radios

I have the Sony MODEL # SRF-HM22 with 5 preset fm and 5 am buttons and a clock. This is great but it is a few years old. We were hoping to find same specifications even tho it would cost more. Advantage to presets: when walking and listening, so easy to change stations without looking! The clock is also a definite plus. Wonder why Sony no longer makes this available.

I already own the previous Sony product, the SRF-H3. That is a fine product for the money, which I use while working out.
So, when I needed another headphone radio, I decided to buy another SRF-H3, but then noticed that Sony had just updated the product as the new SRF-H4.
The new version has been improved in a number of ways:
- The larger ear pad fits more comfortably and don't move from the correct position.
- The FM tuner now does a better job of rejecting adjacent channels (much less bleed-through from other channels).
- Even with the normal setting, the H4 has much better bass than the H3, and in the Mega-Bass position, the bass response is unusually good for a product in this price range. (Not only is this important for current pop music, but it also makes jazz and classical sound more natural.) The increased low end makes the overall response less emphasized towards the high end, which also makes the inherent noise and hiss of AM & FM radio less apparent and thus less annoying. By the way, the response sounds more even with Mega-Bass turned on, indicating that the designers anticipate the product being used by most users with it switched on, and thus provide the off position as a convenience for those who find that much bass annoying.
- The mounting of the speakers directly on the ear pieces is more solid, and eliminates the possibility of the sort of breakage mentioned in customer reviews of the H3.

Note that the product is extremely inexpensive and thus one ought not to expect the sort of sound quality you might get if you spend "three figures". However, most of the inadequacies are in what is missing (instrumental tonality and detail, dynamic range, etc.) and thus the product is still pleasant to use. Also, my radio tuning needs are minimal (there are only a few stations here), and as local radio conditions vary quite a bit, it's possible that your situation might require a more expensive tuner. But then again, it might not.

I reserve 5 stars for those high-end units, but I don't see what Sony could do to further improve this product without also having to increase the price.

PS It uses one "AAA" battery (easily available) - I mention this in case Amazon has not yet corrected their information.