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- Verified Buyer
I absolutely love this radio! I've actually bought two of them because I liked them so much. One has a slight issue which I'll explain later. First, the sound quality is fantastic for a tabletop radio. I do not find it too "bassy", but keep in mind that I mainly listen to classical music. I could see where some people might think it sounded too bass heavy on an NPR newscast. If that is the case, you can place a cotton ball (or other sound dampening cloth) in the port on the back. It absolutely will not damage the speaker, so feel free to try this if you want to.The sensitivity of this radio is great on both AM and FM. Way better than my Tivoli Model One on AM in particular. It does not have 'soft muting' between AM stations. It has full sensitivity. If you are picking up noise and interference on AM, it is due to where you have the radio located. It is not the fault of the radio. AM is very much affected by interference from lighting, computers, motors, and just about everything else. The only solution is to move the radio or connect an external AM antenna (there are terminals for this). Do not blame the radio! I have no problem picking up weak stations. This radio was not designed for "DXing" but it will pick up a lot of distant stations at night. It's a good compromise between selectivity and fidelity. It is not a communications receiver with narrow filters. The FM sensitivity is surprisingly excellent. I use (and recommend) an external FM antenna. Internal or line cord FM antennas are poor at best. They may work for you in your situation; you can try it and see. I have my WR-11 connected to a large rooftop yagi and I use it to listen to a classical station more than 60 miles away. That is a pretty good feat these days considering the way the FCC has allowed the FM band to be degraded with a lot of additional FM stations as part of their so-called "AM Revitalization" program. In reality they are turning the FM band into an interference-ridden mess, just like the AM band. The sensitivity of this radio on FM compares favorably with my much more expensive tuners. The selectivity is also pretty good. The classical station I listen to on 90.5 if flanked by stations on 90.3 and 90.7 and I am in an area with dozens and dozens of strong local stations.I like the fact that this model has the power supply built in rather than being a wall wart (like the WR-15). The power supply does not draw much power when it is turned off. I measured it with my Kill-a-Watt and it actually draws only 1.1 watts when it is off (not 5 watts like another reviewer said). That is insignificant. When it is playing at moderate volume it draws 3-4 watts. And it has no audible hum (like the Tivoli has).A couple of notes about the audio. Yes, if you plug a cable into the aux input on the back, it will automatically disconnect the radio given that there is no separate switch for this function. Also if you plug in a pair of stereo headphones, it will play in both ears but the sound will be in mono, not stereo as claimed by another reviewer. Therefore, you can't use this radio as a tuner for your stereo system if you want full stereo sound.As far as the tuning dial accuracy is concerned, I would judge it to be excellent for an analog slide-rule type of dial. And the tuner stays tuned in quite solidly on one of my two sets. The other one does drift a bit, and this is the issue I mentioned earlier. I don't know why one of them drifts and the other one doesn't although the one that drifts is in my cabin where the temperature is not as well controlled. Temperature changes do affect tuning elements and that could certainly be part of the problem, but I have a feeling that even so, that one is just not quite as stable.If you get this radio, I think you are sure to love it. The wooden case is also very nice. It's a high quality product.UPDATE: Watch out, the tuner in the 40th Edition model is different and not as good as the original! Unfortunately, Amazon does not differentiate between the two models in the reviews, and this happens with other products also. They have changed the tuner design and it now incorporates the "soft muting" characteristic on AM. If you want to listen to a weak station, it will be heard at greatly reduced volume. I found that AM reception was generally poor compared to the original model, and also picked up a lot of static. I am not sure whether the static is coming from the internal power supply or just being conducted from the AM line. There is no high end on AM, it is all bass. Subjectively it sounds like they rolled off the frequency response above about 500 Hz!Unfortunately they also changed the tuner on FM as well and it has also been degraded. When tuning across a station, it comes in at three distinct points, accompanied by a distinct "click" sound as it locks onto each one. The middle one is the strongest one and the two outer ones will be heard at slightly reduced volume. In addition, stations can be heard at even lower volume beyond those points. This seems to be true even for stations that are not very strong. I don't know what they were thinking when they changed the design of the tuner. It is not an improvement.That said, the sound quality on FM is still excellent, and it is superior to other small table radios that I have tested. If I could give separate ratings for various features of the 40th Edition model I would rate it like this:* Sound quality on AM - 2 Stars (mediocre)* Sound quality on FM - 5 Stars (awesome)* AM tuner performance - 1 Star (horrible!)