Koss Audio and Video Electronics started producing and selling its innovative, high quality products more than 10 years ago. Koss' broad product base is continually evolving in support of newer technologies and changing market trends. A particular focus and strength is the development of technology that enhances the consumer's lifestyle.
1 Don't waste your money on this el cheapo radio!
I thought that this would be a good unit for the hour I spend at the gym 3 times per week, but here we are one month later, and the thing has quit working on me. I have never dropped it or gotten it wet -- go figure. The phrase "You get what you pay for" comes to mind. I'm gonna go buy a Sony.
2 Major Problems: Poor Reception, Background Hissing
Here is a breakdown of my evaluation of this radio:
** Cons **
>> Performance
Here's the real gripe I have about this unit: the reception is very poor on some radio stations and a very noticeable background hissing can be heard when the volume is turned down low. These ought to be enough reasons for you to decide not to purchase this unit. But there's more.
>> Construction
The unit is also poorly constructed. I have owned it for almost two years and have been using it on my bus commute to and from work. Within this span of time, the plug for the head phone jack has come off, one of the buds of the earphones have ceased functioning, and the volume knob has gotten too easy to turn due to frequent use. The unit also gives the appearance of being constructed from cheap plastic. Further, the color of the back of the body is painted on so the paint rubs off over time.
>> Function
There are only five presets for each AM and FM band. Also, if you accidentally pressed the memory button, you could easily overwrite one of your presets. The only way that I have found to avoid overwriting any preset stations is to turn the unit off and then back on again.
** Pros **
The pros for this radio are not worth mentioning because the problems with this unit far outweigh any pros this unit has. But here they are for completeness sake:
>> Features
This radio has decent bass boost and station auto-scan. Both features are absent in many portable radios.
** Conclusion **
If I hadn't lost my receipt, I would most certainly have returned it to the store I purchased this it from. Although I use this radio on a regular basis, I have been very dissatisfied with it. I strongly advise you to pass this radio up for something else.
3 Waste of money
The reception is poor, the number of stations is small, and the ear-pieces aren't that comfortable. Might as well pay twice as much for a [money] no-skip CD-player, or [money] for a radio reciever that actually transmits.
4 Dissapointing...
This radio has generally poor reception. In addition, the "Memory" button is an identical button to the chanel presets and located right next to them, causing anyone not carefully choosing their channels to reset their presets inadvertantly. The unit also lacks an auto-off feature which i find to be very useful. I would not buy this item again - I have purchased a Sony as a replacement.
5 Horrible
I got this radio so I can listen to the radio while working out. But the armband is horribly designed and it fits very uncomfortably. As for reception the strongest stations that come out fine in my stereo does not come out in this radio well. It's extremely staticky and the placement of this radio matters...This is one my worst purchases ever!
6 Absolutely love this radio
I commute 25 miles a day on my bicycle to work and back. I live about 20 miles from Philadelphia Pa, and love this radio. I have had no problems with reception, I get all of my stations. The headphones are great and don't get in the way of my helmet or other gear. The cord is long enough I can actually attach the radio to the bike instead of my arm. The batteries have already lasted 3 weeks with intensive use. I have no problems with this radio and am extremely happy with my purchase.
7 No Reception
I ordered this item despite the reviews talking about the poor reception. MY MISTAKE!!! I live in Dayton, Oh and could only pick up 2 rock and 2 country stations. There are a ton of stations between Dayton and Cincinnati that I should be able to receive. I sent the radio back. Sony here I come.
8 A nice little radio for a low price
I've used this radio for over 6 months, and I am pretty much satisfied with it; Although I live in a major city, my house is located nearby the mountains, and I've found that the reception is acceptable, but mainly constrained to the stronger stations; I've had some noise and fading on some weaker AM stations that I like when walking doing excercise. The strap works fine, although sometimes you have to tighten it to a somehow uncomfortable extent, in order to secure it and avoid slipping through the arm. Anyway, I highly recommend it.
