Unfortunately all of the functions are mono, and the top two speakers (tweeters) are fake.Even the cassette head is mono, so of you record a cassette to SD card or USB stick the recording will be monaural. Don't get me wrong as it's a great box for what it is, and I had a lot of fun with mine. It is still very much worth it, but I thought that I had better point that out just in case someone was looking to use one to digitize their cassette tapes with it. Keep uo the good work. Love your videos.
Not only is tuning very critical on this radio, but it also drifts, compounding the problem of not being able to easily tune in SW stations. The record function is awesome though. I still have to get around to using the cassette deck on mine. I agree, the sound quality is good!
There's the QFX J-220BT ReRun X with Bluetooth and a lookalike Supersonic version SC-3201BT that has Bluetooth (it is missing an Auxiliary in jack I think). I see them on Amazon, Walmart, and a few other places when I Google them. Plus there's another version that may be shorter in height, Supersonic SC-3202BT with Bluetooth, also available in a variety of places. They come in black and black with woodgrain trim. One has a black tuner dial instead of white, that might be the QFX J-220BT. It would be good to know if they record Bluetooth to SD card, but I doubt it. An Auxiliary in jack would be useful if it could record to SD, but no AUX in as far as I can tell. I found the instructions online and downloaded them.
Thank you for doing an honest, serious review and not one of the much more typical, “This $30 boombox is junk because it doesn’t compare to high end equipment I own.” It isn’t junk, and there is a different kind of enjoyment you get from something that is cheap and no doubt flawed in some ways but still worthwhile and with unique features and advantages. I have Bluetooth speakers that cost 10 times what this cost and they don’t sound much better. I LOVE my J-22U. On FM it will pull a couple stations very few other radios will get, and on AM it is a serious DX machine. The only problem is that crazy DSP chip - you will get stations that pop in and out very abruptly so you have to have a steady hand on the tuning knob, as you pointed out. As you said, it is a fantastic buy and I keep going back to mine. My tape mechanism probably has 200 hours on it and works great, batteries last long, it is super loud for outdoor use and it has a great retro look. I’ve given away 3 as gifts because people see it and hear it, love it, and want one.
What kind of USB are you using - I have this radio and was wondering. I haven't seen these. Can you plug a USB connected Mike into this radio, I do not see a MIKE plug in.
@@hamrad88 What kind of memory stick are you using? And where can I find it? Thank you ahead of time. The directions for this unit are crazy - I am new at this (senior moments?) and am still trying to get it to record, I would like this to work for me. To the usb port if possible. The tape recorder is fuzzy and hard to recognize voice. Soooo.....maybe i can get the other stuff to work, I have scan disk usb's and PNY but evidently those won't work either, and that is the reason I asked what you were using exactly. I wanted this to put down voice in some way - a condensed mic in top, and a condensed mp3 mic on the front..... I am a cancer patient and just trying to speak and save things for whatever family wants it. I'll give this a few more days...before i send this radio back. Trying not to be frustrated here with this unit. (what am I doing wrong?)
Are you following the instruction manual? The memory sticks I use are nothing special and I use many kinds with no problems. However, I have never used this unit to record to the memory sticks as I do that on a computer and only use the memory sticks for playback. If you have a computer, tablet or cellphone you can record on that and move the files to a memory stick.
@@hamrad88 Thank you for your reply....the instructions said record from tape to usb - Is a cruzer glide 8 gb (scandisk) the same as a memory stick? Yes i know, dumb question, I always just called it usb plug in- they do not have a "indicator light" to show if info is being played or recorded on. I can't play cassettes and record from my computer, so i bought the radio. I don't have any teenagers around to tell me how to do this stuff, haha, - tons of "sticks" online, cannot find any that look like what is used in the picture of view when I bought it. Again, thank you again for your answer. Those who don't ask don't get.
These are not dumb questions and I have glad to attempt to answer them. Yes there are many names for these memory devices including zip drive which at one time there was a device that was called Zip drive and it was nothing like the USB drives used today. For audio recording most any memory stick will work. It is only if you want to record video you need the faster memory sticks. Another thing to keep in mind is how the memory stick is formatted. My guess is that the radio wants the memory stick to before formatted in FAT32 format. If you can listen to music or audio from the memory stick then it should be formatted correctly. Again, I have not attempted to do what you are trying to do. Actually you should be able to play cassettes in this radio and record to your computer. I do not know your exact equipment so I can't be positive. If you are using a computer then you can connect the output of this radio to your computer and use the record program that comes with Windows (assuming you are using a Windows based PC),
I bought the version that’s updated and doesn’t have the obnoxious useless X-BASS on the speaker casings. Don’t understand why this gets so much hate. It’s $30. If I want to listen for quality I’ll use my proper audio setup. I’m using this thing as my Howard Stern machine. Giving it that old vintage feel/sound. I have thousands of hours saved on micro SD cards set by decades/eras. So can’t wait to sit on my porch sip my beer and have a good laugh at the end of the day!
just to let you know some guy called Dorib Kadkop has copied most of your content and is showing it as his , came across it earlier, I think he is passing it on as his own content. apologies if you have given permission .
Unfortunately all of the functions are mono, and the top two speakers (tweeters) are fake.Even the cassette head is mono, so of you record a cassette to SD card or USB stick the recording will be monaural.
