Digital tuner; Water resistance sports case; 22 hours ext. battery life; Auto reverse tape playback; Built in clock stop watch; Large LCD display; Anti-rolling mechanism; metal tape capability; automatic volume limiter system (AVL), Dolby B noise reduction.
There's something about the sporty, yellow and silver casing of this unit that makes you want to go out and get in shape. In addition to its good looks, the Sony FS-499 Walkman also boasts a stopwatch/lap counter for the serious exercise buff.
This unit's sturdy belt clip has a stabilizing frame to keep it from moving around while you're exercising, and a hand strap offers a sure grip when you're really sweating. The cassette buttons are large and well-spaced, making them easy to push during a hard-core workout; however, we found the number of buttons to be lacking when compared to other portable players. And we had difficulty reading the Play, Fast-Forward, and Rewind buttons while on the run because of sun glare off the casing's silver finish. On the other hand, tuning in AM/FM radio stations was a breeze. The five black, programmable buttons--which program up to 20 different stations--are easily located, as they contrast against the player's yellow surface. We also found the digital display easy to read.
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