While the world is getting advanced with the advancement of technology, we are losing old or traditional stuff at the same speed. An FM radio is among such traditional stuff. As it is said that ‘Old is Gold’, so is true for the radio also. With music players and the latest technology, you can play anything anytime and anywhere. With lots of control over music, sometimes we feel lost and confused. We don’t know what exactly we need to hear. This is the beauty of an FM radio. It plays songs, jokes or even stories automatically. If you are a music lover, there will always be some station playing a program that will sync with your lifestyle.
What is An FM Radio Player? – A Quick Intro
An FM radio player is just like other music players, but it plays songs broadcasted by the radio stations. The word FM stands for Frequency Modulation, which is used to broadcast radio signals from radio stations to individual FM radio players. Nowadays, an FM radio player can be used as a Bluetooth speaker, or music player or other such things. This versatility is due to the advancement in technology.
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Best FM Radio Player – Quick Comparison
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Types Of FM Radio Player
There are two types of FM radio players that you can buy.
Analog FM Radio
It is the conventional type of FM radio player. However, with the advancement in technology, this type of radio player is now very uncommon. Although, earlier it was very popular. Now, it is replaced, to a much extent, by the other types of radio players.
Digital FM Radio
This is the latest type of FM radio player which is very popular nowadays. It has comparatively more channels and radio stations, clearer audio, quicker tuning process.
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Top FM Radio Player Brands In India
Let’s have a look at some of the brands that offer popular FM Radio Player in India.
Philips
Royal Philips is from the Netherlands and has a subsidiary in India known as Philips India Limited. It is among the top leading companies focussing on health and home care devices. The products offered by them have high quality that is expected from them.
Sony
Sony is one of the leading brands offering high passion to technology and the entertainment network in the entertainment industry. Their products fill the world with entertainment, creativity and technology. With the wide range of high-quality products, Sony brings entertainment to your home.
Panasonic
It is a Japanese multinational company so we can expect high quality and advancement of technology from its products. Panasonic affirms to provide a better world around their customers. Their products range from LCD & Plasma TVs, Home Theatre Systems, Smartphones, Cameras, Camcorders, FM radio players, Air Conditioners, Washing Machines, Refrigerators, and so on.
Saregama
Saregama India Ltd. is India’s oldest music label. In 2017, it launched its new product that was Saregama Carvaan. It is a portable digital music player with an FM radio player, in-built stereo speakers, and has 5000 evergreen Hindi songs inside. It is a nostalgic blend of technology and retro time. Saregama has recently launched the other mini versions of Carvaan. They give almost the same feeling in an affordable range.
Zebronics
Excellence, quality and reliability are the mantras of this Indian brand. It aims to deliver innovative solutions to its customer’s needs. They offer a range of affordable products from speakers to FM radio players.
Toshiba
It is another Japanese multinational company. Its diversified services and products include industrial and social infrastructure systems, escalators, electronic components, hard disk drives, printers, etc. Toshiba is one of the biggest consumer electronics manufacturers, personal computers, home appliances, and medical equipment.
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Top FM Radio Player In India
FM radio players have become more digital with the advancement of technology. They come with many extra features like inbuilt speakers or recorded music or any other things. Here, we have selected some of the top FM radio players in India according to their features.
SONY Radio
This model from Sony comes with integrated AM/FM. This enables you to enjoy your music anywhere and anytime. It has a built-in strap that makes it more portable. You can carry it around comfortably. It has manual tuning of the FM. A LED tuning indicator and battery status indicator are also present. It is dedicated to radio functions. The extra features like AUX connection and many such features are present in this model. This can be attributed to its advantage. Apart from this, like a radio, it has a high-quality performance. 2xAA batteries power this digital FM radio player. Thus, you can have nonstop entertainment anywhere.
Saregama Carvaan Mini
It is one of the trending FM music players in India. This radio player has many extra features. Some of them are Bluetooth connectivity, AUX connectivity, a collection of 351 preloaded Hindi Songs, etc. This collection of songs are evergreen hits from legends like Mohd. Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh and Asha bhosle. You can use the USB option to play from pen drives. Or you can use Bluetooth to play music directly from your mobile phone. Before using it, you have to charge it first. Once it gets fully charged, then its battery will last up to 5 hours approximately. The volume of its built-in speaker is sufficiently loud such that it can fill your whole room with it. It is quite small and lightweight. Thus, it will prove to be your best companion for any journey.
