Digital Radio Review

1. 

   Steven F. Griffee
   January 9th, 2010 - 20:34

   I spent a lot of time reviewing other waterproof shower radios, and this one seemed to have a lot of customer satisfaction. I’ve been using this radio for about 4 weeks now. Such a big improvement of the previous radio I was using. The sound quality is very good and the signal reception is excellant. I use it in the basement bathroom and even tucked away in the shower in the basement, it manages to pull in the stations I had trouble receiving with the previous radio. Very nice.
   Rating: 5 / 5
2. 

   Maro Riofrancos
   January 9th, 2010 - 22:20

   Bought this to replace a Sony shower radio I’ve had for years. I was amazed at the difference in quality. The sound is superb, it sounds like you have a component hifi in the bathroom. I use it mostly, but not only, to listen to the news, and the voice quality is amazingly clear. The volume can be set very loud with no distortion. One great little feature that is not described well in the listing is that the FM antenna in the back swings around to become a beautiful and very solid semi-circular handle for the radio, so you can carry it around the house very easily. FM reception is outstanding, AM so-so, but that’s inevitable and due to my location.
   Rating: 5 / 5
3. 

   Mark in Minn
   January 10th, 2010 - 00:46

   Overall I am satisfied with this purchase and would buy it again. This is the 2nd Sangean radio I’ve purchased and both have met or exceeded my expectations but they are not cheap. You pretty much get what you pay for.

   This radio has a solid feel, nothing flimsy about it and I like the way that the handle rotates down to hide in the back. This radio has good sound for the size, no complaints, but it is not great. This is not a boom box so you are not going to hear it across the backyard but it fills a room nicely. It is great for the bathroom and can be heard over the shower.

   I like the digital controls with the station presets. It would be nice to have more than 5 per band but for me that is a minor fault.

   The radio has reasonable reception even with the antenna stowed away. When the antenna is extended the reception is very good. Note, the antenna is not the telescoping type but is a wire that is stowed near the battery compartment when not in use. In some ways this is less convenient but on the other hand it is easier to hide the extended antenna. For use in the bath or bedroom I personally like this style antenna better than the telescoping type.

   The built in single white LED flashlight is reasonably bright and will come in handy in an emergency or camping. There is also an alarm siren that emits a piercing sound but … why? Perhaps to annoy the cat.

   The radio has a clock, a convenient timer, and an auto off sleep timer but no built in alarm clock. This isn’t really a travel radio but for car camping trips I plan on bringing it and an alarm clock would potentially be useful but that is a minor fault.

   For me this is a nice portable that is good for Bath, bedroom, kitchen, and listening to ball games in the garage.
   Rating: 4 / 5
4. 

   Michael Suter
   January 10th, 2010 - 02:53

   I bought this radio to replace the Sony ICF-S79V. I liked the Sony, but the top skin covering the buttons broke down over time and rendered it inoperable. Previous to wearing out, the Sony was replaced under warranty for an issue with the top skin coming off and causing inoperable buttons as well.

   Lest you think this is a review of the Sony, I will now describe the Sangean’s strengths and weaknesses relative to the Sony. To wit, the Sangean doesn’t sound as good, but it’s decent. I am a veteran audiophile and musician and I can live with it happily. It just has a smaller speaker than the Sony and it shows in the overall timbre as being weaker on the bottom end. But then again, I had no illusions of this being anything but a radio for the shower, and what sound is there is pleasant enough. The speaker grille is louvered to protect the speaker element from water coming in a downward direction and this directs the sound downward, as well. For best sound, mount the radio at or above ear level (although I didn’t as I wanted my children to be able to reach it).

   Reception is almost as good as my GE Superadio III. That’s saying alot. There is no suction cup included for the rubber coated flexible wire antenna (as the Sony has), but the Sangean is more forgiving about antenna positioning, so not a huge deal. I can just let it hang and still pick up the weakest Christian radio stations in my mountainous area. Pretty impressive.

   The perceived build quality is way better than the Sony, so I feel like the higher price was justified. It just seems like it was built to last.

   Other likes:
   
   > the momentary backlighting
   
   > the large numerals on the display
   
   > the mounting plate that allows easy removal
   
   > has enough volume and high frequency detail
   
   to be heard over my blow dryer (barely)

   Bottom line: If there’s a better shower radio out there, I’d sure like to know about it. Until then, I’ll be quite happy with the Sangean.
   Rating: 4 / 5
5. 

   R. Schwartz
   January 10th, 2010 - 02:55

   This shower radio is the best one we have ever had! In the past we have had trouble getting clear reception on the channel my husband likes to listen to, but with this radio it’s clear. I would highly recommend this radio to others.
   Rating: 5 / 5

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