Sony - Portable Digital AM/FM Radio with Weather Band - Black

Q: Does it have a speaker? Can you use it without headphones?

A: No. The Sony portable radio SRF-M37W does not feature a built-in speaker. I can’t recommend use of this product with an external pair of speakers. The Sony portable radio’s performance may degrade without the FM and Weather band antenna that is incorporated into the unit’s supplied pair of headphones. Accurate, clear, and drift-free radio performance depends greatly on a high quality antenna. If you disconnect the headphones from the portable, the system’s FM and Weather band antenna will be removed and the radio’s performance may suffer greatly. There is no information supplied in the unit’s operating instructions that recommends for use an external pair of speakers with this portable radio. Unfortunately, Best Buy does not carry any similar Sony portable radio with a built-in speaker. However, there are two Sony portable radio models, ICF-S10MK2, ICF-38, either one of which will provide the features that you are looking for. Good Luck.

Q: Does this radio operate only on batteries or can radio be connected to a standard electric wall outlet?

A: It is not possible to operate the Sony SRF-M37W portable radio off AC power. According to the operating instructions, this unit can only be powered by one AAA battery. I recommend that either Energizer Max or Duracell batteries be used for maximum audio performance and battery life.

Q: Can this radio use ear buds instead of head phones

A: Absolutely. I've never used the headphones that come with it. Buy some buds and you'll be happy.

Q: What are the dimensions of this Sony Portable Digital AM/FM Radio with Weather Band

A: 3 1/4" X 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" The #s on the buttons are 1/4" in size and easy to read. The LED #s are about the same in size. My 94 year old Dad can see them in good light. He sometimes uses a magnifying glass.

Q: Is an item's serial number on the receipt?

A: No. The Best Buy receipt for your purchase of the Sony SRF-M37W FM/AM/WB Walkman |SKU:8692471 will not contain this unit’s serial number. Sorry. However, don’t despair. The Sony Walkman’s 7-digit serial number sticker can be found affixed inside the battery compartment. Good Luck.

Q: AM reception

A: Hello. Welcome to the Best Buy community. Thank you for your excellent question. You have multiple options available to you for this type of AM reception application. Please note that the quality of AM and FM reception depends on multiple factors such as atmospheric conditions and the distance that you are located from the broadcast tower of your favorite radio station(s). The location that you use a portable radio is just one factor that determines the quality of the broadcast signal that you receive. It is my personal experience that positioning a portable radio closer to a window dramatically improves radio reception. With that in mind, you have multiple options available to you from Best Buy. It is my opinion that Sony offers the best portable radios in terms of features, class leading audio performance, value, battery life, and AM reception quality for the U.S. market. Sony is just the best consumer electronics company in the world. The Sony SRF-M37W |SKU:8692471 Portable Digital Radio is the best choice for your needs. This Sony portable radio features and lcd display, exceptional battery life, digital tuner for accurate, drift-free radio reception, exceptional long distance or DX AM radio reception, super comfortable headphones, and the ability to program up to 5 AM station presets to quickly select and return to your favorite sports talk radio stations. Please note that the Sony SRF-M37W Portable Digital Radio does not feature a built-in speaker. The next best choice at Best Buy is the Sony SRF-M85W Walkman Radio. This Sony portable radio is sold as a sports model that is designed for rugged outdoor use and inclement weather situations. The Sony SRF-M85W |SKU:8692453 portable radio offers similar features and performance as the Sony SRF-M37W portable radio described above but includes a stopwatch and split/pitch timer for customers that participate in athletic endeavors. The Sony SRF-M85W portable radio does not feature a built-in speaker and you must listen to the unit through headphones. The last choice that I recommend for your train ride is the Panasonic RF-P50 |SKU:8590321 AM/FM Pocket Radio. This Panasonic AM/FM portable radio offers much better than average AM reception, good sound quality, features a built-in speaker, and an earphone jack for private listening on the train. Good Luck.

Q: can the radio bought in USA be used in China?

