Customer Reviews

Sony WM-FS221 Sports Walkman Cassette Player

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

 

 

Learn from my mistakes. Don't buy this product!

The name "sports" walkman is tantamount to false advertising for this unit. Each one of these lasts appoximately 2 months . . . if you drop it even once from belt-high -- and it is likely that you will, because the belt clip breaks very easily -- it is finished.

The plastic shell does not protect the mechanism from impact any more than the shell of a [less expensive] model. I've now bought three of these for use while lifting weights at the gym. Because they break so quickly, I've returned all three under warranty, and never heard ANYTHING from SONY. That's three walkmans, within the past year. Three strikes, and it is out.

The design of the product is also poor: the headphone outlet is positioned such that the wire plugs into the bottom of the unit. That means that you lose about 4 inches from an already short headphone cord. Any kind of stretching (such as when doing pull-ups), and the headphones either unplug, or pull the unit off your belt. And when it hits the ground . . . it's finished. Here's another example of a design snafu: the nylon wrist strap is positioned in such a way that it interferes with your use of the belt clip. This configuration means that you must make a choice as soon as you buy the unit: either commit to strapping the device to your arm or wrist with the belt-clip bulge on your skin, or cut the nylon strap off and wear it on your belt. Yet another example of poor layout: the battery door opens counter-intuitively: unlike other walkman-like devices I've used, you must push the clip toward the direction of the door hinge. This wouldn't be a problem, except that Sony chose to also put the battery compartment inside the cassette player itself. Accordingly, removing the cassette often results in opening the battery compartment (and dropping the batteries).

The bottom line is this: if you buy this product expecting "sport" to equate to "durable" (as I did), you are kidding yourself. If you buy it for listening to music while safely cradled in a nest of pillows, you're wasting your money: units half the price that do not hold themselves out to be "sports" anything will deliver the same sound quality.

with all the features this thing offered for such a low price. I like the design and didn't even understand everything that it offered when I bought it. My only complaint is that it eats batteries. I use mine to listen to books on tape while cleaning the house and exercising. I hit the off button and lay the thing down to go to work but come back to it eight hours later and see that it came back on again and the battery indicator shows only half strength. I have learned to open the battery compartment and take one battery out when storing it. It's a bit of an inconvenience, but not an unsolvable problem.

This is a great and slimple portable unit. It has outstanding reception on all bands. Extremely easy to program, with scan to preset 40 stations. It's rugged and has great sound. The best on the go unit I've ever owned.

Great Sony product BUT for the price it should of came with auto-reverse and a button to change the tape direction(You have to open up tape compartment, take tape out, flip over).

My last Walkman Cassette Player lasted twenty years, because it was simple and indestructable. This new model has got a lot of extra features that are a nice improvements over the older models. But, there are several design problems that make it less pleasant to use:
1. The battery life is a fraction of the older models because of the extra features, and
2. The on/off button is exposed to the easiest activation which results in the player unintentionally consuming battery power when not in use.
You definately have to be careful when you put it away or it will be dead then you next want to use it!

I really think this product was worth the money. There are a lot of presets, and the tv and weather features are really useful. I also like the auto reverse feature it has when it plays cassette tapes. And in the middle of side A, for example, you can instantaneously switch to side be because of the rubberized stick thing that you can use to change sides. It's extremely durable too. I've dropped it more than five times already from a height of about 3 feet and it still works perfectly.

I clean houses and listen to alot of books on tape. The product description states continuos play, I took this to mean auto-reverse and was not. It is too time consuming to always turn the tape over. The belt clip which I use is also in the same spot as the wrist holder with veclro straps and this interfears with the clip. Its not user friendly. Also I was always accidentally moving the volume up or down. It does play the cassettes well. TV reception only average. I used this for one week, ordered a different model from Ebay.

I ordered one from amazon and had it bundled to ship together with the typewriter I bought as well, and the requisite "Wite-Out." When I ordered it, they entered me into a contest to win a free liter of Pepsi Clear and a six pack of New Coke. I called all my best friends on my CB Radio to brag about it. Then I sent a telegraph to my mom to let her know that I got a brand new cassette player and how much it cost. Tonight I'm going to a totally hip and happening party and I'm dressing in my Cindy Lauper outfit and we'll be dancing and grooving to Olivia Newton-John as the DJ spins some next level beats on the turntable. I hope my brand new Ford Pinto starts on the first try. Oh well, if it's cold outside at least I'll have my legwarmers and my Members Only jacket to keep me warm. Even if I am the last Member. I hope the belt clip on my new cassette player fits around my gaberdine belt in day-glo green!!!

I'm sure it will!

I bought this for working out at the gym. It has good sound, and is lightweight and comfortable to wear on my belt. But the buttons are very sensitive and the slightest bump will change the station. Also, when I pick it up in the morning I often find that it' has been accidentally turned on, and the batteries are low. There is a small "Hold" button on the front of the case that will lock in the controls, but this button is also very delicate and it can be easily bumped into the "off" position. I'd gladly spend a few dollars more and have controls that aren't so easily disturbed.

I really would like to purchase this Sony portable.
Why can you not sell to New Zealand?