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Makes my exercise routine, well...LESS routine!
Pros
Lots of presets, lightweight and comfortable, great sound quality, easy to operate while exercising.
Cons
FM reception can be spotty (but better than other portable radios I've owned).
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
A comfortable, truly portable radio with loads of presets, easy-to-operate controls, and decent reception (for a portable radio).
As a person who hates exercise, I've found that some sort of distraction while working out is essential to keep me sticking to my 4 times per week exercise routine. My distraction when I walk outside is listening to tunes or NPR on my ancient Aiwa portable radio/cassette player. The radio (I don't ever use the cassette player any more) still works fine, but the AM-FM toggle switch broke off years ago, limiting me to FM stations only. It's also not quite as portable as I'd like. Since I swing hand weights around while walking and I don't always wear workout gear with pockets, I usually end up stashing it in my waistband or my sports bra. Neither of these options is terribly comfortable or practical (and both usually result in – gross! – a sweaty radio), so I went in search of another portable audio solution. I'm pleased that I ended up choosing the Sony Walkman SRF-HM33.
Why the SRF-HM33?
While comparison shopping, I knew I couldn't live without a few features in a new portable radio. First, I didn't want one that I had to wear on or in my clothing (those chintzy belt clips never work worth a darn). I thought I'd prefer a headphone radio over an armband radio for comfort. Also, many of the reviews I read for armband radios complained that they weren't designed for smaller arms (despite the hand weights, mine are pretty much Olive Oyl-esque). I also knew that the radio I chose must have digital tuning and a plethora of presets. It's just impractical to be spinning an analog dial around searching for stations while exercising. I also found that the 5 FM presets I had on my Aiwa just weren't enough for my short attention span. Finally, while I wanted a quality product, I didn't want to pay a ton for it.
Besides ultra-cheap, bare-bones, no-brand models, I found there are few players in the headphone radio market besides Sony. Given my other criteria, I ended up choosing between the SRF-HM33 and Sony's SRF-HM01V. Both are digital, AM/FM radios with 5 AM and 15 FM presets. The SRF-HM01V has the additional feature of allowing you to tune into (and preset to 5 of) the audio feeds from local TV stations, but I was more interested in listening to music than Good Morning America on my walks. More importantly, I wasn't willing to pay $20 more for this feature that I wouldn't often use. Also, reviewers had complained that the behind-the-head design of the SRF-HM01V can be unwieldy and tends to fall off of smaller heads like mine.
My experience with the SRF-HM33
First impressions/setup: I was impressed that the unit itself is not much bigger or clunkier than a standard pair of headphones. The only major design difference is a 5" antenna protruding from the right earpiece that's topped with an orange reflector tip. All the controls, which are comparable to ones you'll find on any portable radio (on/off switch, tuning buttons, "mode" button for presetting stations, band control, etc.), are contained on the outside of each earpiece. The SRF-HM33 also has a couple of nifty features that you might not find on all portable radios: a digital clock, a battery power indicator, "Mega Bass", and the ability to set the "FM Sens" from "DX" to "local" in areas where there is radio wave interference.
Once I installed the 2 AAA batteries (not included) required for operation, I found that tuning, band, volume, and clock set controls were are all pretty intuitive. Presetting stations, however, was not, so I needed to carefully follow the manual in order to figure out how to do this. However, once I knew the drill it took less than 5 minutes for me to program.
On my head: As I put on the SRF-HM33, I was amazed at how light and comfortable it was. With batteries, it weighs a mere 6 ounces. It felt only slightly heavier than my standard portable radio headphones. It also stayed put during normal walking, but tended to slip when I bent over to stretch after my walk. I wear the SRF-HM33 at its smallest setting, but it's adjustable to fit a variety of head sizes.
