Prunus J-401 AM FM Shortwave MP3 Recorder Portable Radio Review

The Prunus J-401AM FM Stereo Shortwave MP3 Player Recorder Portable Radio enters the Market as an Improved Version of the Famous V-115. Wider Design, Dedicated Memory Buttons, Rotary Volume Control, and Speaker Audio with more Fidelity. All of this, and more for a price under $20!
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Features I like about this Radio:
Wide Design for Table Top Use.
Full Range Speaker for Great Audio.
Dedicated Memory Preset Navigation Buttons.
Above Average FM Reception.
Built in Microphone is much better than the V-115's.
Rotary Volume Control.
Rechargeable.
Aux-In, now located on the Top of the Radio.
A Proper Kickstand on the Back.
FM Stereo.
MP3 Playback is Fantastic.
Three Recording Rates.
Interfaces as a PC Speaker/File Transfer tool when hooked up to a Computer.
Built in File Manager.
Eighty FM Presets.
EQ Function for the MP3 Player.
Clear Stereo Recordings from the Aux-In Jack.
Sixty AM Presets.
AM Band can be switched from 9kHz to 10kHz Stepping.
FM Band starts at 76MHz.
Manually Add Presets.
Sleep Function.
Auto Search and Save Feature.
Features that could be Added or Improved on:
Removing buzzing while changing Volume on the Shortwave Band.
Add Bluetooth Function.
Use of AA batteries would be welcome, now that it is wider.
Improve AM Reception.
Overall, this is a welcome upgrade of the V-115. I like the new design, added features, and all for the same price as the older model. The V-115 now has Competition :)
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[@jgaffney6]

Wow. Just picked one up. Thank You for your videos. Enjoy watching them Started listening to radio after years of absence scanning is amazing for the price

[@huntercarver1851]

Gonna get one for my daughter! I already own the V115 and I'm going to check this one out before I give it to her.. lol I probably will want one myself

[@jimsradiocheck936]

Excellent review I also purchased that radio about 2 weeks ago or so and I like it I think it's great on FM and it like you said it's much improved over the v115 keep in mind $16 great buy for the money

[@johnbeckham1483]

Hi, James, how do you like your Prunus J-401 as I have one on order!

[@jimsradiocheck936]

@@johnbeckham1483 for the price it's a pretty good radio good on FM records yeah not bad

[@johnbeckham1483]

@@jimsradiocheck936 the volume control on my Prunus J-401 broke by falling out of the case after just having my radio for about a week! Prunus sent me a new radio immediately as I thought that their customer service was very good indeed!

[@jimsradiocheck936]

Excellent sounds like they got good customer service and they stand by their products

[@prakashexe]

I bought it a month ago. I got it with 20% off coupon. 😊 Amazing speaker. Overall, a good buy, far better than V115. V115 feels cheap. This one has some weight and bigger size. Feels good in hand.

[@danilopavlin1089]

Awesome rewiev! Another "under $20" winner. Thanks Toddebert

[@craignehring]

Fairly amazing at this price point Thanks for the review

[@n5lul010]

You convinced me! I like toying with these inexpensive SW radios and found this one for 18.99 less 10% then plus tax. $18.50 total. Should have it here Thursday. Thanks for the heads up.

[@7775Kevin]

Just ordered one today. Looks like a lot of fun. If you like it I know that I will, too. Looks like I grabbed one just in time. Amazon is all out of them.

[@BillyLapTop]

Just bought two of them via your link. One had the discount, the second one did not. No big deal. What sold me on this unit is that you can step tune the AM stations. The 115 could not and therefore I felt it was crippled. The second radio is going to my friend whom I also sent a 115. As far as I am concerned, the Prunus corrects the tuning defect of the 115. As always, a great review!

[@johnbeckham1483]

Beware that Prunus had some problems with volume control knobs breaking out of the case!

[@tvradio1972]

Great review Todderbert. This looks like an improvement over the V-115, especially in the design and form factor. And of course, it has a real kick stand.

[@johnbeckham1483]

All radio bands worked quite well regarding both selectivity & sensitivity! Compare the Prunus J-401 with the Retekess V-115 regarding radio reception...