Pagaria Retro Radio
If you like vintage or retro themes, then this FM music player is made just for you. The design of this model is made with a combination of plastic and ABS walnut wood, giving it a classic retro vintage look. This Walnut wood finish is one of the key features. Apart from this, it has manual tuning options for both FM and AM for given frequencies. For accurate and precise tuning, it has a classic knob. This makes clear audio from even the remotest location. The frequency range for FM is 87.5-108 and for AM is 522-1620. You can use it as a Bluetooth speaker also. The range of the speaker is about 33 feet.
For a premium look, it has knobs, a volume controller and an antenna plated with gold. It would be a good option to gift it to a music lover. You can use it as a decorative masterpiece due to its vintage look.
Zoook Rocker Thunder
It is not just a radio. This is a party speaker with a mic. So you can have a karaoke party at your home easily and have fun with it. It has a rechargeable built-in lithium-ion battery that lasts for about four hours. It has superior sound quality with options like Bluetooth, AUX port, USB port, and many more. The Bluetooth range is about ten meters. It gives a frequency response in the range of 90Hz – 20kHz. This makes it a perfect FM radio. With a USB port, it has a micro-SD port also. This makes it more versatile. It has different knobs for different actions like echo knob to control echo, mic knob to control the mic’s volume, and so on.
You can even move it outdoors as it is very portable. It has a handle to lift it or move around easily. Despite its little big size, its weight is quite low, making it easy to carry or lift.
Philips Radio
Philips is just like a pioneer in the audio industry since the early 1920s. It guarantees to deliver a truly immersive sound experience to you at your home.
This radio from Philips comes with options for Mediumwave, Short wave, TV Band and FM radio. It is a tabletop device with a telescopic aerial. This battery-operated device has one headphone jack to give you personal space and a handle to carry it around for easy portability. It has good reception power and excellent sound quality. The only issue with this model is that it doesn’t come with any battery or adaptor. You have to buy them separately. It has two knobs. One for controlling volume and the other for tuning options. This tuning knob moves the slider present in the calibrated screen. Thus, you can easily slide to your required frequency or know your present frequency using this knob. It will help you in taking a trip down memory lane.
Panasonic Radio
If you are looking for a radio player that you can carry in your pocket, this is just for you. With this FM player’s ultra-portable and slim design, you can enjoy songs from your favourite stations anywhere and anytime.
Although it has an in-built speaker, it comes with an earphone if you need to listen to music personally without disturbing anyone else. To carry it around easily, it comes with a head strap. There is an LED indicator to show the status of the signal which you are tuning. This ensures that the manual tuning process goes correctly at appropriate frequencies. It has easy analogue-digital tuning for perfect tuning of the wider areas. For this purpose, a slide-rule tuning dial is present on the side of the FM radio player. There is a manual switch to select between AM and FM radio. It is battery operated device as 2 x AA batteries are used in it.
Toshiba Pocket Radio
This battery-operated FM radio player is very handy, making it easy to carry anywhere. It has options for both AM and FM radio. This model comes in three different colours, namely pink, black and red colours. It has mono speakers and tuning indicators to make the manual tuning process accurate and easy. For controlling volume, there is an option in it. It has a rod antenna and port for earphones to enjoy music without disturbing others. While other models are more like vertical (i.e. length is smaller than height), this model is based horizontally (i.e. length is greater than height). This makes it look more like a decorative item and looks good when placed on a table.
Amkette Pocket FM Radio
This is truly a multi-tasker model. It plays high-quality FM radio. Being pocket-sized and battery-operated makes it more portable. It can act as a multimedia speaker by playing a wide variety of music via a USB drive or Micro SD card. With the USB cable, you can connect it to a laptop or computer and play songs from there. For good reception, it comes with a high diversity antenna. Thus, there will be no need of adjusting the antenna frequently. To add to its multi-tasking abilities, this model comes with dedicated buttons that turn on an emergency flashlight that is quite powerful. Also, it has a special screen on it that shows the time. So, it can become your digital clock. A one-year warranty that comes with it ensures all its claims and guarantees its usefulness for a longer time.
iBELL FM
It is a tabletop radio that supports four bands i.e. FM, AM, SW1 and SW2. This means with a simple turn of a knob; you can access four different types of bands. It is quite portable due to its small size and strap for carrying it. With a built-in dynamic speaker and rechargeable battery, it is quite suitable for outdoor uses. It has a button for play/ pause, next, previous, mode, power on, and off. With a USB port or SD card slot, you can play music from your storage devices. It comes with a standard warranty for six months, and on free registration, you can get an additional warranty for six months. An all India service network backs this model to provide you with in-home warranty support up to a certain time. For operation, you can use a DC source or rechargeable battery.
