Sony WM-FX290 Silver Cassette Player
Posted by Notcot on May 26, 2010 in Portable Sound & Vision |
Product Description
Sony WMFX290 New Design Combi Tape Walkman – Silver
- Sony WMFX290 New Design Combi Tape Walkman – Silver
5 CommentsReply |
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I purchased this mainly to listen to tapes for some coursework that I do. However, the radio on it is extremely good and I did not realise how improved the new Walkmans are. If you have a need to play tapes and also want a reasonable portable radio, then buy this.
Rating: 4 / 5
I was a bit wary about buying this item after reading the review by the person who said I’d have to be under a radio mast to get a good radio signal. I’m glad I followed the other reviwers – this is a great item for the money. I’ve already pre-set the stations I need and pick them up very well. Excellent item !
Rating: 5 / 5
Having only just bought the walkman, and mainly for cassette use, I was surprised how good the radio is. I have travelled to different parts of the country and have had no problems tuning it in to both national and local stations. My wife now uses it as a radio inside a building and has no problems with reception. I recommend it.
Rating: 4 / 5
I bought this for my mum because she’s got lots of cassette tapes – some with music but lots with audio books – and she likes to listen to them in the car … but my dad doesn’t!!! Therefore, this was ideal. She loves it … she even wears it in bed to help her get to sleep some nights!
Rating: 5 / 5
I have several older radio/cassette players but decided to invest in a new Walkman prior to a long-haul flight and 3-week holiday. The audio is excellent, and the bass boost really works well. The machine is small enough to slip into a shirt pocket, and the supplied soft case has a belt clip in case you want to wear it that way. However, once inside the soft case, the cassette compartment is inaccessible.
The cassette player is simple to use and trouble-free, although it is not possible to see the cassette once the compartment lid is closed, as there is no viewing window to enable you to see the tape. Like most machines of this type, playback stops automatically when the end of the tape is reached, but auto-stop does not operate on forward wind or rewind. As you can’t see the tape, you have to be careful to stop the tape manually when it reaches the end on fast wind. I found myself putting the machine to my ear and listening for the sound of the mechanism.
Importantly, motor noise on playback is virtually inaudible, and the music quality and battery life are excellent. Despite the manufacturer’s warnings not to use cassettes longer than C90, I played back several C120 tapes with no problems at all.
The radio works well with an adequate number of memories for favourite stations. The search tuning functions work well and the LCD display is clear, although not illuminated for night-time use. Again, sound quality is good and on FM transmissions the stereo separation is excellent. The supplied in-ear headphones are quite comfortable and produce reasonable sound quality, although I preferred to use the Walkman with a pair of high quality noise cancelling headphones, and enjoyed several hours of music this way during long-haul flights.
There are relatively few new radio/cassette players on the market nowadays. I find cassettes perfectly OK for my music needs, and this Sony machine looks as if it will give me years of service.
Rating: 5 / 5