J-160 Retro Vintage AM FM Radio with Bluetooth Speaker, Gifts for Mom, USB/TF Card Playback, Small Transistor Radios Battery Operated, Rechargeable Radio

Full disclosure: I work in broadcasting (former FM DJ and radio news anchor), so to say the least -- I'm a bit of an audio snob. But I'm also a pragmatist. I'm looking at this radio through the eyes of someone who remembers what radios used to cost, and how they used to sound. That said, let's dive in. I paid $23.00 for this little guy -- free shipping -- and it arrived within two days. Initial thoughts: -- It's cute as all hell. -- It's plastic (of course) but it has a solid feel to it. -- It arrived fully charged -- turned right on. -- Others have complained about the lack of smoothness in the volume knob; I had the same problem at first, but once you start using it, the knob smoothed itself out, allowing a nice variable volume control. -- Bluetooth pairing with my MacBook Air was instantaneous. -- The sound is awesome* (*FOR A UNIT THAT COULD ALMOST FIT IN YOUR POCKET, COSTING ONLY $23!!!) Doing a deeper dive: -- The two silver knobs (selector and volume) have a decently solid feel, but use them GENTLY, especially the selector knob; each of the 4 positions are quite close to each other, so a light touch is best. -- The radio dial. It lights up in a gorgeous period-authentic golden glow, and stays on even during bluetooth mode when you're not using the radio. It has a tight, solid, and precise feel to it, even if the dial markings are pretty far off (CBS-FM here in New York City -- 101.1 -- was between 102 and 103). Frankly, this is not a big deal for me; once you figure out the stations on the actual dial position -- very few analog dial radios (especially in this price range) have ever been exact. -- Use the antenna. Despite being non-directional, it helps tremendously with pulling in the stations. -- FM sounded great, but AM was actually the big surprise here. AM talk radio sounds so rich and full, you'd almost swear you were inside the station, listening to a studio monitor. -- This little guy also does a fair job of pulling in shortwave. BUT -- don't get too excited -- and don't buy this just for the shortwave. If you're really serious about shortwave, get an actual shortwave radio. Still -- it does a good job of pulling in overseas signals -- as long as you're patient, deliberate, and delicate with the dial. Review: Here's where my audio snobbishness is tempered by my pragmatism and experience. I remember how much "transistor" radios used to cost back in the day (1977): the equivalent of $70 in today's dollars, AM only, with an (at best) tinny-sounding little speaker. To get this kind of sound -- AM, FM, *and* shortwave (not to mention the unheard-of-in-1977 ability to plug in 2,000 hours of programming with a chip the size of your fingernail, PLUS the ability to connect to basically the entire WORLD via bluetooth) -- one would have had to spend upwards of $700 (of today's dollars) back in 1977. So -- for 20 bucks and change -- this little guy is a gem!! Final analysis: I'm planning on using this radio primarily for music and news in the kitchen (which is why I needed both AM and FM). This radio delivers a bigger punch, wider range, and richer sound than the "table radios" (with much bigger speakers) of the '60s-'80s. It's more than enough to fill my 1920 10x12 ("closed") kitchen with rich sound. *BONUS*!!! It takes a mini-SD card onto which I'm going to download my old-timey radio shows, and have on my bedside, as I drift off to sleep, back into the 1940s. FINALLY, A WORD OF CAUTION ABOUT THE BATTERY: It's a sealed battery that can be charged only via USB. ***IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AND NEVER PLUG THE USB INTO A CHARGER THAT PUMPS MORE THAN FIVE VOLTS OF DIRECT CURRENT INTO A MAXIMUM OF 1000 MILLIAMPS PER HOUR ("DC5V/1000MaH").*** Not all USBs are created equal. Some of the new wall adapters and power strips have built-in USB chargers that push out 5 volts of DC power into as much as 2,400 Milliamps per hour. That kind of power will ultimately fry the radio's battery; it's like trying to fill a shot glass with a fire hose. This little guy needs to sip power, not gulp it like your MacBook. Look carefully at the charger's output before you plug it in -- and when in doubt -- DON'T. FINAL THOUGHT: Given its tiny size (but big sound), this little guy is perfect for college dorm rooms ... on your desk at the office ... in the kitchen or (extremely well-ventilated) bathroom (use common sense and don't give it a steam bath or allow it to get wet). It's also a great gift idea for housewarmings, Secret Santa grab-bag-style gift exchanges, etc. Enjoy!!!

