Panasonic RQSW09V Shockwave Personal Stereo

by Panasonic

Product Details

Product Manual [565kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 3.2 x 4.4 inches ; 6.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004T1X2
• Item model number: RQ-SW09V
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #358,218 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good product -- a little expensive, June 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Panasonic RQSW09V Shockwave Personal Stereo (Electronics)

This walkman actually combines all the features that I've been looking for. The main feature for me was the equilizer -- because Xtra bass alone does not allow as many options as the equilizer. The headphones are comfortable, and battaries last forever compared to my last walkman (a 5 year old Sony).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Language/Educational Use-This model won't chew up tapes, February 24, 2001

By 

William Pickett (Anaheim, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic RQSW09V Shockwave Personal Stereo (Electronics)

The mechanism in this player is excellent for shuttling the tape back and forth as one might do while studying language tapes or lectures on tape. It is very gentle on the tape and will not crimp or damage the tape, which normally leads to a jam and irreparable damage to the cassette. I have used this model for many, many hours, and I shuttle the tape a lot. I have never had good luck with cheaper cassette players. This model is at a very good price. The sound is excellent, and the AA battery lasts a long time. I have used this model to study both Chinese and Spanish. If you have had trouble with other cassette players, don't give up! You'll love this machine!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good solid product with a few minor flaws, September 3, 2001

By 

YSB "YSB" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panasonic RQSW09V Shockwave Personal Stereo (Electronics)

The unit has good sound, a clear radio and solid construction which are the most important things in a walkman so on that alone it gets good marks.

Now for the details, the radio tuner is pretty good. I find it is pretty picky about being aimed in the right direction, much more so than my last walkman (an Aiwa). It will pick up weaker stations much better than other radios though when it's aimed right.

The tape player controls are electronic which I like. One of the many benefits of that is it can find the next song or the beginning of the current song and wind there automatically. Very helpful. It also prevents abuse to the mechanical parts which will probably mean it will last longer.

The neck strap it comes with has some advantages but I still might prefer if it had come with a belt clip instead. It comes with a cute bag that should protect it from scratches. The bag closes with a drawstring so it's very easy to put the unit in or out.

The weak spots are the headphones and the Brain Shaker feature. The headphones clip to your ears. There is no band between the ear pieces and the wire is constantly getting tangled. It is also very hard to lean back with them because of the clips behind your ears. Not very convenient for dozing off to some music.

The Brain Shaker makes the headphones vibrate with the bass. it's a cute novelty but gets annoying after a while. I would prefer regular headphones with a regular bass boost. You can always use other headphones though and still use the remote as they are separate pieces. You won't get the Brain Shaker with other headphones, though that may not be a bad thing.

I use NiCad batteries with it and I find that they drain pretty fast. For some reason it seems to use a lot of power while it's off. You should get good time on the batteries if you use it for extended periods but the batteries will drain if it sits around.

I didn't have any problems with the controls but I can see some technically challenged people finding it a bit confusing. Most people though shouldn't have a problem.

In short, I would recommend this model quite highly. I remember seeing a similar model without the Brain Shaker for a drop cheaper though and if that wasn't just my imagination I would recommend you take the cheaper one. Brain Shaker isn't worth spending extra on.