9 Poor Reception
This purchase was a waste of money, since I found the reception to be too inconsistent when engaged in any activity such as running. Stations fade in and out. I don't use it anymore. Next time I'll get a portable MP3 player.
10 Nice little radio
This has served us well over the past year or so. My husband and I both take it to the gym. The sound quality is not bad, although the reception can be a bit static-y if you are around lots of interferring equipment or concrete. Good for the money.
11 Koss PP257 v. Sony SRFM78 Armband radios
All in all, I prefer the Koss, but these are two great radios for runners and other active people. Below is a comparison by category.
Reception:
Edge to Sony due to Distance/Local switch. The Koss does fine in the city, but suffers when signals are weak or adjacent to dominant signals. The Sony can switch to Distance mode. Neither does well in extreme interiors. By the way, on my Sony, I have to tune one frequency up on FM, e.g. tune to 94.2 to receive 94.1. Once you get used to that, it is OK and may be unique to my unit.
Wearability:
Tough call. Edge probably to Sony. The Koss is lighter and more comfortable, but its armband has problems. If your arm is very small, the Velcro patches may not overlap; if very large, they may not meet. The Sony is much easier to put on one-handed, as one half of the band is permanently coiled and can be placed around your arm before stretching the Velcro band.
Button Layout:
Toss-up. The station presets are laid out in a circle. With the Koss, it is possible to confuse the buttons while on the move. If you pay attention, though, a couple of trips and you will learn what is what. The on/off switch of the Koss is much better than the soft button on the Sony. With the Sony, you need to always "lock" the unit when not in use to avoid accidental activation and dead batteries. The Koss also has a lock feature, but that is just to avoid accidentally changing stations.
Funtionality:
You have to give a big edge here to Koss, which has a SEARCH feature. If the Sony has one, I can't find it. When in my home city, it doesn't matter, but when I travel my presets are useless. Without a search I have to run along pushing the tuning button once for every tenth of a frequency! This problem is what led me to the Koss. Otherwise, they both have about the same functions.
Headphones:
You can, of course, replace either of them, but the Koss headphones are surprisingly comfortable (The Sony headphones are the jam-in-your-ear-till-they-are-rubbed-raw type and are unacceptable). The Koss headphones are independent pieces that fit around the ear like a hearing aid, and lay the actual speaker gently against the ear canal. They are incredible light. I still prefer the around-the-back-of-the-head type only because the two independent pieces inevitably get tangled up while stored. Then again, if you run in the cold and wear an ear band, you can easily wear it over the Koss headphones, something you cannot do with many styles of headphones. If you don't want to spend extra on headphones, the Koss is the better choice.
12 Easy to use but can't hold a station
We bought this radio over the weekend and, when it arrived were supremely disappointed in its performance. While it is easy to use and set, it can't receive or hold a signal worth anything. Should have gotten the sony...*sigh*
13 Unhappy in LI
I bought this product because I workout and I wanted music to listen too, but when I have the radio on all I hear is static. I feel that I wasted my money on something that was going to be useful to me.
Thank You
14 Weak reception
Good design in some respects - convenient earphones for use while running, etc., and convenient controls. BUT - terrible reception! Fine for local FM stations, but very poor sensitivity and even worse selectivity, both FM and AM. Not a radio for someone who wants to pick up a particular station (e.g., for my main purpose - listening to sports broadcasts), but OK if you just want to listen to any local station for musical distraction while engaged in sports activity.
15 Not too happy with this...
I've had this radio for about 3 months. The headset is great, never having fallen out of my ears with daily 30 minute running use. Unfortunately, the headset stopped working this week due to a broken wire inside the connector. I also have trouble with the reception of some stations that come in fine on other radios. Overall, I'm not happy.
16 Decide on Koss
I recently purchased the Koss sportband radio. I was really torn between the Koss and the awesome Shockwave (Panasonic, I think) version. Koss is cheaper, and the sound is clear and good. I've noticed in other reviews, a lot of people talking about static, etc. My opinion on that is with most tuners, the clarity comes more from where you are located in relation to the radio towers, etc, than the quality of your radio. If you are in a good location, even a cheap radio will come in clear. Overall, the Koss is affordable, lightweight, the armband works fine, the earphones are comfortable and I am in love with this product now. I use it mainly for outdoor walking and jogging and yard work. I am very satisfied with my purchase--hope this helps.
