Avantree SP850 – Portable 3-in-1 FM Radio with Bluetooth Speaker & SD Card MP3 Player – Rechargeable Mini Radio with LED Display & Headphone Jack, Pocket Size with Handheld

This review is for the Avantree 3-in-1 portable FM radio with Bluetooth. I've had many speakers that stream music, bluetooth speakers and just FM radios in my continual search for an interruption-free portable music experience that I can use while I'm working. This radio comes as close to filling the bill as any other speaker I've had. It's a nice little unit. My first impressions when I unboxed it was that it was well packaged, in an eye-appealing box. The box you almost hate to get rid of, it's got little magnets that help the lid to close soundly. It's cool and all, but the radio is what I'm after, it was a bit smaller than what I thought it would be, which is not a bad thing. It's lightweight too, which might make you think it's cheap, but you will be surprised. I did have a problem with my first unit. When I turned it on, the LCD display would light up, but you saw nothing. That's kind of a problem with a speaker like this that is multifunction. I did figure out how to set the sources I wanted without actually seeing what was on the screen, that was nice, but I knew this was a defect I couldn't live with. I wrote the email address on the support card that came with the radio and got a response within a couple of hours. I was all set up to return the unit to Amazon, no questions asked. And for my inconvenience, they gave me a code to get $10 off if I wanted to reorder the unit, which I gladly did. I left this review at 5 stars because although I had a problem, one I believe would be rare with this radio, the customer service was top notch and ready to make me a satisfied customer. It's not that common anymore to get customer service worth a salt, so I appreciate that, in addition to the really cool radio! I'm glad because the unit I received worked perfectly in every way. The LCD display is quite handy and it's also got a battery saving feature that kills the light after a short period. I've found the battery life to be very adequate and has lived up to the 8 hour claim. The nice thing about this unit is that the battery is replaceable. And I do love the Micro SD slot. If you have a lot of old MP3 music on a hard drive, you never have to worry about not having music if you fill a 32 GB card with MP3 music, it will be a long time before you have to hear the same song twice! The radio itself is stylish looking and has a strap that can be removed. My initial thought was that I was going to toss that strap, but the first time I hung it near where I was welding, I immediately appreciated it. I weld and fabricate, so I create a great deal of ferrous shavings and dust, which wreak hell on speakers in general (the ferrous dust gets pulled into the speaker magnets and covers them to the point that the speaker no longer works or works with much distortion. I try to keep anything with a speaker away from my welding dust, so the strap is handier than I first thought. The radio sounds suprisingly robust and crystal clear for such a small device. It looks to me like there are actually 2 speakers, each on opposite sides. This seems to give it more bass. It's a good sound in all modes. The radio even has a built in equalizer with some preset modes, so that's fun to play with too and each one has a noticable difference in sound quality. The radio is equipped with a pleasant female voice that helps confirm menu choices. To me, it's a classy feature that sets this radio apart from others. It's got a good FM tuner. The radio has an autoscan mode which is a good way to start. Let it run through and save the best stations, then you can go through and delete the ones you don't want or like. You can go to any station quickly by hitting the corresponding buttons on top. 102.5 would be 1-0-2-5 on the top buttons. When it does the autoscan, it saves the 30 best reception channels. These are the channels that the radio will go to if you hit the forward or reverse buttons. If you hard press the same, it will do a scan from that point to the next station that gets reception, regardless of the autoscan saves. The bluetooth is real easy to connect to other bluetooth devices and has a good range. 20 feet is about where I start losing the signal and music starts to get choppy. If it's a clear line, maybe further, and if you go into other rooms, it kills bluetooth badly, so that's just something to keep in mind. There's nothing wrong with bluetooth on this little radio. The Micro SD is my favorite feature of this radio. I used to have the Creative Jukebox type of music players. I had a Grace digital streaming player and I've had bluetooth speakers. None of them had the Micro SD capability that this has. The Creative Jukebox really didn't need it, but the Grace relied on a good wifi signal, which I know my welding equipment sometimes messes with the wifi signal and bluetooth too. Days where it seems that's the case, it's nice to have the Micro SD feature. I found out quickly that it doesn't support Itunes music format, but does support MP3 all day long. It also works as a portable USB drive when you plug it in with the provided micro USB cable. When you use this mode, it automatically goes to USB cable mode when you turn it on. If you are looking for a stylish, versatile way to play music, this is unbeatable. I love it!!!!