[@davidhall6535]

Update. Just received this radio today. Only took 6 days to arrive in UK from Amazom USA. It is easier to use, better build quality and sounds better than the V115 although medium wave reception isn't all that good, however a strong local station sounds ok. I like the fact that you can play mp3 in different ways as opposed to just next or back. Thank you for all your excellent demonstrations

[@todderbert]

You're Welcome David :)

[@JessicaFEREM]

The aux port on these is very useful if you want to make an internet radio, if you have an old phone laying around you can plug it in or use a Bluetooth dongle. Very good for talk shows and even some music. For the price and sound quality it's a steal

[@QUADBOYification]

Nice review, take your advice at heart. I read a firmware update enables up to 320 Kbps stereo (selectable) and a 80 Kbps mono recording option to refresh the quality to an absolutely high-end level especially if you want to record from AUX-IN with a high-quality stereo source. This is a NO-BRAINER for the price. I even consider adding (Mod) a LED VU meter as a DIY Project.

[@gcmonarch]

Just ordered this radio and should be here tomorrow. Excited to try it out Easter weekend when we go up north. There is a little gem of a station on the FM band in my hometown of Chippewa Falls, WI. WCFW 105.7 “Where FM means Fine Music”. Looking to get a few recordings for personal use. Polkas in the morning, easy listening during the day and evening, and the the Jack Raymond show at night. Highly unlikely I’d be able to pull it in down here in SE Wisconsin without some crazy antenna setup. You’re a bad influence Todderbert-lol. Love your reviews and a few weeks ago, I went ahead and bought a C.Crane Radio 3, Panasonic RF-2400, and now this little Prunus J-401 today. Fun stuff!

[@mikeonfreeserve2926]

Great review. Mine came a tiny booklet of instructions but no info about the equalizer settings or how to scroll by folder for mp3s on the micro SD card. The trick is to press the play/pause button for a couple of seconds to access menus. I was getting worried Id have to memorise 1500 tracks 😮

[@prasadasgoa]

Thanks for the good review.

[@johnbeckham1483]

My Prunus J-401 has developed primarily and/or only some "NOISE" on the SW band(s) while adjusting the volume! I see Todderbert experienced some "NOISE" while adjusting the volume on the SW bands during his review here!

[@todderbert]

Yes, it is annoying. Mine was one of the first produced. I hope they had fixed it by now.

[@stridermt2k]

This looks like a fun one! Cool piece!

[@cyberghost74]

Thank you, Sir.

[@7775Kevin]

Nice review, thanks!

[@chronobot2001]

Great review. I would have liked to know if you could do timer recording for recording Coast to Coast in the middle of the night.

[@QUADBOYification]

I read somewhere that the built-in AM Ferrite core (tiny, saw it myself) with fragile paper-coated wire can be easily replaced by an external am antenna if you add (MOD) a connector to the case yourself. This isn't necessary for FM/SW bands. BTW, recording through Line-in and Radio is actually not auto-level-controlled. You can pump the volume dial to 30 and it will record at that level (Distorted). If you turn the volume down to zero it will record but only silence. So it is an actual "Solid state" Stereo Audio Recorder with level control, No separate L/R adjustments though.

[@modelsfirst]

Another great review Tod! Thanks. Does it also playback AAC audio files from the memory card?

[@andrewnyc3054]

Great review, as always. Thanks for that. My J-401 arrived two days ago. I find it much easier to use than the V-115 but I find the sound a real disappointment. Sure, it gets loud, but there's a strong treble emphasis that I find harsh. The V-115's sound is better balanced. But in terms of sound, the richest and most pleasing of all is the is the J-328. It's also a fraction of the J-401's size. That li'l thing is a wonder, honestly.

[@alrich1004]

Does the J-328 show the MP3 filename in the display? Does it have a sleep timer?

[@bongtechnature]

Great review @todderbert. What is the tik tik sound during sw playing? Is this radio good for sw listening?

[@johnbeckham1483]

The Prunus J-401 appears to be quite sensitive and selective considering its price point indeed! I believe that I will pick one up, Todderbert!

[@davec5511]

i only subscribe cuz you got some bad azz songs on your tif card 🤣😂😅😂😁 o i do watch your reviews i like the prunus radios i just got the j-401 today i also have the old version j-15 and the j-166 im looking to buy the j-288 soon thanks for sharing your reviews

[@matthewhajjar-betters3703]

Will you think about reviewing the Kaito KA-110 one day? My own video about it simply will not do it justice.