Don't get me wrong as it's a great box for what it is, and I had a lot of fun with mine. It is still very much worth it, but I thought that I had better point that out just in case someone was looking to use one to digitize their cassette tapes with it.
Keep uo the good work. Love your videos.
DriveInFreak thanks for the info.
That is such a bummer. I would love to have this radio, but need stereo. :(
Not only is tuning very critical on this radio, but it also drifts, compounding the problem of not being able to easily tune in SW stations. The record function is awesome though. I still have to get around to using the cassette deck on mine. I agree, the sound quality is good!
I guess I and Gilles got lucky.
There's the QFX J-220BT ReRun X with Bluetooth and a lookalike Supersonic version SC-3201BT that has Bluetooth (it is missing an Auxiliary in jack I think). I see them on Amazon, Walmart, and a few other places when I Google them.
Plus there's another version that may be shorter in height, Supersonic SC-3202BT with Bluetooth, also available in a variety of places.
They come in black and black with woodgrain trim. One has a black tuner dial instead of white, that might be the QFX J-220BT.
It would be good to know if they record Bluetooth to SD card, but I doubt it. An Auxiliary in jack would be useful if it could record to SD, but no AUX in as far as I can tell.
I found the instructions online and downloaded them.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for doing an honest, serious review and not one of the much more typical, “This $30 boombox is junk because it doesn’t compare to high end equipment I own.” It isn’t junk, and there is a different kind of enjoyment you get from something that is cheap and no doubt flawed in some ways but still worthwhile and with unique features and advantages. I have Bluetooth speakers that cost 10 times what this cost and they don’t sound much better.
I LOVE my J-22U. On FM it will pull a couple stations very few other radios will get, and on AM it is a serious DX machine. The only problem is that crazy DSP chip - you will get stations that pop in and out very abruptly so you have to have a steady hand on the tuning knob, as you pointed out. As you said, it is a fantastic buy and I keep going back to mine. My tape mechanism probably has 200 hours on it and works great, batteries last long, it is super loud for outdoor use and it has a great retro look. I’ve given away 3 as gifts because people see it and hear it, love it, and want one.
Thanks for your report.
Nice review, Tom!
Thanks
What kind of USB are you using - I have this radio and was wondering. I haven't seen these. Can you plug a USB connected Mike into this radio, I do not see a MIKE plug in.
No the USB port is only for memory sticks. The microphone is built-in.
@@hamrad88 What kind of memory stick are you using? And where can I find it? Thank you ahead of time. The directions for this unit are crazy - I am new at this (senior moments?) and am still trying to get it to record, I would like this to work for me. To the usb port if possible. The tape recorder is fuzzy and hard to recognize voice. Soooo.....maybe i can get the other stuff to work, I have scan disk usb's and PNY but evidently those won't work either, and that is the reason I asked what you were using exactly. I wanted this to put down voice in some way - a condensed mic in top, and a condensed mp3 mic on the front..... I am a cancer patient and just trying to speak and save things for whatever family wants it. I'll give this a few more days...before i send this radio back. Trying not to be frustrated here with this unit. (what am I doing wrong?)
Are you following the instruction manual? The memory sticks I use are nothing special and I use many kinds with no problems. However, I have never used this unit to record to the memory sticks as I do that on a computer and only use the memory sticks for playback. If you have a computer, tablet or cellphone you can record on that and move the files to a memory stick.
@@hamrad88 Thank you for your reply....the instructions said record from tape to usb - Is a cruzer glide 8 gb (scandisk) the same as a memory stick? Yes i know, dumb question, I always just called it usb plug in- they do not have a "indicator light" to show if info is being played or recorded on. I can't play cassettes and record from my computer, so i bought the radio. I don't have any teenagers around to tell me how to do this stuff, haha, - tons of "sticks" online, cannot find any that look like what is used in the picture of view when I bought it. Again, thank you again for your answer. Those who don't ask don't get.
These are not dumb questions and I have glad to attempt to answer them. Yes there are many names for these memory devices including zip drive which at one time there was a device that was called Zip drive and it was nothing like the USB drives used today. For audio recording most any memory stick will work. It is only if you want to record video you need the faster memory sticks. Another thing to keep in mind is how the memory stick is formatted. My guess is that the radio wants the memory stick to before formatted in FAT32 format. If you can listen to music or audio from the memory stick then it should be formatted correctly. Again, I have not attempted to do what you are trying to do. Actually you should be able to play cassettes in this radio and record to your computer. I do not know your exact equipment so I can't be positive. If you are using a computer then you can connect the output of this radio to your computer and use the record program that comes with Windows (assuming you are using a Windows based PC),
I bought the version that’s updated and doesn’t have the obnoxious useless X-BASS on the speaker casings.
Don’t understand why this gets so much hate. It’s $30. If I want to listen for quality I’ll use my proper audio setup.
I’m using this thing as my Howard Stern machine. Giving it that old vintage feel/sound.
I have thousands of hours saved on micro SD cards set by decades/eras. So can’t wait to sit on my porch sip my beer and have a good laugh at the end of the day!
Thanks for your comments and have a great day.
just to let you know some guy called Dorib Kadkop has copied most of your content and is showing it as his , came across it earlier, I think he is passing it on as his own content. apologies if you have given permission .
Thanks. Yes, I discovered that about a year ago and he has since stop posting them. He has not that I know of posted any more since then.
Fun Key Fresh!