A: No. The Sony SRF-M37W Walkman |SKU:8692471 operating instructions specify that this unit can receive FM/AM radio stations in North America, South America and many other regions throughout the world. The Sony SRF-M37W Walkman is manufactured in China (PRC). Nonetheless, I can’t recommend the Sony SRF-M37W FM STEREO/AM/NOAA WB Walkman Radio for use in China. Sorry. The operating instructions do not indicate that this unit’s F.C.C. licensed NOAA WB broadcast band will work in the People’s Republic of China. Please note that my research indicates that there are approximately 300 FM/AM radio stations broadcasting in China today. FM/AM broadcast over-the-air radio programming subjects include: children’s programs, foreign language, opera, education, women’s programs, finance, medical and health, short stories, talk shows, traditional/classical music, lifestyle, crosstalk, sports, weather updates, entertainment game programs, music, and traffic news. Some popular Chinese radio stations include: Beijing Traffic Radio FM 103.9, Beijing Entertainment Radio FM 87.6, Beijing News Radio FM 100.6/AM 828, CNR-1 The Voice of China FM 106.1, China Radio International FM 90.5, and Beijing Music Radio FM 97.4 The Sony SRF-M37W Walkman features and FM band channel step tuning interval of .1 MHz with an FM band frequency range between 87.5-108 MHz. As a result, this unit can tune to any FM band broadcast frequency in the desired target destination. The Sony SRF-M37W Walkman’s default AM band channel step tuning interval must be changed from .10 kHz to .9 kHz to receive AM Band stations in China. The Sony SRF-M37W Walkman’s AM Band broadcast frequency range is between 530-1710 kHz. To change the AM band channel step tuning interval, you must first press the POWER button to turn the unit off. Next, press and hold the CLOCK button. Lastly, while holding the CLOCK button, press the POWER button for at least 5 seconds. A flashing number “9” will appear in the LCD for approximately two seconds when this AM band channel step tuning interval change is completed. The Sony SRF-M37W FM/AM/WB Walkman will work in China as long as you supply this unit with one working 1.5V alkaline AAA cell battery. The operating instructions do not indicate that the Sony SRF-M37W Walkman’s Weather Band function is compatible for use in China and most other international geographic regions as well. The NOAA WB broadcast frequencies and accompanying channel step tuning interval on this unit are preset at the factory and can’t be changed by the consumer. The Sony SRF-M37W FM/AM/WB Walkman Radio does not feature an all-hazard weather alert override function or S.A.M.E. county-by-county message encoding for county specific weather alert messages. It is my view, that the Sony SRF-M37W Walkman is not the correct product category for your shortwave radio listening needs. Unfortunately, the Sony SRF-M37W Walkman does not feature any international shortwave reception capacity and it can only store up to 15 total FM/AM stations excluding WB frequencies. A Sony ICF-SW7600GR World Band Portable Radio is a better choice for this shortwave radio listening application in China because it features a built-in 3-inch (77 mm) hi-fi stereo speaker, 380mW stereo amplifier output power, 4 AA cell alkaline battery operation, AC or DC power options, 6V DC-Input jack for an optional AC/DC power adapter, auto-switching AC/DC power supply, single-side band reception, adjustable AM band channel step tuning interval, long wave reception, 10-key direct access tuning, PLL quartz frequency synthesized tuning, digital tuner, super-heterodyne circuit tuning system, 100 station memory presets, synchronous detection circuitry, auto scan tuning, memory scan tuning, microprocessor controlled tuning operations, non-volatile system tuner memory, built-in FM/SW telescopic antenna, integrated ferrite-bar LW/AM antenna, external compact shortwave antenna, 24-hour world time clock/dual clock to display the current time in different cities around the world, backlit LCD for convenient nighttime tuning, alarm clock with dual standby features, sleep timer, 3.5mm stereo headphone output jack, 3.5mm line output jack for connection to a portable tape recorder, shortwave guide booklet, 1 kHz channel step tuning, and continuous shortwave radio coverage between 150-29,999 kHz for any international travel portable audio listening application. In addition, if you are also interested in listening to major Chinese radio broadcasters such as “China Radio International” on shortwave radio, the Sony ICF-SW7600GR World Band Portable Radio would be the best choice for this purpose. The Sony ICF-SW7600GR radio does not feature domestic U.S. and Canadian Weather Band radio forecasts. The Sony ICF-SW7600GR World Band Radio enables the user to listen to domestic FM, shortwave, or AM medium wave radio broadcasts in your particular region of interest. Good Luck.

Q: Power Output

A: Hello. Welcome to the Best Buy community. Thank you for your question. The Sony SRF-M37W Walkman operating instructions indicate that this unit’s power output rating is “2.8mW + 2.8mW (at 10% T.H.D.). Please note that this unit operates on one AAA battery. The DC power output rating of this unit is 1.5V. Please note that this Sony portable radio is compatible with any single-use or rechargeable AAA cell battery that outputs between 1.2V-1.5V. The Sony SRF-M37W Walkman offers exceptional battery life performance for your advanced portable audio mobile power needs. Battery output power will also vary by battery manufacturer and battery chemistry. Of course, the longer the duration the Sony Walkman is powered on, and as the volume level increases during a playback session, battery life will be shortened accordingly. Proceed with caution. Personally, I recommend a Duracell Coppertop, Duracell Ultra Advanced, Duracell Ultra Power, Energizer Max alkaline battery, Energizer Advanced Lithium, or an Energizer Ultimate Lithium AAA cell battery for maximum audio performance and battery output power of this Sony SRF-M37W Walkman. Stay away from cheap no name label alkaline or carbon zinc batteries. In my experience, these unknown brand batteries are of inferior quality, last a very short time span, and have a tendency to leak in the product packaging, and/or battery compartment. Make sure to never mix old and new batteries, different battery types, and different battery brands. Remove the single-use alkaline battery from the Sony Walkman if the portable radio is not going to be used for an extended period of time. The lithium battery type features a leak-resistant construction and may be more suitable for long term storage in extreme temperatures when compared to an alkaline battery. The battery should be replaced with a new one when the Sony Walkman consistently outputs subpar sound or no sound at all. The Sony Walkman is compatible with the following AAA 1.5V battery types: carbon zinc battery, alkaline battery, lithium battery, and a NiMH rechargeable battery (1.2 V). When purchasing a battery for this unit, it is a good idea to check the date on the package. A fresh set of alkaline batteries should have a best if used by date of at least 6 or 7 years ahead of the date of purchase. In the case of lithium batteries, the package date may be up to 15 years ahead of the current date of purchase. Battery output power is determined by many factors and that is why individual results vary. Such factors include the type of music being played, the volume level being used, and ambient room or outdoor temperature. Battery output power performance will be decreased if this unit is powered by an alkaline battery in extremely cold or hot temperatures. The Sony Walkman features a 3-stage battery life indicator to let the user know when to conserve battery power or continue usage as circumstances require. Good Luck.