I use my icf19 with eneloop AA batteries and D size adapters. Lasts really long time and helps keep the weight down. Thanks for reviewing these radios.
I agree. It has good reception, a nice big speaker, an easy to read analog dial with big numbers (though the tuner can be off vs what you're listening to), and a handle that doubles as a stand to prop the radio up. It's simplicity is very convenient; just turn it on, tune in the station you want, adjust the volume, you're good to go. The only thing I don't like, though I hardly use it, is the monaural jack: with headphones you'll only hear sound on one side. All & all, this radio delivers; I keep one in my car to listen to if I'm parked someplace and don't want to use my car radio for 1/2 hour or more and risk draining the car battery. I did that leaving the car headlights on about two months ago, had to ask somebody for a jump start.
In THIS shootout in might win, but the Sony ICF-38 (not in this competition) beats it. The bandwidth seems a bit more narrow so the sound is less harsh and sounds clear. It also seems to pull in AM stations SLIGHTLY better. Also, the Sony uses wheels for tuning and volume. I like that better than the dial because the dial can be broken off or damaged if the radio falls.
Hi Todderbert. I now have the Panasonic RF 2400D and 3 colors of Toshiba TR PX20. I also ordered C Crane EP Pro and i’m expecting it to be delivered anytime soon. My collection is growing, thanks to you. I want to get something that i can listen to some of my MP3 music and i want to get your opinion. Retekess TR618 or Toshiba TY HRU30? Thanks By the way i’m from the Philippines
I ordered the Panasonic and I like it! I love the audio quality and FM sensitivity...... in my opinion its excellent! Great summer time beach companion!
I had the Panasonic 2400 D, back in 2002. It was a great 😊 performer, until I accidentally knocked it into our swimming 🏊♀️ pool 🏊♀️. Luckily, I was using it on batteries 🔋(Thank God it wasn’t plugged 🔌 in). Nobody was in the pool 🏊♀️, but it still ruined my Panasonic 2400 D radio 📻. In the end, I took it apart for the speaker 🔊 magnet 🧲. Your friend, Jeff.
Honestly, that panasonic sounds pretty horrible to me. It sounds so tinny and cheap. I could not stomach it for long. I considered the sony 506, but i went with the sangean d19. With the sale. It ended up only being the cost of a power cable more than the sony. 2 speakers, digital, has an alarm and clock. Its a pretty huge upgrade.
_Super dobar Panasonic RF-3500-K(GX-500) je dobro napravljen radio prijemnik. Ima jedan nedostatak . AM band nije precizno podešen.AM band se može mnogo bolje podesiti._
1. ICF-506 and ICF-19 (Tie) 2. Panasonic 3. ICF-306 I like The two I mentioned as a tie because they have the most pleasing audio to my ears. Not HiFi by any means, but excellent for under $50.
I went with Panasonic,, I was looking for Sony but prices are very high and then you have to pay import fee is BS..So I spent $41 CDN and end of story I am happy and satisfied with sound and reception...Also you can use AC or batteries so it’s very portable...
I also listen 👂 to Johnny Dollar 💵. It’s a GREAT 😊 radio 📻 documentary. I came 🆙 by learning about it in 2021, on my phone 📱. Again, your friend, Jeff.
All four radios surprised me in terms of sensitivity of reception in this category. I will not lie audio quality means a lot to me as well and not all the radios here excel in that category. But if I had the money I would purchase all four.
I love these shootouts. I think they offer valuable info. Todderbert, would you do another portable AM/FM shootout to include the Radio Shack 12-889? Perhaps pit the 12-899 against the Panasonic RF-2400, Sony ICF-19, maybe throw in a Sony ICF-38, or some of your favorites? I hope you can do it! I’ll buy a mug if you do. 😜
I bought the Sony ICF-19 and on AM the highs are more muted and it has more bass, it is more easer to tune as the station locks in, is a better DSP implementation. On FM it has fuller sound. My choice is on price and battery life. The Smaller Sony has less bass as the speaker is smaller but talk and music is better sounding as it has more treble in it. The Panasonic is has less bass and a little more treble that the others but not so much. Thanks for the video. The Sony ICF-19 was the deal for me as it has more for the money. Great review.
