Review on 📻 Sony ICF-19 Dual Band FM/AM Analog Portable Battery Home Audio Radio in Black by Jessica Morris

I am a radio amateur. I have too many of these, about 200 at last, from the 1920's to the present day. For two or three years I have been interested in what is available today or "modern radio". I have some of what is currently available including CC Radio Plus, CC Radio EP, Sony ICF7600GR. Sanders Satellit 750, Tecsun pl880 and many others. I compare the Sony ICF 19 to some very good radios, most of which are much more expensive. It has manual DSP (digital signal processing) control which intrigued me and after reading Jay Allen's positive review (3 1/2 stars) I couldn't resist and I'm glad I didn't. Here's my take on it. This is a good looking radio, the bold black numerals contrasting with the white dial make it easy to read. The robust black plastic housing is simple but tastefully designed. I like it. It doesn't have a carrying handle, which some reviewers complain about, but there's a finger cavity on the back of the case that offers a pretty good grip when carrying it. I don't miss a pen. It comes with a carrying strap that you have to put on, but I didn't bother with that. I see no need for this. It has a 4 inch mono speaker that sounds good on both bands. I have an audiophile friend who commented on its sonic qualities and was impressed. I think it sounds very good. All controls work smoothly, I don't mind the on/off switch built into the range switch, in fact I prefer to go back to the volume level from my previous listening session. I really like this radio. I've found I prefer it to other radios in my collection. All of this is good, but when it doesn't work well, it's all moot. It's more than decent compared to my best radios. In fact, it runs most of them. The only radio I have that tops them the smallest is my Sangean PR-D15. As I write this I am comparing three radios. ICF 19, my favorite Sony ICF 7600gr and my Tecsun PL880. If I'm listening to 700 WLW Cincinnati Ohio, which is about 130 miles southwest of my location, I can easily pick up that station on all three. But the ICF 19 does this with less noise and sounds better than the other two. Considering these two radios sell for FIVE TIMES the price of the ICF 19, I think that's remarkable. And these results are stable from 520 kHz to 1710 kHz. In the morning it is downright impressive. It's very good on FM, no better, and I think it might be disturbed by the whip antenna, which is a bit short. I discovered this when doing side-by-side comparisons with other "hot" FM radios like the Kaito KA-1103. When I physically touched two whips together, the ICF 19's performance level was on par with any other radio. Connecting a 12" test cable to its pin produced similar results. After reading this review, you might have concluded that Sony has "reinvented the wheel" with this unassuming and affordable portable radio. NO. It's impressive considering its price and more, but like EVERYTHING it has a few downsides. This is a spartan radio with only tuning and volume controls that work smoothly, a switch that turns the radio on and off and chooses between AM and FM, and two LED indicators. Green battery indicator and red setting indicator. You won't pay much attention to the battery gauge as battery life is excellent with three D-cells. Sony claims 400 hours on a single set of batteries. I can't test it, but mine has been playing it for at least two hours a day since early May and it's still working. Can you say emergency radio? Definitely. However, pay close attention to the red tuning LED. Getting the most out of this radio is very important. Unlike other tuning LEDs, it does not get brighter as it approaches the optimal setting. It's either on or off. When it's on, your center and station. You can adjust a bit, but if you go too far it will shut down and you'll have to retune. Again this is a DSP tuned radio and I love it. YOU MUST TUNE SLOWLY or you will miss weaker stations. Be patient when it's there, chances are ICF 19 will get it and sound good. Highly recommended. Solid 5 stars. Enjoy!