Sangean PR-D5 BK AM/FM Portable Radio with Digital Tuning and RDS

UPDATE: A comment about the snooze function. There is a falling-to-sleep snooze function. With the radio off, press and hold the power button. While still holding the button down you will see 60, then 45, then 30, etc. Release the power button for the number of minutes you want. This will shut off the radio after that many minutes, a kind of a snooze function. What I would like to see is a real snooze function, where when the alarm goes off, press the snooze button, turn off the alarm for 10 minutes, and then it comes back on. Has anyone figured out how to do this? --------------- I just bought this radio through amazon.com and received it 2 days ago, to replace my bose wave radio III; not because the bose sounds bad in general (It sounds pretty good, though the bass is way over-emphasized; you know what they say, No highs, no lows, must be bose!), but the bose can't receive my favorite station clearly (classical WQXR in New York - I'm in northern New Jersey). Always lots of static on weak signals, even with a bose-supplied external antenna. To be fair, my nightstand (where the bose used to live) was in a very noisy corner of the room. I unplugged EVERYTHING around it, even the cable modem and wireless router in the living room, and nothing helped - there must be some very noisy old wires in the walls (it's an old house). I tried the bose in other parts of the bedroom and still I got the static/poor sound on weak stations, even with an external antenna. One solution would be to get an internet clock radio, but they all seem to have problems and are pretty pricy. And I don't think you can get internet radio + good FM + great AM. I got the Sangean PR-D5 to help solve that problem. Unfortunately even though I did get a better signal with the D5 in that noisy corner, there still was noise in the sound. I moved the D5 around the room and found a spot where the nightstand could be if I reoriented the bed. Once I did that and had everything in place I put the D5 on the nightstand in its new position and voila! Clear signal and beautiful music. Of course it doesn't sound as full as my bose, but my solution is to hook it up to some powered computer stereo speakers, through the D5's headphone output. What a great solution. This morning I woke up to a very full, beautiful sound. :)) I probably will invest in some better powered speakers in the future, but for now it's great. When I put the bose onto the nightstand in the new nightstand location, the sound was still full of static and was unlistenable, even with an external antenna. Shame on you bose! If you're going to create a better sounding radio, make the FM and AM receiver electronics excellent FIRST. A few things about the D5. Many comments you have heard before: * The D5 power supply is definitely noisy. I tuned in my favorite weak WQXR station, switched it to FM stereo, and I could hear added noise when I plugged in the power supply, and less noise when I unplugged it (with the 6 C cells installed). I'll have to get some rechargeable C cells and charger. :( They should make it so that it recharges rechargeable batteries internally when plugged in, like other models; or supply a power supply that has no sonic signature. * The backlight goes off when it should be switchable to stay on all the time, or turn off automatically as it does. A minor annoyance. * Make it so you can set the preset to wake to on the wake up alarm, instead of just whatever the current station is (bose lets you do this). If I am AM DX'ing at night (DXing: listening for weak, long-distance stations) I don't want to hear static in the morning if I forget to reset the tuning. * AM DXing is great, IF you are in a place that isn't noisy. First, move all over the house find an electrically quiet place for a listening area, and then have fun DXing. If you are hearing lots of AM noise and you can move to an area where you don't hear that noise, don't blame the radio. * 1 kHz tuning on AM should also be an option (not just 9 and 10 kHz), for those who are more picky in their DX'ing. But I'll let this slide, since it really is intended for the general listening audience * Tone control (bose, are you also hearing this?) * Redesign: move the display between the two speakers, and the controls above, so when fumbling in the dark the hand can be on top of the radio and you can do it one-handed. Simple ergonomics. I doubt they actually used the prototypes at home before finalizing the design. * A separate AA battery to hold memory, so you can have the radio without 6 C batteries and keep memory when unplugging it. * Provide a well-designed handle for carrying the radio. It could easily slip out of your had carrying it. * Radio is small enough that a slightly larger version could be made, with really good sounding, larger speakers. A real bose-killer. FM reception is very good, but AM reception is exceptional. I have a Tecsun PL-660 AW/FM/Shortwave radio, and the AM reception with it can be quite noisy. To help the bad AM on the Tecsun I got a couple of passive loop AM (MW) boosters - a Grundig and a classic Select-A-Tenna (these can passively boost the AM signal by induction when set right next to the radio and tuned to the radio frequency). The Select-A-Tenna is huge and gives a noticeable boost to the AM signal on the Tecsun, but with the D5 the effect of the Select-A-Tenna isn't that noticeable, which means the internal D5 antenna is pretty much already boosting the signal as much as it can be boosted without external help. I attribute to the excellent, huge AM ferrite antenna in the D5, and the implementation of the D5 AM circuitry. I'm sure I'll think of more later. Even for it's minor weaknesses, 5 stars for this great little radio! It's my new star techno-gadget.