Thanks for a great review, my mission today, Upgrade my mums Sony pocket radio..my electrical store had all 4 models here, but I stuck with the 306, Great clear Am happy Camp!!😃👍
todderbert Yes the store is in Australia, A great selection of Sony 's Sagean Panasonic and Akai. I paid around avarage to 20% more than Ebay but worth the convenience.
Ouwh thanks a lot for this comparison. I like the 306 because it sounds crisp clear. It has 2 small speaker I guess. But I am actually looking for the one with AC cord for my Mum using mostly FM. The local online store here only sells Panny. So I was left with no choice but Panny.
Lots of radios synthesised have digital and receive more noise classic analogue radio doesn't have too much Noise a fully analogue radio with a nice to read am frequencies is hard to find the Sony with the white little read out is pretty nice
I think the best, for me, is the 306. It sounds good and the batteries it uses are easy to find and very cheap!! The 19's are very expensive. My order of preference: 306, 506, 19 and rf2400.
All are acceptable to me...the 19 sounds good; I do like the bass of the 2400D, but I like the compact size of the 306...and the 306 is a "real" analog-tuned radio...that's getting hard to find these days.
Yes, "analog" is getting harder to find. I am starting to like some of these step tuned radios. The ones that can handle distant AM stations well that is. I still enjoy the classic radios for their "analog" dials, they sound so much better when searching through the bands.
Yes. I'm hoping they refine DSP circuitry to appear more like analog tuning while you're dialing across the bands. DSP isn't all bad - for instance DSP radios generally give really good FM reception, allowing weak stations to be heard. But whether on MW, SW or FM, if you don't know how to tune a DSP radio you will skip over some signals.
Hmmmm the ICF-506 and the ICF 19 sound the same to me. But my pic is the 306 and 506 only because if I admit I like the 2400 or the ICF-19 it means I'll have to buy them.......
El 506 es mas delgado, usa 3 pilas AA, tiene grill de metal, y tiene mango duro de plastico. El 19 es mas grueso, usa pilas D que se supone duran mas tiempo, y tiene grill de plastico y strap de tela. El 506 es mejor radio de mesa y el 19 mejor radio portatil por lo de las pilas
The 506, larger internal ferrite antenna, dual power and decent audio from it's four inch speaker. The DSP works well once you get used to the "stepped" tuning versus the analog tuning of the 306.
The 19 runs on D Cells only, no AC input or DC input. It does boast 400+ hour runtimes. The 506 has an AC input and comes with the AC cord, runs on optional AA batteries. The 19 does not have a built in handle, the 506 does. The 506 has a metal speaker grill while the 19 is all plastic construction. Both have the same internals. The 19 makes for a great off the grid radio, while the 506 makes a good household radio.
I 'took a flyer' the other day and ordered the Sony ICF-19 from your Amazon link! Sounds like I made a good choice! By the way, Mr. Todderbert, I don't care what the people throughout UA-cam are saying about you, you're an okay guy in my book! ;- )
its all good, I watched a creator's video where "engagement" is a good thing :) btw thanks for using my link! I can't tell who is ordering what, but the little extra referral bonus helps.
I was just making a small (bad) joke. I apologize to anyone who was offended. HamRad88, Two Hands and a Radio, and Todderbert are my three favorite radio reviewers. Mr. T knows I love him.
yep, check out my Shorts Section. I have been using some older AM radios tuned to my local AM station that plays OTR at Night. www.youtube.com/@todderbert/shorts
Is the 506 really that much heavier than the rest? Google tells me 2.14lbs (34oz) vs 7.8oz for the 19 (24 with batteries), a 24.3oz for the 2400. The 506 is 10oz more than the other two? Just ordered the 506, aesthetics made the choice. I think the black metal grille looks so much better than the usual plastic front or the (ugh) silver metal grille. All metal grilles can get dented, so there's some argument for the 19. Also, with AA-to-D adapters, it would be the lightest of the bunch by far (12 oz maybe).
