor, it won't accidentally tip over even if you bump it really hard. The radio also has a very nice appearance. It's a pretty radio which would look very nice on any kitchen counter-top or Bathroom shelf. I think it would look great anywhere you place it though.

I've been a Ham Radio Operator for over 35 years so I think I am very qualified to offer these three very important characteristics for a radio. A good radio has to have good sensitivity, selectivity and good sound. Well, this radio has all three of those quality's which makes this Sony the perfect companion.

FM reception is very impressive. I have six commercial stations on my Island and the radio receives all of them without me even having to extend the FM antenna. AM reception is equally impressive, I am able to hear stations 100 miles away loud and clear with very little receiver noise. I don't have to turn the radio all that much to try and capture AM stations either, so it's very sensitive, again with almost no receiver noise.

All this being said and for the price it's being offered for, it's also a great radio to kick around town with. You don't have to worry about bumping it around harshly since it's easily cheap enough to buy another, not that I would do that but it's certainly a radio that can withstand some decent abuse.. Anyway It's pretty hard to find a decent sounding radio with good sensitivity, selectivity and great sound these days but this particular Sony has absolutely blown me out of the water. I highly recommend the purchase of this Sony. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Thanks

When I was a kid, a table radio made by Realistic that my parents got from Radio Shack was my constant companion. This Sony is very reminiscent of that rather remarkable radio. This thing is reasonably priced, and I give it highest recommendation: if you need a table radio, this is definitely the one to get.
DIALS AND SWITCHES
There is an on/off switch, AM/FM switch, Hi/Lo tone switch (which I always leave in LO), a volume dial, and a tuning dial. There is also a telescoping antenna, tuning LED, and integral carrying handle. The solid, smooth action of the moving parts gives me confidence that this radio will last many years.
GREAT SOUND
Despite being a cheapie plastic thing, the sound is quite amazing, even with music. You will not be disappointed by how it sounds.
MANY RADIO STATIONS
Surfing the dial, I got many, many stations, just as many as the tuner in my stereo system. This applies to both AM and FM. I was so happy with the tuner sensitivity, I did not bother to do a rigorous comparison to my audiophile tuner.
GE `SUPER-RADIO' REDUX? YUP
The sound quality and tuner sensitivity brings up the old `GE Super Radio' controversy. To clue you in, this was reputedly the best portable radio ever made: great sound and many, many radio stations, and hi quality whose lifetime you could measure in decades. Sadly, it was discontinued many moons ago. People have been searching for a worthy successor ever since. Many companies have tried to fill the breach, such as CCrane and RCA, but these are, at best, pale imitations of the original.
Well, it has been a long time since I used one, but this item is, by my rather fallible memory, pretty darn close.
ELECTRICITY
This is the best part. Unlike other table radios that use a bag full of huge batteries, this one uses only 4 AA batteries, easily found around the house in an emergency. According to the instructions, you get 70+ hours on a fresh set of alkalines.
For AC, it has an integral cord that folds up, rather clumsily, into the battery compartment. It is not a separate cord that you can lose. This is also the only complaint I have: the cord is unnecessarily thick and chunky, so it takes you 2 or 3 tries to get that beastie wound up into its little compartment.
HINT
Here is an old trick. If you are trying to listen to a weak, AM signal bounce at night from faraway lands, try this: set up a cheapie SW antenna, solder an alligator clip to the lead, and clip it to the antenna.
I should also warn those who are not regular AM radio listeners, that it is exquisitely sensitive to Radio Frequency Interference (RFI): computers, CFL bulbs, and so forth.

Remarkable if you look at the date this Sony ICF38 first became available at Amazon (October 2, 2001), the first customer review shown was posted 7 years afterward. It is labeled as a Best Seller, so that means that after 14 years it remains very popular, and is obviously appreciated by the very many purchasers who have plopped down their $25 (or thereabouts) for this very basic but dependable portable radio. The number of reviews in just seven years is noteworthy too, and with so many reviews before me, what can I possibly say now that hasn't been said a dozen times before? Well, I'll try. Personally I consider myself fortunate to still have this radio available to me considering the fickle nature of companies to discontinue just about anything that might show a slight dip in sales. Its purpose then is in fact to be the perfect placeholder for Sony's basic AM/FM radio entry. There is no advantage in designing something else that doesn't offer anything better, which in this case is to tune into and play all the local radio stations in the area, and this one does so much better than other brands I have used.

The radio itself looks a little different than what the pictures on this page depict. It is actually a little larger because it is more rectangular than what is being shown, and thicker, so don't have the idea it is small enough to fit into your shirt pocket (like the itty bitty radios we carried in the 1950s) because it ain't gonna' fit. Most importantly my radio does not stink at all! So either that little defect has been fixed over the years or this innocent little radio is knocking out buyers left and right with toxic fumes. Some reviews are classic! Fortunately I have other things to do that keep me from reading the many comments about this radio while listening to my favorite station on it.

The Sony ICF38 does demonstrate the sound of a bigger radio, and it has a switch for more bass, but then the volume needs to be turned up a little to compensate. If you have a central place where you can place the radio, then this radio can be a real improvement over anything else you might have used before it. I prefer connecting my Bluetooth transmitter and listening using Bluetooth earphones while staying within a 25 foot radius of the radio. Doing so also cleans up the signal while boosting it. There is the option to connect the radio to AC power or use 4 AA batteries for portability. Either way I can put it on my workbench and walk into the house and get perfect reception because Bluetooth signals notoriously transmit through walls without distortion. Just remember that this radio doesn't have stereo FM so it will need a mono to stereo 3.5mm headphone adapter if you happen to use a stereo set of earphones and want reception in both ears.