After reading some of these reviews on the PR-D5 I have to wonder whether they are talking about the same product. This is a fantastic radio, great value for the money, simple to operate and has great sound from its stereo speakers, sound that rivals way more expensive radios.There are no Bass and Treble adjustments on this radio but I find it is not needed. The balance is just right for me. The quality of the stereo sound is wonderful and rivals the sound from more expensive stereo systems. Remember, this is a portable unit, not a house Hi-Fi system. I saw a review that said there were no AM stations that could be heard. There are three inputs with this radio that can be selected using the push button (labeled 'Step/Band') in the front: 1) FM 2) AM 3) Auxiliary (you can plug your iphone, ipad, etc, in and play it through the radio). If the input was at the AUX position then there wouldn't be any AM stations playing. The reviewer should carefully check to ensure that they didn't accidentally select the AUX position. The PR-DE pulls in FM stations very clearly. In case you are picking up a weak FM station (station is far away from you) there is a Stereo/Mono switch on the side of the radio. Selecting the Mono setting will eliminate the hiss on weak stations. Very nice feature.So far I haven't had to extend the FM antenna, the stations I listen to were all coming in loud and clear! The PR-D5 is superior in picking up FM compared to the rest of the 'many' radios I own. The AM ferrite antenna is built into the set. It doesn't use the telescoping antenna for AM. Just lay the radio flat and turn it to get the best sound. The Sangean PR-D5 has a 200 mm ferrite bar which is larger than the average radio has. This results in superior AM performance. One reviewer mentioned that they don't hear many stations during the daytime. That is the way AM propagation works. During the Daytime you will hear local AM stations well, The AM band comes 'alive' in the evening and you can hear stations from hundreds ( or more) miles away. The local stations reduce their power which also allows you to hear the other less powerful stations which are now in the clear. Not hearing AM stations in the daytime is not a radio problem, it's the way the AM band works. I travel between upstate NY and Washington, DC and I love to listen to 880 AM WCBS New york station. In the evening it comes in load and clear from about 300 miles away. Many other DX (distance) stations can be heard throughout the AM band during the evening hours. This radio does a great job in picking them up. Because it's a portable, the PR-D5 can be rotated to get the best sound on AM. If this was a bigger tabletop radio that would not be so easy or feasible to do. It's a portable but the sound is comparable to a big tabletop radio. Rich tones and great stereo from the two built in speakers. To test this out, find a classical music FM stereo station and listen yourself. It's a beautiful sound for just a $60 radio. Setting the time on the built in clock is very simple to do. The easiest way is to tune to a FM station that is broadcasting in RDS (Radio Data System). You can tell because the display will have text scrolling about the radio station that is currently selected. Once a RDS FM station is playing then press and hold the 'CT/Display' button (on the front of the radio) for two seconds and it will update the time from the radio station. Couldn't be easier! You can also set in manually by pressing and holding the tuning knob for 2 sections. When doing this the hour display will blink and you can turn the tuning knob to advance the hours. Press the tuning knob one more time and you can adjust the minutes, press it again to exit out. Once the clock/time is set you can set the alarm to wake to music. you can also set the radio to turn off after playing for a set time (sleep mode). Once the clock is set it continues to display. You can see the time display if there is any light in the room. You can also press the 'CT/Display' button to have the display line lighted for about 10 seconds. Not having the display lit all the time is not a problem. That would unnecessarily drain the battery and is not really needed. With any ambient light in the room, the display can be read just fine. The Sangean PR-D5 takes 6 'C' type batteries or you can use the included wall plug. If you use Alkaline batteries, they will last a very long time. The manual says 70 hours of play. I have gone several months without having to change the battery. I also purchased a 12 pack of C Alkaline batteries for about a dollar a piece, total of $12. If the batteries last 3 months then that is about .13 cents a day for the added advantage of being ready for a power outage and the flexibility of easily moving the radio from room to room at will without needing to unplug and replug the wall power supply. You can also use rechargeable batteries which work fine but are not as powerful and will not last as long as Alkalines. The rechargeable C type batteries are not cheap plus you need to also purchase a recharger and recharge the batteries (which can take several hours, depending on your charger). I prefer to just buy the alkalines, since they last over three months. The PR-D5 does not have a carrying handle but I don't see that as a problem. The radio, even with the 6 'C' batteries loaded is not that heavy and you can easily pick it up to move it from room to room. If you are in the market for a portable AM/FM radio and you are looking for a well-made (constructed), affordable radio that delivers on quality sound, picks up FM and AM stations from hundreds of miles away and does it well, then for $60 this is a no-brainer. Great radio!