This is an update from my earlier review. Excellent little radio/TF card player. Packed well, comes with a rechargeable battery that you can actually pull out and replace if necessary. I am only using the radio as a TF card player. The display reads tracks, and the sound is quite good for something this size. It does read a 128gb card just fine, kind of a rarity in this kind of relatively cheap gear which usually tops out at 32gb. I haven't tried any bigger cards, but will. Who knows. Operation of the radio/player is intuitive. I'm so pleased I'm ordering a second one now.

Update 1-24-2017 I have changed my rating from one star after the company replaced my original radio with an updated version that had several improvements. The support from the company was very good, better than I would have expected. The instructions included with the revised newer version were clearer and more understandable than the original. The digital voice that announced which mode the unit was in (FM, SD, AUX etc.) was now more understandable and logical. My original complaint was the inability of the unit to find any but the strongest radio stations. This issue can be circumvented by leaving an AUX cord plugged in, which acts as an external antenna. I also now can manually tune the specific frequencies and assign them to the preset buttons. Since I only am interested in about 5 public radio stations, I no longer have to do through the tedium of manually deleting all the unwanted stronger commercial radio stations. I have also used the device with a micro SD (TF) card, and have used it as an AUX speaker for a portable DVD player, and it works sufficiently well for those tasks. I have not yet had need for the Bluetooth functions. At first when I was presented with the necessity of having the AUX cable attached all the time in order to pull in the relatively weaker FM public radio stations that I listen to exclusively, I was not pleased. However, when I consider the failure of other portable FM radios that I've owned in the past, I've had the most trouble with the longevity of the telescoping whip antennae that were used. They would either get damaged and bent, or come apart, or introduce a lot of static if the internal connections became loose. Compared to the problems with a telescoping whip antenna, having the dangling AUX cord is usually less of a hassle. With the radio in a shirt pocket, I have to loop the cord up to avoid treading on it. If you are lucky enough to live in a city near a broadcast transmitter, or if you listen to those strong signal commercial pop or religious stations, then the AUX cable antenna solution will not be necessary for you. The second generation of this radio is noticeably improved, and I now use this radio routinely around the farm and on the road. I think there are still a few minor annoyances that could be improved, but they are not significant enough to disqualify this radio from a purchase choice. The operation manual pamphlet is improved over the original, but still neglects to mention a few things, like the function of the built in microphone (which could be used if the device is connected to a mobile phone, as sort of a speakerphone). The instructions on tuning and deleting unneeded stations could be written better and clearer. I would prefer to have the radio boot up always in the FM mode, but it may start up in AUX mode even if the cable is attached solely for the purpose of being an antenna, then you have to go through the TF mode to get to FM. I'd rather have FM mode be the default or be able to set as the default and have it always start up that way unless specifically altered intentionally by using the MODE button. Also, the order of functions in the MENU mode puts you into the AUTOSEARCH mode right away, so if you accidentally get into that part of the menu, you could lose all the work spent assigning frequencies to buttons, since they will be overwritten. If I were designing the radio, I would have made it with some kind of locking feature, so that once you assign all the desired frequencies to buttons, you could lock that down and prevent the programming to be lost by the MENU button order of events. The newer version has a longer strap, so that is now a usable feature, whereas the original strap was too short for any purpose other than hanging the radio on a hook or bent nail. The sound quality is sufficient. The tuning ability, with the AUX cord attached is usually sufficient, some drop out related to directionality but still adequate. The good quality of the customer service and the honesty of the company, and their efforts to "make things right" is a big plus. I did have to repeat one question a few times before it got answered, but that was a minor issue. I did get a request from support asking me to change my original one star review to a better one, which under other circumstances would probably bother me more, but it was justified since most of my original problems had been satisfactorily resolved. The company is serious about making quality, reliable products, and improving any deficiencies. I would not hesitate to recommend this radio to someone seeking a radio small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. The rechargeable cell phone type battery is a strong feature. You can replace it or buy a second one as a spare if you are away from electrical power for a few days. It charges via a micro USB connector, so if you can charge your phone you can charge your radio. It sounds fine when using headphones too. I would give the radio a 4.5 star rating if that were possible.

