Sony ICF-506 Analog Tuning Portable FM/AM Radio, Black, 2.14 lb

The Sony ICF-506 is my first AM/FM radio of this size. Its not large but its a nice size, the main thing is that for $45 your getting a very solid radio! It has a very sensitive tuner, good clear and rich audio and excellent build quality!Tuning this radio is a little different compared to traditional analog radios. This radio uses some sort of digital tuner however since its tied to an analog dial you can kinda fine tune the reception. The reception comes in "steps" you'll hear very quick pauses in audio as the tuner goes from station to station. This took me all of a few seconds to get used to. This radio picks up allot of stations that my clock radio for example can't pickup. Both AM and FM come in very clear. Its actually very easy to tune this radio and lock in on a station. If you have the ability to fine tune the dial then you'll be able to bring in even more stations.Audio quality is pretty good. Mid and high tones are clear and crisp with lows being clear for vocals but bass isn't going to have any force behind it. You'll hear lows but your not buying a radio like this to blast.Build quality is really good. All the parts fit together perfectly and the handle locks into place with a nice soft click. The knobs turn smoothly and battery door is hinged.Some people complain about the price of this radio and I have to laugh at that. If this radio had any of the features that older radios had from a name brand company like Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Hitachi ex you'd be paying allot more. Allot of companies today make pure junk with lots of features to entice people. Sony on the other hand has a reputation to keep so instead of including filler, they just use good quality parts which will last for years or decades.If your in the market for a good radio then be sure pick one of these up! You won't be disappointed. I also have the small ICF-P36 its also a great radio with a more traditional analog tuner. Its a "radio on a chip" meaning everything except the capacitors is on a single IC. P36 has a pretty sensitive tuner as well. Its able to get most of the local stations by me. Its also very high quality product. Overall you can't go wrong with these radios. I'm happy that Sony still makes products like this, I for one enjoy listening to the radio and by the looks of things allot of other people do to.Update so Ive this radio long enough to leave more feedback. I have a few vintage radios from the late 60's and early 1980's. This Sony ICF-506 out performs all of them on both AM and FM reception. It also sounds clearer then all of them on FM. However on AM its like the radios tone automatically switches to a lower tone which isn't always wanted, for talk radio a lower tone is prefured but some stations still broadcast music over AM so it would be nice to have a tone switch or dial like my old radios have. Battery life is also pretty good to, Way longer then 35 hours it's rated for. Its more like 50+ hours which is about the same as say my old Panasonic RF-775 or RF-930, overall this is a very solid purchase for anyone wanted a modern Analog radio. This Sony does everything I want it to do while sounding very good in the process.

This is a solid basic radio. The AM and FM work fine. The AM receives the local stations but it doesn't really pick up any distant stations. In other words, it isn't a radio for DXing. The speaker is fine, a little tinny compared to larger units but that is to be expected. It's a nice, simple, easy-to-use radio that will be fine for listening in small rooms (kitchens, workshops, offices etc.) and it will be useful in an emergency if you lose electrical power. Because it doesn't have a digital display, the battery life should be better although I, personally, haven't tested the radio using battery power. I feel the build quality is better than the other Chinese portable radios but I don't have any empirical proof for my statement just a history of good experience with Sony products in the past. Whether it is worth $20 to $25 dollars more than the listed portable radio competitors is a decision I really can't make for anyone else. I'm comfortable with my decision, though.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED *w/Caveat*Good clear full range sound. Loud, but could be a couple notches higher but very good for most uses. Good listening experience.Easy to tune for most stations *see Caveat below*Battery life is not great, but 3xAA batteries will probably last 3 + 8 hr days of listening at least. Maybe up to a week depending on listening volume. Using rechargeables (not chargeable in the radio) will ease the outlay of battery cost.Great sizeEasy to carryConvenient, effective antennae.AM reception = awesome!!! Twist the radio as needed & you can pull in stations with the best. Ferrite antennae is about 4” length.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!CAVEAT- tuning is solid & precise BUT dialing in & licking in a weak station is fiddly. You must turn dial back and forth over the General station until you finally get a signal. Then as you listen carefully, turn continue to turn dial very slowly until finally the red light shows locked. There is an art to this, but once a weak station is locked, it won’t drift.

This is as good as portables get I guess. Loud/clear I like the tuning light that goes on when you're right on station. My favorite FM station is a bit unclear but its clearer than my car radio. Most stations are very clear. Maybe it's a five star radio but its the only one I've had in 35 years, except for my car radios, However I was hoping for more from my favorite station, although it still comes in pretty good.Easy to use but a bit FM sensitive. Best if its sitting still, move and anything can happen. Ive been told thats typical for FM portables. Also you dont know what station your on, for instance you see 88 and 92 but there are 5 stations in between, which one are you on? Also typical for a $50 radio.The am/fm switch could be designed better. You may not know if you got it on AM or FM. Its a slide with minimal indication which mode your in, Am or FM, should be a turning knob with a click sound so you're sure.The construction is strong, the handle is built very well. Its very attractive, gives you confidence it will last.All in all a good companion on rainy days or sleepless nights. Glad I bought it.