Great Sound, reception is good, not great.

My wife and I had been trying to find a small radio mainly for our bathroom, but that could occasionally blast good volume when in the shower or when wandering the house. Because we had not made a serious radio purchase in many years, we were very disappointed to see what the typical marketplace offered. Given our needs, we were usually directed to very small radio devices, often with a clock and alarm system. Unfortunately, all these units were plagued by poor to lousy reception, inadequate speakers, and very awkward user features, tuners, and buttons. We hated them! After doing some online research, we came across this unit (Sangean PR-D5 AM/FM Portable Radion with Digital Tuning and RDS). Although the price is two to three times what all those other units are we tried first, this was a true case of you-get-what-you-pay-for AND THEN SOME. First, this radio is sturdy and quality built. Everything about it says quality and durability. It weighs more than other radios its size, but there are good reasons for that. It is all the higher quality components and housing Sangean used to build it. The moment I picked it up I just knew we had made the right decision. Second, the reception is better than any similar or even larger radios we have ever owned. I was amazed at how well the unit brings in every station we might need with zero difficulty. In fairness, we do not typically try to pull in stations hundreds of miles away, so I cannot judge that. Nevertheless, knowing how all our usual stations usually come in on many other radios, and then comparing that experience to the Sangean, it is the hands-down winner for reception. The built-in AM antenna performs flawlessly, and we haven't even had to extend the external FM antenna. Third, the volume and sound quality were absolutely amazing. Never have I heard a radio this small with such excellent speakers and volume. Whether we need just a very low whisper volume or a clear blast for the whole house, it can do it all. The unit does not have separate bass or treble adjustments (which is not a big deal for smaller radios of course), but the very high-quality rich output of the speakers almost renders that a moot point. Fourth, the user features, buttons, and dials are extremely easy to learn and use. You can tell by using them that the designers genuinely thought about ergonomics. Tuning, dialing, setting the presets, and other user features are all a pleasure to use. We are not big users of the alarm features, so I cannot fairly evaluate that component. That said, given our overwhelmingly positive experience with all other aspects of the unit, I would have every reason to believe users will find the same level of quality and ease of use with the alarm feature. It was such a relief, after having completed the research, to obtain this unit and finally realize our search was completed. This radio is exactly what we had been seeking for so very long. We are just so happy we finally found it. I highly recommend this unit to anyone. You will not be disappointed.

