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  #1  
Old 05-31-2018, 07:29 AM
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musichal musichal is offline
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Why So High?

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICF-S10M...ansistor+radio

I bought one of these for under thirty bucks via Amazon almost five years ago. It's okay, nothing earth-shattering. Good for the type. Why anyone would pay so much for this is beyond me. I don't get it.

Mine is still in the original box, though the box itself is a bit worse for wear. I'd certainly let it go for less than this price, not that I'm offering, nor would I expect any takers. I'm just emphasizing the don't-get-it-thing.

It is hard to tune because the travel is so small and the tuning wheel stiff, so by the time you overcome friction to actually rotate the direct thumbwheel, you've already moved it too far. Ticky. The tinny sound will go fairly loud, but it is getting more difficult to find a pocket model with built-in speaker these days. Maybe that's why it's price is jacked up? I dunno.
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Old 05-31-2018, 07:39 AM
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Don't know...but the newer version is only 19 bucks... https://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICFP26-P...dp_ob_title_ce
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Old 05-31-2018, 07:44 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Celt View Post
Don't know...but the newer version is only 19 bucks... https://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICFP26-P...dp_ob_title_ce
Yeah, I saw that, too. Really kills the built-in speaker speculation, too, but I was just grasping at straws. Maybe the old one is better, maybe somebody is just hoping to skin someone.
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Old 05-31-2018, 09:02 AM
WISCOJIM WISCOJIM is offline
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The Amazon price is cheap. Try Sears: http://www.sears.com/sony-icf-s10mk2...FQZ3AQod7EkE2A

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Old 05-31-2018, 10:07 AM
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I wonder if this was featured in some Movie/TV show and is stupid expensive from limited stock and rabid fan demand?

IIRC some of sony's better discontinued world band receivers have such a following based on their performance.
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Old 05-31-2018, 10:38 AM
Chip Chester Chip Chester is offline
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Maybe it's the go-to radio for listening while you're at a ball game, or just watching one. But yeah, it's a $10 transistor radio wrapped up in a $130 Amazon Prime cozy.
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Old 05-31-2018, 03:30 PM
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Several years ago, there was a review (Radio Intel?) comparing this radios dx performance to that of a $700 Icom. Indeed, most of the distant stations that were identified on the Icom could also be heard on the Sony. The point of the review was that a lot of dx fun can be had on the cheap.

Unfortunately, many misinterpreted the review, believing that its performance is as good as the Icom (it is not) and the Sony acquired a bit of a cult following... Indeed, some fool may be inclined to pay the highly inflated price for one of the last remaining new units.

Of course, there are much better pocket radios available today.

jr
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Old 05-31-2018, 03:33 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jr_tech View Post
Several years ago, there was a review (Radio Intel?) comparing this radios dx performance to that of a $700 Icom. Indeed, most of the distant stations that were identified on the Icom could also be heard on the Sony. The point of the review was that a lot of dx fun can be had on the cheap.

Unfortunately, many misinterpreted the review, believing that its performance is as good as the Icom (it is not) and the Sony acquired a bit of a cult following... Indeed, some fool may be inclined to pay the highly inflated price for one of the last remaining new units.

Of course, there are much better pocket radios available today.

jr
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Old 05-31-2018, 07:07 PM
dieseljeep dieseljeep is offline
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Quote:
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Maybe it's the go-to radio for listening while you're at a ball game, or just watching one. But yeah, it's a $10 transistor radio wrapped up in a $130 Amazon Prime cozy.
I had to look up the one I have and it's the same model number. Paid $1.00 at a thrift shop and it even had good Energiser penlite cells.
It is in really nice condition. It looks like it was little used.
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Old 05-31-2018, 08:58 PM
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Originally Posted by jr_tech View Post
*Oh man*
This reminds me of the audophile rush for the early Sony Playstation consoles because someone said they had superb audio quality (and all the other fluff) and for a while you couldn't find one of the models with LR RCA jacks for under $200. though I'm pretty sure in that case someone intentionally lied to inflate the price. I see Amazon listings like this from time to time. It's something generic or really not all that impressive but it's sticking out from everyone else selling one int hat it's one to two hundred dollars more. Reminds me of those suppliers that can get you ANYTHING because they stock EVERYTHING but the cost of logistics, the warehouse, the cost to maintain the warehouse, payroll the employees and EVERYTHING ELSE THAT LET THAT ITEM SIT ON A SHELF goes into the cost of holding it on a shelf for five years waiting for someone to say they need THAT exact item.
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Old 05-31-2018, 11:05 PM
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lol it's just the pricing algorithms acting up again.