17 Poor Performance
Although this product had a 3.5 to 4 star rating when I bought it, I do not agree. I found the reception to be poor and inconsistent and the quality to be lacking. At high volume levels, needed when you are trying to do yard work, the sound quality is extremely distorted. I also find that I often accidentally change the volume level by inadvertently touching the control. Overall, I am not happy with this product.
18 A great radio for outdoors
I use to jog every morning and I love to hear music... This little gadget its a great deal for those who only wants to hear the radio.
19 Three Stars Is Worth the Money
Reception is fine; it has no clock, and the arm band slips a bit so that when you remove it you have to be careful that the radio doesn't fall and crack on the ground. But it's worth the price, a far better deal than the 60-dollar Sony product. The ear-bud speakers get tangled easily and I've replaced them with my old ten-dollar headphones. In the end, I'm satisfied with my purchase.
20 Have you broken your belt clip yet?
It works well, but the belt clip is too fragile, the first one broke within an hour when I bumped my desk with it. I took it back and got another, it lasted about 3 months, and started to crack and eventually broke off again. I doubt that I can find parts for it, but if you know where please let me know.
21 An Average Radio For Outdoor Use
When I purchased this product, it was mainly for two reasons: The price combined with the digital tuning feature. I liked that it had the search feature and the preset stations, as opposed to the other cheap armband radios which merely had manual tuning. Well, the digital tuning is great, although somewhat awkward; I frequently find myself hitting the wrong buttons as I jog/work out due to the tiny buttons. And whoever put the tiny "set station" button next to the other preset station buttons deserves to be smacked around, I find myself accidentally hitting the "set station" button, then screwing up my other presets. I live in Chicago, so there are dozens of radio stations, but I find the reception with the Koss PP257 is slightly below average. I pick up the mega-stations easily, but some of the less powerful (yet still local) stations fade in and out as I jog along. And if you're inside, forget about getting any stations unless your gym/club has good reception (It hasn't worked at several of the Bally Total Fitness gyms in Chicago). I recommend asking people who wear armbands in your gym what kind of reception they're getting first. My summary, I recommend for outdoor fitness if you're looking for an affordable armband radio. Do more research for indoor gyms or you're throwing your money away.
22 An Average Radio For Outdoor Use
When I purchased this product, it was mainly for two reasons: The price combined with the digital tuning feature. I liked that it had the search feature and the preset stations, as opposed to the other cheap armband radios which merely had manual tuning. Well, the digital tuning is great, although somewhat awkward; I frequently find myself hitting the wrong buttons as I jog/work out due to the tiny buttons. And whoever put the tiny "set station" button next to the other preset station buttons deserves to be smacked around, I find myself accidentally hitting the "set station" button, then screwing up my other presets. I live in Chicago, so there are dozens of radio stations, but I find the reception with the Koss PP257 is slightly below average. I pick up the mega-stations easily, but some of the less powerful (yet still local) stations fade in and out as I jog along. And if you're inside, forget about getting any stations unless your gym/club has good reception (It hasn't worked at several of the Bally Total Fitness gyms in Chicago). I recommend asking people who wear armbands in your gym what kind of reception they're getting first. My summary, I recommend for outdoor fitness if you're looking for an affordable armband radio. Do more research for indoor gyms or you're throwing your money away.
23 Compact, cheap, perfect
I purchased based on size, price and headphones. It did not disappoint. It doesn't get the best AM reception indoors, but not many radios (big or small) do.
Highly recommend this product. And get it quick, they're becoming hard to find.
24 Great performance in fringe area
I use the PP257 working outdoors in a fringe area -- 50 miles from the transmitters, behind hills. I have found the reception very satisfactory. Controls are very easy to use; I particularly like the "lock" button that prevents accidental change to settings.
