Retro style with the ability to manually fine-tune
This radio is almost like they used to make them. It has some modern features like a headphone jack and the option to plug it in or use batteries. It can receive AM and FM frequencies, able to be fine-tuned manually. It does not have the ability to tune into weather or emergency frequencies. It's lightweight and has a large carrying handle, great for hanging up somewhere. The speaker is quite large and the antenna extends a good amount. It comes with a user manual and outlet plug.
H
Houston
★★★★★
A true analog radio with no DSP chip.
Pros:
This radio is a true analog radio with no DSP (Digital Signal Processing) chip.
Powered by 2 standard "D" batteries.
Powered by a standard AC power cord that is user replaceable.
Receives AM and FM.
Speaker is loud and very powerful for its size.
Has a warmer analog sound like a traditional radio.
Has a true off switch so there is no phantom power draw when not in use.
Has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Has a carry handle so it is easily portable.
Cons:
Antenna is weak and should be thicker and stronger.
Volume wheel is reversed, turn up to lower volume, turn down to raise volume.
Station selectivity could be a bit better.
Headphone jack is mono only.
Lacks shortwave or weather band.
Lacks a tuning LED.
Lacks a backlight or flashlight.
I have to say, I'm thrilled that PRUNUS released this new analog radio. Almost all radios have gone to using DSP chips these days and it is extremely rare to find a true analog radio anymore. Most of these radios that appear to be analog just have analog controls, but they still have a DSP chip and are in reality digital, but this is a true analog radio just like in the old days. This radio tunes and sounds like a radio from back in the 80's or 90's, and that's a good thing. This radio is a pleasure to tune and to listen to.
This radio also gets quite loud for its size, so it makes for a great portable radio to use in a garage or outdoors. The speaker and tone seem to be optimized for the spoken word, so it works well for talk radio. I also like the classic look.
It can be powered for a long time on 2 D batteries or it can be powered directly from a standard AC outlet. It also uses a standard AC cord, so if the cord ever becomes lost or damaged, you can easily source a new one to replace it.
If I could, I would rate this as 4.5 stars, because it certainly does have some room for improvement, but I'm just so thrilled to see a new analog radio released in modern times that I've tried to be generous and overlook its minor flaws, so I'm rounding up my rating to 5 stars.
At its current sale price of $19.99, I would rate this as a very good value for the money. This is not only a good radio, but it is also a very rare radio since almost all new radios are digital these days. Highly recommended.
True North Reviews
★★★★★
Perfect Shop Radio—Loud Speaker and Reliable AC Power
This review is for the PRUNUS 06 Analog AM FM Radio Portable with PVC Chip, Battery Operated and AC Plug, Large Speaker Excellent Sound, Excellent Reception, Gifts for Seniors, Battery Operated Radio
As someone who spends a lot of time in the shop, I’ve finally found a radio that actually works well in my shop environment.
Performance and Sound:
• Shop-Ready Volume: The large speaker is plenty loud enough to be heard. Whether it's music or talk shows, the audio doesn't get distorted at higher volumes.
• Excellent Reception: The analog tuning and telescopic antenna do a great job of pulling in my preferred stations.
• Simplicity: The design is plain and unsophisticated.
Power and Portability:
• Dual Power Modes: The best feature for my shop use is the AC plug. Being able to plug it into a wall outlet means I’m no longer a "slave to recharging" every day or two. I don't have to worry about the radio shutting down in the middle of a project because a built-in battery died.
• Battery Backup: For portability or power outages, it also runs on 2 D batteries. You can use standard or rechargeable batteries if you want to take it out into the yard or on a trip.
L. A. Jones
★★★★★
Classic Analog Radio – Simple, Reliable, and Portable
I absolutely love this old-school analog radio! No digital distractions, no Bluetooth, no fancy features—just a solid, no-nonsense radio. You can even plug in headphones, which I forgot to mention in my video.
The front features a classic dial with a frequency scale, and switching between AM and FM is super easy. The telescopic antenna helps with FM reception, and the flip-up handle makes it easy to carry. You can run it on 2 D batteries or use the included AC adapter.
While it’s mono, not stereo, and won’t give digital-perfect sound, it’s perfect for anyone who loves simple, old-school radios. Portable, easy to use, and genuinely enjoyable—I highly recommend it!
