Sony ICF-506 Analog Tuning Portable FM AM Radio Black 2 14 lb

This is a solid basic radio. The AM and FM work fine. The AM receives the local stations but it doesn't really pick up any distant stations. In other words, it isn't a radio for DXing. The speaker is fine, a little tinny compared to larger units but that is to be expected. It's a nice, simple, easy-to-use radio that will be fine for listening in small rooms (kitchens, workshops, offices etc.) and it will be useful in an emergency if you lose electrical power. Because it doesn't have a digital display, the battery life should be better although I, personally, haven't tested the radio using battery power. I feel the build quality is better than the other Chinese portable radios but I don't have any empirical proof for my statement just a history of good experience with Sony products in the past. Whether it is worth $20 to $25 dollars more than the listed portable radio competitors is a decision I really can't make for anyone else. I'm comfortable with my decision, though. Read more

The Sony ICF-506 is my first AM/FM radio of this size. Its not large but its a nice size, the main thing is that for $45 your getting a very solid radio! It has a very sensitive tuner, good clear and rich audio and excellent build quality! Tuning this radio is a little different compared to traditional analog radios. This radio uses some sort of digital tuner however since its tied to an analog dial you can kinda fine tune the reception. The reception comes in "steps" you'll hear very quick pauses in audio as the tuner goes from station to station. This took me all of a few seconds to get used to. This radio picks up allot of stations that my clock radio for example can't pickup. Both AM and FM come in very clear. Its actually very easy to tune this radio and lock in on a station. If you have the ability to fine tune the dial then you'll be able to bring in even more stations. Audio quality is pretty good. Mid and high tones are clear and crisp with lows being clear for vocals but bass isn't going to have any force behind it. You'll hear lows but your not buying a radio like this to blast. Build quality is really good. All the parts fit together perfectly and the handle locks into place with a nice soft click. The knobs turn smoothly and battery door is hinged. Some people complain about the price of this radio and I have to laugh at that. If this radio had any of the features that older radios had from a name brand company like Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Hitachi ex you'd be paying allot more. Allot of companies today make pure junk with lots of features to entice people. Sony on the other hand has a reputation to keep so instead of including filler, they just use good quality parts which will last for years or decades. If your in the market for a good radio then be sure pick one of these up! You won't be disappointed. I also have the small ICF-P36 its also a great radio with a more traditional analog tuner. Its a "radio on a chip" meaning everything except the capacitors is on a single IC. P36 has a pretty sensitive tuner as well. Its able to get most of the local stations by me. Its also very high quality product. Overall you can't go wrong with these radios. I'm happy that Sony still makes products like this, I for one enjoy listening to the radio and by the looks of things allot of other people do to. Update so Ive this radio long enough to leave more feedback. I have a few vintage radios from the late 60's and early 1980's. This Sony ICF-506 out performs all of them on both AM and FM reception. It also sounds clearer then all of them on FM. However on AM its like the radios tone automatically switches to a lower tone which isn't always wanted, for talk radio a lower tone is prefured but some stations still broadcast music over AM so it would be nice to have a tone switch or dial like my old radios have. Battery life is also pretty good to, Way longer then 35 hours it's rated for. Its more like 50+ hours which is about the same as say my old Panasonic RF-775 or RF-930, overall this is a very solid purchase for anyone wanted a modern Analog radio. This Sony does everything I want it to do while sounding very good in the process. Read more

My elderly mother in law wanted a radio to use when the internet goes out. she is housebound and an internet outage makes for a long, boring day for her. I wanted a good radio, not something that was sub-par. I ordered this one and it works good, easy to use and it is well made. It isn't too big or bulky, so it's easy for her to take from room to room. It tunes in the local stations as clear as a bell and the batteries last a long time. I think that it looks and works great and I was pleased with the price. Read more

The Sony ICF-506 is a handy radio that most will find pleasing to own. Search my name and model for a full review of this radio on Youtube. The radio has a deep tone to the sound, and this is great on FM and not so great for me on AM. I like a crisp, bright and clear tone on AM broadcasts and find it difficult to like this audio choice. It also utilizes a step tuned approach instead of a pure analog tuning method. I am still warming up to this, some radios do this very well and some don't. I would say this one does it well on FM and average on the AM band. Fringe stations on the AM band can come into and out of tune causing a popping sound. Features I liked best about this radio: * AC power. Simple cord, built in transformer. * Optional Battery power. * FM sound quality is very nice! * Carrying handle * Clear and accurate tuning Dial. * Battery life indicator. Things I wish were different or improved on: * No step tuning. * A tone switch or knob to brighten the sound more. * Better AM reception. * FM stereo when using headphones. This radio is great for most people. The collector or serious tuner may not be so happy with the AM quality. It is a solid buy for $40, because it will appeal to most with the included AC support. Read more

I have bought 3 in the last 6 years. Two are still in use. I use the radio outside on my tractor. I have dropped it, kick it. The radio been rain on and cooked in the hot sun. Batteries last about 5 days. I use the radio about 150 days a year. I recommend Read more