I'm so glad I found this radio, especially for a good price. I've missed listening to the radio, since nowadays it's been streaming apps left and right. This radio let's me take a step back and enjoy music as I did growing up.
This radio has easy instructions, and it's got a USB cable so that you can charge this (rather than having to heavily rely on AA batteries), which is really new to me because I grew up with using batteries for things like radios and CD players.
A
ARP
★★★★★
Excellent Compact Radio.
The sound quality is extremely good given the price of $15, it exceeds the expectation. It sounds like a high-quality full-range driver speaker. With Digital Signal Processing (DSP) has significantly enhanced AM, FM, and Shortwave (SW) signals, transforming a nice listening experience by improving sensitivity, selectivity, and audio quality.
Shari M.
★★★★★
Very reliable!
Very clear stations. I like that I can either use the USB or the battery.
Skailah
★★★★★
It's Great. It's Fun!
This is the best! Clear sounds, great reception and can be played loud if you're in the garden, which is what i got it for. i guess it's about the size of your hand which is pretty decent
Also it has a usb charger or you can use regular AA batteries. also has a decent clip but it's hard plastic. should have used metal, so we'll see. anyways,
Buy one, you'll like it.
Gary D
★★★★★
Works great.
This is a nice little AM/FM radio for the money. It's clear audio and volume are great. The two sources of usable power, built-in battery and regular AAA batteries will allow this little guy to last well beyond the rechargeable source. Now I find myself listening at night while in the kitchen preparing dinner and also relaxing listening to news while on my phone.
Ethan Garza
★★★★★
Worth every penny. Delete Spotify.
By far the single greatest object I’ve purchased all year. Beginning my digital detox journey and have been wanting to permanently ban Spotify from my life. Good alternative to my mp3 player as frankly I prefer live radio.
For the cost of 1 month’s Spotify subscription I now have near infinite music with the press of a button. Got a set of Koss Porta Pros to utilize the 3.5mm headphone jack too.
I love my local public radio stations, classical music FM, and NPR and now I can listen to these whenever I’m overstimulated in a grocery store. Music helps ease my anxiety and as a musician I have been brought up with a love of analog for as long as I can remember.
As far as quality is concerned the onboard speaker is surprisingly good, but ofc I use my wired headphones anyway so I’m a bit indifferent about it. I will say it’s a bit tangy in the highs but the bass is sufficient for listening at my desk or something. The switches and dials are intuitive and easy to understand. It was a little top-heavy, but as soon as I put a pair of Duracells inside it balanced out. FM sound quality has been sublime so far but have not tested the AM or SW but frankly I’m using it for strictly FM anyway. Nonetheless, it’s a nice feature to have.
As far as longevity is concerned I did notice some reviews with concerning developments and I cannot speak personally to any of those issues because mine is fresh out of the box. Although, worst case scenario if it crumbles to pieces I’m comfortable attempting my own repairs, and if I still can’t fix it then who cares I’ll just buy another one. It cost less than a cheeseburger and fries from mcdonalds after all. Need I say more?
I hope this review was of some help, I’ll try to remember to update it if something happens otherwise you can assume no news is good news. I love this little thing. It came in my favorite color too!
C
Customer
★★★★★
Reliable little radio with clear sound
This is my second Prunus portable radio and it performs just as well as the first. Reception is strong on both AM and FM, and the sound is clear and easy to hear. The controls are simple, with large knobs for tuning and volume, and the built-in flashlight is a nice extra for power outages. It is lightweight, easy to carry, and the back clip and wrist strap make it convenient to keep nearby. Having both rechargeable battery power and the option for AA batteries makes it versatile for home or travel. A dependable little radio that continues to deliver.
D
David
★★★★★
perfect radio, has 2 different power supplies
I ordered this as an emergency radio when the power goes out. Being able to use a "C" cord to charge (included), and/or using two (2) "AAA" batteries. A lot of things are rechargeable i.e. cell phones, tablets, etc., but being able to have 2 different ways to have power is a great idea. Perfect for going camping when power banks are used charging cell phones. It has a headphone plug to listen to yourself, and also a speaker to listen out loud. And has a small light, it's not meant to replace a flashlight, but handy if you dropped something or shine on a key hole. The short wave stations are kind of hard to pick up, but that depends where you live or use the radio.
M
Malt O.
★★★★★
Great retro little radio
This is a handy little radio and despite its looks, it carries quite a bunch of features. This is something I wish I'd had in my childhood. This radio has an internal battery with the added benefit of the back being able to hold additional AA batteries in case of emergency. It also has an emergency flashlight on top in case you need it. Turning on this radio, it immediately picked up a station and provided very clear audio. The signal it grabbed was very strong and without any noticeable static so it works great. I love the look of this radio, it's well built, very retro, and it has physical buttons which is hard to find these days. Another plus, it even has a headphone jack! The only thing that gives it away as modern is the USB-C port, which works when charging through my C to C cellphone charger, which makes it very versatile. I'm definitely packing this in my emergency go bag, it's priced well and can be very useful in emergencies.
