Some months ago, I observed that I’ve been spending a lot more time than necessary trying to read news on the web.
To keep abreast of the latest happenings, I had to battle with loads of distractive stuff. And worse, I usually came across a lot of false news as well as useless information that no serious-minded person would waste their time reading.
And even when I found news that is really worth reading, I ended up reading the not-so-important details after reading the gist.
So, I figured that I needed a way to access only news updates that are worth reading — and only the gist of those!
My conclusion was to get a radio for listening to the news.
Truth be told, listening to the radio is becoming old-fashioned in this part of the world. But then, in just fifteen minutes or thereabout, I’d be able to get all the juicy details of the most important news updates at any moment without getting distracted by unimportant stuff.
While I had the option of listening to the radio through my phone’s radio app, I found it cumbersome to have to search around for my earphones each time I want to listen to the news.
In addition, for certain stuff I’d be using regularly, I prefer buying the real devices rather than banking on smartphone apps. For example, when I started to use the calculator on my smartphone almost on a daily basis, I had to buy a Casio calculator.
Aside from finding the real devices easier to use than their smartphone app equivalents, I just find it more fulfilling using the real devices. Call me crude if you want!
Now, back to the radio talk.
So, sometime in August 2022, I stumbled on the Sony ICF-306 while shopping in a mall for totally unrelated stuff.
On sighting it on a glass shelf, I remembered that I needed a radio badly. But more interestingly, I fell in love with this one at first sight. The size was just perfect for me, and the design, though simple, just caught my fancy.
Not even the seemingly high price could change my mind.
So, I bought it, and I’ve since then been using it on a daily basis. Now, let me share my review of the Sony ICF-306 AM/FM radio after 4 months.
Sony ICF-306 AM/FM Radio Review
The ICF-306 is a portable analog AM/FM radio from the stable of Sony, one of the world’s most reliable brands.
The device is worth considering for anyone who wants a lightweight, simple, and portable radio with clear audio and solid reception.
Design
The Sony ICF-306 radio sports a simple, yet attractive design. Its plastic casing has a dull finish over most parts of the radio, but a glossy finish runs just over the dial area and all over its upper end.
The ICF-306 is quite handy. It won’t slip off your hand easily even if you choose not to carry it with its handle, which can be easily flipped up from its “hiding place” at the back of the radio.
Aside from the dial at the upper end that has the battery and tuner indicator lights to its right, the front surface of the radio is occupied by the speaker, whose cover extends to the mid-point of either side of the device. On the back of the device lie the following from up downward: The antenna, the handle, the vent, and the battery compartment cover.
The top surface is mostly bare. But on the right end lies the band selector and tuning buttons. While the positioning of these buttons might seem unusual or feel awkward at first use, especially for people with thick fingers, getting used to them won’t be hard at all.
On the right side of the radio lie the volume controller above and the headphone jack below, while the left side is completely bare.
Performance
The first thing I noticed after turning on the radio for the first time was its audio output. It’s loud enough for a radio of its size. And, more importantly, the audio clarity is impressive.
The device runs on 2 AA batteries, and the consumption rate has been excellent. At the time of this writing, I’ve used the radio for 4 months, turning it on for 15 to 30 minutes on a daily basis. And I’m yet to replace the set of batteries I put in it since the time of its purchase. In fact, the battery status indicator still shows green, which means the batteries are still great.
In the aspect of sensitivity, the ICF-306 has an incredible signal range. I compared it to my mum’s radio (by another brand), and it effortlessly received some FM stations that my mum’s radio couldn’t pick with clarity. The ICF-306 also received more stations than my smartphone’s built-in radio when I compared both.
Durability
The ICF-306 is well-built and I have no doubts that it can last several years. You won’t have its life cut short by a dead rechargeable battery that you cannot replace. So, you can continue to use it for as long as you want since its batteries are replaceable.
The radio’s parts are also firmly fitted. Although I’ve used it for only 4 months, there are no shaky parts, and nothing has fallen off. Even the text printed on the dial and on other parts of the radio remains intact.
The radio once dropped on the floor (hard-tiled) from my 3-foot-tall home office table, but nothing happened. No broken parts and no malfunctions.
Things I like about the ICF-306
- Lightweight (weighs just 400g with batteries inserted)
- Portable [measures 7.48″ (L) x 2.02″ (W) x 3.83″ (H)]
- Highly sensitive
- LED tuning and battery status indicators
- Impressive battery power consumption
- Clear and loud audio
- Runs on replaceable batteries (2 x AA)
Flaws but not dealbreakers
While I deem the ICF-306 a solid device that perfectly meets my needs, it lacks a few features that some other people would have loved to have in it.
Firstly, you cannot connect it to an AC power source, as it has no slot for that. To me, this isn’t an issue, though. The radio was made for portability, so it’s understandable that it doesn’t come with a feature that will defeat that purpose.
Secondly, the ICF-306 doesn’t come with “modern” features such as Bluetooth connectivity, USB ports, SD card slots, etc. So, if your radio has to have one or more of those, the ICF-306 is not for you.
Sony ICF-306 Price
While I bought my unit at a local store for N35,000 (about $50 at the time), I later figured that the device is also available for sale on Amazon (for about $35) and other reputable online stores.
