Spiffy little Radio tuner!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Long operating times from one AAA 1aH/1000mAh battery, VG reception!  Excellent audio quality!  Easy Use!

Cons: Wish it also had UHF-TV-audio tuning capability, and digital-TV-audio capability.

The Bottom Line: 
One wish - is that MP3 players had these functions and reception of frequencies, then I could stop carrying an MP3 player AND a separate radio tuner.

Buy!

Use!

Enjoy!

Author's Review
MANUFACTURERS BASIC INFO ON THIS UNIT

SRF-M37V TV/Weather/AM/FM Radio Walkman. Perfect for an intense workout, this product features 25 Memory Preset Tuning (5TV/5Weather/10FM/5AM), 5 Direct Key Preset Memory, an LCD Digital Display with a Clock, and a Local/Distant (DX) Switch that provides optimal reception of both close and distant radio stations.

• New Ergonomic Design
• TV Tuner and Weather Band Tuning Function
• Direct Weather Button
• 25 Station Preset Memory (5TV/5Weather/5AM/10FM/)
• 1 "AAA" Battery Operation
• 5 Direct Key Preset Memory
• Digital Clock and Battery Indicator
• Stereo Headphone and Belt Clip Supplied
• FM Local/Distance (DX) Switch
• Lock/Unlock Switch

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REVIEW
Below is my updated version on this review. 
Why?  Because sales of this unit is still fairly strong in many stores, and because of the advent of the mandated change in TV broadcasts, from analog TV broadcasts to digital TV broadcasts.  A change which starts in the USA in February 2009, a change which negates the TV-audio functionality of this and all similar units to date!

To date no units that I have looked at provide the newer digital-TV-audio tuning capability!  Sadly, the stupidity of this change to digital-TV is the fact that the signal is a LOT WEAKER than with analog-TV, so reception of digitial-TV-audio is likely to be some time into the future!!!

Also to update/add to the part regarding headphone/earbud selection problems, problems which exists with ALL portable radio receivers which use the headphones/earbuds cord as the antenna.

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This unit was not my first choice. Why? Because I have a strong dislike for companies who try forcing their propietary formats down their customer's throats, and Sony with it's ATAC format definately rubbed me the WRONG WAY!

After trying a line of other brands, including Sangean's, I last was stuck looking at this unit.
Read my review about Sangean's DT-300VW for a comparison.

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Not as good at pulling in distant stations as Sangean's DT-300VW, however it is only a slight difference, the SRF-M37V has lasted several times longer than my Sangean did and still going and going and going!

The only thing I do not like about this unit is the way the buttons are positioned, other than that it performs and performs and performs.

1 AAA battery which gets quite a bit of playing time. I use only NiMh rechargeable batteries, and the 1000mAh/1Ah ones I presently use, last a LONG TIME... longer than the alkalines.
More recent note - I have since change to NiMh Hybrid batteries, which means that the unit can sit quite a while without using it and not come back and find the battery dead from the standard slow-discharge of regular NiMh batteries.

I just wish it tuned in UHF-TV-audio, as many areas around the world use UHF, including my own area.

I do not use it's clip, but toss it into a cellphone pouch, which works quite nicely. Just have to make sure to set the lock button before putting the thing away.

Always lock the unit's lock/unlock switch, no matter what.
This prevents the settings from changing due to moving the unit around or bumping into things, and prevents the unit from coming back on when no using it and prevents the other switches from changing the settings.

I take it biking, riding, walking, busing, etc.

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Next I will address problems stated by other reviewers, and answer with factual info.

OTHER-REVIEW #1: The power button could not possibly have been designed more poorly.
The power button is not recessed, and on the front of the unit. Throw it in your gym bag, it turns on or off... put it in your pocket, it turns on or off. You simply cannot use it in a reasonable fashion without the unit turning on and running down your batteries. This power button is the worst I've ever used, and the battery consumption alone will pay for a different unit properly designed.