H
Heather
★★★★★
Great battery-powered radio for emergencies and power outages
I got this radio mainly to have a battery-operated option for emergencies, and it’s perfect for that. It can run on either batteries or AC power, which is really convenient, but the battery option was the most important feature for me. Living in Florida where hurricanes can cause extended power outages, it’s nice to have a reliable radio to stay informed.
The sound quality is surprisingly good, especially for a simple portable radio. It’s clear and loud enough to easily listen to news, weather updates, or music. The controls are also straightforward and easy to use.
Overall, this is a great radio to keep around the house or in an emergency kit. If you live in an area that experiences storms or power outages, it’s definitely a smart item to have on hand
OtakuN3rd
★★★★★
Great on paper, but poorly executed.
This is a very interesting radio, but unfortunately either mine is defective, or it is rather low quality.
First off, I LOVE that this radio really is a classic superheterodyne design. It is not one of those modern DSP-chip based circuits. Sadly, that's about where my praises end.
Reception is average on AM, and is extremely susceptible to interference - especially when plugged into AC. This is of no real surprise, and in line with what I was expecting. Reception on FM is easily swamped out by strong local radio stations. There is a 50kw station about 12 miles from me and it shows up in about 6 different spots across the dial. The lower power, but closer (10kw, 2 miles away) station shows up in two different spots. The selectivity is very poor with this radio. I was not expecting it to be a super sensitive long distance DX champion, but I was expecting it to not have repeated stations all over the dial.
Of note, there are a lot of manufacturing smudges from the factory on mine, and the clear plastic over the dial is a fingerprint magnet. I initially thought it was due to there being a protective film on it, but that does not seem to be the case.
The included power cord is extremely thin. I have never seen a cord so thin that plugs into AC mains here in the US. It makes old Christmas lights look heavy duty. Additionally, I would like to point out the paradox that the wall side of the cord is polarized, but the end that goes into the radio is not. Having taken it apart, its not a big deal that there is no meaningful polarization on the AC line cord as the AC is fed straight into the power transformer with no switch. The power switch is on the DC side of the power supply circuitry, so the AC portion is always live when plugged in. (Many devices are made this way. Its not so much a safety concern, aside from the thin cord, as it is energy inefficient.)
I would have loved to see a permanently attached power cord that has a stowage compartment in the back, similar to how radios like this were made in the late 80's and early 90's. That way, the cord would never get misplaced when switching between AC and battery.
Sound quality is kinda "meh" even for a basic single-speaker portable radio. It has no mid range so ends up sounding both tinny and muffled at the same time. It is clear enough to understand, and adequate for basic listening.
The two main chips in this radio are a D2822ML 2-channel audio amplifier and a CD2003GB radio on a chip. While the audio amplifier uses a stereo amplifier IC, this is most definitely a mono radio (even if using headphones).
In the end, as much as I love older radio designs and circuits, it seems we have lost our ability to master analog circuitry and get the glorious performance of old. The concept here is great, but the execution is poor. I can only hope that someone comes up with a newer, better design to keep the fully analog circuitry alive as when done right can outperform modern DSP designs in many ways.
M
Mother-of-10
★★★★★
This took me back to my childhood, love it!
The super nostalgic sound from this vintage radio brought me back to childhood when Dad would listen to talk radio. I listened to it for hours and it gets super loud, but it seems to have such a pure analog sound coming from it that is warmer than the digital music we have become accustomed to. It has a slot for the D batteries but I just use the AC plug. Surprisingly I was able to pick up plenty of FM stations and listen to everything on this thing. I love it and am pleasantly surprised to see this is still available to purchase in this digital world. Thank you for bringing a touch of the past to my home with this high quality radio.
N. B. Kennedy
★★★★★
Nice little radio, especially for FM stations
Anything vintage, anything analog, anything historic... count me in! I use a radio only to tune into the games of my favorite baseball team. I have a NOAA weather radio that works well if I'm watching the games at the same time. But there are times I want to just listen in while I'm reading, washing dishes or doing something else in another room of the house. It will be nice to have a second radio so I don't have to carry one around.
This radio is actually a little bigger than my other radio. It's 5 x 8 inches, excluding the handle. It's lighter than a similarly sized radio, which is both good and bad. Easy to carry, but likely made of a lot of plastic parts. The cord is about 4 feet long. The handle flips up.
To test the radio's signal strength, I tuned into WFAN, 101.9, an FM station out of New York City. The signal was super clear. However, the AM counterpart, 66, didn't come in at all. We're some distance from NYC, about an hour by car, so I wouldn't expect to be able to get the AM signal that well. Tuning the radio up and down the dial, a lot of stations came in, some so close together that I couldn't separate them. But for my purposes, the radio is great to have.