Smartphones are forcing some changes such as how we listen to radio stations using them. Wouldn't it be terrible though if the standard AM/FM radio ceased to exist simply because they became outmoded by Smartphones? Probably don't have to worry about that happening soon, but as some familiar models continue to be pulled from production, it's becoming apparent that the hundred year practice of transmitting radio signals many miles may be steadily evolving into a newer dimension - relayed data access intended for Smartphones. Also the wider spectrum of possibilities associated with WiFi, which is yet another modern system of transmitting digital data wirelessly, is contributing to the eventual demise of analog radio as we will always remember it. Well, I'm not ready to give up my radio completely yet since the actual emitted radio signals continue to show better streaming reliability, especially in those many remote areas of the globe where WiFi and Smartphones have no provisioning. And that includes the USA. A good radio can still eke out a recognizable signal despite hundreds of miles in-between. And I don't see any indication of the Sangean PR-D5 losing its loyal following of those using it for listening to their favorite local radio stations. That it accomplishes impeccably well despite lacking external antenna hookups. So saying, there are a couple of enhancements that would have given this top of the line portable radio some added versatility without giving up any of its current abilities, one being a fold out carry handle. Otherwise what I love about this radio includes: 1. Its shiny finish that looks good and will allow fingerprint smudges to be easily wiped away, 2. Its bassy sound resembling that of a much larger radio, 3. It includes an AC power adaptor or it can run on 6 C batteries, 4. It tunes into stereo music on the FM band, 5. It can pass received signals to a set of self-amplified external stereo speakers through the Earphone socket. 6. Along with AM and FM Stereo bands there is a third band called the Auxiliary band that allows connecting to a stereo outside source of music using the AUX IN socket. So the possibilities are extensive, and that is why I purchased this radio.

I just received my Sangean PR-D5. We needed to replace the radio in our kitchen and I am pretty picky when it comes to radios because of all the junk on the market pretending to be a quality radio. I have been pleased with other Sangean's I have purchased in the past so I set out to find a Sangean for us and after some fairly extensive research we decided on the PR-D5 and I am glad we did. It had all the features we wanted, digital tuning, Aux jack, sleek and compact to fit on the kitchen counter and yet be small and portable enough to take outside without being a "pocket" radio. For my wife's sake, she wanted a tuning knob as some radios (like the one we are replacing) only tune via buttons. Again, the PR-D5 hit all these wants perfectly. For its size I am very impressed with the sound quality. Reception for me is stellar. To test it I brought it into my office which is in a metal building and only one window. I gave up listening to the radio in my office because no other radio I've tried has satisfactorily tuned any stations, even being next to the window. That changes with this Sangean because it tunes in all the local FM stations we listen to (35 mile radius) and also a local AM station I listen to, it does not tune in the AM station perfectly clear but well enough to listen, which is impressive because no other radio I've tried has even come close to turning in that AM station inside the metal building and that even includes a CC Radio plus from CCrane! I am thoroughly impressed with the radio and I am now considering buying another for my office. All in all, for the price this unit is top notch.

Worked for 5 years then power button stopped working. Will need to replace the whole radio or open up this radio and see if I can replace the power button module, will require some soldering.

