Learn from my mistakes.Don't buy this product!
The name "sports" walkman is tantamount to false advertising for this unit.Each one of these lasts appoximately 2 months . . . if you drop it even once from belt-high -- and it is likely that you will, because the belt clip breaks very easily -- it is finished.
The plastic shell does not protect the mechanism from impact any more than the shell of a [less expensive] model.I've now bought three of these for use while lifting weights at the gym.Because they break so quickly, I've returned all three under warranty, and never heard ANYTHING from SONY.That's three walkmans, within the past year.Three strikes, and it is out.
The design of the product is also poor: the headphone outlet is positioned such that the wire plugs into the bottom of the unit.That means that you lose about 4 inches from an already short headphone cord.Any kind of stretching (such as when doing pull-ups), and the headphones either unplug, or pull the unit off your belt.And when it hits the ground . . . it's finished.Here's another example of a design snafu: the nylon wrist strap is positioned in such a way that it interferes with your use of the belt clip.This configuration means that you must make a choice as soon as you buy the unit: either commit to strapping the device to your arm or wrist with the belt-clip bulge on your skin, or cut the nylon strap off and wear it on your belt.Yet another example of poor layout: the battery door opens counter-intuitively: unlike other walkman-like devices I've used, you must push the clip toward the direction of the door hinge.This wouldn't be a problem, except that Sony chose to also put the battery compartment inside the cassette player itself.Accordingly, removing the cassette often results in opening the battery compartment (and dropping the batteries).
The bottom line is this: if you buy this product expecting "sport" to equate to "durable" (as I did), you are kidding yourself.If you buy it for listening to music while safely cradled in a nest of pillows, you're wasting your money: units half the price that do not hold themselves out to be "sports" anything will deliver the same sound quality.
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Sony WM-FS221 Sports Walkman Cassette PlayerProduct Description: CDs are wonderful, but most people still have boxes of cassettes full of great music, much of it not out--or not owned--on CD. Sony's WM-FS221 Sports Walkman stereo cassette player lets you relive your cassette music when on the go. Its rugged Sports design is both stylish and durable, and the unit includes drift-free, digitally synthesized FM stereo--as well as wideband AM, TV (channels 2 to 13), and weather band (channels 1 to 7) reception.
The player's automatic volume limiter system (AVLS) maintains an even volume level, guarding against unintended level increases and evening the output of musical passages that vary widely in level. Mega Bass produces deep, rich bass tones. Finally, an anti-rolling mechanism maintains stable tape speed to minimize music-distorting "wow and flutter" while the player is in motion.
For the radio, 40-station preset tuning (with auto scan tuning) offers one-button tuning to your choice of seven TV stations, four weather-band stations, 24 FM stations, and five AM stations. An FM local/distant (DX) switch improves reception of fuzzy stations. Two AA batteries (not supplied) provide up to 32 hours (maximum) of continuous tape playback, or up to 40 hours of FM radio reception.
An action grip with reflective cushion provides comfort and safety, while an included belt clip lets you wear the Walkman, freeing your hands for other activities. The player's water-resistant seals help keep out water, moisture, and dirt.
What's in the Box Cassette Walkman, MDR-W014LP headphones, belt clip, user's manual, warranty information.
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....because there's no reverse button on this pos! Not very convenient if you want to hear something again; you'll have to stop the tape, take it out, insert it on side B, fast forward and then take it back out and put it back in on side A. I guess at this price, you can't expect many standard features. Good thing these guys don't build cars too -- you'd probably have to pay more for a reverse gear.