Are there any advantages the icf 306 has over the icf 19? Narrowed it down to those two just for casual use, I like that the 306 is analogue compared to the digital 19, but besides novelty (and size), are there any genuine advantages? Thanks!
The ICF-19 has better Audio, and FM Reception. It also uses D Cell Batteries for Run Times over Four Hundred Hours. The 306 is more portable, and Fun to Tune the Analog AM band.
Why all radios now are DSP , i dislike that i prefer older radios like Panasonic RF 2400 , Sony also , Sangean , but many radios i bought lately are all DSP it' s difficult to find the stations very well and weak stations not easy, AM or FM i prefer older radios Thanks for all your videos
Good question. I would take it over all of these because of its Bass/Treble controls..makes the sound that much sweeter, and the FM Stereo on the Headphones is a dream. Second I would pick the 19 or the 506 next for their precise tuning.
I like your analog,classic ,simple, AM radios. They have great design. I have analog ,classic,simple sw,mw,fm radio sony icf 704 s,with sw 6-18 mhz. Your radios have no sw band,and you lose chanse to listen to foreign radio stations from all over the world! I advice you to buy a sw radio. Are there sw radios on market or in a shop in your country or city? I doubt you can find analog sw radio sony or panasonic in your area. But may be you can find analog sw radio of other brand firm overthere where you live. So go shopping! Or is it enough for you to have AM radio sony and panasonic? My name is igor belevich. I live in belarus .i am dxer from belarus.i am 40 years old. I love short wave more than medium wave AM... I want all american AM radio stations to begin to broadcast on AM to belarus. But it is impossible,unfortunately. I want to listen to american and canadian AM radio stations in belarus. Please write me and tell me if you have a sw radio reveiver and tell me the model of that sw radio.
You must be joking. Panasonic 2400D is by far the leader. It has the best reception and the best selectivity. It has DSP. See the clip "Leader of the Bands" by Todderbert!
I use my icf19 with eneloop AA batteries and D size adapters. Lasts really long time and helps keep the weight down. Thanks for reviewing these radios.
I purchased the Panasonic for $25. I'm very happy with purchase. Now I have something to listen to while working out. Bx, NYC. 🇺🇲🇩🇴
Panasonic 2400D wins hands down. Amazing reception and selectivity. The inner ferite 4" antenna is worth all the money.
I agree. It has good reception, a nice big speaker, an easy to read analog dial with big numbers (though the tuner can be off vs what you're listening to), and a handle that doubles as a stand to prop the radio up. It's simplicity is very convenient; just turn it on, tune in the station you want, adjust the volume, you're good to go. The only thing I don't like, though I hardly use it, is the monaural jack: with headphones you'll only hear sound on one side. All & all, this radio delivers; I keep one in my car to listen to if I'm parked someplace and don't want to use my car radio for 1/2 hour or more and risk draining the car battery. I did that leaving the car headlights on about two months ago, had to ask somebody for a jump start.
In THIS shootout in might win, but the Sony ICF-38 (not in this competition) beats it. The bandwidth seems a bit more narrow so the sound is less harsh and sounds clear. It also seems to pull in AM stations SLIGHTLY better. Also, the Sony uses wheels for tuning and volume. I like that better than the dial because the dial can be broken off or damaged if the radio falls.
I ordered both the ICF-306 and ICF-19 right away after watching this video 4 days ago. Just got them and both are really nice. Thanks for the review
Glad you like them, one pure analog, and one DSP that will run forever :)
Hi Todderbert. I now have the Panasonic RF 2400D and 3 colors of Toshiba TR PX20. I also ordered C Crane EP Pro and i’m expecting it to be delivered anytime soon. My collection is growing, thanks to you.
I want to get something that i can listen to some of my MP3 music and i want to get your opinion. Retekess TR618 or Toshiba TY HRU30?
Thanks
By the way i’m from the Philippines
@@odikvillarroel5404 TR618, better Audio.
I ordered the Panasonic and I like it! I love the audio quality and FM sensitivity...... in my opinion its excellent! Great summer time beach companion!
