Product Description

SONY WM-FX290 -- Carry all your entertainment in a shirt pocket with this great looking, great sounding, palm size FM / AM / TV / Weather Band Stereo Cassette Player. Mega Bass Sound System Battery Level Indicator on LCD Automatic Volume Limiter System ( AVLS ) FM Local / Distant ( DX ) Switch Digital LCD Display Carry Case with Belt Clip Color - Silver

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11142 in Consumer Electronics
• Color: Silver
• Brand: Sony
• Model: WM-FX290
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds

Features

• Features a TV Audio Tuner and Convenient Weather Band
• Digital Synthesized FM / AM Tuner
• Operates Up to 35 Hours on 1 AA Battery (Not Included)
• Digital Auto Preset Scanning
• 40 Station Preset Tuning (7 TV / 4 WB / 24 FM / 5 AM )

Amazon.com Product Description
Small enough to fit in a shirt pocket, Sony's slim and lightweight WM-FX290 portable cassette player packs a convenient FM/AM/TV/weather band tuner and runs for up to 35 hours on a single AA battery. It offers 40 station presets (30 FM, 10 AM) and digital auto preset scanning. Tailor the sound to suit your preferences with its onboard Mega Bass sound system.

The unit's buttons are aligned in a single column for easy use. Its digital-synthesized FM/AM stereo tuner provides accurate, drift-free tuning of AM and FM stereo radio stations. With 1-button digital auto preset scanning, the tuner will play a few seconds of each memorized radio station, in sequence, to help you select stations for loading into memory.

A battery-level indicator on the LCD provides visible indication of when you may need to carry replacements, and the unit's Automatic Volume Limiter System (AVLS) automatically adjusts music passages that vary widely, improving your comfort.

An FM Local/Distant (DX) switch provides optimal reception of both near and distant stations and the device comes with headphones, a carry case, and a belt clip.

What's in the Box
Cassette player, stereo headphones (MDR-023) a carry case, a belt clip, and a user's manual.

Customer Reviews

No penalties and a few nice touches
The WM-FX290 plays tapes clearly without the warbly speed changes (known as "wow and flutter") that render piano music unbearable. At this price point, competency is the key; anything better is icing on the cake.

These days, people shopping for a cassette Walkman probably listen to audiobooks or have a boxful of old tapes they think they'll get around to playing. Neither customer likely expects Dolby noise reduction or the ability to play CrO2 or metal tapes. Also, in case you were planning to dictate notes to self, note now that this unit does NOT record.

The pleasant surprise is what you DON'T expect to find at this price: Attractive styling, digital tuning with presets, comfortable headphones, exceptional battery life (from one AA battery!), and a "hold" button that prevents unintended station changes when the unit is stuffed in a pocket.

What isn't so hot? Well, weather band has weak reception even in areas with usable signal, the "bass boost" function produces a sonic mudslide that will alarm even "boom car" afficionados, and the nearly opaque clamshell makes you eject to read the tape label or see how much tape remains on a side (yikes).

At this humble price point, the presence of a few nice touches -- and lack of jarring penalties -- spells an easy five stars.

Works fine
I haven't owned a walkman in quite a few years. I bought this to listen to books-on-tape while I workout. It's very compact and has worked well. There is sufficient volume for my needs and the sound quality seems just fine. The fabric/plastic cover has to be removed to change tapes (I usually just leave it off now ... but you need it if you want to clip the unit to your waistband). Battery life seems good and it only requires one AA. Since I've only had it one month, I can't really comment on durability.

Poor Quality from Sony
I am disappointed in Sony with this product. Sony charges a premium for their Walkmans. And I really expected them to deliver.

In the last two years I have purchased three Sony Walkmans. They all broke within 4 months of the purchase. One ate every tape it touched, the other two stopped turning the reel.

I strictly listen to books on tape that I borrow from our local library, I don't use the radio or other features, so cannot rate them.

This particular model is very sensitive to how the tapes line up. So if you get an older tape that is a little loose it cannot handle it. I had to rubber band the tapes to get them to fit tight enough to play.

Second, the lid on the battery slot stopped snapping shut. And the battery would just slip out! Again a good rubber band helped hold it closed.

Last, the player just stopped turning the tape reel! Sony does warranty their products but you have to pay to exchange it for a refurbished one. Ship the old product back etc. This is the same problem I had before.

For the price, this player is not worth the hassle. You are better off buying two of the cheaper brand, then you can just recycle it when it breaks and move on to the next one.