Review on Sony WM-FX290 Stereo Cassette Player: FM/AM/TV/Weather Tuning at its Best! by Ryan Gillett

I bought this to replace a Sony WM-FX788 AM/FM cassette player and recorder. When the 788 stopped working I looked for a replacement and couldn't find one that both played and recorded tapes. Since then, I've been much happier with the 290 than the 788 for a number of reasons: (1) The 290 uses a direct mechanical tape drive instead of the 788's electronic controls. I think this is an advantage. since the overly sensitive switch that controlled the tape drive in the 788 often caused it to lift off at high speed in an unintended direction when I just wanted to stop it. With direct mechanical actuation of the tape drive, I never doubt what the machine will do when I push the button. I think this is a desirable compromise due to the lack of an auto-reverse feature. (2) AM and FM sensitivity is much better on the 290 - almost as good as my desktop radios. Its weather and TV reception is reasonable and sometimes a useful feature. (3) The 290 uses a single AA cell instead of the 290's rechargeable, expensive, and hard-to-find proprietary battery. (4) The 290 is much cheaper - I paid about $180 for the 788. (4) The 290 is slightly larger than the 788 but still handy to carry in your pocket during workouts (my main use). [To answer a question raised in the discussions, changing from a band to a previously tuned radio station requires only two button presses - one to stop the band and one to turn on the radio.] I have other options for Recording, so the lack of this feature in the radio and cassette player is not a big loss. Overall, I rate the FX-290 as excellent value for money.