Great Radio, the FM is fantastic.
I had the Panasonic 2400 D, back in 2002. It was a great 😊 performer, until I accidentally knocked it into our swimming 🏊♀️ pool 🏊♀️. Luckily, I was using it on batteries 🔋(Thank God it wasn’t plugged 🔌 in). Nobody was in the pool 🏊♀️, but it still ruined my Panasonic 2400 D radio 📻. In the end, I took it apart for the speaker 🔊 magnet 🧲. Your friend, Jeff.
Honestly, that panasonic sounds pretty horrible to me. It sounds so tinny and cheap. I could not stomach it for long. I considered the sony 506, but i went with the sangean d19. With the sale. It ended up only being the cost of a power cable more than the sony. 2 speakers, digital, has an alarm and clock. Its a pretty huge upgrade.
So many options... in the end I bought the Panasonic RF-3500E9-K (GX-500) 🙈🤷♂️
I didn’t find many reviews of the RF-3500E9-K, l hope it is good.
_Super dobar Panasonic RF-3500-K(GX-500) je dobro napravljen radio prijemnik. Ima jedan nedostatak . AM band nije precizno podešen.AM band se može mnogo bolje podesiti._
1. ICF-506 and ICF-19 (Tie)
2. Panasonic
3. ICF-306
I like The two I mentioned as a tie because they have the most pleasing audio to my ears. Not HiFi by any means, but excellent for under $50.
I went with Panasonic,, I was looking for Sony but prices are very high and then you have to pay import fee is BS..So I spent $41 CDN and end of story I am happy and satisfied with sound and reception...Also you can use AC or batteries so it’s very portable...
I also listen 👂 to Johnny Dollar 💵. It’s a GREAT 😊 radio 📻 documentary. I came 🆙 by learning about it in 2021, on my phone 📱. Again, your friend, Jeff.
To my ears, The 19 has a fuller sound than the 506 , When listening to that Johnny dollar program.
All four radios surprised me in terms of sensitivity of reception in this category. I will not lie audio quality means a lot to me as well and not all the radios here excel in that category. But if I had the money I would purchase all four.
The Sonys get my vote :) The 19 is a fav of mine.
Very true. That is a very true statement. Has to be said again.
I love these shootouts. I think they offer valuable info.
Todderbert, would you do another portable AM/FM shootout to include the Radio Shack 12-889?
Perhaps pit the 12-899 against the Panasonic RF-2400, Sony ICF-19, maybe throw in a Sony ICF-38, or some of your favorites?
I hope you can do it!
I’ll buy a mug if you do. 😜
I bought the Sony ICF-19 and on AM the highs are more muted and it has more bass, it is more easer to tune as the station locks in, is a better DSP implementation. On FM it has fuller sound. My choice is on price and battery life. The Smaller Sony has less bass as the speaker is smaller but talk and music is better sounding as it has more treble in it. The Panasonic is has less bass and a little more treble that the others but not so much. Thanks for the video. The Sony ICF-19 was the deal for me as it has more for the money. Great review.
Thanks for a great review, my mission today, Upgrade my mums Sony pocket radio..my electrical store had all 4 models here, but I stuck with the 306, Great clear Am happy Camp!!😃👍
Your Welcome! and you have a Cool Store, none of the stores around me carry these radios. Just the small ones. Like the P26.
todderbert Yes the store is in Australia, A great selection of Sony 's Sagean Panasonic and Akai. I paid around avarage to 20% more than Ebay but worth the convenience.
@@TheMysteryG im in Australia too, where is the store? Thank you
Hi,
I think the difference between the 506 and 19 is the 506 has the DSP chip whereas the 19 is regular analogue tuned.
Great video.
Cheers...... Phil
Thanks Phil! The 19 is step tuned also.
I have the icf19 battery the stations one after the other is amazing in a small space to have so many broadcasters👍
Meu amigo Corazine você está em todo vídeo , até nos estrangeiros . Realmente você gosta de rádios , e ainda conversando em inglês , Parabéns !
