Sangean PR-D7 BK AM/FM Digital Rechargeable Portable Radio

• PLL Synthesized Tuning System
• Alarm by Radio or HWS (Humane Wake System) Buzzer
• Auto Seek Station, Sleep Timer
• Sangean Portable Radio
• 1 year Warranty

I recently read analysis of the Sangean PR-D5 vs. the Sangean PR-D7 radios. The reviews missed the point: These two Sangean radios target different market niches and needs. The PR-D5 is essentially a table radio while the PR-D7 targets folks that need a radio for domestic travel. I'm sure the engineers at Sangean see it this way. Why not buy both radios?

The Sangean PR-D7 has a clean crisp sound with very low noise floor on AM and FM bands, a great improvement over Sangean radios of similar size such as the ATS-505 or the ATS-909. BTW, I've tuned in all the major stations in the greater Phoenix area without a problem including the hard to catch 89.5, a classical station.

I have been very surprised at the overall performance of the PR-D7 radio and listen to this radio on a daily basis. The Sangean PR-D7 ($59) does 90 percent of what the Trivoli Songbook does at 25 percent of the Songbook's $200 price tag.

Still, the PR-D7 could use a multi-voltage AC adapter and a lock switch to be a complete global travel radio (like the Sangean ATS-606). Also, when traveling, cloth pouch would be a really nice touch. And while I'm making my wish list, the PR-D7 in a red or yellow case would be neat and easy to spot in a hotel room so you don't leave it behind.

One of the things I like about this radio are the controls, easy to learn and use, plus you can see the frequency and time on the display.

Update September 2008: I just recently purchased Sanyo's Eneloop AA rechargeable batteries for my PR-D7 giving me greater flexibility when enjoying this wonderful portable radio. I highly recommend Sanyo's Eneloop batteries.

Last week, from my greater Phoenix location, I picked KNX 1070 Los Angeles about 10PM in the evening.

Update October 2009: After owning this radio for 2 years, my little PR-D7 fell off a second story balcony and is now in pieces, so I ordered a second PR-D7 this morning. I suffer from cancer and kidney disease, so I've been in and out of the hospital several times this year, each time, my little Sangean PR-D7 went with me.

One of the neatest features of this PR-D7 is the no hassle recharging of the AA batteries, the radio automatically does this for you!!!

BTW, I ordered this radio from Amazon on a Friday morning and received the radio the next Tuesday morning. How's that for service!!!

Update January 2011: I have since purchased a Sangean PR-D9W radio which is now my go 2 radio.

Buy Sangean PR-D7 BK AM/FM Digital Rechargeable Portable Radio Now

I was trying to replace my Sony ICF-M410 which is about the same size. I was extremely disappointed I could not find it as they discontinued this model and I was so happy with that radio. In searching for reviews of AM/FM small portable radios, I came upon this one. Not too many reviews (7) but I bought it anyway because I wanted a radio that ran on batteries. I could not be happier with this radio!! Superior in sound and reception to the Sony I had and a BIG PLUS is that you can use rechargable batteries (I have been using the eneloop) and charge them in the radio! Doesn't get any better than that and I LOVE having the option of using the electrical adapter (which comes with it) or use it with the batteries only. There is no weather band or tv band on this like the Sony, but I really mostly use the radio for AM reception and talk radio which is excellent (FM is also). I highly recommend this radio for anyone looking for a truly portable radio with great sound, reception and a compact size. I also love the volume knob and the display which has a lighted clock along with the channel. Oh, I forgot about the sleep timer too that I love. Hope this helps.

Read Best Reviews of Sangean PR-D7 BK AM/FM Digital Rechargeable Portable Radio Here

~BOTTOM LINE~

Pros:

1All the top FM stations in my area come in lound and clear... Crystal clear. No static at all after having locked on an FM station.

2The single speaker is good enough. Nice and rich tone.

3Digital tuner lights up when you push any button so you can see the station and the time clearly.

4If you load it with rechargable batteries, this radio will recharge them. (the Sanyo eneloop rechargables are excellent) Be careful to unplug the adapter when the red light indicates a full charge or else the circuts overheat and the batteries feel hot to the touch. I had that happen to me once. Thought I fried it but after taking the batteries out and allowing it to cool off for 30 minutes it was working fine again.

5Functions as a alarm clock.

6AM is also very good. Nice and clear.

7AC adapter is included.

8Last but not least, it looks damn good on your table.

Cons:

1) Only 5 presets for each band. I wish it had 10.

~Hope I was helpful.

Want Sangean PR-D7 BK AM/FM Digital Rechargeable Portable Radio Discount?

I use a portable radio a lot, and I hate throwing away exhausted AA alkaline batteries. But most radios perform poorly on NiMH rechargeables because of the lower voltage and because old-style NiMH batteries self-discharge in a few days or a couple of weeks to the point that they need recharging again. This radio can use NiMH batteries with no loss of performance due to lower voltage. I recommend Sanyo Eneloops because they self-discharge much more slowly than ordinary NiMH batteries.

One word of caution though. You can recharge the batteries using the provided plug-in adapter, but because the recharge will be in series the batteries will not be recharged individually. This works OK for one or two recharges, but then the batteries tend to get unbalanced -some will be higher voltage than others -and performance will suffer. You will also observe a loss of energy capacity (the need for recharge will become increasingly more frequent). If you recharge the NiMH batteries in a good charger like a Maha or a La Cross, however, the cells will be charged individually and there will be no observed loss of capacity.

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EDIT: 3/3/2013 This unit is mostly obsolete due to the newer options available. Take the review for what it is worth at the time it was written.

I received this as a gift from someone who knew I would use this for the purposes of travel, which I infer would be suitable for this "portable radio".

Pros:

-Decent to good build quality. I knocked it off the windowsill from almost a few feet above the hardwood and its fine--no rattles. Fit and finish is outstanding, but the glossy surface is less desirable in this application. Why not use something textured or rubberized instead?

-Rechargeable feature works fine with my Eneloops. I can play the radio many hrs a day for about a week before the batteries start to wear down.

-Pretty good sound quality to my untrained ear, and can get loud!

Cons:

-Awkward button design. The power button sticks out more than the others, which means the radio gets turned on and off in your pack. A low profile sliding toggle button mounted topside would work much better. Heck, all the buttons could have gone up there, to make room for a jumbo display. Also, the front mounted buttons make one-handed control of the radio impossible when it isn't standing against a wall.

-Reception isn't as great as the reviews indicated. I get better in my 08 Nissan truck.

-Feature set doesn't justify the price. Where is support for RDS, which is standard in Europe and Latin America (this is a travel radio right)? Some rubber feet would be nice. How about the ability to receive S.A.M.E. weather messages? And the AC adapter isn't even dual-voltage? Whiskey tango foxtrot?

I applaud Sangean for making a nice little unit that gives the Songbook a run for its money, but I still think there is room for improvement in this radio.