C2WAVE2
★★★★★
Great reception!
I am real happy with this Prunus J-211 radio, It has excellent reception/ sensitivity on
all bands, AM-FM-SW.. The sound is crystal clear, although with a small speaker don't
expect a lot bass, or volume that will blow you out of the room.. The tuning is old school , analog,
with slide rule dial, and a thumb wheel knob. The frequency readout is crude, it will get you in the ball park, but It’ll
take some effort to find your station. However , I find this a fun radio to tune around on, vs digital read out radios.
This radio makes for a great emergency radio, small and compact. It can be run off built in lithium-ion battery. or you can use AA batteries.
I have a bunch of other brand portables, I compared this radio to, and this one preforms as good as any…
It is a nice no frills portable radio..
D
DeCrypter
★★★★★
There's a lot in this little package, thanks to modern tech that works behind the scenes.
I did not expect much from this radio. It looks very analog and basic. But what intrigued me was the ability to tune into shortwave frequencies. I use SDR frequently, but it requires a laptop and an antenna that works for the frequencies your trying to receive. My hope was that there was more to this than what it seemed.
What you REALLY get here is a fully digital radio pretending to be an old analog radio. FM tuning is really impressive. You turn the knob and can tell that something else is working in the background to lock in the stations you receive. It picked up everything in the area, even the distant ones. A+ for FM tuning. AM is really difficult these days. But the results were better than a couple of cheap radios we have around here. It couldn't meet the tuning ability of an old vintage radio, but it performed better with noise reduction. A- for AM reception. Shortwave was hit and miss. I was testing at night. This is ideal for SW. I was able to pick up a dozen stations across both SW bands and hit the time sync station on 10MHz. It was distant but worked. This station is over 900 miles - as the bird flies. Pretty impressive for a little radio with a small antenna.
I was so intrigued that I took it apart to see how it was built. If you were curious, look at the photos. Looking up the main IC, you would find it runs off of a single chip that converts the antenna signals to digital signals, processes them based upon the frequency you have 'dialed in', cleans up the audio, converts it back to analog, amplifies it, and pushes it out the speaker (or headphones).
It only has one speaker which is capable, but best used with wired headphones. I never used batteries, but rather charged the internal battery which was powered the radio for the hour I was testing it.
PROS: Far more than what you see. It's lightweight and feels cheap (it is) but is entirely capable. It has a moderately bright LED, can run off of 2 AA batteries or the rechargeable internal battery. Great price for what you get though.
CONS: It seems fragile and may not last. It's impossible to know what frequency you are listening to with the fake analog window. It doesn't tune into NOAA frequencies.
BOTTOM LINE: There's a lot in this little package, thanks to modern tech that works behind the scenes.
CONSL
Magz
★★★★★
Loud, Clear, and Full of Nostalgia
This little radio is everything I was looking for! It has loud, clear sound with strong reception on both AM and FM stations. I love that it's rechargeable but can also run on AA batteries, making it super portable and reliable. You can play it out loud or plug in headphones for personal listening, which is a great option to have. The compact size, back clip, and lanyard make it easy to carry anywhere. It reminds me of my mom and her love for transistor radios which brings back so many warm memories. A perfect mix of retro feel and modern convenience.
Update: the volume stopped working properly
Customer
★★★★★
Precise tuning with excellent audio quality - all in one small package
I LOVE this radio! I love how you can tune into FM, AM, SW1 or SW2 just by sliding a switch. The tuning is effortless, and the audio quality is fantastic - I didn't even need to use the antenna. I'm currently listening to a local news station as I type my review, and it's coming through very clearly. There's a little green light that turns on when I'm properly connected to the station (I think), and when it's on, there's a lot less fuzz/static and I can tweak it till it's as clear as I can get it. It can be a bit tough to tell exactly which station you're tuned to since there's no digital display with the actual numbers, but I was able to cross-reference it with a radio headset I own that uses the numbered display. (Sidenote: the audio from this portable radio is much clearer than the other audio headset I own.)
The option to toggle between two different power sources is AWESOME. You can charge it with a USB-C and use the built-in battery, or you can use your own AA batteries as backup (there's a separate compartment for them, so you don't fiddle with the built-in battery). I love it!
Amanda Quraishi
★★★★★
Everybody needs a transistor radio!
