Features:
- AM/FM multipurpose radio with aluminum front face
- Cassette player/recorder with built-in condenser microphone
- Built-in stereo speakers for clear, powerful sound
- Up to 24 hours of playback and 20-hour recording with 2 AA batteries
- Includes headphones and removable belt clip
Description:
Panasonic's RQ-A200 is sized and styled like many little portables, with a sleek aluminum face and a plastic tape door around back. But that face conceals twin speakers that lie behind fine grilles and are ported at the base. The side of the unit offers a headphone jack and a small microphone, with a port for a stereo microphone (not included), volume control knob, and the tuning wheel for the AM/FM radio. Up top are the tape controls: buttons for record/play, stop, fast-forward, and rewind, with levers for pause as well as tape/radio select and normal/city sensitivity. The other side of the unit has a connection for a 3-volt AC adapter (sold separately) and another lever to choose between speakers, headphones, and enhanced headphone playback. A pair of AA batteries pops in behind the door on the bottom. A convenient battery-level indicator--a string of red LEDs that run from F to E like a dashboard gas tank gauge--tells you when power is running low--a particularly useful feature when recording, lest you miss a crucial moment. The removable wrist strap lets you carry the recorder like the transistor radios of yore, and cassette playback can withstand fairly rigorous activity without incident. A pair of surprisingly tough, highly adjustable XBS (Extra Bass System) headphones is also included. Once you accept that these are relatively small speakers designed to fit into a tight form factor, you will likely be surprised by their high output. Playing a professionally recorded tape at full volume, we had no trouble filling a 15-by-20-foot room with music at only minimal distortion. By using the three-position switch, you can opt between the speakers, the headphones, and the XBS mode for the headphones only. The faux bottom end did give the illusion of greater heft to the sound but also introduced a murky, synthetic quality. Recorded voices demonstrated excellent spatiality even through the condenser mike--the results are especially noticeable through the headphones. Part dictating machine and part personal stereo, Panasonic's RQ-A200 is a harmonious fusion of business and pleasure in an easy-to-use unit. Pros: - Compact size
- Face-mounted speakers let you travel headphone free
- Optional stereo microphone means even higher-quality recording
- Radio reception aided by a normal/city switch
Cons: - Long on some advanced features like recording, but missing some popular options like digital tuning and auto reverse
- No auto stop after fast forwarding and rewinding
- Slide-rule radio tuning is dated
| 
