Help me find a durable personal radio?

August 15, 2007 2:04 PM

My boyfriend's portable radios keep breaking. Help me find him something more durable...

My boyfriend listens to the radio while walking to and from work. Usually, he buys Sony Walkmen (Walkmans?). After about a year, something always breaks -- sometimes it's the headphone jack, sometimes it's the on-off button, sometimes it's the volume dial. Do you have a portable radio that you love and that has stood up to the test of time?

He's listening mostly to one or two stations, generally talk (NPR). This means that sound quality isn't his very first priority. But he does want all digital controls.

This radio isn't going to be exposed to the elements or mud or sweat or anything like that. It will be simply tossed in and out of jeans pockets and backpacks, repeatedly.

He's willing to pay up to $100 for something that will last him more than a year or two. So how about it, MeFites? What should he get?

posted by wyzewoman to technology (3 comments total)

Gah. Ignore the question mark at the end of the title...
posted by wyzewoman at 2:05 PM on August 15, 2007

Headphone radios avoid many of the wear problems that plague Walkmans, in that there is no headphone jack to break, no cord to catch on clothing, no issues with poor reception due to antenna coupling issues (many portable radios use the headphone wire as their antenna, too). Their main limitation is that there is no way of upgrading the headphone component, for either sound quality or comfort reasons, as there always is with Walkman type devices. But, on a pluses vs. minuses comparison, this might not be such an issue for a person not primarily concerned about sound quality.
posted by paulsc at 2:54 PM on August 15, 2007

I have a Sony SRF-85, AM/FM Walkman. No cassette player, just an AM/FM radio meant to be abused during running or exercising.
I've had it for about 10 years, and it's practically indestructible.

Here's an eBay auction.

http://tinyurl.com/278g5g

Evidently a song and a dance will get one.
posted by willmize at 3:02 PM on August 15, 2007