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!

I have enjoyed this radio immensely since purchasing it in December of 2012. I'm a bit of a "cheap" radio collector; I have all sorts of portable/tabletop radios, including the Panasonic RF-2400, the Sony ICF-F10, Sony's ICF-38, Sangean's TB-100 and LB-100 models, etc. It's a bit of a side hobby, so believe me when I say this is one of THE BEST tabletop radios I have ever owned for FM Radio. It has great tuning capability, holds a signal quite well, sounds solid (even allowing an option for FM Stereo), and is pretty good on battery life (although I prefer to have it plugged in). The only downfall I have seen in this radio is in its "Portable" title...it has no carry handle/no place for a strap, and that is truly my only complaint. If I wanted to pick up and move any of the radios listed above, they all have a handle or carrying strap option...this one? Well, I hope you don't mind lugging it around without any built-in carrying option. Is this worth subtracting one star? To me it is, and some might not agree...but I stand by this rating. A radio that is touted as "portable" should have some sort of carrying option built in. With that said, let's recap: ◘ Great sound ◘ Great tuning (as always, your mileage may vary) ◘ Good battery life, and a great AC option that's included from the outset - No carry handle/strap option Overall, it's a great radio for tabletop radio lovers (I'm not a huge AM fan, so take note), but for a truly portable version of this great radio, go for the Sangean PR-D15...it costs a little more, but is easier to lug around with you, plus it allows for rechargeable batteries. If it's just a tabletop radio you want, the PR-D5 is fantastic for this purpose.

Great radio! Excellent sound quality, easy tuning with clear reception. Batteries last forever. Perfect size. Excellent overall quality.

I was a little weary about the cost of this little radio, but it was well worth it. I love the ability to preset stations and not have to "tune" into each station every time. The reception is great and the sound quality is really good. Sound is nice and clear. I have it on a desk plugged into the outlet so I have not used the battery function nor have I used the Bluetooth function. Nice and compact so it fits well without taking up so much space. Very nice unit!! I would spend the money again. Very satisfied!

Let it be said at the beginning that almost everything worked on this radio out of the box. My idea was to buy a high sensitivity, AM-FM Table Model Clock Radio to replace my Sony Dream Machine Clock Radio. I had to re-set the time about once per month on the Sony because the clock gained about 2 minutes over that time period. Also, the AM-FM sensitivity on the Sony was marginal. The PR-D5 corrected the sensitivity problem but time accuracy wasn't much better. Although the PR-D5 has a feature to reset the clock from an FM station, broadcasting time updates through the RDS system, that feature didn't work! I tried four different stations that were broadcasting RDS (which worked fine) with no success on time updates. Anybody wish we still had the old GE Telecron system available? This radio has two speakers, slightly larger than 2 inches and there is no bass to do justice to the FM side. The speakers are too close together to hear any stereo separation effect through a pair of 74 year old ears. I compared the PR-D5 sound quality with my Cambridge Soundworks HD Table Radio which has 3 inch, full range speakers and my HD radio was far superior! The PR-D5 digital tuning system works well although the dial light is timed to go out about 6 seconds after an input is made. Therefore you cant see the dial time during the night without turning on a light or turning the radio on. This radio has both an external AC power pack as well as a battery compart holding 6, C-type batteries. Unfortunately, the PR-D5 doesn't have a carrying handle so portability is not there. If I were to consider another AM-FM portable, it would have to be modeled more like a digital version of my analog GE Super Radio III which is sensitive, conveniently portable, has great monural sound but would need an accurate clock to wake the owner. The Sangean PR-D5 fullfilled some of my needs, but a more accurate clock and better speakers would improve its saleability.

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.

The Sangean PR-D5 AM/FM radio may be just the radio for you...or not. It all depends on what you expect from your radio - for instance, do you expect to leave it on a table or counter-top most of the time while moving it from room to room only occasionally? Or, do you need a take-with-you portable for your active lifestyle? Is most of your listening FM stereo, or tuning in ballgames from distant AM stations? Are you an AM DXer who enjoys logging those distant stations when conditions are favorable, running up and down the frequencies for hours hoping for a record catch? In addition to this Sangean, I also purchased the C. Crane CCRadio-EP via Amazon on the same day. They are very different units, and each has its strong points. You may prefer one to the other based on some issues mentioned in the first paragraph. Their prices are about the same. The Sangean is a digital model with 5 FM presets and 5 AM. It has two small stereo speakers, clock functions, and is easy and convenient to use. The Crane is an analog radio, having no presets or clock functions, a single (but larger) speaker, bass and treble knobs, selectable AM bandwidth, a neat lighted dial, and a fine-tune adjustment for AM. Both have very sturdy FM whip antennas, and both have excellent AM antennas, as well. The Sangean has the largest built-in ferrite bar AM antenna likely to be found in this size radio. At almost 8" in length, it does a nice job of receiving AM. The Crane's AM antenna is their twin-coil ferrite bar model which can be somehow elctronically manipulated with the radio's separate fine-tuning control - sometimes it allows you to hear stations which were buried in noise much more clearly. If you are an AM DXer, or do a lot of listening to marginal, distant AM stations, the Crane has the edge due to its analog design and its special antenna. However, the Sangean is no slouch at AM - better than most, even - but one notch under the Crane in this regard. The Crane also has the advantage for someone on the go, for one simple but important reason - it has a carry handle. Carrying the Sangean is very awkward, and the grip it provides very tenuous - the owner who carries it often will sooner or later drop it, and that is pretty much inevitable. Could be damaged from a fall. The Crane handle flips down and hides in a nice recess. Both radios sound good...but again different. The Sangean is a leaner, but more refined stereo FM sound, while the Crane has a bigger sound with a bit deeper low end, which I hesitate to refer to as 'bass' for either radio. Both provide FM stereo with headphone use. For near-field listening (such as sitting at hand on a table) the Sangean sounds better to me with its pleasing stereo presentation. Outdoors, or further away, the bigger sound of the Crane suits me better. The Sangean has a sexier look, the Crane looks more traditional. Both are very good at reception - about the same for FM, with the Crane having that AM edge. No handle - what was Sangean thinking? I really love both of these, and between the two they fill my needs nicely, while out-performing every other radio in the house from a reception perspective. While I recommend either, I also can suggest both. Works for me, and my wife loves the Sangean. EDIT Update: After a year now my PR-D5 still looks and sounds like new, and I've come to have more respect for its sound quality, too. Like the RDS, as well - had not previously realized that so many stations broadcast that info. After the tornadoes hit Moore, about 5 miles from my home, we were without power 48 hours or so and this radio with the Crane became our main source of entertainment and information. I put the Crane on the floor in a corner with bass up and treble down to use as a quasi-subwoofer while I set the Sangean above it at ear level for the stereo sound - it was quite nice.