25 Lasted 93 days with a 90 day warranty.
This radio worked ok when I bought it. The controls were a little confusing, and the signal was sometimes poor. My main complaint is that it stopped working three days after the warrenty expired. Only three month after I bought it. The funny thing is that I bought a similar Sony radio for a friend several months before I got this, and his is still working great at this point, a year after I originaly bought this item. My general suggestion is for you not to buy Koss.
26 Armband Makes Exercising Easier
Being a person that goes for a jog quite often, I found that carrying a radio with me eventually gets annoying and sometimes I wish I never brought one at all. It wasn't this way when I tried out this item. Strapping this lightweight radio to your arm completely solved my aggravation. It's very light so you barely realize it's there and once you strap it on it doesn't move or slide which was a fear of mine from the beginning.
The reception proved to be strong as well. As compared to my Sony Walkman I used to use, this Koss radio picked up all the stations I previously received and picked some more up that were fuzzy with the Sony.
All in all I am glad I made this purchase and would recommend this to anyone.
27 Great Product!
This was my fifth attempt at finding a "workout friendly" portable radio. For the money, this little radio is the best I've tried. The reception is great, the sound is fantastic, and it is truly portable. I will be giving some of these as Christmas gifts this year.
28 I love this armband radio
I have really enjoyed this radio. It really takes my mind off how many laps are left as I enjoy the music. I have very small ears and I was worried about the earphones not fitting, but the stay in place great. I live in a small town (about 25 miles away from the closest big town) I was suprised at the good reception that I got. You can't beat the cost of the Koss armband radio either. I highly recommed this product to anyone considering getting this product.
29 I like Koss
I have tried Sony. I have tried another generic brand. Neither one of them received the great reception that I received from my brand new Koss PP257B that I just bought. I work out in a gym that already plays music (music that I don't like) and before I experienced the Koss, my other walkmans just never worked. My Sony was stolen from the gym (because I made a mistake and left it on a machine), and I didn't even care. I was skeptical about buying the Koss from the bad reviews that I read, but I weighed the bad reviews with the good and the good outweighed the bad. The price is unbeatable, and you really can't lose. Try it.
30 Poor battery life
Maybe I just got a lemon, but the battery only lasted about 2 weeks and I was only using it about 2 hrs/week. As you can imagine, this was extremely frustrating...so I tossed it in the trash at the gym. The sound quality was fine, and it was tiny, but I couldn't get over it never working.
31 It works well enough
Koss Armband is cheap but works like it costs three times its price. Nice design, above average recption, and strong body are what made it attractive to me.
32 Overall great product but ear pieces not sweat resistant
I use this product for almost any outdoor activiy from yardwork to running. Features are convenient particularly when you have one hand on the lawn mower,weedeater, etc... I live fairly far from most of the radio towers in the area and reception is good. Which I can not say for the Sony radio this Koss replaced. The clock is a geat feature for those who do not like to wear a watch when excercising. The earpieces are a little odd, but once in place they are secure. If you sweat a lot, the sound will diminish significantly when the earpieces get wet. For the price, you really can't beat this radio. But be ready to buy a different headset of you are prone to sweat.
33 GET THIS PRODUCT!
I have been using the Koss AM-FM Armband radio for about half a year now. I am satisfied with it. Sound, casing, ease of use, and cool design are what endeared it to me. BUY IT!
34 The Koss is simply a good radio
I work as an in-house service technician at Best Buy. Our store chains carry only three brands of armband digital AM/FM radio: Sony, Panasonic and Koss. I must say that these three work similarly though there are differences in price. Koss is the cheapest but like I said, it operates just like the other two. We easily run out of stock in a month's time for Koss, which also happens in a Target store near us. I dont get any commission for saying this guys but....I highly recommend the Koss AM/FM Digital Armband Radio to all sports guys out there.
35 I agree with the other reviews
I agree with the other reviews: the Koss Armband works as good (if not better) than the Sony one. I ask myself: why then does the Sony have to cost much more?
