October 29, 2008 6:27 PM PDT

C. Crane Witness brings AM radio to an MP3 player

by Jasmine France
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(Credit: CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze)

Fans of AM radio have largely been left out in the cold by MP3 player manufacturers. The excuses are many, but the main reason most device makers avoid the feature is because of the relatively large space required of an AM antenna, thus inhibiting the overall compactness of the final product. PoGo Products briefly came to the rescue with a line of AM-friendly MP3 players, but the company ceased production of the line after only a few years. Filling the void is the C. Crane Witness AM/FM MP3 Player, a basic radio-turned-MP3 player reminiscent of the Radio YourWay LX. Even with its throwback design and monochrome display, the Witness will cost you a pretty penny--$229.95 for 2GB--but AM radio fans have little other choice, and will likely be plenty pleased with the features on offer. Read the full review of the CC Witness.

For more than five years, Jasmine France has covered a variety of tech products for CNET--from scanners to keyboards to GPS devices--but she's happiest where she is now: sitting atop a pile of MP3 players, "testing" every music service known to man, and jamming a variety of earbuds in every shape and color into her absurdly small ears. E-mail Jasmine.
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by seeker_all October 31, 2008 5:13 AM PDT
Given that AM radio audio quality is not good, are there ANY provider of HD radio / MP3 portables out there?

Thanks, wish to find it!
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by Ratchet834 May 9, 2009 10:54 PM PDT
As of May 2009 the CC Witness price from C.Crane has dropped to $179.95.
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