Emerson Simplicity High Fidelity AM/FM Table Radio with Companion Stereo Speaker – NR31

Rating:
Summary: Great sound for small price
Review: Tried this out in Target before buying and could not believe the great sound that came out of it. I was even more pleased when I brought it home and set up the antenna and strategically placed the speaker and unit. This radio has a huge, rich sound and is giving good reception even in a poor reception area. The low price tag is appreciated as well. Is also nice to have the versatility of putting the units anywhere because of the small size. A real winner!

Rating:
Summary: Great alternative to the Tivoli
Review: We have a classical FM station in our area and I wanted a good FM stereo radio to receive it. I wanted the Tivoli AM/FM model that looks like this Emerson, but was turned off by the $200 price in one of the electronics catalogues. Anyway, after searching the net high and low for an alternative (no boomboxes) for about two weeks, I ran into this little jewel for only $30! Couldn't believe it! Happy, happy, joy, joy. I had to preorder, but it came right through as soon as Target received the shipment.

Rating:
Summary: Very nice radio at a very nice price.
Review: While Christmas shopping recently in Target, I saw what at first glance I thought was a Tivoli 2 for $19.99. Upon closer inspection I saw that it was a Tivoli knock-off by Emerson. I thought it looked nice, but I wasn't in the market for a $20 radio so I moved on.

Later, after Christmas, I was looking for a new radio for the bathroom so that I can listen to the news and such whilst I get dressed in the morning. I was liking the Tivoli 2, but it was pretty expensive, then I remembered the Emerson knock-off at Target. I googled it and did a little research. I liked what I read, and I figured I'd give it a try; so last night on the way home from work, I bought one.

When I unboxed it, hooked it together, plugged it in and tuned in a station, My wife looked at me funny and grabbed the box. "Wow!" she said, looking at the price tag. "I never would have believed that a $20 radio could sound this good!"

We live in Colorado Springs and during the day I listen to local stations 740 AM and 1460 AM, but at night they are 90% gone. I switched over to the AM band last night at about 9:00 and tuned in 740 (the strongest of the two) and it was 90% of its daytime reception on the Emerson. I checked 1460 and it was about 80% of its daytime reception. Not as sharp as daytime but certainly good enough to listen to. All in all a very good little $20 radio and I like the looks a lot.

There are downsides though, but I feel petty even mentioning them when I am reviewing a $20 RADIO! but here goes anyway...

The auxiliary jack on the back overrides the tuner whenever you plug something in. This is a problem for people who may want to use the Emerson radio as computer speakers, and switch back and forth using the selector knob. At the very least they should have offered an aux input selector position on the selector knob so you can choose from On, AM, FM and Aux. The Tivoli 2 offers a mixed mode so that you can listen to your computer's bonks and tweets while also listening to the radio. I will probably crack the case open and modify my radio to do that. I may also get a four position selector so that I can select just the aux input so that I can use this radio with my XM radio head too.

No balance knob. If you care to balance the left and right speakers, you can't.

No tone adjustment. The sound is great just like it is, but it would be nice to be able to adjust the tone.

Pros:
- Good looks
- Great reception
- Very nice, geared tuner. Like the ones you would find on high-end equipment.
- Satellite speaker gives you great, true stereo sound.
- Awesome sound from a tiny $20 radio.

Cons:
- The auxiliary jack on the back overrides the tuner.
- No balance.
- No tone control.

Overall I would rate this an 4 out of 5. Since it is only twenty dollars I'm gonna go ahead and give it the full 5!

You absolutely can't go wrong with a $20 radio that has such a powerful receiver and high-end tuning controls. The lack of other bells and whistles is not a big deal when all you are looking for is good sound from a good looking, basic radio. AND IT IS ONLY $20!

I just can't get over that.