Sangean PR-D4W Portable Radio

A medium wave/AM radio that is top of the range in terms of sensitivity, audio performance with FM like quality on better processed AM stations (eg Manx radio,1368khz, Isle of Man, BBC Radio 4 756kHz, Cornwall, BBC Radio 5 Live 909/693, UK TalkSport 1089 and many others) on its 6kHz setting and narrower bandwidth options 1,2,2.5,3,4kHz are available for crowded conditons and some very weak signals. Excellent filtering with the 6kHz setting working well, even under crowded night time European conditions. Also the radio is free of internal hets on all frequencies and has very low internal noise enabling the best reception possible with greater clarity and the lowest distortion of any AM radio I have used.Unlike some other dsp based radios it works well with passive loops across the AM band to bring up the weakest signals. The radio also has excellent agc, handling fading skywave signals very well, better than some other dsp based radios that have soft muting, maintaining audio quality better than some more expensive AM/FM portables and easily outperforms the AM ranges of any other top range multiband radio I have used. The radio can be used in Europe with a 9kHz step option and also for transatlantic dx with 10kHz steps. In a recent test it performed very well eg WINS 1010, VOCM 590, WBBR 1130, WBZ 1030 were received with ease using a passive tecsun loop in the early morning here in the south of Ireland.With the narrower bandwidth settings it is possible to dig out weaker stations that are more closely spaced to high power European stations.The FM section is less good, about average sensitivity and the audio quality on FM is less than other similar makes and has no rds. On the plus side the selectable bandwidths 40, 60, 85,110 are useful for crowded conditions and works well and is an unusual feature on a radio in this price range. The FM telescopic is well made unlike some competitors which use flimsy telescopics which can break easily.The outstanding aspect is AM/MW performance and performs better than a well known top of the range larger AM/FM portable, that retails at more than twice the price. To compare the two I did side by side tests on a wide range of frequencies in a low noise environment under both day and night time conditions which is best for sensitivity tests to ensure that man made interference is not the limiting factor. While both radios had similar sensitivity, the Sangean PR- D4W received AM/MW stations with better clarity, brighter, higher fidelity audio and handled fading skywave signals better than the bigger radio. I found this to be the case on a wide range of frequencies across the AM band.The larger radio performed better on FM in terms of sensitivity and audio performance.As a weather band alert service is unavailable in the region where I live I was unable to test this aspect on both radios.The build quality of the Sangean PR-D4W is excellent and the use of 4 x D cells ensures long battery life.One minor drawback is that there is no option for the back light to stay on and the radio defaults to the clock setting after approximately 10 seconds following tuning rather than displaying the station frequency and there appears to be no setting to change this. A peculiar feature for a device that is primarily a radio!The absence of a carrying handle, mentioned by other reviewers is not an issue for me. I find the radio easy to carry with a projecting section at the back helpful to prevent the radio from slipping.Treble and bass tone controls would be a nice addition although the audio set up seems particularly suitable for AM reception and the 3 inch speaker is powerful, providing room filling volume.In summary if you listen to local AM stations or you are a dxer interested in listening to distant stations day or night and you want to hear them with the best quality possible then I have no hesitation recommending this radio - the best performing current production AM/MW portable radio in my opinion. If your interest is primarily FM I suggest you look elsewhere.

This may just be one of Sangean's most underrated radios. If reception quality is paramount, this is the radio for you. I will have had this radio for three years come July, and I have no regrets with my choice.FM reception is nothing short of amazing. The radio needs just a little signal for quality reception, and once you have it, you're set. It's extremely sensitive and very selective. In my area, I receive most stations from three distinct markets, ranging 20, 30, and 60 miles away, along with some signals from two other markets (70 and 80 mi away), and with the built-in whip antenna, it's quite easy to receive all of them. The 20 and 30 mi stations can be received just about anywhere you put it, though the distant markets can be a bit finicky depending on placement. FM tunes in 100 or 50 kHz steps, which is initially annoying if you're used to tuning in standard US 200 kHz steps, though you quickly get used to it. Stereo requires a stronger signals than many tuners, though if you're listening to it with the built-in speaker this is a moot point as it's a mono speaker. Stereo only applies when listening through headphones, which provides for a quality audio experience. Be sure to extend the antenna fully though--the best reception is received only when it's fully extended. When it is fully retracted and resting, it's quite bad.AM reception is also outstanding. This radio receives stations I don't get on any other radio--for instance, outdoors I'm able to pick up a highway information radio station about 4.7 miles away on the narrowest filter. The radio has a number of bandwidth filters, from 1 kHz to 6 kHz, with six being the widest and providing the best sound but the most susceptible to noise. Personally, I'd recommend 2.5-4 kHz for talk radio, and 4-6 for music.Weather radio is useful to have along with an auxiliary input. Reception on weather is similar to AM/FM--excellent. I get my local radio station (20 mi), along with one 30 mi away, and in some spots, some from 50-60-70 mi away; impressive for 1kW stations.Battery life can be months on D batteries when used sparingly off of battery power. Overall, the only area where I can complain somewhat is the speaker--it sounds great until you compare it to something else. It lacks in lows and highs; it's definitely a mid-only speaker. Don't let this deter you though--this is a five star radio by all means. Highly recommended!

This is a nice radio. A bit heavy, considering there is no handle for carrying this "portable" radio. It has 20 presets with 10 am and 10 fm (each has two bands). Reception seems quite good although a bit staticky in my area. Delivery was on time and Amazon included my recent order for batteries in the same package. Works with 4 D batteries and/or electrical connection (the adaptor comes with the radio which makes me wonder why Amazon shows a separate adaptor as a suggested additional purchase). Overall, I am pleased with this radio.