36 Clear sound!
This tyke of a radio by Koss sure comes with clear sound. Both AM and FM bands have strong receptions to radio stations. I love using it when I go biking and jogging.
37 It's my hiking pal
I use the Koss armband radio in all of my weekly hikes in the mountains of North California. Somehow, my radio managed to withstand the elements and the shocks from all that trailing. Less than $30 bought me this rugged and dependable hiking pal.
38 Don't buy this
This was a terrible purchase for me. The reception is bad, the sound is not clear and my belt clip broke after three months. If you are active and need your clip, or if you want to hear and enjoy what is being played on the radio - DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT.
39 Im getting eight of these for my team!
Im a coach for an endurance run team of eight. After weeks of testing with the cooperation of our electronic store (a sponsor of our team), experimenting with Sony, Panasonic, Aiwa and finally Koss, I made a choice. All performed well. I chose Koss because of the price, which was cheaper by at least $...! It just made sense. Koss works as good as the four more popular brands but costs less. Im getting eight more units for my team.
40 Electronically-smart radio
The integrity of the electronic structure of the radio is good. As an electronic engineer by profession, I am in the habit of checking the internal structure of appliances and gadgets I own. My Koss Armband radio is "electronically-smart". The PCB is not overwired. Its micro-circuitry if properly wired and professionally at that. This allows for maximum clarity of reception and structural durability. Its digital makeup is also arranged in a very synchronous way to allow for non-static performance. I chose this over a more popular brand.
41 Satisfactory sound, easy use
This radio simply gives out very clear sound and clear reception if outdoors. Indoors the sound is acceptable if you are far from electronic appliances. It is also easy to use and can be operated while in motion.
42 A very good small radio
I have owned a Sony Armband radio for about half a year now but a friend gave me a Koss Armband radio for my birthday. Honestly, I didnt expect the Koss to be anything special but upon trying it for about two weeks i was suprised because: 1) its reception was a tad better than my Sony, 2) its plastic was more shatter proof, 3) it resisted moisture better (I dropped it in the pool once and even though soaked, it still worked!), 4) it felt more comfortable to wear on the arm. The best thing about my Koss is that it is about $20 cheaper than my Sony. Cheaper but apparently better! It's either Sony's quality is deteriorating or Koss is a strong competitor.
43 Works like a Sony, costs like an Emerson
The radio is durable and light. Its reception is generally very clear (both AM and FM bands) especially outdoors. There are virtually no skips or static during shock-intensive sporting activities in which I regularly engage in. I once dropped it from the second floor of my college dorm to the concrete ground. It had some scratches but lo and behold, it still worked fine. It performs like a Sony but costs like and Emerson. An added bonus is its ergonomic design which is suitable for most sportsmen. Im buying one for my triathlete girlfriend.
44 From a cost-benefit point-of-view, this radio is practical
I'll make it simple. I use this Koss Armband radio mostly in sports and I find it to be rugged and dependable (though not scratch-proof). It performs the same as its Sony counterpart and it costs much much less.
45 Cheap product, step up and buy the Sony
I bought one of these...the reception is pretty spotty and the headphone jack broke within a month rendering it useless. What a piece of junk.
46 Useless product and very bad reception
I liked the fact that the walkman was very light and easy to carry around, but the reception is just terrible. I was able to listen to only one radio station (sometimes). The earphones are a pain to use and the foam covers came off very easily. I lost one of them soon after purchasing the item. Don't bother buying this product.
47 Good radio for the money
I'm glad I purchased this product. I use it while walking to and from my van pool meeting place each day and it works great. When the second set of headphones for my little Radio Shack am/fm radio went out, I decided to purchase the Koss. The price for the Koss was equivalent to what I paid for the Radio Shack and not far from what a decent pair of new headphones would cost. The sound and reception is better than what I had and the digital tuning makes it easy to find and switch between stations.
It was a little difficult to use the first few days in the darkness before sunrise, but now that I'm familiar with the buttons it's not a problem to change the volume, switch station presets or find new stations. It would be nice if the display was illuminated but that would just use more battery power.
