Koss PP257 Water-Resistant Sports Armband Digital Radio (Yellow)

Rating:
Summary: Glad I ignored most of these reviews
Review: I almost didn't buy this radio after reading the reviews about poor reception. Saw it at a local store and decided to give it a try anyway since I liked the price and styling compared to all the others. I use the radio mostly inside (in my basement for treadmill workouts), and have found that the reception and sound quality are excellent. No problems with receiving stations or static during movement, and even AM comes in loud and clear--in fact, better than on any other radio in my home. I'm curious why people have had such poor luck with this unit. Thought I should put in my 2 cents worth and let you know that it works great here in Salt Lake. I love this thing! Buy it from Amazon and save yourself a few bucks....

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good for what it costs.
Review: The Koss PP257 was obviously designed to compete with the more expensive Sony Sports Armbands that are popular. It has the same type of yellow plastic casing, and it comes complete with 10 preset buttons and a station autoseek function. This unit also includes a reflector plate to add to safety at dusk. I used to own a Sony Armband, and I experienced very similar performance to the Koss I just bought. The earphones have a unique design that wraps around the ear, giving them more stability when you are using them like you should (to do sports!), and giving them a sleek look. Reception is typical of very small radios, decent outside, hit or miss inside. Some stations sound good while I work out at the gym, while others don't come in at all. Also, the included earphones have difficulty putting out the bass that you can expect in more expensive units. There is a lot of distortion if you use the bass amplification option and turn the volume past halfway. Nevertheless, I like this unit because it was inexpensive, works adequetely, and breaks the stranglehold that Sony has on the portable music market. If you buy a Sony you will only gain a little performance, but you will triple or quadruple your expense. You will also perpetuate a virtual monopoly. You don't have to buy Sony to be cool.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money on this el cheapo radio!
Review: I thought that this would be a good unit for the hour I spend at the gym 3 times per week, but here we are one month later, and the thing has quit working on me. I have never dropped it or gotten it wet -- go figure. The phrase "You get what you pay for" comes to mind. I'm gonna go buy a Sony.

Rating:
Summary: Major Problems: Poor Reception, Background Hissing
Review: Here is a breakdown of my evaluation of this radio:
** Cons **
>> Performance
Here's the real gripe I have about this unit: the reception is very poor on some radio stations and a very noticeable background hissing can be heard when the volume is turned down low. These ought to be enough reasons for you to decide not to purchase this unit. But there's more.
>> Construction
The unit is also poorly constructed. I have owned it for almost two years and have been using it on my bus commute to and from work. Within this span of time, the plug for the head phone jack has come off, one of the buds of the earphones have ceased functioning, and the volume knob has gotten too easy to turn due to frequent use. The unit also gives the appearance of being constructed from cheap plastic. Further, the color of the back of the body is painted on so the paint rubs off over time.
>> Function
There are only five presets for each AM and FM band. Also, if you accidentally pressed the memory button, you could easily overwrite one of your presets. The only way that I have found to avoid overwriting any preset stations is to turn the unit off and then back on again.
** Pros **
The pros for this radio are not worth mentioning because the problems with this unit far outweigh any pros this unit has. But here they are for completeness sake:
>> Features
This radio has decent bass boost and station auto-scan. Both features are absent in many portable radios.
** Conclusion **
If I hadn't lost my receipt, I would most certainly have returned it to the store I purchased this it from. Although I use this radio on a regular basis, I have been very dissatisfied with it. I strongly advise you to pass this radio up for something else.

Rating:
Summary: Waste of money
Review: The reception is poor, the number of stations is small, and the ear-pieces aren't that comfortable. Might as well pay twice as much for a [money] no-skip CD-player, or [money] for a radio reciever that actually transmits.

Rating:
Summary: Dissapointing...
Review: This radio has generally poor reception. In addition, the "Memory" button is an identical button to the chanel presets and located right next to them, causing anyone not carefully choosing their channels to reset their presets inadvertantly. The unit also lacks an auto-off feature which i find to be very useful. I would not buy this item again - I have purchased a Sony as a replacement.

Rating:
Summary: Horrible
Review: I got this radio so I can listen to the radio while working out. But the armband is horribly designed and it fits very uncomfortably. As for reception the strongest stations that come out fine in my stereo does not come out in this radio well. It's extremely staticky and the placement of this radio matters...This is one my worst purchases ever!

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely love this radio
Review: I commute 25 miles a day on my bicycle to work and back. I live about 20 miles from Philadelphia Pa, and love this radio. I have had no problems with reception, I get all of my stations. The headphones are great and don't get in the way of my helmet or other gear. The cord is long enough I can actually attach the radio to the bike instead of my arm. The batteries have already lasted 3 weeks with intensive use. I have no problems with this radio and am extremely happy with my purchase.

Rating:
Summary: No Reception
Review: I ordered this item despite the reviews talking about the poor reception. MY MISTAKE!!! I live in Dayton, Oh and could only pick up 2 rock and 2 country stations. There are a ton of stations between Dayton and Cincinnati that I should be able to receive. I sent the radio back. Sony here I come.

Rating:
Summary: A nice little radio for a low price
Review: I've used this radio for over 6 months, and I am pretty much satisfied with it; Although I live in a major city, my house is located nearby the mountains, and I've found that the reception is acceptable, but mainly constrained to the stronger stations; I've had some noise and fading on some weaker AM stations that I like when walking doing excercise. The strap works fine, although sometimes you have to tighten it to a somehow uncomfortable extent, in order to secure it and avoid slipping through the arm. Anyway, I highly recommend it.