Customer Reviews

C Crane CCRadio-SW (Model CSW-TCF)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I've been a fan of the original CC Radio Plus for a few years... but now the latest addition to the family is rising up the ranks.

The CC Radio SW, adding shortwave but removing the TV & Weather band, is as good (or better) than its CC-cousin. With many of the same features, incl., lighted dial, alarm & snooze functions, as well as terrific AM reception...and excellent sound, it outperforms most portables of similar size. It has many of the same extras as the Grundig S250, incl., an AM RF Gain knob. Also, separate switches for local & distant AM reception, in addition to operating on 2 types of batteries!! Either 4 AA's or 4 'D size. When plugged-in to the AC adapter, it has the ability to charge the batteries. This of course is only useful if you're using rechargeable cells in the unit. I haven't had this long enough to give a comment on battery usage, although if the key-pad lights are used too often, that will help to drain them quicker. The tuning ability is excellent. The large knob is easy to control and the ability to switch between slow & fast tuning (plus locking it on a frequency) is a nice addition. Another plus; it's very lightweight, and the built in (pop up)handle makes for easy transport.

The only gripes I have is that the small function buttons are a bit difficult to decipher at first due to the tiny print, and I wish there was a way to "lock out" the backlight display when tuning stations, on battery-power... like there is on the original CC.

If you like the CC Radio... you'll like this. Or, if you already have a Grundig, or similar brand, you may want to try the CC Radio SW!

I live in Los Angeles where 103.1, 89.3, and 88.9 FM stations can cause problems with most radios. This is not the case with the C.Crane CSW, a rebadged Kaito 2100, which I had to return after it went bonkers in first 3 weeks.

After a month, the CSW is still going strong and I hope my previous clone was a rare lemon.

CSW Performance:

The FM is the best I've ever experienced, better than my Eton S350DL (excellent) and Kaito 1103 (excellent). Evidencing its strong FM, it does not even need its telescopic antenna fully extended to grab hard to get stations.

AM is also very strong, much better than my Eton S350DL (very good) and a tad less powerful than my Sangean PR-D5. However, the advantage of the CSW over the PR-D5 is that the CSW has AM filters so you can fine-tune RF grain if you're getting AM overload. I haven't had overload problems on my PR-D5, but my friend who lives 2 miles away did have this problem and he was glad to sell his PR-D5 and replace it with the CSW.

Ergonomics

This is a bit weak in regard to preset memories which are half-baked. A radio of this caliber should have direct key entry. Another annoyance: The preset memory button scrolls upwards only so you have to scroll through all 10 presets before getting to the one you want. You'll get to your station just as quickly using the high-speed manual tuning dial.

Sound

The sound is loud, full, but a little flat and some say "harsh." This is not "high fidelity." If you're looking for warm lush sound and don't need short wave, you should check out the Boston Acoustics Horizon Solo ($90-100) or the Sangean PR-D5 ($80).

While not a great music radio, the CSW has treble and bass controls and I find that turning up the treble helps with music.

I think most radio buyers will be better served getting the $80 PR-D5, which gets better AM (but no filters) and 95% of the CSW's FM strength. But if you want SW and want the best FM I've ever tested, the CSW is well worth the $139 price tag.