[@johnbeckham1483]

The Prunus J-401 AM/FM Stereo Shortwave MP3 Player/Recorder Portable Radio receives both AM/FM and shortwave exceptionally well for both its quality and low pricing! Here is a recommended buy at those LOW Prices! Well after about 3 weeks of operation I must say that the Prunus J-401 has a good overall sound quality for its size! Using the line in cable to an audio source produces relatively good sounding musical mp3 recordings! FM stereo reception is above average while the AM radio reception is below average! Shortwave reception is average and it is subject to FM bleedover from close by FM stations on some of the shortwave bands! With a little help by moving the Prunus V-115 around while holding it provides body induction enhancing shortwave reception! I personally give the Prunus J-401 3 out of 5 stars...

[@nine7295]

Both the V115 and J-401 do not have very good MW and SW reception, similar to V111, and all these multi function models and it's expected. But for the price, I forgive them and bought a J-401. For better MW and SW reception I use the R-808, and if I am dead serious I use the Belka DX, but it doesn't have MW though.

[@davidhall6535]

Hi. I live in UK and liked the look of this radio so clicked on the link to order one so hope it arrives safely. It isn't available on Amazon UK. Hope you benefit too from my purchase.

[@richardfranciscone3392]

I can't find one of these on Amazon any more. Did they quit making this? I have the V 115 but I'd really like this one

[@paulbainjr]

I see it’s now 18.99 with also a 10% off coupon😀

[@sergeyk6093]

I like this radio much because of rather good sound. AM and Short Waves are very bad, not sensitive enough. I am comparing with two my other radios, one of them - very good, other - the average. FM (stereo) - not bad. I was looking for recordable one. If the antenna will be a little bit longer, probably, it will be better.

[@musafirrahgir3199]

Great Review Todderbert. A quick question: When playing tracks from micro sd card, does it show the track information on the display. Thanks for your good work.

[@todderbert]

Yes it does, the same as the V115.

[@edsal7672]

hello 3 difrernt quality settings 64kbs 96 and 128, frequency sample rate (not range) is 44.81khz and 22.05khz.

[@alanlee2106]

Does this allow you to SCHEDULE a preset channel station to auto-record at a specified time and for a predetermined duration like CCrane CC Witness does?

[@todderbert]

No, but that would be an awesome feature.

[@scottblanche6657]

I just found the Antimi Radio/Mp3 speaker.Have you checked that out ?Might sound better but less features

[@johnstack5008]

I'm really impressed with the sound of the V115. In your opinion which one has better sound?

[@todderbert]

The 115 does have a nice lower bass tone, this radio has more mids and highs.

[@elistvan]

The HanRongDa K-603 is the same radio?

[@PanamaUfo]

and the quality of recording in AM HOW IS IT?? I buy a kaito KA29 and when recording the am stations... a constant tick is heard in the recording

[@ma-mo]

No Comic Sans? No sale.

[@paulpells1864]

What was the Lyric Function Todd? Was it showing the radio song words on screen, maybe I mssed it, thanks.

[@renaissancegamer2329]

Hello, todderbert. Thank you for the great review. I purchased this little radio on Amazon the a couple days ago, and it's working great. My only problem is I am unable to get the TF cards to play. I keep getting a file error message. Any idea how to fix this problem or did I simply get a bad unit?

[@todderbert]

Could be a bad micro sd card, I use 16GB, max is 32GB.

[@framaxIT]

hi, thank you for your useful review. Can you choose the memory key in this radio (e. g. 104,8MHz at key number 3) ?

[@KDChem687]

How is the shortwave performance? Does battery last for long time?

[@Altafmaster6]

Please available for 🇮🇳Indian yes our no help 🙏

[@bongtechnature]

On Amazon but price is very high around 6k

[@talks7795]

come with a tf card? really?

[@awonderfulbug9818]

Is it worth replacing the Retekess V-115?

[@huntercarver1851]

He said yes in the video.

[@oldcarnocar]

just couldn't put an 18650...nope.....

[@pmichael820]

Hello, Todderebert / does Prunus j 401 do stereo line in recording... Stereo.