Special note: I tested over 8 different models of bluetooth speakers with FM radio capability to find the best one to give to my wife for Mothers day in 2017. This one was my favorite and was the winner when I let my wife have her pick from the top four of the eight that I tested. I have not been compensated for this review. I wrote this entirely out of my own desire to recommend a great product. [Review updated 5/20/2018, roughly one year after purchase. Update: The speaker has performed admirably over the past year. It's been used primarily as an FM radio both indoors and outdoors. my residence is a suburb of Tucson so we are not far from local radio towers. We have never needed to plug anything into the speaker to get improved radio reception. All local stations come in crystal clear. I'm updating this review because recently the included battery died and I realized it's been a little over a year since I purchased this speaker. I took a look at Avantree's support website today to inquire about a warranty claim for the battery since a 2 year warranty is advertised and I was impressed. Their site really demonstrates that Avantree takes product support seriously. I feel it's worth mentioning this because I'm an IT guy by trade and I buy a lot of "cheap electronics from overseas" online and it's uncommon to see a decent support site behind a lesser-known brand. I was able to submit an online warranty claim but I didn't see where I could order additional replacement batteries directly from them. Nevertheless, based on what I have seen so far, I don't expect any issues with the warranty claim.] Pros: + volume knob is also the power switch. No chance of starting the radio up to a loud sound. + radio can be turned down quiet enough to be appropriate for workplace listening and be turned up loud enough for a warehouse. + headphone and AUX jacks are clearly marked + high quality build, fit and finish. Rubberized texture feels nice. + product is well supported via the company website - https://support.avantree.com + clear, easy to read digital display. The nicest display of all the radios this size that I tested. + the preset buttons on the top let you type in a radio station or punch in a preset, best in class. + pairing the bluetooth speaker is easy since it identifies itself as "Avantree SP850" as opposed to "BT speaker" like so many cheaper speakers do. + the FM radio is a joy to use, very clear reception with no antenna needed + carrying strap reaches over the volume knob - nice attention to detail + uses a common, removable rechargable li-ion battery (BL-5C) which can be found lots of places, although not currently offered for sale by Avantree from what I can tell. + does not lose memory or presets when battery is removed/swapped. + playing back MP3 from a microSD card you can see the file name of the song in the display. I didn't notice if ID3 tags were supported. Cons: - The sound is not stereo but still very good. - receiving calls while phone is paired to this speaker can be a little confusing so practice with that before you get an unexpected call while paired.

I really like this little bluetooth music player for a number of reasons. One is that some careful design went into this. It has some features that I haven't been able to find on most other bluetooth / SD card players. First and foremost: shuffle play! I like to put my music on a micro SD card to take along, but I like to be able to shuffle play the songs. Another unusual feature is the removable battery. No fear of having to discard this after the battery ages. Another feature I like is the display. I can see what song is playing, or select menu items. This has several equalizer profiles to choose from, allows you to select song repeat, all repeat, random song, select an album to play. The FM radio has good reception, even without plugging in the USB cable (antenna). The ten-digit keyboard on top allows you to set pre-programmed radio stations, or even select a specific station by entering the frequency on the keyboard. You can even select a song number on your SD card. The controls on the front are useful and intuitive. The sound quality is very good. It has good bass, mid, and treble balance and quite enough volume for indoor listening, or outdoor if you're not trying to have a dance party. It also comes with an AUX cable for aux input. The packaging is very professional and well thought-out. I haven't used the bluetooth yet, so I will be updating this review later. In all, I think it's a great value for the price, and it's exactly what I was looking for. I'll be buying more as gifts. Oh, and I find it quite attractive. It's a little reminiscent of the old transistor radios of the sixties!