Also, it seems to be pretty substantial in construction. All in all, a good radio for a reasonable amount of money.
48 Low price.....high performance
I too was a little skeptical about purchasing this unit after reading some reviews. However, I didn't have a huge amount of money to spend on a radio and couldn't justify spending more to get a Sony one that didn't even have a digital tuner (a must for running!). I was surprised it didn't come with batteries, but that was minor. It picks up all local stations crystal clear (and I live in a big city with a lot of outside interference). The included ear pieces are a little weird, but they work fine and you can use whatever earpieces you desire. For the price you can't go wrong.
49 Excellent little radio
Best combination of portability, sound, and reception for the money. I was unsure whether to buy because of mixed revues and most important to me was good reception as I had many excercise radios in the past and always got rid of them because of poor reception. Well I decided that for the price plust Amazon's very reasonable shipping charge, I just had to take a chance. Boy was I glad. Man this thing picks up every station loud and clear. Very good sound as well and super light. Good armband rig. Do yourself a favor and go for this one. I am glad I did. It makes bicycling fun again.
50 Not great quality
Headphones are cheap and fall apart easily. Radio gets bad reception. Arm band isn't handy at all. Its design is sorta neat (although it's ugly), but that's the only good thing I can say for it. I'd not reccomend that you buy it.
51 Good value at the sale price of $19.95.
I like the unit. It is small & light weight. Reception is great...I can receive all of my favorite stations very clearly without any static. I am disspointed that Amazon advertises this unit as having 10 FM and 10 AM pre-set stations. It only has 10 pre-set's total (5 FM and 5 AM). I highly recommend this unit at the sale price of $19.95.
52 like it now
I have only used Sony products in the past, but have had quality problems. I went to the store to replace my current sony sportswalkman with the arm band sony and noticed that the price was $20.00 less for the koss. I bought it and had concerns. But after using the product, i am totally satisfied. It took only a few minutes to get use to the differnt set-up and the armband works great. I especially like the fact that it can not be turned on by a button, like my sonys; no more dead batteries on a long run.
53 koss pp257 not all it's talked up to be
I saw the koss PP257 in the picture and then saw the price and thought not bad. I went ahead and bought it but when i took it out for a run it didn't give me what i expected. I live on the north shore of long island and experienced a lot of static and fading in and out of the stations. I've used other products like the sony ones and didn't experience any of the fading in and out. What really attracted me to the item was its price. I do recomend this product if you exercize at home but if you run in the out doors spend the extra money and get yourself another product.
54 Koss PP257 - poor reception!
I had trouble with this product, it simply does not receive most radio stations clearly. Within the Capitol Hill and University districts of Seattle, the only station that tuned-in well was KUOW (public radio). That's fine to feed my NPR addiction, but even the more powerful commercial stations didn't tune-in clearly. A major bummer.
55 Pretty good for what it costs.
The Koss PP257 was obviously designed to compete with the more expensive Sony Sports Armbands that are popular. It has the same type of yellow plastic casing, and it comes complete with 10 preset buttons and a station autoseek function. This unit also includes a reflector plate to add to safety at dusk. I used to own a Sony Armband, and I experienced very similar performance to the Koss I just bought. The earphones have a unique design that wraps around the ear, giving them more stability when you are using them like you should (to do sports!), and giving them a sleek look. Reception is typical of very small radios, decent outside, hit or miss inside. Some stations sound good while I work out at the gym, while others don't come in at all. Also, the included earphones have difficulty putting out the bass that you can expect in more expensive units. There is a lot of distortion if you use the bass amplification option and turn the volume past halfway. Nevertheless, I like this unit because it was inexpensive, works adequetely, and breaks the stranglehold that Sony has on the portable music market. If you buy a Sony you will only gain a little performance, but you will triple or quadruple your expense. You will also perpetuate a virtual monopoly. You don't have to buy Sony to be cool.
56 Poor Reception
Very bad reception in the city as well as the suburbs. I can only listen to a number of radio stations without interference.
