Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)For most people, Coby isn't the first name that comes to mind when you think of bang-for-the-buck electronics, but if ever the company had the opportunity for a turning point, or at least a shining exception, the CX-CB12 could be it. Know ahead of time that this radio doesn't break any new ground in sensitivity or selectivity - it picks up the same AM and FM stations at the same strength as any other under-$50 radio you've ever used. That being said, this radio has some big advantages.
A quick glance at the wider-than-tall analog display gives you an idea of it's expansive shortwave band coverage. There aren't any other radios in that under-$50 class that let you listen in on the 60 all the way to the 13 meter bands. Any and all of the major international SW broadcasts can potentially be received by this radio.
The control surfaces belong on a much more expensive unit - the power and band selection switches on the front move with luxury car smoothness, and the large, open tuning and volume wheels on the right side have clearly been designed for comfortable long-term listening.
Add to this incredible battery life. With only the little "Tune" LED contributing to power drain aside from the actual radio circuit (the power and band selection indicators are all mechanical), you can enjoy several hours of listening a day for literally months without replacing batteries.
Should you purchase one of these gems, you should also pick up a $10 pocket reel antenna (available here on Amazon and anywhere else radios are taken seriously), which will exponentially improve your SW reception. I have picked up several numbers stations (Google "numbers stations" if you don't know what those are) using only this $10 radio and $10 antenna setup. You won't be able to use a bare wire or large antenna, as powerful and/or nearby AM stations will flood the dial at all bands and frequencies, rendering reception impossible (yes, you'll have to spend more than $20 to hardcore DX). Accessory-wise, the included earbuds are of course cheap, but this makes sense as the purchase price should go towards the actual radio itself, not earphones. A quality set of headphones will result in quality sound.
And all of this for *ten bucks*. It's an ideal first SW set - if you or someone you know is interested in what the buzz is about shortwave, you can get your foot in the door here for the cost of lunch. At this price, losing it on vacation or having a curious youngster immolate one isn't such a big deal. It's quite possible that this is the low-cost mass-produced Model T of shortwave radios, and hopefully Coby will take note and build on this example in the future.
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