[@todderbert]

Yes it does.

[@bongtechnature]

@@todderbert great review Todd. Among j-401, Eton elite mini and tecsun pl-360 which one best for fm? My fm station is 60 miles far away

[@todderbert]

@@bongtechnature Probably the 360.

[@bongtechnature]

@@todderbert how is the Eton elite mini for fm and sw?

[@kevinfitzpatrick2416]

hey todderbert this is a nice radio was wondering what ac wall adapter should i use

[@todderbert]

any 5V usb power source will work.

[@kevinfitzpatrick2416]

Is there a link to Amazon on your page

[@todderbert]

@@kevinfitzpatrick2416 I use XTAR Qualcomm 3.0 chargers for all my radio charging, at Amazon: amzn.to/3Wr9eGw

[@kevinfitzpatrick2416]

Ok thanks I still love my tivdio v115 I have 2 of them

[@todderbert]

@@kevinfitzpatrick2416 I have four :) they rock.

[@bustersdad6900]

I just received mine and really like it. I'm having issues with the SD card saying it's a "unsupported file system ". Do I have to format the card first. I'm using a 16gb card. Since I don't own a computer I'll have to get someone to do it for me. Any help would be appreciated.

[@bustersdad6900]

Would it have to be formatted to FAT32?

[@clonecomics]

Yes. And no more than 32 GB TF card. I also had an issue with an old TF card. So get a new one.

[@LyndonSoulGroove]

does it have a sleep function ?

[@todderbert]

yes, you set it in the menu.

[@scottblanche6657]

Does this sound better than the V 115 ?

[@todderbert]

It sounds brighter than the V115. The V115 has more bass.

[@billbrandon1697]

is there any portable radio that supports wireless headphones.....i guess it would need bluetooth out??? i havent seen one

[@todderbert]

You can buy those battery operated BT transmitters that plug into the headphone jack.

[@billbrandon1697]

@@todderbert OH ok...thank you Todd..I emailed the chinese manufacturer of tecsun and they told me because radio is analog you need a DAC integrated into a radio which is cost prohibitive....usually seen in hifi components

[@platonicguardian6923]

@Todderbert Which is better for recording AM? The Prunus L-401 or the Retekess V-115?

[@todderbert]

They are similar.

[@platonicguardian6923]

Is there another radio you would recommend for AM recording?

[@todderbert]

@@platonicguardian6923 This radio paired with a decent AM radio, like a Sangean DT-200X. The Line In Recording is good.

[@istream36Official]

One of the first of five to get here

[@thomaspolley4977]

Has anyone found a protective case that will fit these smaller radios? I'm not talking about a pelican type case, that's too big. I just want something to protect the radio while it's in a backpack or something.

[@feduzerr3140]

look at HDD/SSD EVA cases. mb some will fit

[@nine7295]

I use a Canon camera case I have laying around, perfect fit and a little protection as it's not padded, but good enough.

[@JeanJo_PR]

Great! I got a 41% discount on amazon for it! Paid $9.99 😊

[@todderbert]

Yeah, I picked up a couple extra myself 😀

[@aboeyad2007]

is this work with 9khz AM?

[@todderbert]

Yes, there is a choice to change it while on the MW band. Use the menu function and there will be an option for 9kHz stepping.

[@charleshunziker7416]

Make sure I am band is 10 kilohertz spacing

[@hielmyz]

It can changed via menu

[@highkyrgyzstan]

This is retekess v115

[@kleefan8]

Do you think the shortwave reception is improved over the V115? It seemed decent in this video, and reports I read about the V115 were that SW wasn't very good. Where is this $15/16 price point available? Amazon has it for $20 - 10% = $18 as far as I can tell.

[@todderbert]

Watch for a price drop. When I release videos, these radios get purchased quickly and the automatic price hike comes into play on Amazon.

[@todderbert]

Shortwave seems similar to me. There is a slight buzzing sound when changing the volume while on the Shortwave band using the J-401.

[@johnbeckham1483]

@@todderbert the Prunus J-401 like the Retekess V-115 both have a "DOT MATRIX" display which by nature produces above average white noise hindering the reception of weaker shortwave stations! FIX: shield back of display with copper shielding tape & ground to chassis?

[@twr412]

Thank you, Sir.