On the road: My biggest concern before buying the SRF-HM33 was FM reception - which other reviewers had complained about - since we live in far-flung suburbs about halfway between the two major broadcasting cities in our area. Indeed, FM reception is my only complaint about the SRF-HM33, but I consider it a problem with all portable radios and not this particular product. My old Aiwa portable radio had worse reception, and a cheapie Emerson portable radio I picked up while out of town was still worse. Even my Sony boombox with a much taller antenna has about the same reception when I drag it outside. With the SRF-HM33, I get great reception on about 5 of my preset FM stations. The other 10 I've preset are intermittently staticky or fade out depending on where I am in my walk. However, I find that the sheer number of available presets (15 FM vs. 5 for my old radio) allows me to find something decent to listen to no matter what. To combat static, I tried switching the "FM Sens" from "DX" to "local", but this only made the problem worse. I get the impression that this feature would only be useful if your problem is interference from other radio wave sources, not that you are located too far away from the transmitters for the stations you're trying to receive. As far as AM goes, I receive the only two AM stations I ever listen to with no problem.
My other pleasant surprise was the GREAT sound quality. Perhaps it's because I'm used to my prehistoric Aiwa (it was state of the art at the time, but I'm sure there have been major advances in portable audio quality since 1989!), but I was blown away by the nuances I heard in music using the SRF-HM33. In fact, on my first day with the Sony I found myself listening to a crappy Phil Collins ballad that I normally would have clicked past in a nanosecond just because it sounded SO good! I didn't find that the "Mega Bass" feature added anything to sound quality – in fact, it just distorted the sound.
Another plus was the easy-to-use controls. I found that I could easily control what I needed to without ever having to slow down, stop, or remove the headphones. On the right earpiece, the up and down arrows used to tune manually or switch between presets and the button to change from AM to FM are large (about the size of my fingertip) and easy to find. Also, when you reach the beginning or end of your programmed presets you hear a double beep, which helps navigation. The volume control wheel on the back of the left earpiece is a bit smaller and more difficult to manipulate, which can be both an advantage (won't turn by itself, as happened when my old radio used to rub against my pocket lining) and a disadvantage (harder to "crank it up!" when you find a good tune).
Other considerations
I've only owned my SRF-HM33 a short time, so I can't comment on battery life or long-term performance. According to the manual, 2 AAA alkaline batteries provide about 43 hours of FM listening, which would give me more than 80 30-minute walks. Fine by me. The unit also comes with a 1-year limited warranty from Sony.
The SRF-HM333 suits me well, and I recommend it for those who want a comfortable, truly portable radio with a load of presets. If FM reception in your area is marginal on other portable devices, however, don't expect that the SRF-HM33 will miraculously solve this problem.
Why the SRF-HM33?
While comparison shopping, I knew I couldn't live without a few features in a new portable radio. First, I didn't want one that I had to wear on or in my clothing (those chintzy belt clips never work worth a darn). I thought I'd prefer a headphone radio over an armband radio for comfort. Also, many of the reviews I read for armband radios complained that they weren't designed for smaller arms (despite the hand weights, mine are pretty much Olive Oyl-esque). I also knew that the radio I chose must have digital tuning and a plethora of presets. It's just impractical to be spinning an analog dial around searching for stations while exercising. I also found that the 5 FM presets I had on my Aiwa just weren't enough for my short attention span. Finally, while I wanted a quality product, I didn't want to pay a ton for it.
Besides ultra-cheap, bare-bones, no-brand models, I found there are few players in the headphone radio market besides Sony. Given my other criteria, I ended up choosing between the SRF-HM33 and Sony's SRF-HM01V. Both are digital, AM/FM radios with 5 AM and 15 FM presets. The SRF-HM01V has the additional feature of allowing you to tune into (and preset to 5 of) the audio feeds from local TV stations, but I was more interested in listening to music than Good Morning America on my walks. More importantly, I wasn't willing to pay $20 more for this feature that I wouldn't often use. Also, reviewers had complained that the behind-the-head design of the SRF-HM01V can be unwieldy and tends to fall off of smaller heads like mine.
