AM/FM WTHR ALRT PORT RDIO

After reading countless portable radio reviews I bought this radio to use at the cottage a couple of years ago and since then I've been very happy with it. The radio does a good job of picking up strong signals from about 160 km away, with minimal static. For a one speaker radio the sound quality is good. The weather alert feature is an added bonus and works well with Environment Canada's weather alerts. The physical size of the radio is perfect, it's small and compact and fits well on small side table. The buttons and controls are intuitive and well laid out and don't feel cheap. I wouldn't hesitate to buy this radio again.

This may just be one of Sangean's most underrated radios. If reception quality is paramount, this is the radio for you. I will have had this radio for three years come July, and I have no regrets with my choice. FM reception is nothing short of amazing. The radio needs just a little signal for quality reception, and once you have it, you're set. It's extremely sensitive and very selective. In my area, I receive most stations from three distinct markets, ranging 20, 30, and 60 miles away, along with some signals from two other markets (70 and 80 mi away), and with the built-in whip antenna, it's quite easy to receive all of them. The 20 and 30 mi stations can be received just about anywhere you put it, though the distant markets can be a bit finicky depending on placement. FM tunes in 100 or 50 kHz steps, which is initially annoying if you're used to tuning in standard US 200 kHz steps, though you quickly get used to it. Stereo requires a stronger signals than many tuners, though if you're listening to it with the built-in speaker this is a moot point as it's a mono speaker. Stereo only applies when listening through headphones, which provides for a quality audio experience. Be sure to extend the antenna fully though--the best reception is received only when it's fully extended. When it is fully retracted and resting, it's quite bad. AM reception is also outstanding. This radio receives stations I don't get on any other radio--for instance, outdoors I'm able to pick up a highway information radio station about 4.7 miles away on the narrowest filter. The radio has a number of bandwidth filters, from 1 kHz to 6 kHz, with six being the widest and providing the best sound but the most susceptible to noise. Personally, I'd recommend 2.5-4 kHz for talk radio, and 4-6 for music. Weather radio is useful to have along with an auxiliary input. Reception on weather is similar to AM/FM--excellent. I get my local radio station (20 mi), along with one 30 mi away, and in some spots, some from 50-60-70 mi away; impressive for 1kW stations. Battery life can be months on D batteries when used sparingly off of battery power. Overall, the only area where I can complain somewhat is the speaker--it sounds great until you compare it to something else. It lacks in lows and highs; it's definitely a mid-only speaker. Don't let this deter you though--this is a five star radio by all means. Highly recommended!

This radio is a winner . The cons No handle Can’t charge it’s batteries Pushing buttons to find a station is annoying compared to turning a knob Fingerprint magnet Difficult to fine tune . The pluses Excellent reception Strong headphone amp makes for great headphone listening . Good channel separation Static on am is pushed to the background .

This radio has the best reception and sound quality of all the radios that I have ever had. I typically listen to the Family Radio station, which doesn't have strong reception in the NYC area. I also use this station as my wake up alarm so sometimes when the reception is too weak especially when you live inside an apartment, that becomes a problem. But this radio solves all those problems by providing very strong reception capability. The screen even has a 7-bar indicator that shows you the current signal strength level. If you want the best radio reception no matter where you go, this is the radio to get. Sangean is basically the Apple brand in the radio industry. So if you want quality, go with this brand. The control buttons are just the right amount, very practical with 5 station presets. The WX weather forecasts work great. Sound clarity is excellent. The size is right, not too big and is easy to carry and handle. The price is not the cheapest of all, but again you are paying for its quality and durability. Volume control is located to the right side and is easy to use. This radio also provides pretty large volume while still maintaining its sound quality. Lastly, I had some questions about their products, so I called their office in California. But the technician Jimmy was very rude and seemed to be irritated. Since I didn't get the help I needed, I called their headquarter office instead in Taiwan, and the staff there were very polite and helpful. They were the reason why I came upon this model, and it worked out to be perfect and exactly what I wanted. So thanks to those staff in the Taiwan office.

Wow. With headphones , hi fi quality sound , smooth and quiet. Love the wheather band. With d batteries , heavy unit and has no handle . am reception is good and has a bandwith selector. If you like digital tuning , this unit is for you. clock has seconds on it.