Customer Reviews

Panasonic RQSW44V Shockwave Personal AM/FM Cassette Player (Yellow)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this puppy about three months ago and haven't stopped using it since I took it out of the package. Aside from it's sporty yet stylish aesthetic, it functions like a dream! The digital "hold" button is my favorite feature (it's great to be able to toss it into a backpack and not have to worry about having the radio turned on after a little bit of josteling).

The only reason it didn't get a five-star rating from me is because the headphones that come with the Shockwave leave something to be desired. During my morning run I was constantly forced to reposition them; the headband kept slipping off or an ear piece would wriggle out. Maybe it's just the shape of my head. . . . Still, I love the Shockwave and would highly reccommend it.

This is a great walkman. It has comfortable headphones, a cool design, and holds many preset stations. What i don't like about it is that it has no clock on it. Also, the description said it came with an armband which isn't entirely true. The handgrip is big enough to fit around my bicep, but only because i am a girl and don't have huge biceps. The handgrip is a nice feature though as is the lap counter.

I have owned one for four months. I have mixed feeling
about it. It is a very durable walkman. I accidentally dropped it twice on concrete and there was no damage. Everything
worked fine on the walkman. My battery and cassette did not fly out upon impact. I am rough on my walkmans, which is
why I brought this Panasonic. The battery compartment is inside the cassette compartment, which prevents the battery
from coming out upon impact. The cassette lid locks securely. The FM reception switch works well. It helps prevent
interference from stronger stations. It's now time for the negatives. Panasonic should have equipped this walkman with
good, conventional headphones. These "in ear" type headphones come loose often. When I ride my bike on a bumpy
road, I have to re-adjust the headphones too often. I suspect joggers have the same problem. This Panasonic model has
the weakest super bass (they call it XBS) I have heard. The bass is too light. Panasonic's own RQ-CR15V delivers more bass. The sound quality is decent, but it needs more bass. The FM reception switch
is located inside the cassette compartment, which is inconvenient to operate when riding a bicycle. The play time (tape)
with one battery is good, but it's not 25 hours. If you have the XBS on and the volume is high, you can expect about 17
hours of play time. I suspect that is why Panasonic gives you four batteries. And last, this walkman is design to play
normal position (type 1) tapes only. You won't benefit from playing high bias (Type II) tapes. Type II tapes are generally
superior to type I. On this walkman, normal position (type I) tapes sound better. If you invested in a lot of high bias tapes,
look for a walkman that has a switch for normal position (type I) and high bias (type II) tapes. That is something I
neglected to do. Overall, I am a little disappointed with the Panasonic RQ-SW44V, but it is very durable.

The Panasonic Shockwave player is a great player. It is well constructed, takes a beating and has a really good sound. This is not only a great looking player; but a great all around portable.

I really am enjoying this walkman. It is great quality and looks nice too. I gave it only 4 stars because there was an armband promised with it and there isn't one. The hand grip, lap counter, and sound is great. I am getting one for my mom. I definitely recommend it.

I ordered this unit to replace a Sony walkman that died after about 4 years (a relatively long life for a walkman, in my experience). For the money, I can't really complain. The sound quality is quite good; nevertheless, the bass boost is inferior to the Sony's, the controls are harder to use when the unit is "belt clipped" to my waistband, and the earphones are not as comfortable. The lack of an auto-stop feature is also disappointing.

On the flip side, the earphones stay in place much better than did the Sony's, and the unit is more lightweight and gets more hours out of one battery than the Sony did out of two. It's a recent purchase, so I can't comment on its durability.

Overall, it's perfectly adequate for working out at the gym, but I must say that when it dies I think I'll go back to the Sony.

The quality of the cassette player itself is very, very good. It is extremely durable.

But, as other reviewers have indicated, the headphones are terrible. They are hard unyielding plastic and flat out hurt.

If you buy this player, plan on buying some other headphone. I bought PHILLIPS #sbcHS303 for $10.00 at Target. They are 3-way flexible and adjustable to your ear. The sound is very good and they are comfortable.

I wholeheartedly recommend this cassette player. After going through two comparably priced sony walkmans. (They both had mechanical failures) I found this player far superior. It has great sound quality, runs a very long time on one AA battery, and is incredibly durable. I have jogged over 600 miles with this unit tucked away in a jogging pouch mostly using the tape player. In this wet, jarring, and sandy environment over all that distance it still works like new.

This is a very decent product. I would have given only 3 stars but the headphones are great. For anyone looking to buy a walkman for personal use this one is great. Though a little pricy.

I gave this model to my wife as a replacement for her Sony player . She likes it better, and is completely satisfied with it. It is amazing that it runs on only one AA cell, and lasts as long as it does. The sound is very good, and the only downfall is, the head-set gets uncomfortable after awhile.