Philips Radio
This Philips model lets you enjoy your favourite FM radio anywhere you want. It is quite compact and lightweight, making it fit into any small corner of your table or desk. For adjusting loudness and tuning of stations, it has volume and tuning control, respectively. It has an integrated telescopic aerial antenna to fine-tune the audio quality. With crystal clarity, it guarantees to deliver high-quality sound. The only issue with this model is that it needs two batteries. This increases its running cost.
Zebronics Zeb-County Bluetooth Speaker
The name of this model is Zeb-county. It is handy, portable, compact and comes with multi-connectivity options like Bluetooth, USB, micro SD and AUX. Along with built-in FM radio, it comes with a call function. It gets fully charged in about 4-5 hours and gives a playback for a time of about 10 hours approximately. This model has no antenna. So, whenever you want to listen to FM radio, switch the speaker to the mode of FM, connect the micro USB cable to the micro USB port of the speaker, and leave the other end of this cable open or free. This cable will then act as an antenna for FM radio. It has one year warranty.
There is a handle on the top that makes this radio player easy to carry around. Moreover, it comes in different colours like red, blue, green and so on. Thus, it can help you in giving a trendy look to your space.
Do You Need An FM Radio Player?
To know whether you need an FM radio player or not, answer the following questions first?
- Are you a music lover?
- Are you living alone, away from your family?
- Do you want to get news and update on your area without giving extra time?
- Are you tired of living your boring and monotonous life?
- Do you want to add entertainment to your life?
- Do you miss your carefree childhood days?
- Are you a podcast lover?
- Do you need any background music for concentrating or relaxing?
- You like to have something to listen to in your free time, but are you confused about what to listen to?
- Do you need an invisible partner who always tries to entertain you and cheer you up?
- Is your lifestyle stressed a lot?
If your answer is ‘YES’ to any of these questions, you need an FM radio player.
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How does an FM Radio Player work?
The working of an FM radio player is very simple. The music or show or anything is broadcasted from the channel studio. The method used for broadcasting is known as Frequency Modulation.
After broadcasting, the signals are received in an FM radio player through an antenna or any other arrangement, and music starts playing. But this will only happen if your FM radio player is tuned properly to the frequency of that station.
You have to first switch on the radio player, select the radio mode (if it has many other modes ), then tune it to the desired frequency i.e. frequency of the radio station that you want to hear. If it has an antenna, then you can adjust it to get a clear sound.
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How to take care Of your FM Radio Player?
An FM radio player is very easy to maintain or take care of. But, of course, you must know the basics of maintenance it needs. Still, here are some tips that can help you a little bit more.
Handling
- Avoid putting it in a place where it can get wet. Not all FM players are waterproof. Even a small droplet can degrade the sound quality or can cause trouble in the reception process.
- The most important and delicate part of an FM radio player is its antenna. Make sure you handle it carefully, and it is placed so that nothing can even touch or move it. Breaking an antenna is very common for an FM radio player as it is very sensitive.
- Sometimes dust enters the speakers and degrades the quality of sound. So, make sure to place it in a clean place and do its dusting every day or once a week.
Usage
- If the sound quality of your FM radio player suddenly decreases, then there is a high probability that it is time to change the battery of the radio.
- Prevent playing FM radio player while it is charging. This harms the player as this reduces the battery life of the radio player. This is true for any device that needs charging. Its impact may not be visible in the beginning. But in the long run, it will start showing its impact.
- Avoid playing music at the maximum volume level. In the long run, playing continuously at maximum volume may harm the speakers of your FM radio player. This doesn’t mean that you cannot play loudly. The maximum volume level should always be different from the level of sound that you consider to be loud. Buy that FM radio player whose maximum volume level is high from your normal volume level of sound. But playing music at maximum volume level occasionally will not harm much.
- Some people leave the player on continuously for longer durations. If no one is listening, then you can switch it off. This will reduce the chance of overheating the FM radio player and ultimately save its batteries’ health.
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Benefits Of FM Radio Players
The benefits of an FM radio player is countless. Here we have listed a few of them that are very common.
Flexibility
No need to depend on Electricity or the internet for entertainment. You can enjoy music, shows, stories and many more using an FM radio player even if there is no electricity or internet.
Mobility
An FM radio player can become a perfect companion in working out or in studies or in doing daily tasks or in doing your job or in travelling or even in a simple walk.