57 Good Reception
I read a nearby review about how this radio didn't pick up any stations in the Green Lake area of Seattle. I live about a mile from there and decided to go out on a limb (what the heck-it's only 25 bucks) anyway. I'm glad I did. This little rocket gets super reception and I'm convinced the batteries will never wear out. A must have for student/bus traveller/runner/bicyclist types like myself.
58 Koss PP257 Review
I agree with "An electronics fan" - ignore the bad review. It's light, it will mount easily on anything, and reception is good enough in both bands indoors and out. I used to live close to Green Lake - this radio WILL pick up local AM and FM stations there. If you want to receive distant stations, pick a more powerful radio and deal with the bulk and weight penalty.
59 Glad I ignored most of these reviews
I almost didn't buy this radio after reading the reviews about poor reception. Saw it at a local store and decided to give it a try anyway since I liked the price and styling compared to all the others. I use the radio mostly inside (in my basement for treadmill workouts), and have found that the reception and sound quality are excellent. No problems with receiving stations or static during movement, and even AM comes in loud and clear--in fact, better than on any other radio in my home. I'm curious why people have had such poor luck with this unit. Thought I should put in my 2 cents worth and let you know that it works great here in Salt Lake. I love this thing! Buy it from Amazon and save yourself a few bucks....
60 A MUST FOR THOSE LONG RUNS
Trained for a marathon with this radio. Found no receptionproblems outdoors in Philadelphia area (does not work indoors). Greatvalue for the radio features, but forget about the stop watch. All the serious runners I know have a special wrist watch for this purpose anyway, so it's redundant. END
61 Very Disappointed
I purchased this Koss radio because it was small, light-weight, and had a stop watch feature which would be perfect to use during my workouts at Green Lake in Seattle. I was so excited when it arrived, but my excitement quickly changed to disappointment the first time I tried to use it and didn't get any reception. I know there is great reception at Green Lake because I have a larger Walkman that works just fine. My advice to potential buyers would be... Don't waste your time, you will likely be as disappointed as I am!
62 Poor reception in and out of the city
I bought this radio to use on the walking portions of my daily commute from downtown Chicago to the suburbs (I take the train in between). Unfortunately the reception is terrible in both places: multiple stations fading in and out with bursts of static common. I had hoped that the digital tuning would give improved reception over my old analog Sony, but no! I may have to fish the old Sony out of the trash -- as bad as it can be, it's better than this one, alas. Very disappointing!
63 Can't
Not a good product if you plan on using the timer when running. This product wants you to be either in timing mode or radio mode. You CAN listen to the radio while the timer is on, but if you want to change the tuner, volume, etc... you must stop your watch :-( Not very practical and poor planning on Koss's part. If you just want to use the radio then the product is fine.
64 DO NOT BUY A SONY
I have been through two Sony's, to the tune of $180 in the last year and a half. The worst reception ever, this little number for $28 is a much better value!
65 Easy functions, pretty good reception
At half the price of the Sony, this armband is well worth it. For the average runner, you really don't need anything more complicated. I get good reception and although the earphones take some getting used to, they're pretty secure.
66 This tough little radio is great!
I take this in my gym bag -- toss it on the bottom, throw it around and it still works great! I've had BAD luck with Sony -- I think their products have decreased in quality lately. I think the reception is fine (though I only use it to listen to the rebroadcast of the TV sound at the health club. It is an inexpensive radio -- if you don't need anything fancy -- this is your best bet.
67 It's very competitively priced given the features
I bought this to replace a much more expensive SONY (the arm band on the SONY broke after a few months of use). I can't comment on the durability yet but so far, I'm pretty happy. The buttons are a little small but the reception is good. The headphones take a little getting used to but I'm starting to like them.
68 Bad reception, goofy control buttons, earphones(??!!)
Local stations drift in and out. You have to twist it up in front of your face to figure out which of the many little buttons changes stations. After several weeks' use, you still wonder "what in the world does that knob do?". Look at this stupid earphones -- worthless. Get a Sony!
69 Really bad reception
Constant static with nearly all radio stations, even stations with very powerful recievers. I returned mine after one use...