* FM tuner performance - 2 Stars (mediocre)I am not sure, but I suspect that Sangean may have changed the tuner design in the current production of the regular model WR-11 radios to the new design. I am not going to buy one to find out, because I already own two older ones which were fine. But if you buy either model of this radio, be advised that it might have the issues discussed above. Because of the poor tuner performance of the current design, I have decided to drop my overall rating from 5 stars to 3 stars.Before I bought this I googled best radio for reception. This radio is one that came up, i was tired of boom box type, poor reception and digital hard to read radios. This radio is beautiful wood to look, has a little more weight than a plastic radio so has amazing rich sound even turned way up. The easy to see dial and knobs are a joy! The reception is amazing, even without the little antenna it comes up with. My Dewalt radio gets 4 or 5 stations good and clear this one gets at least twenty. I actually ordered another one for myself. This one was a gift for a birthday gift for my handicapped daughter that could never manage the digital tiny dials.RADIOS: I own the Sangean WR-15, WR-11, and the WR-11 SE. Comparing all three side by side, it is my opinion that the internal electronics design is very similar if not identical. All tune the same way, lock into stations the same way, etc. All three are excellent radios and the best I have ever found in the table top radio market. The only difference between the WR-11 and the WR-11 SE is the color of the face plate.SOUND: The WR-15 has a slightly less deep base than the other two. I suspect this is a function of the cabinet size rather than any difference in the electronics. The larger cabinet of the WR-11 and WR-11 SE seem to give a deeper and richer base response. If you listen to AM talk radio, the WR-15 may be the best for you; if FM music is your preference the WR-11 or the WR-11 SE could be your preference. In any event, the difference is slight, and some reviews state that the deeper base can be corrected by inserting a couple of cotton balls in the sound port located on the back of the WR-11 radios.POWER OUTPUT: All three radios have the same power output delivered to the speaker.POWER SUPPLY: The WR-15 supply has a "wall wart" built into the cord which plugs into the 115 VAC line. The other two WR-11s have just a plain two prong power plug. All three operate off 12 volts DC as far as the internal electronics is concerned. Unfortunately all three also use a "switching" power supply to convert the line voltage to 12 volts DC. A comment from one of the radio vendors states that all radios imported into the U.S. are required by law to use switching power supplies.While switching power supplies are indeed more efficient than "linear" power supplies, they also can introduce a small amount of interference on the AM radio band. This is generally heard as a low level buzz or hum when critically listening to AM stations. Casual listeners probably will never notice it; critical listeners and those using head phones may.The only way around this very minor problem on AM (it does not occur on FM) is to power the radio with a linear power supply plugged into the 12 volt input jack on the back of the radio. I have done this using several different linear supplies and it will eliminate the low level noise generated by the switching supply that comes with the radio (the switching supply is built into the cabinet in the WR-11 radios.) Again, the difference between the switching and linear supplies will only be noticed by the most critical AM listener but it does exist.12 volt linear supplies -- usually rated at 13.8 VDC-- can be found on amazon. Get one rated at least at four amps and avoid those wall wart supplies advertised as linear. You will have to purchase a 5.5mm plug to match the 12 volt input jack on the back of the radios (also found on amazon). Just FYI 13.8 VDC is the nominal output of a car or boat alternator when the car/boat is running; the 12.0 VDC is the output of a 12 volt battery when not being charged. The radios don't care, both voltages work just fine.RECEPTION: I live in a major metropolitan area so I can't really comment on weak signal reception since the farthest station I listen to is no more than 60 miles away. Check the other reviews for comments on this aspect of the radios. I can tell you being a ham radio operator that really weak AM signals require a communications receiver in the $1000.00 plus market to pull in those signals and screen out the external interference.SUMMARY: Any of the three radios reviewed above are the absolute best table top radios I have ever listened to. Build quality seems excellent and fidelity far surpasses anything I've ever heard from similar radios. I really don't think you wil find a better radio in this class of receivers.NOTE: I have left this review on both the WR-15 and the WR-11 offerings by AmazonUPDATE: A minor correction regarding switching power supplies. There are switching supplies that incorporate a "noise offset" into their circuitry. I tested the one I use for one of my ham radios with the WR-15 and I was able to eliminate the switching noise. However since this supply at $119.95 costs more than the radio, I still recommend a 4 to 8 amp linear supply in the $35 to $70 range. The switching supply I tested is a 30 amp supply: TekPower TP30SWII 30 Amp DC 13.8V Analog Switching Power Supply with Noise Offset. Way overkill for any of the Sangean radios.As I said above, the switching noise introduced with the included Sangean supplies is very minor and only happens on AM. Be sure to listen to your radio and see if you notice any noise before investing in a linear supply.I bought this radio for my wife for her birthday because she just wanted to play her favorite radio stations without spending so much time setting and adjusting. I received it today and wanted to try it out to be sure it worked and sounded good. I plugged it in and turned it on and was very surprised. It has a quality look and feel and the sound is very good. I’m absolutely sure she’ll love it. I am very impressed. I didn’t unwind the antenna wire so it only picked up the closest stations. I will update in a couple of months to finish the review. So far it’s exactly what we were looking for.Very very happy with this radio. The tuner knob is a pleasure. Unfortunately I don't change channels. The speaker is clear. This model is great.There are a few