SANGEAN WR-11 AM/FM Table Top Radio

• Wooden Cabinet
• Veneer Tuning
• Led Tuning Indicator
• Extrordinary Sound
• External Am/Fm Ant Sel Switch

In my small kitchen, I have only a tiny space for a radio between one cabinet and a microwave oven, and I wanted to find the best sound I could reasonably afford to put there. I also wanted to avoid anything powered by a "vampire" wall-wart transformer; when I turn off the radio, I want it to stop drawing any power. The Sangean WR-11 fills both those needs admirably.

When I first plugged it in, I tuned it to a local traditional-jazz station (WBGO-FM) playing a Brubeck quartet, and I was amazed by how much integrity its little speaker gave the sound of a plucked upright bass! Some had complained about this radio's predecessor, the WR-1, that its bass was too boomy. I don't find any evidence of that at all with the WR-11, except on the one or two FM rock stations that really do a sloppy job of boosting the bass in their equalization; and even in those cases, the WR-11 never really loses control of the sound.

As I primarily use this radio as a receiver for my own home FM transmitter (broadcasting whatever audio stream or MP3 that my computer is playing) these stations aren't much of an issue for me, nor is the fairly pedestrian AM section. On both FM and AM, reception and selectivity are strong, and the tuning dial (with a tuning "eye" LED) is both pleasant to use and accurate in feel.

The only drawback this radio has displayed so far (and the only reason I gave it four stars instead of five, after about half a day's use) is a range on the lower end of the volume control where it seems unable to stick at a particular volume, slipping randomly up and down a bit in volume even though I'm not touching the knob. If I were using this radio in a bedroom, I might be concerned about this -but in the relatively noisy environs of the kitchen, I'm not likely to have the volume knob in this particular position often.

All in all, at $100, this radio is every bit a match for the Tivoli Model One in a slightly shorter package. At $50 (what I paid for it) it's an absolute steal.

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I bought this radio for my 84 year old understandably technophobic Mother. Simplicity was the order of the day. Old fashioned knobs and station indicator fit the bill perfectly. The receiver section is pretty good. My Mother lives in a rural area where most major markets are 60+ miles away. FM stations from as far away as 35-45 miles pulled in with simple wire antenna that is include and all of the AM stations that were tradionally available in her area were received with good quality.

Speaking for myself, the audio has too much bass. Combine that with the absence of a simple tone knob to allow the user to change the bass/treble balance leaves me scratching my head and wondering what the people of Sangean were thinking when they decided a tone knob wasn't necessary. I might be tempted to plug the bass port on the back of the radio with something to see if that cuts down the amount of bass output if I had bought it for myself. It's not for critical music listening but isn't bad for background music and listening to the news.

But it made my Mom happy to have a radio that she knows how to use. And the audio quality deficiency doesn't bother her. When she was a kid audio quality from electronics was crappy. For this purchase, the 3 star rating reflects my Mother's positive comments minus my critical remarks about audio quality.

Surely they can find a spot for a tone knob.

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I was unable to purchase a simple table top radio without attachments such as a CD player or Ipod docking station in any of our local stores, even the large chain ones. I found just what I was looking for at Amazon.com; ordered it quickly and easily; it arrived safely in the time specified; and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! It was meant to be a kitchen counter radio but due to its good looks it has a place of honor in the living room. My favorite am station has a clarity I have never been able to achieve on any other radio. Thank you I love my new Sangean table top radio!

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It took me a full week to talk myself into paying $85 for a simple AM/FM table radio. After all the research, I'm glad I did it. It is worth the money spent.

I was looking for a radio for my office after yet another of those cheap clock radios died. I was sick of the tinny sounding, fading in and out, scratchy volume control, throw-away nature of the two or three radios I've had in my office. I decided I wanted to look for a quality sounding radio that would hold a station solidly that I wouldn't have to replace in a couple of years.

Enter the Sangean WR-11

It fits the bill. The three stations I tend to tune in while working at my office come in clear as a bell and do not fade. The sound quality is such that I can turn the volume down much lower than with the other radios and still hear it perfectly (a pleasant surprise.) I recommend this whole heartedly for an office radio.

Pros-

-Nice looking retro enclosure. I thought the wood-grain might look cheap but it is actually quite nice.

-Very smooth tuning. Easy to fine-tune a station.

-Good sound.

-Very functional external FM antenna greatly improving reception.

-Nice size. Not too big, not too small. A clock sits nicely on top completing the office desk setting.

Cons-

-It would be nice to have a tone control so you can adjust the bass a bit. Not a big deal really as the sound is superb.

-I would prefer to have a power button instead of an "off/FM/AM" selector. Sometimes I hit the volume control when I'm trying to turn the radio on or off. Very trivial criticism but there is plenty of real estate for such a feature. Again not a big deal at all.

The only reason this review got four stars instead of five is that I left the "dependability" rating blank because I haven't had the radio long enough to honestly evaluate that. I didn't realize that would knock the overall rating down. So be it. It is a five star radio as far as I'm concerned.

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I purchased this radio for my 89 year old mom who has physical limitations, including challenged vision, and who can't tolerate new technology. She had inspected many radios, sold locally, and refused to give any of them a try. They were "plastic, cheap, contraptions." So you can understand my apprehension, purchasing this one for her, sight unseen. When I delivered the radio, she watched apprehensively, as I pulled it from the box. Then with closer inspection, it was love-at-first-site. She literally caressed the walnut cabinet commenting, "This looks like an old-timey, radio---just what I wanted."

Simply put, this solidly built little radio has timeless elegance, coupled with ultimate simplicity and I found it outperformed any table-top radio I have ever had. The sound is clear and rich and once tuned to a channel, there is no annoying channel drift, or static. I was amazed at how the sound filled the room, from such a small package. There is a tuning light that indicates when you have the best reception in your area, for a particular channel. FM sounds awesome, and I found no problems with weak AM reception, or not picking up channels.

My mom has always had a radio at her bedside, to lull her to sleep. With only three knobs controlling operation she commented, "I can actually reach over and operate it in the dark." If you knew my mom, you'd know why I'm celebrating my victory. She's been around the block a few times and is tough to please! She demands quality!

I'm so fond of this radio that I'm considering ordering one for myself. It is attractive enough to make a nice addition to any room and I'm sure that many visitors would want to know 'where'd you get that,' since it's increasingly hard to find quality workmanship these days.