I picked this little radio up so my camping friends and I could enjoy some tunes at the lake or out in the woods. I'm not only impressed with the reception, but the sound quality is very solid. We pick up radio stations better than any other portable we've used, and the power in this little radio is enough to allow us to have it loud enough to hear all around camp but without distorting due to crummy electronics and speakers. It has a nice little amount of tight mid bass to it, and the highs are clear. It's no audiophile's stereo, but for outdoors it does great. Tuning is easy with the digital tuner, too. 5 easy-to-program presets keep things simple. Besides good reception and solid sound, the AUX input is great for hooking up your iPod, iPad, MP3 player, phone, or any device with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack on it. Just make sure to buy a 3.5mm male-to-male cable because this radio doesn't come with one. I'm not claiming this unit is waterproof or anything, so make sure to keep it dry and out of the elements. It does however seem to be built very solid and I'd be surprised that a spray of moisture would do much to it. Very solid radio with a stout antenna, sturdy rubberized knobs, bright screen, and protected speakers behind heavy mesh. This radio weighed about twice what I expected, and it stands up solid on a flat surface. Battery life - this thing just keeps going and going. I am still on my first set of C batteries in this radio, and we have used it on 6 overnight trips now since I purchased it. Some of those trips were 2 nights in a row of constant use, including much daytime use. I still show all 3 bars of battery power! Also, I'm using the cheap generic C batteries from Fry's Electronics, so I can only imagine how long this radio would run if I used Energizer or Duracell. Very extra credit given to how efficient the electronics are in this radio. Overall I truly don't have a complaint about this radio. It has completely fulfilled our needs and surpassed many of them.

El proceso de compra muy sencillo, con el adicional de los múltiples comentarios de otros compradores que ayudaron a oa elección del producto. La entrega en tiempo y forma, sin ningún tipo de contratiempo. Servicio integral, 10 puntos! Gracias

Reception is too good and radio lover’s will enjoy

First impression is that the sound quality on AM at lower volumes is boxy, stuffy, not sharp or direct in tone as you would expect from other brands (such as Kaito, Sony), lacks clarity, dull and kind of muffled sounding. After a week or two of use, I see that this more mellow sound is less tiring to listen to over longer periods of time. It seems to be lacking in the treble department on AM. FM sounds brighter with more treble which I like. CBC Radio One - FM 91.5 sounds very nice. I see some other Amazon reviewers have noticed the same things about the AM sound but give it time and it will grow on you. I am OK with it now. A reviewer on another website, RadioJayAllen, describes the sound as "a bit on the dull side and mellow sounding". However, after a week or two of use I am getting used to the sound and am liking it now. AUX shows the speakers to be lacking in audio dynamic range (my guess based on the sound). Sound is not sharp compared to one of those Bluetooth speakers that cost a $100 or more CAD. Reception is strong as many reviewers have mentioned and is expected due to the large ferrite bar for AM reception. It can pull in CJAD 800 in Montreal from Ottawa but with static. Radio is in a concrete building and about 15 feet from a large window. I bring the radio next to the window and CJAD comes in loud and clear. It's all about placement, living in a concrete building. The positives about this radio are the station pre-set buttons allowing me to go from channel to channel at the touch of a button. I have about 3 AM stations on pre-set buttons and 3 FM stations but I mostly listen only to CBC Radio One on FM. The convenience of having the pre-set push buttons are also heavily influencing my overall evaluation and decision. If the AM band sounded better, this radio would get a 5 star rating from me. As is, I would give it 4.5 stars. BTW, the Panasonic 2400 radio is surprisingly very good too and for the stations I want to listen to, pulls them in like the Sangean. This is by no means a real test as I would have to go to a location with bad reception and go through the whole dial and compare station by station. But I don't have time for that.

I bought it on September 2014. Before using the radio I bought Maxcon Voltage Converter 220 To 110V (50 Watt) Step Down because, this item works in 110 volt 20 watts electric supply. (Thanks to an earlier amazon review which warned me about this.) In India AM radio stations are broadcasting in frequencies of multiples of 9. ( For example 684 Hz, 1161 Hz etc) Sangean by default searches for steps of 10Hz increment in frequencies. But in India you have to search in steps of 9 Hz increment. Fortunately this default mode of steps of 10Hz increment can be changed to steps of 9Hz increment. Enjoy clear sound now on........

overall a wonderful produce.... sometimes the reception is an issue.