surprises with the Sangean It looks like every small table top radio you've ever seen. Familiar. You plug it in turn it on, tune it to your favourite station and that's it. Nothing fancy but then you start to notice a few things.It feels a little heavier than most radios of similar size. It sounds quite clear and musical. There is very little station drift. It locks on to a signal and holds it. It will pull in an amazing number of stations.The knobs and switches have a silky solid feel. This is a radio that feels like something you'll be using 25 years from now.Criticisms, it would have been nice if it was a stereo unit. A better antenna would be useful and it's not exactly a bargain price but then again good quality rarely is.Highly recommended.I am actually a musician and a recording engineer/producer. I bought the WR 11 for my wife for Christmas and I can tell you it is a phenomenal combination of tasteful, simple design and very sophisticated internal technology.We live in a poor-reception FM area and yet there was no need to use the provided External antenna. The internal reception and station locking is rock solid.The sound is harder to describe. Yes it is very full and well balanced, but there is more.It is the musical tone and the way the instrumental balances are rendered that is so remarkable.One may find it hard to believe that critical listening of orchestral and other musical genres could be possible on a mono table radio, but I assure you that in this case, it is.Oh, one more thing; audiophiles will immediately notice that the cabinet employs a port-tuned enclosure for the speaker!I bought this radio for my Mother who is 90. She likes having a radio in her kitchen and didn't like all the confusing buttons/gadgets on other devices. Her last radio died, and she was lamenting the lack of a radio in the kitchen, so this is the unit I ordered as a gift for her. It is really easy and straight-forward to use, just like radios from a generation ago. My Mom has spent a lifetime as an amateur musician, so sound quality is important. This unit fits that bill too. Yes, it is more expensive, but we're very happy with the radio. Even my 20-something kids like it.Love this little radio. We have used the FM and have also hooked it up to a bluetooth adapter and it works flawlessly. We found that the internal antenna sometimes gets better reception than the external one (we live in a major city). When using the external antenna on fm, it seems to sometimes have static as you walk around the unit, possibly because the antenna wire is mixed among the cords behind the unit, I'm not sure about the reasons though. About the cords, I really wish there was a 90* downwards angled plug, the one that it came with sticks almost 3" out the back, so it sits well away from the wall - this is my ONLY complaint with it. Pleasantly surprised that it has a 9-14V DC female power connection available so that we will be able to use it on solar without an AC inverter. Sound quality is very very impressive, well balanced, very rich sound. As you turn up the volume knob, which has a good and heavy feel to it, the volume goes up in a linear way, and sounds excellent and balanced all the way up until just before max volume. This is not terribly loud, and although it will fill a 20x20 room well with pretty loud music, it is not capable of 'party' level volumes.The wood finish is excellent with the only veneer gaps showing up underneath the unit (not visible unless you turn it over), the sides and edges are completely seamless. The lights are a pleasing bright green for the tuning and am/fm indicators, there is no backlight on the tuning display or on the knobs. Tuning knob is also very solid.I am living in Trivandrum ,Kerala State, South India.I have been longing for a sensitive radio which can pick up distant stations in both AM and FM bands.After reading so many reviews stating that the SANGEAN WR 11 is a good radio,I ordered for this product. But the performance of the radio is disappointing.I am not using a Switch Mode Power Supply as it may cause disturbance in hearing AM band .I am using a converter of 25 watts to convert 230 Volts AC into 120 Volts AC to plug in the radio. This radio can accept only 120 Volts AC or 12 Volts DC, 1 Amp. . As far as the FM band is concerned, the sound quality is perfect.The prime quality of a radio should be its sensitivity which this radio lacks. It cannot pick up distant FM stations.My old Indian made PHILIPS radio could trace four FM stations from Tamil Nadu,my nearby state, other than five local FM stations of my state. Only local powerful FM stations can be heard through this radio.Regarding the AM band it is totally useless. Only some noise is coming out. Even at night I could not hear even a single AM station through this radio.I thought it may be due to the signals from some nearby electronic devices.But when I tried with my Indian made PHILIPS radio,it could pick up more than twenty five AM stations at night.,So if you want to hear only the local powerful FM stations in good sound quality you may purchase this radio.Don't expect anything more. The price is high when the overall performance is concerned. The vintage look and design of this radio with wooden cabinet is appreciable.Edit:- Now it is more than three months since I purchased this product. I thought that it might be due to the lack of a good out door antenna that this radio is not picking up distant stations. I purchased an omnidirectional FM antenna through Amazon and mounted it at the top of my house and connected it to this radio's external FM ant terminal using a coaxial cable.To my surprise,I could hear several distant FM stations clearly .I get FM stations even from Kochi now. I am sure this radio can pick up more distant stations if I raise the height of the external antenna.But due to the threat of lightning I can't do it now. I connected an external AM antenna too and now I am getting several AM stations .So now I am changing my rating of this radio to 4 star from 2 star. I love this radio .
