Pros: Digital tuner, good battery life, good sound, adequate reception
Cons: LCD display, lanyard mount, buttons may crack, not stereo (but does it matter?)
The Bottom Line: I looked for a better replacemet, but this is still the best for my particular needs. Construction does not seem as good as before, so knocking down from Above Average.
redmonddad's Full Review: Sony ICF-S79V AM/FM/Weather/TV Radio
Why would I write a review on such an old product? I bought one of these many years ago and it died. I’ve been searching on and off for a replacement and I still haven’t found a suitable replacement. Since it looks like I’m going to get another one of these, it occurred to me that I might be able to add a different perspective than the other reviews.
Someone gave me a cheap shower radio a long time ago and I really enjoyed listening to the local news radio station in the morning. However, it had horrible reception and was difficult to tune so I started shopping for a good quality shower radio. I had two important criteria:
• Well sealed against water and steam
• Digital tuner, because I hate dealing with analog tuners
There’s just not much out there. Sharper Image and Brookstone had some interesting ones, but the models that fit the above criteria also included CD players which I simply did not care about and I certainly wasn’t going to pay a premium for. The only one that fit my criteria was the Sony ICF-S79V. It was a little pricey, but it met all the criteria. It’s interesting to note that this was about 5 years ago and it cost $50…virtually the same price as today.
Construction
The radio is made of a strong white plastic with a seamless blue plastic membrane top with molded-in buttons for the on/off switch, tuning, band, and 5 presets. A simple, white plastic knob for the volume. The battery compartment (C cells) is well sealed on the back with a recessed rubber gasket that runs all the way around. I dropped the radio several times and never so much as a crack or chip.
The radio can be hung from a shower head using a nylon lanyard that attaches to two clips on the back. However, because of the length and the position of the clips on the back, the radio is not very balanced when hung and tips outward quite a bit. To mitigate this, I tied back the lanyard to shorten it substantially. This minimized the tilt, but then it hung so high I could not see the buttons and had to do it by touch. Eventually, I got a wire shower caddy for the corner and just put it there amongst my wife’s extensive collection of shampoos, conditioners, and loofahs.
The monaural speaker is quite large and therefore has very clear sound with good range.
Reception
Decent, but could have been better. Had occasional trouble with some of the weaker stations (which unfortunately includes the local public radio station). I could have used the FM antennae, which is a simple wire that is stored in the battery compartment that can be deployed via a small notch in the battery cover, but it just adds to the clutter in the shower stall so I didn’t bother with it.
Clock
Don’t really care about the clock display, but did note that accuracy was so-so. It seemed to drift by a minute or so every few months. With Daylight/Standard time changes, I needed to reset the time twice a year anyway so no big deal.
The LCD display was not very good. Difficult to read at very high/low angles even without the steam in the shower. Kind of useless during the shower really, but that’s what the presets are for.
Battery life
I couldn’t remember how many batteries (3) it took without peeking at the other reviews, although I did remember it took C cells and it had very good battery life. As I recall, under normal conditions I only needed to change the batteries about every 12-18 months (quite a bit more frequently when it started getting flaky…see below).
Why it died
Overall, I was quite satisfied with the product. However, over time the plastic membrane on top (into which the buttons are molded) became brittle. Eventually, little cracks over the frequently used buttons began to form. Water began to leak in and the radio buttons started getting flaky and eventually died completely. I probably was able to use the radio for another 6-9 months after the cracks first appeared.
I’ve delayed getting another ICF-S79 because I was hoping to find a product that would be less susceptible to cracking; perhaps one made using silicone instead. I actually did see one a few years ago, but it was intended as a pool-side radio and I was hoping to find something that maybe I could mount/hang on the shower head. I haven’t seen it since.
So time to go ahead and get another one of these. Looks like I’ll even get it from the same online vendor!
Update
My new version of the ICF-S79 does not have a rubber gasket sealing the battery compartment. Instead, the cover and the body each have interlocking grooves that restrict, but do not prevent, water from entering the battery chamber. There are two weep holes at the bottom that allow water to exit if necessary. I'm not sure if I am mistaken about my original version having a rubber gasket or if Sony has since removed it from the design to lower the manufacturing cost. Unfortunately my original was tossed out long ago so I cannot check.
The new radio seems adequately resistant to water; I've been checking the battery compartment periodically for water and I have not found any yet. Still, I wouldn't recommend dunking this radio. Going to have to loose some construction quality points!
Ideal Radio For Bathroom Shower Spa Or Sauna. Unique Easygrip Design Will Not Easily Slip From Your Hand And Can Be Set Down On Tub Edge Or Other Flat...More at Target
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