Koss PP257B Water-Resistant Sports Arm Band Radio (Blueberry)

by Koss

Product Details

Product Manual [3.77mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005K3KM
• Item model number: PP257B
• Batteries: 2 AAA batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,446 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Enjoy affordable, compact convenience with Koss's PP257B armband radio. An armband and a belt clip are included, and a built-in safety reflector increases visibility when you're walking or working out in dark surroundings. You can take it with you in the rain, too--the PP257B is water resistant. It comes with ear-clip headphones, and bass boost is available. The device runs on two AAA batteries (not included).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Main Problems: Background Hissing, Poor Reception, June 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Koss PP257B Water-Resistant Sports Arm Band Radio (Blueberry) (Electronics)

Here is a breakdown of my evaluation of this radio:

** Cons **

>> Performance
Here's the real gripe I have about this unit: the reception is very poor on some radio stations and a very noticeable background hissing can be heard when the volume is turned down low. These ought to be enough reasons for you to decide not to purchase this unit. But there's more.

>> Construction
The unit is also poorly constructed. I have owned it for almost two years and have been using it on my bus commute to and from work. Within this span of time, the plug for the head phone jack has come off, one of the buds of the earphones have ceased functioning, and the volume knob has gotten too easy to turn due to frequent use. The unit also gives the appearance of being constructed from cheap plastic. Further, the color of the back of the body is painted on so the paint rubs off over time.

>> Function
There are only five presets for each AM and FM band. Also, if you accidentally pressed the memory button, you could easily overwrite one of your presets. The only way that I have found to avoid overwriting any preset stations is to turn the unit off and then back on again.

** Pros **

The pros for this radio are not worth mentioning because the problems with this unit far outweigh any pros this unit has. But here they are for completeness sake:

>> Features
This radio has decent bass boost and station auto-scan. Both features are absent in many portable radios.

** Conclusion **

If I hadn't lost my receipt, I would most certainly have returned it to the store I purchased this it from. Although I use this radio on a regular basis, I have been very dissatisfied with it. I strongly advise you to pass this radio up for something else.

4.0 out of 5 stars More than adequate for the price, October 22, 2002

By 

Greg Goodwin (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Koss PP257B Water-Resistant Sports Arm Band Radio (Blueberry) (Electronics)

I've owned this radio for nearly two years. Considering the low price, it performs admirably for my needs. I use for a couple of hours at a time, several times at week while working out and running. It is lightweight (doesn't pull down my running shorts) and the ear phones are comfortable. As for reception, I've been able to receive any local FM station I've tried, even in the basement of my health club. I'm ordering another because the beltclip has broken (because of my own clumsiness).

... but for less than [amount], it definitely meets my needs.

1.0 out of 5 stars Broke after 8 months, October 1, 2002

By 

Sean (Framingham, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Koss PP257B Water-Resistant Sports Arm Band Radio (Blueberry) (Electronics)

Bought radio in January, used approx. 2-4 times/month, and by September it was broken. I didn't manhandle it (in fact, I kept it in a small leather pouch to protect it), didn't drop it, bang it, or otherwise abuse it. Not quite sure what the problem it, but sound like the digital tuning is broken... after 5 minutes of use, it starts randomly scanning stations and then just settles on nothingness.
Recommend you save your money and spend it on a better brand.