I gave this to an elderly woman after I loaded the sd card with some gospel music. I love that all you have to do is turn it on while turning the volume button and the music will automatically start playing where it was when you turned it off. They don't have to press play or anything. This is by far the best feature. Amazing programming guys. The battery stays charged for a good while. The FM radio worked good, so clear. The radio also gets loud so that's a plus. Sound quality is great. I want to know if the manufacturer has tested the life of the battery while leaving it plugged in 24/7? I ask because some people might want to listen to this in their room and leave it there. But they can fall asleep while listening to it. Therefore, leaving it plugged in would be very convenient, but not if it ruins the battery. :)

This item has been returned. While its small sleek design is very nice, and it does pick up stations very quickly and the sound is good, setting it up needs revamping. First, it is not easy - it auto-tunes so fast that writing down your "favorite stations" for later programming is difficult. The steps to set up your favorite stations is convoluted and not intuitive at all. Plus you have to first know the station numbers first. That is, you can't auto-tune and program your channels with a single push of a button. Instead, you use the numbers at the top of the radio - which would be okay if the "0" key actually worked. It did not on my device so setting 1-0=7=5 was impossible. I had purchased this for my elderfly father to use in the rehab center and was pre-programming it for him. I can't imagine how frustrated he would have been trying to do it on his own.

Bought this for my 7 year old Niece. She is able to use the UI, find songs, switch modes with no problem. Direct access to tracks, 4500 of them on a 32GB card (it did recognize a 64GB card with 7500 tracks, folder browsing, remembers what track after power cycle, good mono sound, Bluetooth speaker/voice and music, aux in/ FM radio that is pretty good, headphone out, EQ that works, rotary volume, solid construction but light and small, does not distort at max volume, $29. Prob best cheap player I have ever seen. Folder browsing is legible and good, but it also indexes all songs and then they have a number, like 2346/4500, and that’s permanent as long as you don’t disturb the 32gig SD card($9) so if you remember the #, you can go direct to the song. My niece, on her own, keeps a little notebook where she hand writes the numbers of songs she likes, which is great because its also teaching her about numbers at the same time she learns about music. Feels quality in the hand. Rotary volume is key, so much faster and easy to find by feel than +/- buttons. Radio reception in Seattle area is good, picked up same stations as the car, its also a USB sound card, that is, it replaces your computers sound card in Windows when you plug it in over USB. You can switch between it and the regular computer speakers in the Sound control panel. Next morning after she got it, she was up before school, listening to Bob Dylan. Good for music discovery for kids, because if they find something they like using random play, they can then read what they are listening to and learn something. Smaller than it looks in the pics, which is good. 20 hours battery life. You can get a second battery, replaceable. I must have spent 6 hours researching options, this seemed best, and I'm happy with it. I'm an engineer, so for my fav niece, everything has to be right. It can get loud enough to hurt my ears, but does not distort. With her excellent hearing, like most kids, she has it turned down so low I can barely hear it across the room, but, up close, even at low volume the sound out of that mono speaker is still full range, and you can choose an EQ setting that functions like loudness, which increases Bass a little at low volume to fill in the sound. I'd be happy with the thing for $100, but it was $29. The one I have does not stay on SD card mode when you turn it off and on, it defaults back to FM mode. No big deal, just one button press. But this company is responsive, they read their reviews, and someone complained, and they are updating the firmware, after Jan 2017 I think they said, to address even this issue. So in future, it will return to the mode you had it on when you powered off. That's a good sign when a company makes changes based on an Amazon review. Responsive. Bluetooth streaming works great too, and you can press one button to switch from FM Radio, to Bluetooth, to Internal SD card storage. Plays WMA and MP3/ Can you tell I'm impressed with this thing? I am. Don't usually bother with reviews on Amazon, but this thing deserves an accolade or two. Hope I answered a few questions others have too.