Other Benefits
- Listening to music has many benefits. It is healthy for the heart, lifts mood, reduces stress, stimulates memories, gives some relief in depression, helps in managing pain, helps in concentrating, and so on.
- In an FM radio player, you don’t have much control over the music or show (i.e. you cannot change what is playing in that station or what it is going to play). This makes you free from the burden of selecting what to hear. You tend to give yourself up to the music, which helps reduce stress a lot.
- Nowadays, an FM radio player has many extra features in it. You can use it as a speaker using Bluetooth or AUX cable or USB port. This will help you in rocking your party. Then some of them have clock or alarm features. The benefits keep adding on with each extra feature.
- They help in getting all the local and international news. Thus, without spending extra time, you can get all updates while you are doing your job.
- Listening to radio shows helps in increasing your creativity by elevating your imagination power.
- They are quite a large source of entertainment for almost all age groups. For youngsters, there are music channels. For elders, some channels give ayurvedic tips and so on. If you are getting bored, then you can listen to the radio despite your age.
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How To Choose FM Radio Player Brands In India – Buying Guide
There are some important factors that you must consider when buying an FM radio.
Type
An FM radio player is of two types: Analog and Digital. Analogue types of instruments are the traditional ones. In comparison to this, digital type FM radio player gives clearer sound, quicker tuning, more channels and more radio stations. Also, the digital type radio players are more versatile. Some of them can act as Bluetooth speakers or have a USB/ AUX port.
Sound Quality
Some of the FM radio players are quite cheaper. But, the problem with that is their sound quality is very low, and they have a lot of noise in them. Bad quality music will spoil not only your mood but the mood of people around you. So, prefer that FM radio player with crystal clear sound with low noise i.e. high signal to noise ratio. This will enhance your entertainment level.
Signal Receiving Capacity
Signal receiving capacity depends on the type of antenna used in the FM radio player. If it is of good quality, then it will have a better reception level. Otherwise, you have to struggle to listen or adjust the antenna to get a better sound quality.
Power
An FM radio player generally uses either a rechargeable battery, a normal battery, or any DC source. If it uses heavy power, then the running cost of such an FM radio player will be high. Therefore, it is advised not to buy such radio players.
Recording Option
This option is not needed in today’s world of mobile and technology. But, sometimes, it happens that some music or some narration is playing on the radio and you liked it so much that you want to hear it again and again. In such a case, you need to have a recording option.
Portability
If you want a tabletop radio player, then it is fine. Else, if you want to enjoy your walk or outdoor activity, then your FM radio player should be portable. Portability will be determined depending upon its size, weight, handle to carry around, battery backup and so on.
Ease of Tuning
When buying an FM radio player, make sure that it is easy to tune any station, and this tuning process is very quick. You don’t want to spoil your mood in the beginning due to difficulty in tuning any station.
Waterproof
Some of the FM radio players are quite portable that you can take them anywhere, even for a walk and all. But if it is not waterproof, you need to be careful in the rainy season or for any accidental splash of water on it. But, again, a waterproof FM radio player will have a higher price in comparison to others.
Battery Life
An FM radio player with good battery life ensures your entertainment for many years. This also helps in the safety of other parts of the radio player.
Your Location
It is really important to find the signal availability in your location. In the case of remote areas, normal radio players would not work. In such a case, you will need a radio player that has good quality reception power or maybe the one with some preloaded songs.
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Woofer
Some people prefer speakers with a woofer system to adjust treble, jazz, bass and so on. But for news or shows or slow music, a woofer is not needed. It is mostly needed for a party type occasion and mostly for loudspeakers. So it varies from person to person. So a user should buy a woofer based on their needs.
Loudness
When buying any FM radio player or speaker, it is important to check its loudness. Whether it is audible completely inside a room or you have to be close to it for hearing it completely. Although every FM radio player can increase or decrease volume, it is important to find the maximum volume up to which the quality of sound remains at an acceptable limit.
Accessories
Some of the FM radio players come with in-built rechargeable batteries and a separate charger. This charger can be a normal cable or USB cable with a type-C pin ( for fast charging). With some players, you will get an AUX cable dedicated to its slot, or they can give earphones for listening personally without disturbing others. In some battery-operated FM radio players, you will not get even the batteries. You have to buy them separately. So, when buying an FM radio player, don’t forget to check the accessories that you will be getting with it.
Warranty and After-sale service
A warranty ensures the long term usage of the product. For example, some of the FM radio players mentioned above comes with a warranty. So, select the one with the warranty to get the guarantee of its proper working up to a certain time.