Ouwh thanks a lot for this comparison. I like the 306 because it sounds crisp clear. It has 2 small speaker I guess. But I am actually looking for the one with AC cord for my Mum using mostly FM. The local online store here only sells Panny. So I was left with no choice but Panny.
FM sounds good on the Panasonic.
Lots of radios synthesised have digital and receive more noise classic analogue radio doesn't have too much Noise a fully analogue radio with a nice to read am frequencies is hard to find the Sony with the white little read out is pretty nice
I think the best, for me, is the 306. It sounds good and the batteries it uses are easy to find and very cheap!! The 19's are very expensive. My order of preference: 306, 506, 19 and rf2400.
Which has better sound quality and better reception, Sony ICF-306 or Panasonic RF-2400D?
All are acceptable to me...the 19 sounds good; I do like the bass of the 2400D, but I like the compact size of the 306...and the 306 is a "real" analog-tuned radio...that's getting hard to find these days.
Yes, "analog" is getting harder to find. I am starting to like some of these step tuned radios. The ones that can handle distant AM stations well that is. I still enjoy the classic radios for their "analog" dials, they sound so much better when searching through the bands.
Yes. I'm hoping they refine DSP circuitry to appear more like analog tuning while you're dialing across the bands. DSP isn't all bad - for instance DSP radios generally give really good FM reception, allowing weak stations to be heard. But whether on MW, SW or FM, if you don't know how to tune a DSP radio you will skip over some signals.
Hmmmm the ICF-506 and the ICF 19 sound the same to me.
But my pic is the 306 and 506 only because if I admit I like the 2400 or the ICF-19 it means I'll have to buy them.......
The 306 and 506 are the most versatile. There is some type of magic at work on the 19...I love it.
Hola el 506 y el 19 se ven iguales, cual es la diferencia.
El 506 es mas delgado, usa 3 pilas AA, tiene grill de metal, y tiene mango duro de plastico. El 19 es mas grueso, usa pilas D que se supone duran mas tiempo, y tiene grill de plastico y strap de tela. El 506 es mejor radio de mesa y el 19 mejor radio portatil por lo de las pilas
I think sony icf 506 is better than other
Please review the Sony ICF-801, I've been eyeing that portable for a while now and would love to see you get your hands on one haha
When I start earning "Lambo" money on Ad sense :) or a generous donator perhaps?
i own the 2400D already(highly recommend), buy now, i want to buy the 19, would be worth to get the Sony?
I enjoy the speaker tone on the Sony more than my Panasonic. But it could be different for others.
I got the Panasonic and i liked a lot
Was the first station WSCR or WGN? I can’t really tell.
720 WGN.
Could you also review the Philips A1290 radio.
I'm between icf-306 and icf-506. Which one would you recommend?
The 506, larger internal ferrite antenna, dual power and decent audio from it's four inch speaker. The DSP works well once you get used to the "stepped" tuning versus the analog tuning of the 306.
@@todderbert Thanks, already on its way 😁.
This video help me very mouch! Thanks!
Your Welcome Raphael, thanks for watching! Merry Christmas.
icf19 better reception 👍
What are the differences between 19 and 506?
The 19 runs on D Cells only, no AC input or DC input. It does boast 400+ hour runtimes. The 506 has an AC input and comes with the AC cord, runs on optional AA batteries. The 19 does not have a built in handle, the 506 does. The 506 has a metal speaker grill while the 19 is all plastic construction. Both have the same internals. The 19 makes for a great off the grid radio, while the 506 makes a good household radio.
I 'took a flyer' the other day and ordered the Sony ICF-19 from your Amazon link! Sounds like I made a good choice! By the way, Mr. Todderbert, I don't care what the people throughout UA-cam are saying about you, you're an okay guy in my book! ;- )
its all good, I watched a creator's video where "engagement" is a good thing :) btw thanks for using my link! I can't tell who is ordering what, but the little extra referral bonus helps.
I was just making a small (bad) joke. I apologize to anyone who was offended. HamRad88, Two Hands and a Radio, and Todderbert are my three favorite radio reviewers. Mr. T knows I love him.