ANSWER: Obviously that reviewer did not properly explore their unit, as there is this little lock/unlock switch at the top of the unit which IS recessed and stops the other buttons from working while it is in the locked position... which is why the manufacturer was and is not concerned about the other buttons while the unit is playing.

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OTHER-REVIEW #2: Perhaps it is my location in the center of a metropolitan area but my experience is the quality of the reception is less than what I would expect from Sony. There are many reception factors involved like distance, broadcast power and signal obstructions. However other portable Sony products (like Walkman Cassette/FM/AM, and CD/FM/AM) I own work fine - this Walkman SRF-M37V has reception problems with my favorite stations that the others do not.


ANSWER: This problem can have several likely answers, I will give the most often encountered.

A. Headphones and Earphones are NOT all created equal! Not in sound quality, and not in antenna usability.  This is true of ALL receivers which use the headphones/earbuds cord as the antenna!!!

All it takes is for headphones to be outside the use-ability resistance-wise or capacitance-wise or inductance-wise or WAVE-wise to make them un-usable for a particular tuner, and one pair of headphones might work great with one tuner and not at all with another tuner, even different tuner models from the same manufacturer.

Unfortunately some higher quality headphones/earbuds have too much electrical shielding (to shield out electrical interference, including radio frequency) and so these higher end headphones/earbuds just will not work worth anything as an antenna.  This only matters for FM and VHF-TV, and not at all for AM. As AM reception relies on the internal AM coil, not on an external antenna.

How to determine which headphones/earbuds will work best reception-wise?
Just follow the instructions I will now provide you...

A01. Look at the wiring of your headphones/earbuds. 
- If there are two wires all the way down to the plug then you are likely to have a set which will perform properly, this is not a guarantee, but a decently high probability.
- If you have two wires from the speakers which join together into single wire at a Y-junction, then you MIGHT be able to use it. With this kind of headset it is more likely though that you will not get very good signal strength nor tuning!

B01. Use http://www.radio-locator.com/ enter in your zip code, look up several FM stations which have a weaker signal strength and/or further distance-wise from you, set your tuner to those stations, make sure that you have stations from across the FM dial/frequency.
As in a station near the lower end of the frequency, another towards the center of the frequency, and another towards the high end of the frequency. 
If you are outside the radio-locator's area of coverage, then you will have to manually use a decent home stereo, locate weaker stations, and use what you find.
Then

B02. Try different headphones/earbuds with the tuner in a store which sells headphones/earbuds, is the best way to get decent reception.
USE these weaker stations while testing different headphones/earbuds, until you get a set which provides you good reception and good sound quality!

C. Might have been a bad unit. I would have gone to the retailer and swapped it for a different unit

BEST RECEPTION HEADPHONES / EARBUDS !!!
1st. Good reception on headphones/earbuds require that the wire have NO SHIELDING OR AS LITTLE SHIELDING AS POSSIBLE around the signal carrying wires of the headset.
2nd. Antennas are of specific lengths and thicknesses, each does a better job of pulling in different frequencies.  The same applies with the wires of your headset, if the wires are too short or way too long then the headset will not pull the signals in properly.
AND NO, adding an extension wire to your headset will NOT get the job done better!!!

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OTHER-REVIEW #3: So this time--I'll look for another. At 28 dollars for replacement earphones alone (and since it is an antennae, unlike an iPod you have to use the Sony product earphones)--it just isn't worth it.

ANSWER: This unit does NOT require only a Sony headset!
Please read my response to the OTHER-REVIEW #2.

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OTHER-REVIEW #4: I like the fact that this radio has 10 FM presets, a weather band, a TV band and great AM reception. What I don't like is the poor FM reception and the overly bright sound; a really bad combination. Any movement causes static and interference on FM stations that come in fine on my other radios.

ANSWER: Again, another reviewer who does not know that the bad reception is not this unit's fault but the fault of the headphones/earbuds!
Please read my response to the OTHER-REVIEW #2.
As to the overly bright sound, hmmm, again this sounds like a headphones/earbuds issue to me.