My experience with the SRF-HM33
First impressions/setup: I was impressed that the unit itself is not much bigger or clunkier than a standard pair of headphones. The only major design difference is a 5" antenna protruding from the right earpiece that's topped with an orange reflector tip. All the controls, which are comparable to ones you'll find on any portable radio (on/off switch, tuning buttons, "mode" button for presetting stations, band control, etc.), are contained on the outside of each earpiece. The SRF-HM33 also has a couple of nifty features that you might not find on all portable radios: a digital clock, a battery power indicator, "Mega Bass", and the ability to set the "FM Sens" from "DX" to "local" in areas where there is radio wave interference.
Once I installed the 2 AAA batteries (not included) required for operation, I found that tuning, band, volume, and clock set controls were are all pretty intuitive. Presetting stations, however, was not, so I needed to carefully follow the manual in order to figure out how to do this. However, once I knew the drill it took less than 5 minutes for me to program.
On my head: As I put on the SRF-HM33, I was amazed at how light and comfortable it was. With batteries, it weighs a mere 6 ounces. It felt only slightly heavier than my standard portable radio headphones. It also stayed put during normal walking, but tended to slip when I bent over to stretch after my walk. I wear the SRF-HM33 at its smallest setting, but it's adjustable to fit a variety of head sizes.
On the road: My biggest concern before buying the SRF-HM33 was FM reception - which other reviewers had complained about - since we live in far-flung suburbs about halfway between the two major broadcasting cities in our area. Indeed, FM reception is my only complaint about the SRF-HM33, but I consider it a problem with all portable radios and not this particular product. My old Aiwa portable radio had worse reception, and a cheapie Emerson portable radio I picked up while out of town was still worse. Even my Sony boombox with a much taller antenna has about the same reception when I drag it outside. With the SRF-HM33, I get great reception on about 5 of my preset FM stations. The other 10 I've preset are intermittently staticky or fade out depending on where I am in my walk. However, I find that the sheer number of available presets (15 FM vs. 5 for my old radio) allows me to find something decent to listen to no matter what. To combat static, I tried switching the "FM Sens" from "DX" to "local", but this only made the problem worse. I get the impression that this feature would only be useful if your problem is interference from other radio wave sources, not that you are located too far away from the transmitters for the stations you're trying to receive. As far as AM goes, I receive the only two AM stations I ever listen to with no problem.
My other pleasant surprise was the GREAT sound quality. Perhaps it's because I'm used to my prehistoric Aiwa (it was state of the art at the time, but I'm sure there have been major advances in portable audio quality since 1989!), but I was blown away by the nuances I heard in music using the SRF-HM33. In fact, on my first day with the Sony I found myself listening to a crappy Phil Collins ballad that I normally would have clicked past in a nanosecond just because it sounded SO good! I didn't find that the "Mega Bass" feature added anything to sound quality – in fact, it just distorted the sound.
Another plus was the easy-to-use controls. I found that I could easily control what I needed to without ever having to slow down, stop, or remove the headphones. On the right earpiece, the up and down arrows used to tune manually or switch between presets and the button to change from AM to FM are large (about the size of my fingertip) and easy to find. Also, when you reach the beginning or end of your programmed presets you hear a double beep, which helps navigation. The volume control wheel on the back of the left earpiece is a bit smaller and more difficult to manipulate, which can be both an advantage (won't turn by itself, as happened when my old radio used to rub against my pocket lining) and a disadvantage (harder to "crank it up!" when you find a good tune).
Other considerations
I've only owned my SRF-HM33 a short time, so I can't comment on battery life or long-term performance. According to the manual, 2 AAA alkaline batteries provide about 43 hours of FM listening, which would give me more than 80 30-minute walks. Fine by me. The unit also comes with a 1-year limited warranty from Sony.
The SRF-HM333 suits me well, and I recommend it for those who want a comfortable, truly portable radio with a load of presets. If FM reception in your area is marginal on other portable devices, however, don't expect that the SRF-HM33 will miraculously solve this problem.