My biggest complaint is that it is a bear to get the cord plugged into the receptor on the back of the radio. Also, I couldn't get the antenna out of it's clip -- I needed help with this task. If you're giving this radio to an older person, you might want to do those jobs for them. The battery compartment door opened with some pressure -- you might want to do that for your recipient as well.
daUPhere
★★★★★
Retro, Simple, but Powerful
This is a really cool retro analog AM/FM radio. At first, I was taken aback by its simplicity, but then I started to feel nostalgic, as it’s like the radios of my younger years.
It’s may look pretty basic but it’s got some power to it. Without even extending the antenna, I was able to pic up so many FM stations- some just miniscule distances from each other on the dial. So it’s quite precise.
It’s got great sound. When you get it tuned in perfectly to an FM station, the sound is crystal clear, as loud as you choose, and without static. As far as AM, when I first tried it out, I was able to pick up one AM station, but when I did the video, I couldn’t pick up any. But I also didn’t have the antenna extended when I did the video. I have never had luck with AM on any radio, to be honest with you.
It’s well made, simple black plastic, but smooth and without any mars at all. Really nice quality. It’s got the tuning dial and on/off/volume dial on the right side. It’s also got a headphone port, because of course it doesn’t have Bluetooth. And it’s got a carrying handle across the top. Small enough to be taken on the go, like to a party or the beach.
You can operate with a wall cord, or 2 D batteries. The wall cord does come off, making it truly portable. The battery compartment is, of course, on the back, as well as the plug in for the power cord. Truthfully, I’d rather have the power cord connect to one of the sides, but that’s just nitpicking.
I really love this radio, as simple as it is. I don’t have anything negative to say about it. And I think the price point is fair, considering the great quality of the radio.
R
RP
★★★★★
Prunus quality is Excellent quality.
If you want a straight forward radio this is your baby. It has the advantage of playing on either 2 D batteries which should last for years. Or, a 120 v wall plug. It will play loud. On the negative side it has no tuning light, which I like. It also has a power light. The dial is easy to see. This is a well built Prunus and Prunus is a quality product !
K
Ken_Ind
★★★★★
Good sound; OK reception; excellent battery life
To know what this radio is and isn't, you have to take a step back and realize that most portable radios these days contain a DSP (Digital Signal Processing) chip that actually receives the stations. So, when you "tune" these radios all you're really doing is directing the chip to go to a certain frequency. There are pluses and minuses to this. DSP radios tend to be quite selective and reasonably sensitive, but tuning them doesn't really feel like it used to. For one thing, you have to move the tuning dial very slowly, otherwise you will go past the station without hearing a thing.
This Prunus radio, on the other hand, operates on an old-school analog chip rather than DSP - so you get the tuning feel you had on a radio up until the 1990s or so, where you have to actually tune the station in by sweeping the tuning dial back and forth to get the best reception. While this sounds like tuning an analog radio is harder, it's not - t's actually easier because you can hear the stations even if you move the tuning knob quickly. Once you find the station you want, just move the tuning knob a little back and forth to get the best signal, and you're good to go.
So, how well does this radio actually receive stations? There have been some excellent receivers made using both analog and DSP chips, so I had high hopes for this one as an excellent analog radio. It's good in many respects, but just looking at the reception, it's OK but not great. AM is clean and uses a fairly wide bandwidth, so the sound quality is better than typical for AM, but the radio is not extremely sensitive on AM. Your local and regional AM stations are going to sound good and come in fine, but if you're looking to pull in the more distant ones, this isn't the ideal radio for that.
FM is somewhat more sensitive than AM, but it exhibits so-so selectivity. In my area, FM stations are pretty close together on the dial, so there are some instances when I get two stations at the same time and there is no way I can fine-tune that out on this radio. This is somewhat a function of the analog chip, but there are analog radios that have better selectivity than this one.
But on the brighter side, this radio does have very good sound and gets quite loud, so it would be an excellent outdoor radio. Also, using two D-size batteries, I would expect the battery life to be outstanding. I loaded in two D batteries when I got this and I have played it for several hours with no signs of them weakening. There is a power cord provided, so you can also plug this radio in and not worry about buying batteries at all.
So, while this radio is not the highest-performing one you could buy in terms of reception, if your main goal is to listen to to local and regional stations with very good sound, this Prunus analog radio is an excellent choice. Especially for people who don't like fiddling with something, the user experience is far better on this radio than it is on a typical DSP radio.