Many trusted brands have service centres across the globe. They ensure that their customer continues to use their product even after its servicing or repairing. Even after the sale of their product, they continue their services like this or like exchange service or any other service. Selecting an FM radio player from such a brand will give you a better experience from both the product and the company.
Designs and Looks
Radio and all are traditional stuff. But with the latest technology, they have been modernized with many added features. But still, if it looks like the old way, then it will not appeal to you. Some of them have a great vintage look. In contrast, others have modern and trendy looks. But some FM radio players look the old way. So if you are buying it for someone else, it matters as it would be considered a gift.
Extra Features
Nowadays, many FM radio players are coming with extra features like USB connectivity, Bluetooth connectivity, SD card support, AUX cable connectivity, preloaded songs, rechargeable battery and many more. Some of these features may not be useful to you, but it adds to the cost of these players. But, then, it might be the case that these extra features are not of good quality. For instance, an FM radio player with Bluetooth is not a good option if the range of Bluetooth is very small or the connecting time is high. So select the one which at least has all the extra features you want and at the same time, it remains under your budget.
Weight
A heavy FM radio player is hard to move around. It has less portability. Such players are suitable for tabletop placement or for indoors where the movement of the FM radio player is negligible. In case you are planning for outdoor use, then select the one with lesser weight.
Safety
Whenever you buy any electrical or electronic device, make sure to read its safety features. The same thing goes for an FM radio player. It can harm you if its battery gets overheated or if the insulation of its cable is not up to the mark. Likewise, a splash of water may create unwanted results. And similarly, there can be many issues.
Price
Some of the premium brands offer the FM radio player with good sound quality at a higher price. Then some other brands offer FM radio players that are quite budget-friendly and have better sound quality. So when buying it, select the one with desired features under your budget.
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FM Radio Player – Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s take a look at the frequently asked questions about FM radio players.
Is there any FM radio player with no antenna?
Yes, there are some FM radio players with no antenna. Instead of antennas, they use other things for receiving signals. It can be any wire or any inbuilt thing or any other option.
How to use a USB/micro SD card in an FM radio player?
In some FM radio players, there is a dedicated slot for USB/ micro SD. Once a USB/micro SD card is inserted into that slot, it will automatically detect the USB/micro SD card and start playing the songs from it. If it doesn’t detect automatically, there will be some button available to select the USB/micro SD card.
Can we listen to AkashVani and Vividh Bharti on these radio players?
Yes. These are very common stations in India. Any radio player will play them. You just have to tune in to their frequency.
Is it possible to listen to a show or a piece of music again?
This is the beauty of the radio player. You cannot listen to it again unless you have a recording option in your player or that music/show is available online.
Does content played on a particular station change with location?
Yes. A particular station may have different content depending upon the location of the receiver.
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Do these players support any AM channels?
Some of these players support AM channels along with FM channels. Some of them support even options for Mediumwave, Short wave, and TV Band.
Can we play music using a USB port and FM radio simultaneously?
No. This option is not available with these radio players.
Is it possible to save station frequencies for next time usage?
This is another disadvantage of these radio players: you can not save station frequencies for next usage. You have to remember their frequencies or write somewhere. New models have been launched that can do this saving stuff. But this feature has increased its price.
Do FM radio players with Bluetooth connectivity have an in-built mic?
Mostly, such FM radio players do not have an inbuilt mic. But, some models have an in-built mic feature. This will act as another luxury to the consumer of that FM radio player.
Can we use them as a speaker to play music directly through computers or laptops?
Yes, in some cases. FM radio players with AUX or Bluetooth connectivity can be used as a speaker to play music directly through computers or laptops.
Can we play the radio while the radio player is charging?
Yes. If the battery level is not too low, we can play the radio while the radio player is charging.
Is AM better than FM?
The sound quality of AM is poorer than that of FM, but the former can be transmitted over long distances and is comparatively cheaper. Also, AM has more stations available in any frequency range due to lower bandwidth. The physical barrier negatively impacts FM signals (although FM signals are less prone to interference).
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Conclusion
Nowadays, our life has become monotonous. But, if you add a little music, it will become more enjoyable and exciting. For this purpose, an FM radio player is a perfect option. There is a wide variety of FM radio players available in India. Their features are also limitless. But, the best value for money among the ones we’ve picked above is Philips Radio . It is among the bestseller FM radio players and had good ratings. Also, the sound quality of this radio player will be undoubtedly good. This can I say from the trust I had in this brand.
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