Getting some things on amazon seems like it's been hit or miss, quality-wise, these days. But...color me impressed. I am your typical Amazon shopper who gets a couple packages a week because she has a shopping addiction, and never really rates/reviews when she is happy with a product, and is too lazy to rate when something is crappy. However, this little radio/Bluetooth speaker is...perfect! (For me, anyways!) It is so super friggin' compact and cute, with a very cool vintage feel to it. Found all my usual radio stations pretty easily, and I like that the tuner knob isn't so easily turned, if that makes sense. This way, you won't find yourself going back and forth, having over-/undershot the station you were aiming for, as you might with a tuner that's too sensitive. Love that the radio station numbers are backlit - I remember how annoying it would be to try and see the numbers in a dimly lit room back in the day - so that was a nice touch. The video attached to this review shows the different input options provided, along with the sound quality of some Spotify music via Bluetooth. I tried to move away and towards it to give you a better feel for the loudness. The Bluetooth itself connected effortlessly. The only con I have is that the volume when on Bluetooth mode didn't go as high as I would have liked. Might have just been the songs I picked, idk. But for my purposes, of just throwing some music on while I am wash the dishes (loudly due to my clumsiness lol), the speaker was loud enough to hear over the clanging of pots and pans and running water, regardless of if it was in radio or Bluetooth mode. Another thing to note is that the radio seemed to be able to get VERY loud in comparison, and VERY quickly...and in a way that *might* make you jump out of your skin and wake up the sleeping cat next to you, especially if you switch from Bluetooth to the radio without lowering the volume first...(Ask me how I know...lmao). Came with an aux cord and charging wire with a usb-a end to plug into an appropriate charger. Came with some charge so I haven't tried charging it yet. It was well packaged and also included a helpful instruction manual. Conclusion: I love it. It's classy, cute, and a perfect gift for the casual music lover in your life. (Aka not someone who scrutinizes and critiques bass/frequencies/pitch/etc for fun) For the average Joe, it's perfectly better than you'd acceptable from Amazon for this price point! I might gift some for bridesmaids' presents! :)

This little radio is one of my favorite possessions now. I really can't believe how good the sound quality is. The radio reception is very good too. There's little static, even on the AM band. It's so cute! I loaded an old 4gig micro SD card with a few hours of anime songs rendered in music box style so I can use it as a little lullaby machine while I sleep. It worked on the first try. Easy and adorable! It seems to last a long time on a charge too. I haven't run it dead yet. Soda for scale. :) This would make a great gift. Especially if you put a personalized playlist on your own micro sd/TF card and insert it before gift-wrapping.

Great little device! Radio interference here on AM and SW is horrid so I can't speak on those. FM and BT are wonderful. BT is no hassle and the rig connects repeatedly with no issues. Plenty of volume and tuning is nice and close to where the stations say they are :-). Many radios I have had, the dial had quite a variation :-). Not a problem, just noting in passing for those who are used to digital dead-on-the frequency LED/LCD displays. If I MUST have a complaint about this rig, it would only be that it uses a rather older USB plug rather than USBC, but I think I have at least one of every USB connector ever made so no worries really :-). It comes with one anyway so not a problem...

What a cute and compact radio. The volume is very loud which is great coming from a little radio. Not too big to sit on kitchen window sill. Works well with wifi. Would recommend.

I enjoy all the options for am fm, usb and Bluetooth. Very easy to use. Speakers are sort of sharp but maybe because it’s so compact. It’s beautiful in all respects and volume is great too. For the price you can’t go wrong. Buy it if you’re hesitsting. You won’t regret it.

Solo el color me gustó , no lo esperaba tan pequeño mide como 12 cm súper pequeño y las estaciones de radio no se escuchan bien . Demasiado caro para el producto que ofrecen

Este radio está padrísimo y hermoso!! Es de tamaño compacto pero tiene una mega potencia de volumen sin distorcionarse el sonido, que muchas bocinas quisieran tener!! El color es rojo oscuro brillante y el detalle de la luz al prender el radio está genial porque realmente parece de época! Sintoniza muy bien las estaciones FM/AM y viene con su antena, con entrada para tarjeta de memoria, para USB y auriculares. Se lo regalé a mi mamá y está encantadísima! Mi mamá lo tiene prendido como 3 o 4 hrs. diarias y la pila le dura 1 semana!! Definitivamente lo recomiendo mucho y lo volvería a comprar!

Funciona, lo chequé y todo bien, es pequeño pero con una bocina tremenda, y buena resepción de señal.