B
Bernard K. Skoch
★★★★★
If you can live with a few minor quirks, it's a good value...
For what is intended, this radio does a fine job. It receives both AM and FM stations very well. Far more AM stations can be heard at night, and that is typical.
Sound quality is good. Treble sounds are clear, so human speech comes through very clearly. Music sound quality is okay, but low frequency (bass) sounds are so-so.
The materials used are good. The plastic used for the case has a nice satin finish that should resist fingerprints and minor scrapes well. The plastic used for the dial cover is clear plastic free from warps or major distortion.
Tuning was smooth but very sensitive to even a slight nudge of the small tuning knob, but it worked fine if I was careful with it. The volume control worked fine and worked quietly, producing no scratchy noise when I adjusted it.
The fact that it operates equally well on two D cell batteries or wall current is a definite plus, especially for emergency preparedness. Interestingly, switching between battery power and AC wall current requires sliding a well-marked front panel switch from "BATT" to "AC." It's not even a minor nuisance (it's easily enough done), but most dual-powered portable radios I have used automatically detect if wall current is present and switch to it if it is available. Not a big deal but notable.
Fit and finish are okay, but I was a bit annoyed by the tuning indicator (a red vertical bar) that visibly leaned to the right at its top. I was amused also by the warning embossed into the back panel that reads "CAUTION DO NOT OPEN RISK OR ELECTRIC SHOCK." That's a minor typo, but still...
Overall the radio works fine. If you can live with minor quirks, I'd suggest that you consider this as a good thing to have as a battery-operated radio if your power goes off. (Just be sure to throw the front panel switch to "BATT.") It's a good value.
A
Alexander S. White
★★★★★
A Well Performing No-Frills AM/FM Radio With an Analog Tuning Dial
Over the past several months I have experimented with several radio receivers, to see which ones are useful for listening to AM and FM broadcasts at my location. All of those radios were digital, so that when you operate the tuning control, you see a digital readout of the frequency you have dialed in. This Prunus radio, by contrast, is advertised as an “analog” radio that uses an old-style tuning dial. With this system, when you turn the tuning dial, an indicator band travels across the dial to show approximately what frequency you have tuned the radio to.
I am not an expert on radio technology, but I did notice some difference in how this radio operates compared to the digital models. It seemed to me that I could hear some interference from weaker stations when I moved the indicator across the dial, both for AM and for FM. Once the indicator landed on a station with a strong signal, though, the station came in loud and clear. So, if you want to hear the stronger stations available in your area, this radio does fine.
In the area where I live, there are quite a few FM stations with strong signals, and this radio did a good job of picking them up. There are not very many AM stations with good signals, but this radio was able to pick up the few stations that broadcast a clear signal in this area.
This is definitely a no-frills radio, and that is fine with me. It has a clear frequency indicator window, and the volume and tuning controls perform their basic functions well. The built-in telescoping antenna, which helps to improve reception of FM stations, extends about 24 ½ inches above the radio and does a good job.
There is no way to connect an AM antenna to this radio, but AM reception can be significantly improved by the use of a passive loop antenna that stands next to the radio without connecting to it.
The radio can be powered by connecting it to a standard electrical outlet with the included cord, or by inserting two “D” size batteries.
If you are looking for a plain, budget-priced radio that performs basic AM and FM reception quite well, this one would be a good choice, especially if you like the idea of analog operation rather than digital.
V
veneilijä
★★★★★
Great little radio
The idea of an old school radio with an analog tuner really appealed to me. I was not disappointed, the tuner lets you fine tune a weak or fringe station really well. It was a good sound for a small speaker radio. The headphone Jack works well and solves the small speaker issue. One thing I wish it had is a dial light for tuning in low light. It has a good look. Just a good, simple, radio.
R. Andrade
★★★★★
Small radio with great sound
Excellent little radio, this Prunus radio is great for emergencies, it has AM and FM and operates with AC power and batteries, the battery operation is impressive, it lasts a long time. The radio has a large speaker so the sound is clear, it has nice dynamic range with deep bass and crisp highs and is pretty loud also. The materials are lightweight and seem good quality. Bear in mind this is an inexpensive radio and not a luxury device. But it does the job well. This is a perfect size radio for camping and emergencies or if you want to sit outside and listen to regular broadcasts. My only comment is that I wish it had SW band to listen to international stations.
