[DrBenway]

I just went to the Sonystyle website to see if I could order an SRF-59 pocket radio. I was greeted with a line of text that read "no longer available."

This is very sad to me, as it seems virtually certain that this epochal product has been discontinued. For well over 10 years, I owned one after another of these fantastic pocket radios. I have never found a better one, and I don't expect to.

The SRF-59 was, first of all, a wonderful sounding AM/FM radio. Reception was superb, and stereo separation was impressive. The whole thing was about half the size of a pack of cigarettes. It paired beautifully with PortaPros.

And it was completely, unapologetically analog. Tuning was via a thumb-wheel, as was volume control. It ran -- literally for days -- on a single AA battery.

All this for $15.

OK, call me old and irrelevant, but it kills me that there is no longer room in this gadget-mad world for such a simple, elegant, effective product. But let's be real. It didn't display pictures of your cat or video of your wedding (and a freakin' radio really should, huh?) It didn't surf the net. It didn't tell you where to find a bathroom, and it didn't cook breakfast. Who needs such a useless thing?

It was just a brilliant radio, nothing more and nothing less. Sigh.

 

[SHADYMILKMAN]

amazon will help.

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHADYMILKMAN /img/forum/go_quote.gif amazon will help.

I'm going to check some local NYC retailers who have stocked it in the past. Amazon is a good idea as well. I should probably do that quickly, since I doubt prices will remain reasonable for very long, even for used units.

The last time this happened to me was when iRiver discontinued the SlimX-550. For over a month, they sold b-stock units in their online outlet store, for $30 each. I somehow never got around to it, and then they were all gone.

 

[righteousball]

I feel your pain... I had the SRF-49 almost a decade ago and it was wonderful. Radio is something that Sony has absolute supremacy over... no room for doubt like the walkman (mp3) line has sometimes

I wanted to get an SRF-59 but when I looked I couldn't find anyone on ebay to ship overseas, so I got an SRF-M37 instead, but its sensitivity isn't really suited to non-US signals (either too strong or too weak). I also bought the M260 which is a larger portable radio, on the strength of Japanese word of mouth, and AM sounds incredible on it, bright and breezy.

The FM tuner in a lot of Sony products are very good, whatever they are, but the dedicated radios really do have that extra something in the timbre. It's just a shame that I don't necessarily want to listen to the content on my local radio; I contemplated buying a noise-canceling walkman, so I can use the line-in feature to listen to internet radio.

 

[tds101]

Sony SRF-59

 

[christine]

OP, do you have a Frys Electronics in your area? Mine still has the SRF-59 for $14.99.

FRYS.com*|*Sony

Available online, too.

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by righteousball /img/forum/go_quote.gif The FM tuner in a lot of Sony products are very good, whatever they are, but the dedicated radios really do have that extra something in the timbre.

I've freaked out so many people over the years with that little radio. I'd just casually say something like, "Do you like this song?" and slip the phones over their ears (the SRF-59 sounds amazing with PortaPros!) "Yeah," they would invariably say, "And your player sounds really good!" Then I would inform them that they were listening to FM. Reactions ranged from mild surprise to "Wait...that's a radio? Really?"

And you are so right about the AM performance on Sony products. AM reception is pretty terrible in Manhattan because of all the tall buildings (multipath distortion, I think it's called.) But in any area with halfway decent conditions, the AM reception in the SRF-59 rocks, too.


Quote:

Originally Posted by nywytboy68 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sony SRF-59

Quote:

Originally Posted by christine /img/forum/go_quote.gif OP, do you have a Frys Electronics in your area? Mine still has the SRF-59 for $14.99. FRYS.com*|*Sony Available online, too.

Thanks, everyone for all of the suggestions. We don't, as far as I know, have Fry's in NYC (I could be wrong.) But B&H is just a few stops downtown on the subway from me; I am definitely going to pay them a visit later in the week.

 

[Nagasaki_Kid]

refurbish srf 59 at sonystyle
are in stock.

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nagasaki_Kid /img/forum/go_quote.gif refurbish srf 59 at sonystyle are in stock.

For $10, no less! Thanks for the tip.

 

[DrBenway]

Well, in an uncharacteristically resolute move, I went to B&H earlier this week and bought an SRF-59. I bought three of them actually. At $11.89 each, they seemed like a surreal bargain. So now I have one that will hopefully last a couple of years or more, and two others chilling in my closet until needed.
 
My pocket radio needs are met for the foreseeable future. 

 

[JK1]

Has Sony finally discontinued the SRF-59? Recently B&H suddenly raised their price on the SRF-59 from $15 to $30. If the SRF-59 is indeed discontinued, will there be a replacement? Anyone here know of any other low priced portable stereo radios with exceptionally long battery life? Getting 100 hours of run time from just one AA battery is great.
 
PS. I just found a page on the Sony Style website that says it is discontinued. Sometimes though, I think an item might be listed as discontinued on Sony Style if Sony Style stops selling it, but perhaps the company is still making it?
 
http://store.sony.com/walkman-am-fm-stereo-radio-zid27-SRF59SILVER/cat-27-catid-EOL-Small-Home_Electronics

 

[Jackson 6]

I'm holding mine right now, a bit dusty from a few years of non use. Not bad, but it had appalling signal fix, and could not be used outdoors, so I got the doyenne, the Pure Move 2500. You want that Magnum Dynalab touch, there is no equal.

 

[JK1]

It seems like the SRF-59 is discontinued at least for now. Sometimes though Sony reinstates discontinued products if there is enough demand for it, such as what the did for the V6 headphone many years ago.