This little device may seem outdated... until you lose your internet access and/or cell service during a natural disaster or alien invasion. I love that this radio uses both AA batteries and is chargeable (USB). It also comes with a wrist strap and a back clip, as well as a headphone jack and a flashlight. It's got pretty decent sound, too!
You might not need or use this every day, but it's nice to have just in case you need to get your information 'the old fashioned way'. It's kind of nice to have the ability to listen to music or talk radio or sports events without having to be online.
R
RP
★★★★★
Nothing Not To Like
My hobby is collecting transistor radios. I’m an old school kind of guy. I have bought several Prunus radios. This radio is loaded with features and there is nothing not to like. The radio would be perfect for an emergency situation with its bright flashlight or for everyday listening. It has good sound quality. You could use two AA batteries or charge the internal battery.
PlayaPiano
★★★★★
Tackles Emergencies, Summer Days and Nostalgia
The Prunus AM FM radio reminds me of my first radio at age 8. This was 1969 lol. The radio is simple and easy to use, and the tuning band lights up. This is a must for those times we lose electricity. I ordered this radio for emergencies and power outages. We got thru at least two tornado warnings each season and in the winter there are freezing temps and snow. It's important to have a connection to any emergency public announcements and the weather. The radio sounds pretty good too. It sounds way better than that long ago radio from the S&H Greenstamps store ;)
I love that it can be charged via USB OR by batteries. An innovation I can appreciate. For the price and features this radio is a good buy.
J
Jim D.
★★★★★
Nice low cost radio.
This is a nice, low cost small radio that supports AM, FM, and short wave frequencies. The FM and AM reception is really good and the sound quality is decent considering the size of the radio.
I like that it can be powered by two AA batteries or you can use a USB C power source. However, there is no internal battery which is ok with me so I don't have to worry about keeping it charged. I also like that it has a flashlight function and a switch to select between power sources.
My only negative is that I wasn't able to pick up many sw stations but that could be because of the time of day.
M
markm
★★★★★
got of value, good sound w headphones, and short-wave channels
I have several of these small radios and this is among my favorite just because the tuning and volume wheel have the right amount of resistance to stay where you put them and not only does this have AM and FM, but it has short wave one and two for your listening pleasure as well. runs on the internal rechargeable lithium battery or will also run on two AA batteries, which are not included. There’s also not a set of earbuds or headphones included. Additionally has a flashlight on top with a separate button, which is nice and it does come with the cable for charging it, which is USB-C. in addition to the tuning and volume buttons and the band selector, it has a red button that you slide to use AA battery power or lithium battery power (the internal rechargeable battery). And it has a blue indicator light on the top to show when it’s charging and when it’s full. Surprisingly robustly sound when it’s plugged into headphones, typical small transistor type radio sound when it’s just through the speaker, but this also allows you to share it with other people if you don’t have the headphones in. all in all a good little unit and hand to have in power outages or emergencies.
Holly
★★★★★
Good size and crisp sound
I just moved to an area prone to thunderstorms, so I decided I needed an emergency radio jic. This one is a nice size with a clip on the back in case you want to carry it with you. It worked well inside my walk-in closet, even without extending the antenna - I was impressed! It runs off batteries and a lithium interior battery, and you move a switch to choose which battery you want it to use. It can also be charged via the included USB cord. I like that this has AM and FM radio, as you don't find many devices with AM radio anymore. The sound quality is crisp, and there is a volume dial on the side. This is perfect to have around for emergencies. As an added bonus, it has a flashlight feature!
Sean
★★★★★
Great basic portable radio
This is a good, sturdy handheld radio with a few extra features compared to similarly-priced items. The option to switch between USB charging and AA batteries is a huge plus. There is also an added flashlight. Headphone jack is secure. The tuning dial is tight enough to avoid accidental frequency changes without being hard to move. The sound quality is nothing special, but in line with other handheld radios in this price range. Overall no issues at all, if you are in the market for a radio this is a great choice.
L
Lisa
★★★★★
Good for an emergency/blackout kit
We bought the PRUNUS J-211 Portable Radio AM FM with USB Charging and AA Battery Operated, Transistor Radio, Strong Reception& Clear Speaker, Headphone Jack, Back Clip, Lanyard, Radios Portable AM FM for our emergency/blackout kit. It’s a nice little portable radio weighing mere ounces. We were drawn to this radio because we can keep it charged via it’s built-in 1200mAh rechargeable battery, or we can use 2-AA batteries. We also wanted both AM and FM which this radio has, along with Shortwave. The flashlight on the radio gives off ok light, nothing great, but it works. The reception is good and it’s easy to hear even if not the best fidelity. Personally this radio would not be good enough sound wise for me to use on a regular basis, but for an emergency kit, it will serve its purpose.
