I believe that the following comments, written gradually over 4 days while constantly searching the machine, will give you a fairly complete picture of it (the initial evaluation is the last one and anything I discovered afterwards is added on top).
- 27/4/21 -
If it gets disconnected from the power (or if the power goes out), it loses the presets.
For our time, this is unacceptable, considering that the presets can be filled manually and selectively (so the 20 presets are enough) and not automatically, where only the first 20 stations fit and they are not even sufficient for a sample - the usual number is 50 presets from what I have seen on other devices, although there should be even more for the job to be done properly if there is only an automatic process.
You might say, how often does the power go out? It doesn't matter, you shouldn't have to go through the process of filling the presets with your preferred stations again (because automatic doesn't work with only 20 presets), something that takes time and effort, and some people who have this device and you did this process for them may not be able to do it themselves and end up disappointed.
Take that into consideration.
I don't know if I'm being picky with such a cheap device that has everything, even Bluetooth, but for me... it's not worth more than 3 stars (1 star minus for the issue with the radio presets and 1 more star minus for the issue with playing audio or mp3 music). That's what it deserves.
- 25/4/21 -
I found out that you can save your preferred stations in the presets, even though the manual doesn't mention it, so what I wrote in the initial evaluation is invalid. From that, take into account the inconvenient way the radio search is done and other issues related to the device's functionality and performance.
Therefore, it gets 3.5 stars, which I round down to 3 stars (which might slightly underestimate it overall) for a price of 45 euros or even less, because it doesn't start playing the music immediately but with a slight delay (because it starts from 0 and quickly increases the volume), which can affect the sound quality at the beginning, as I explained in detail in the initial evaluation (if it wasn't for this issue, I would definitely give it 4 stars).
With the TUN+ or TUN- buttons, you can go to the next or previous station respectively, press the MODE button and a preset position flashes on the screen, if it suits you, press the MODE button again to save it, if not, press the PRE+ or PRE- to go to the desired preset number and then press MODE to complete the entry.
Yes, you can buy it. It does everything it should, with a reservation regarding the proper playback of the beginning of music tracks.
-------------------------Initial Evaluation-------------------------
Initial impressions and if necessary (which I don't think so), a more comprehensive evaluation later.
First of all... why you shouldn't buy it (NO LONGER VALID - but I won't delete the following so you can see how an inadequate manual can hide functions of a device and mislead you).
It only has 20 presets on the radio, which are filled automatically and not based on your own choices (which would be okay). They are filled up to approximately station 94 or something. To reach any other next station, you have to press and hold the TUN+ button. So, if you have favorite stations after the 20th memory, you will have a very bad time because they cannot be stored in memories and to tune into them you will suffer, because holding down the TUN+ button you cannot skip stations since the search stops at the next one and you have to lift your finger off the button and then press and hold it again and again and again and again and eventually you will succeed (it would be better if the receiver was analog with a dial and a digital display preferably). The manual does not mention any non-automatic process for memories so there is no hope. Other cheap devices have at least 50 memories so things are not so bad. But even if by holding down the TUNING button the search continued bypassing stations until you released it, something would happen. If someone has discovered something on this issue (which seems impossible) let them say it, but based on the manual and what happens in practice there is nothing different from what I describe. So the radio can become a very frustrating and time-consuming process for someone who does not put it on a station and forgets about it. Truly unacceptable.
As for the rest:
- smart sound, it doesn't bother you at all
- very good radio reception
- it has previous and next folder for mp3 (something completely necessary in my opinion)
- it takes a moment for the sound to start in the track (either in audio format or mp3) or, more accurately, it quickly increases the volume starting from 0, resulting in missing something from the first note if the track starts immediately, so the beginning seems a bit cut off and that is not pleasant at all
- it has a fairly good volume for the genre, the price, and its size when the signal is normal or high, it shows its limits with some crackling and distortion when you turn it up too much, but also if the music has a lot of bass, and when you turn it up, the sound hardens from a certain point, i.e. it does not tolerate quite high volumes and it may annoy a little, but close to its limits, depending on the music
- build quality may be worse than what I chose (among other things, there is quite a bit of noise from the CD mechanism during its operation and I have not yet assessed how accurately it reads without problems, I have not put many CDs in it yet - but it happened with a track of a CD to have a little reading problem, I took it out, put it back in, played the same track and it read it normally and since then it reads it without any problem)
In the end, for me definitely NO, purely because of the radio (CANCEL THAT, WE ALREADY SAID THAT).
The above applies to the 45 euros I bought it for, but also (as I made clear) especially for anyone who wants to handle and use a radio properly (unless you don't mind listening to the radio from your mobile with Bluetooth, where at least you can easily choose any station you want just by using the machine (with its wireless input) as an amplifier, but you also drain the battery of your mobile that way).
If it wasn't for the issue of the unacceptable radio, for the reason I mentioned earlier, the stars would be 3 or 4.
S.D.