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Coby CX-9 FM/AM Digital Radio

Submitted by admin on Sat, 06/23/2007 - 09:58.

5 Star Rating (2 star rating)

Coby CX-9 Digital FM/AM Radio - barely mediocre

Introduction
Like a whole lot of other people, my wife and I made a New Year s resolution to start exercising regularly and to eat healthier. While the jury is still out on our eating habits, we did commit to a 1-year gym membership at a local gym. We regularly use the stair-stepper and treadmill machines and wanted to be able to watch TV and listen to the radio at the same time. At the gym where we work out, they have a few TVs at the front of the cardio exercise area that are attached to FM radio transmitters to broadcast the sound of the TV s. Each TV is tuned to a different FM station so that you can choose which TV you d like to listen to. This was the primary reason we purchased the CX-9 Digital FM/AM radio (we each got one). I have been using it for approximately 2 months now.

Basic Information on the Coby CX-9
The CX-9 is a small (1.75" x 0.75" x 4.12" (WxHxD)) gray colored radio that comes with small earphones, a belt clip and a lanyard string. The earphones are connected using a 3.5mm headphone jack and the earphone cord is about 3 feet long. The control buttons are all at the bottom of the unit in a "U" shape, and the display is at the top of the unit. The unit can store up to 20 pre-set stations (10 FM and 10 AM) and the radio station tuning is digital. The unit is lightweight (about 3-4 ounces) and requires 2 AAA batteries to operate. It also has a digital clock and DBBS (Dynamic Bass Boost System).

What is in the box:

- CX-9 unit
- Earphones - User manual
Note that batteries are not included.

My Use of the CX-9, Likes and Dislikes

Signal strength
Out of the box, the CX-9 does not require any setup in order to start using it. After fitting in the 2 AAA batteries and plugging in the headphones, it started right up. The earphones are made of hard plastic and do not have any adjustments to fit into your ear, so they are  one size fits all . I have mainly used the CX-9 at the gym where the FM radio transmitter was, at most, 15 feet away. In this scenario, the CX-9 does a good job picking up the signal and keeping it locked in. I have not experienced any fade-in or fade-out when listening to the FM transmitter TV sounds. I tried to use the CX-9 while jogging on the track that circles around the basketball courts at our gym, but it did a very poor job of picking up the popular local FM radio stations. I tried to tune in to a few different stations, and some came in better than others, but they all would fade in and out and there was never a strong, clear signal picked up. After trying this a few times, I gave up and no longer tried to use it while jogging.

Function and Ergonomics
Programming the pre-set stations is easy and just requires holding the memory button for a few seconds to save it. Once it is saved, you can cycle to it using the preset button. The volume buttons are located on the side of the unit and only have an up and a down. One button that is fairly handy is the lock button - once you set it to locked , you can not change the station or the volume. This is handy for when you accidentally bump any of the buttons while you are working out. Unfortunately, it does not work for the power button. There have been numerous times when I have been working out that I have accidentally turned the unit off by bumping the power button. I wish that the power button had been placed on the side, or somewhere else less susceptible to bumping than the front of the unit.

The LCD display is fairly small and hard to read, since it is a basic dark gray display with light gray background. It would have been nice if the letters and numbers were a different color so that they are easier to read. I always have to stop moving in order to be able to read the display, which is annoying.

The attached belt clip has been sturdy and has not started to bend or break. I have not used the lanyard string at all, but it also has remained sturdy and does not show any signs of wear and tear.

Sound Quality and ComfortSound quality of the CX-9 is very poor. The included earphones produce meager sounding music and TV audio and leave a lot to be desired. A lot of the musical depth in mids and highs are completely lost with this unit. The DBBS does very little to help produce much bass and the lows are similarly lost with this unit. Overall the sound is flat and does not do justice to the sound reproduction capable of an FM radio player.

The unit is capable of producing plenty of sound. At about 1 / 2 of the volume setting, I was able to clearly hear the FM radio stations that I listen to while working out. This is commendable because there is a lot of background noise with the various exercise equipment running, people chatting, etc.

The included earphones are not particularly comfortable, as they do not conform to the shape of your ear but rather expect that your ear conforms to the shape of the earbud. After wearing them for about 45 minutes, I find the earbuds too uncomfortable to wear and I have to take them out. I m not sure if it is because I have to force them so far down into my ear, but I do not find them comfortable to wear at all.

Next: Conclusion