Rating: 
Summary: Reviews don't do this radio justice!
Review: I have owned a number of portable FM radios and this unit ranks up there among the best. You will not find a portable receiver with much better reception (Sony manufactures the best tuner IC's for portables). I have heard of the "hissing" problem discussed by other reviewers, but it appears to have been a problem with earlier models. In the unit I purchased, hissing is not a problem. I also own the Sangean DT110 and it's no less "hissy" than the Sony. I was surprised to find, given the raves about the Sangean's reception capability, that in comparison, the SRF-M35 has better (less noisy) reception. Sony radios typically have a "blend to mono" circuit so when a station signal starts to get too weak for stereo it will become mono. The goal was to keep the noise level down, even at the expense of loss of stereo which actually makes this radio more "listenable". Units with a physical stereo/mono switch don't do this and you will tend to have a poorer listening experience as a station degrades. Also, compared to the Sangean, I prefer the programmable station buttons on the Sony. In Atlanta, which (IMHO) has the worst radio stations of any US city I've been in (NPR not included), you need to jump easily between stations and the buttons are easier than Sangean's scrolling system. As with most portable electronics you need to basically throw away the headphones that come with them and listen using some decent 'phones to get the best sound quality. Battery life seems fine although because of the position of the power switch, this radio will turn itself on easier (e.g. in a pocket or when thrown in a bag) , so use the lockout button. Also I use "in ear" Sony canalphones (modified MDR-ex70) which block outside sound, so I don't have to turn the radio up loud. If people are using the "open" type headphone that comes with the unit, volume cranked to overcome all the other ambient sound this will shorten battery life. I've had no problems with build quality or unit failure.
Rating: 
Summary: Low Quality
Review: I purchased this 2 years ago for $ 50 which is a ripoff. This radio gets a terrible connection and has static like crazy. Plus it's so small you might lose it and also lose the money you paid for it. Don't buy this am/fm radio go out and get a better and more reliable one.
Rating: 
Summary: Save Your Receipt!
Review: I regret to say that I've owned several of of these models in the last few years. The quality has been getting progressivley worse. They can not withstand the normal wear and tear from jogging, etc. The last one, purchased 8/02, lasted two days before it stopped working forever. Look to another company for a better product! If you decide to buy one, save your receipt, you will need it when you return the radio.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't listen to the stations I wanted
Review: I returned the SRF-M35 shortly after I bought it. Interference from other stations prevented me from using it: I would get the station I wanted for a few seconds after turning the radio on before another station drowned it out. None of my other radios share that problem, so I concluded that the SRF-M35 was at fault. It may be specific to my locale or my local stations in combination with this unit, or I may simply have gotten a bad unit, so your mileage may vary.
Rating: 
Summary: nice little radio to work out with
Review: i wanted something light, small, and easy to deal with at the gym while i work out. this product turns out to be near perfect. its very lightweight and has a belt clip that i can attach onto my shorts. i would have hoped that the headphones were the more 'sport' type, but they are the bigger, old-fashioned headphone. there is no arm band, but i prefer the belt clip to an arm band when i work out. overall, i would recommend this am/fm radio walkman because of its size, versatility, and good price.
Rating:
Summary: Broke within a month
Review: Loved the radio, but the poor construction was a real problem. The first time I changed the batteries the internal circuit boar broke. I was able to solder the connections back together, but it was never quite the same and no longer reliable. Next time I'll get a sturdier model.
Rating:
Summary: Very satisfied
Review: My experience not in line with other Amazon user reviews. I have used my Walkman daily at my desk for over a year and it still works nicely. No complaints. FM reception quality perfectly adaquate for use while stationary and within 50 feet of a window. I haven't used it much while on the go, but I've been happy with it on those occasions. If reception is a problem, consider the non-walkman, GE Superadio III. The Sony's AM sounds better outdoors than indoors where fluorescent lights cause a buzz, but that's a problem on any AM radio. Battery life, around 30-40 hrs. Sorry to hear some people have had bad luck with this unit, mine has worked fine.
Rating:
Summary: Best of the crowd
Review: My goal was to find a moderate to low cost portable FM tuner to wear for working out, jogging, walks, office, etc. I evaluated solely on FM reception of two channels of interest, WEMU 89.1 (jazz and NPR, a very strong signal) and WUOM 91.7 (NPR, a moderate signal). Ann Arbor sits in a valley and has notoriously poor FM reception. (Even my high-end receiver with an indoor Terk antenna struggles.) I tried at least 5 other units within a short period of time of purchasing the SRF-M35. These units are: RCA RP1667 ($20) - Meijer
Jensen SAB-50 ($25) - Target
Koss PP260 ($30) - Meijer
Panasonic FR-SW200 ($50) - Meijer
RCA RP1876 ($20, with cassette) - Walmart I have little doubt that among the 6 I tried, the SRF-M35 unit is the best with regard to tuning sensitivity. Sound quality was also very good, but of course very much a factor of the strength of signal. I did not expect that the Sony would be my first choice. I thought that there was a good chance Sony was trading on its reputation and name. I was wrong. The Sony was the best of the bunch (and the list above is in order of my other preferences). The SRF-M35 has no mono switch, instead uses a blend-to-mono circuit. This works pretty well on music. However, for talk radio, e.g. NPR (generally a mono program), I would have preferred a mono button to further reduce background noise. The RCA did have a mono switch that I used, and I liked this feature. However, the headphones I use have a mono switch, and this essentially reduces background noise as effectively as if the mono switch on the RCA tuner (I'm not sure I understand why, but that's what I observed.) You could also get a mono mini-plug converter from radio shack to go on the end of your stereo headphones, although this is less convenient. The Jensen was a very good performer. I disliked its smaller buttons and preferred the one-button-one-preset approach that Sony uses. It also has a bass boost that cannot be disabled. It sounds good on music, but is a little annoying on talk. However, it did hold stations well, was the smallest of the bunch, and has a cool arm-band. If I was a jogger, I might have picked this one instead. The RCA was a good performer as well. See my review of it. Before I tried the Sony, it was my first choice. It didn't hold stations as well as the Sony, and I wish it had a lock button. Also, there is no clock. It was a good performer, and I think I would have been very happy with it. I cannot speak to long-term durability of the Sony, as I've only had the unit a week. Also, I am less likely to subject it (or me) frequently to the rigors of jogging. In short, Sony provided the best in this class. I tried several comparably priced units, and was expecting Sony to be no better than the rest. I was surprised by the improved performance of this unit as compared to its peers. It is slightly more expensive, and in my view, justifiably priced.
Rating:
Summary: Stopped working
Review: My radio worked great for about year but then I started getting bizarre malfunctions that are similar to what others are reporting. FM reception became worse and it drained batteries much faster than it used to. It would turn off by itself and would not turn back on until the next day.
Rating:
Summary: Revised Opinion
Review: On Oct 1st I wrote a gushing review which I'd like to rescind!!! The build quality on this radio is atrocious!!! Since my original review I'm now on radio number three. Number 1 seemed to get hissy after a while. Number 2 sounded great and was pulling in weaker stations better than #1 and then the volume on all FM stations went to 50%!! The third one I've just exchanged seems to be not as sensitive and my Sangean DT110 is doing a slightly better job of pulling in the weak stations. As others have said - keep your receipt!!!
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