Several years ago - on amazon - there was a set of rca cables for speakers. They were fancy gold plated ones, but the price was in the thousands. It became a meme for a while, and all the reviews of the product on amazon were talking about how awesome they were. Things like 'the sound goes so fast, it travels back in time!' etc.
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  #12  
Old 06-01-2018, 02:41 AM
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My favorite pocket model is the head-phone-only Sangean DT-160. Exemplary FM and decent-for-the-size AM. Even has switchable bandwidth. The main con is too lean-sounding, or too phat with the bass enhancement circuitry switched in. Sound is yet pretty good and reception clean.
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Old 06-03-2018, 05:56 PM
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WTF ?
Its a $20 radio ! If Sony really designed & built it in Nippon
NOT Red China MAYBE a $25 radio.

That being said Sony abt 8 yrs ago came out with a new type AM
radio. IIRC 2 chips. One for output the other for everything else.
The radio was not your typical super-het. The little things was
an AM DX monster. There was a cult following with a forum etc.
Wish I had got one, they were under $20

73 Zeno
LFOD !
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  #14  
Old 06-03-2018, 06:41 PM
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musichal musichal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zeno View Post
WTF ?
Its a $20 radio ! If Sony really designed & built it in Nippon
NOT Red China MAYBE a $25 radio.

That being said Sony abt 8 yrs ago came out with a new type AM
radio. IIRC 2 chips. One for output the other for everything else.
The radio was not your typical super-het. The little things was
an AM DX monster. There was a cult following with a forum etc.
Wish I had got one, they were under $20

73 Zeno
LFOD !
Model #?

Oops, my dim eyes. I misread that as "When I got one..."

My alma mater Mississippi State Bulldogs just began (after weather delay) to play Oklahoma University Sooners (I now live in Norman) for a spot in the BCS baseball tournament in Tallahassee, which prompted me to pull my little Sony out of the box to listen in on local AM. It's a good little pocket radio, but not a great one.

My best friend, Chad, is a sports nut. I'm an audio nut. And I love radios. But I am not the kind who cares much whether my team wins. Don't get me wrong, I like it when MSU wins, but I'm not disappointed when they lose, like some of my relatives, who are grumpy after a loss, and takes some a week to get over it. That would be too much grumpiness for me - just can't maintain it that long. Chad's a huge Sooner fan. I'll be happy whichever way it falls, since one is my home-town team and the other my favorite. Be nice if MSU won today, as it would require another game tomorrow. Not being much of a sports fan, these factors make today's game the high point of the year in sports for me. Forget the Superbowl or MLB World Series; no other match-up would garner this level of interest for me. Yeah, the ideal is MSU wins, forcing another game, then whichever team wins, I'm the big winner.

I can't lose.

And MSU leads 13-5 in the 9th. Two on, two out. OU at bat. Gordon has thrown 111 pitches this game. and a called strike for 112 ends the game. His girlfriend may have to pitch tomorrow, 'cause I think she's all they got left - has a good arm for a girl.
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Last edited by musichal; 06-03-2018 at 10:47 PM.
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  #15  
Old 06-03-2018, 07:00 PM
WISCOJIM WISCOJIM is offline
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Maybe he's talking about the SRF-39 or SRF-59. Both were hot little radios.

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