A few weeks ago, I was jolted by a small earthquake here in Southern California, so I naturally searched for my transistor radio to see if there was any news about the location and severity. However, I couldnโt find that radio, in spite of my frantic search for it. Thatโs when I went to Amazon to find a new one, and I was bewildered by the vast quantity and variety available for sale. I decided I wanted a small but simple one, without that bothersome antenna, or fancy digitized controls. I finally spotted the tiny Prunus J-985 model, which was a basic analog transistor radio, with no speakers, and where the provided earbuds also served as the antenna. It had an on/off switch, an AM/FM switch, a tuner wheel for selecting the stations, and a sound volume wheel. In other words, all the basics with no additional bells and whistles to add to the cost. It also had a metal clip for sturdy attachment to clothing. It was very light weight, and very smallโฆabout two thirds the size of a deck of cards, and all for only $17. Perfect!I read the accompanying blurb on the Amazon page, touting the features of this item, but like all such devices made in China these days, it sounded like it was written by a junior high school student who would have received a C- grade if it was a class project. But I decided to buy it anyway, because it also came with a DSP chip, That stands for Digital Signal Processor, which is supposed to be a chip primarily used in calculators. (I was sure it had its uses in radios as well.)When the gizmo arrived, I inserted two rechargeable AAA batteries, attached the earbuds, and began listening. (Tip: Buy a good pair of lengthy earbuds, e.g. from Sony, because the longer wire makes for clearer sound and the ear pieces are more comfortable.) Bottom line? The unit worked well. Quality of sound? About what youโd expect for a 17 dollar analog transistor radio. After all, โanalogโ means simple or usual, and thatโs what the quality wasโฆsimple and usual. Actually, it was better than I expected, because it picked up almost every station in the surrounding geographic area. I even had a little trouble focusing the tuner wheel to the stations that I wanted because there were so many nearby stations broadcasting their diverse signals. I listen to my favorite AM stations when Iโm in my car, but I donโt think Iโll be using my little Prunus, until thereโs another earthquake or power outage, etc. Why? Because the number of sequential commercials on AM radio is a real turnoff. Give me Youtube, where you can zap the commercials after a few seconds. Canโt do that with a radio. Still, five stars for my cute little boom box.