I apologize above.
9:56 Oh wow there's a station that re-broadcasts some OTR shows on Medium Wave? :) That's soooo awesome!!!
yep, check out my Shorts Section. I have been using some older AM radios tuned to my local AM station that plays OTR at Night. www.youtube.com/@todderbert/shorts
@@todderbert I wish we had that here too in Germany... and Europe in particular...
Is the 506 really that much heavier than the rest? Google tells me 2.14lbs (34oz) vs 7.8oz for the 19 (24 with batteries), a 24.3oz for the 2400. The 506 is 10oz more than the other two?
Just ordered the 506, aesthetics made the choice. I think the black metal grille looks so much better than the usual plastic front or the (ugh) silver metal grille. All metal grilles can get dented, so there's some argument for the 19. Also, with AA-to-D adapters, it would be the lightest of the bunch by far (12 oz maybe).
Are there any advantages the icf 306 has over the icf 19? Narrowed it down to those two just for casual use, I like that the 306 is analogue compared to the digital 19, but besides novelty (and size), are there any genuine advantages? Thanks!
The ICF-19 has better Audio, and FM Reception. It also uses D Cell Batteries for Run Times over Four Hundred Hours. The 306 is more portable, and Fun to Tune the Analog AM band.
Thank you
Why all radios now are DSP , i dislike that i prefer older radios like Panasonic RF 2400 , Sony also , Sangean , but many radios i bought lately are all DSP it' s difficult to find the stations very well and weak stations not easy, AM or FM i prefer older radios Thanks for all your videos
Sony with white Dial my preference on Am.
I'd say the Panasonic RT-2400D sand the Sony ICF-19 are winners in my book too.
how does the Sangean PR-D6 fit with in these radios???
Good question. I would take it over all of these because of its Bass/Treble controls..makes the sound that much sweeter, and the FM Stereo on the Headphones is a dream. Second I would pick the 19 or the 506 next for their precise tuning.
Panasonic is still good, just don't like it's speaker audio on the AM band.
Which of this 4 is best for prepardeness guys?
ICF-19 ...all the way.
Does anyone know how long a fresh set of batteries will last with this radio?
which radio?
For me, i think the 306 sounds the best on AM.
It has a brighter sound to it.
2400D, then the 306. The Sony's are the best looking radios, however.
Price in India?
La digerencia el 506 es a corriente y pila
Panasonic, good,
Which one catches FM radio better? Please tell me
The Panasonic 2400 was the best performer for me on the FM band.
👍
In Europe we only use FM and Dab+ Digital Radio.
Panasonic
I hate u... No i envy u... Nooo i love u
I like your analog,classic ,simple, AM radios. They have great design. I have analog ,classic,simple sw,mw,fm radio sony icf 704 s,with sw 6-18 mhz. Your radios have no sw band,and you lose chanse to listen to foreign radio stations from all over the world! I advice you to buy a sw radio. Are there sw radios on market or in a shop in your country or city? I doubt you can find analog sw radio sony or panasonic in your area. But may be you can find analog sw radio of other brand firm overthere where you live. So go shopping! Or is it enough for you to have AM radio sony and panasonic? My name is igor belevich. I live in belarus .i am dxer from belarus.i am 40 years old. I love short wave more than medium wave AM... I want all american AM radio stations to begin to broadcast on AM to belarus. But it is impossible,unfortunately. I want to listen to american and canadian AM radio stations in belarus. Please write me and tell me if you have a sw radio reveiver and tell me the model of that sw radio.
Done subscribe
awesome!
sony n panasonic use old technology. china radio use digital display n tuning.
Panasonic was too dark to my taste
*_Sony icf 506 is the best, in second place is Sony306 and in third place is Sony icf 19. In last place would put Panasonic. Do you agree.*_🇭🇷
You must be joking.
Panasonic 2400D is by far the leader. It has the best reception and the best selectivity. It has DSP. See the clip "Leader of the Bands" by Todderbert!
@@Efendi_Bass For AM the Sonys are the best choice.