90s Radios
Designed to fit entirely in the ear, the X1 was one of the smallest FM radios available in the late 1990s. Developed by Sinclair Research, it tuned stations automatically and housed its battery, circuitry, and speaker within a compact, earbud-shaped casing. While marketed as a technical breakthrough, its novelty lay in its form factor, which reflected ongoing interest in miniaturised, wearable electronics—even as mobile devices began to overtake traditional radio.
Small enough to fit on a keyring, this AM radio was designed for portable listening through a single earpiece. It featured three types of aerials—internal, telescopic, and wire—to improve reception in different environments. Tuning was manual, via a rotating dial. Released late in Clive Sinclair’s career, the Z1 reflected his ongoing experimentation with compact consumer electronics—though it arrived just as personal audio was shifting rapidly towards digital formats.