I originally purchased this radio about a month ago from C. Crane. The positives of this radio are:
1) Excellent AM reception, nearly equal to the legendary Panasonic RF-2200, which I also own. Hum and tuning are best adjusted by turning the radio. This radio probably has the nearly the best if not the best AM reception (internal antenna) of any current production portable radio made. I do not classify an 8 lb desk top radio as 'portable' for this comparison. Commenters have compared to the Sangean PR-D5, which some say has better AM reception. I don't have this particular Sangean radio, but it is much better than the Sangean 818, which I do have.
2) Outstanding FM reception. Better than any other current production portable FM radio off the whip. Better than Sangean (I have the 818), except maybe a modified 909. But I do not classify a modifed 909 as a production model. Better than the Kaito 1103 (I have this unit) which is legendary in its own right, and most likely the best for its size. Better than Eton/Grundig. Have that too. You most likely will not even have to raise the whip for stations located within 30 - 50 miles of your location depending on the initial FM station signal strength (50 k watts vs. 100 k watts).
3) Shortwave reception. Much better than than the Sangean 818, and even somewhat better than the venerable Panasonic RF-2200.
4) Outstanding sound. The speaker sound is better than any portable that I have heard except maybe for the GE Superadio III (now RCA), which I also have. The sound is rich and warm and very 'listenable' for extended periods. Much better than the Sangean 818, which is a similarly sized radio and speaker. Do not underestimate sound quality when buying a shortwave or AM dx radio primarily for talk. Even though you may not be using it primarily for music, a poor sounding radio will gradually get 'tiresome' to listen to after a while. The Sangean 818 fit this category for me, and got tiring to listen to after a while. Note this comparison is to similarly sized radios. For example, a Kaito 1103 sounds great for its size, but will not sound as good as the C. Crane by any means. Again the Sangean PD-R5 is praised for its sound, but it doesn't have shortwave, an essential in this category.

Dissappointments:
The production of this radio clearly has some QA/QC problems. The first unit I received had a sticking on/off power button. It would inadvertently send you into sleep mode. For the price of the radio, this should not be happening, and I sent it back. On the replacement unit, the AM tuner (fast speed) was about 1 khz off. This was also a deal breaker because though 1 khz doesn't sound like much, it directly affected the sound and tuning strength of the stations. I did not feel like switching it to 'slow' everytime I wanted to tune an AM station. I tried to switch the 9 khz/10 khz switch in the back several times and reset the radio to no avail. This radio was also returned. However, I was determined because of the positives listed above. My persistence paid off. The 3rd one was perfect without issues. You may wish to purchase directly from C. Crane due to the QA/QC problems as they will readily work with you in getting good working unit to you if you have problems. Request that the unit be fully tested before it is sent to you. Also, it may be easier in getting warranty work done as noted elsewhere if you have problems later on.
In conclusion, if you want a top notch performing portable radio, and by 'top notch' I mean one that has class leading reception capability and sounds great too, then this is it. Yes, there may be ergonomic issues with key pad entry, memories, and lack of SSB tuning (BFO switch), but these are secondary to me. The big tuning knob with fast/slow speed tuning makes this not much of an issue at all. Stations can be accessed very quickly without the use of memories on AM and FM; memories are available (though not as plentiful as other digital units) for shortwave. It is analogous to a cell phone. If a cell phone can play mp3's, take pictures, etc, that is fine, but if it isn't able to place a call (good rf capability), it is essentially useless. Likewise with a radio. If it has all the ergonomic features like key pad entry, lots of memories, but doesn't have great reception and/or great sound, it is essentially useless; ergonomics or not.

The CCRadio SW probably has the fullest and richest sound of any portable AM/FM/shortwave radio presently available. I like to set the treble and bass controls both on full, which provides for a beautiful tone for listening to classical music. The sensitivity and selectivity of AM, FM, and shortwave is excellent, and the window provides a large lighted display of the frequency or time.

Now the down side. The buttons, which are quite small, take two or even three tries before they respond. One has to wonder if this might worsen with years of use. The lack of SSB is a terrible omission for shortwave listening. Worst of all, though, is the lack of key pad entry. I realize that old school SWLers won't mind this, but in the digital age it's an unpardonable fault. The frequency can be adjusted only by means of a somewhat tempermental scanner or by turning the wheel at one of two speeds, while skipping around using a switch that divides the entire shortwave band into three segments. I find this to be a constant annoyance, since the divisions cannot be over ridden - say - by holding down the scanning button. Instead, after reaching the high end of the band division, the frequency jumps back to the bottom again, and then continues in the same direction. In order to reach the other two band segments, you have to switch to them and go through the same procedure. This is simply stupid. In addition, the memory system is poor. You can only scan the minimal number of memories from 1 up to 10; you can't skip around. If you're on memory #4 and you want memory #3, then you have to run through 5-10, then 1-2, and finally to #3. This is minor enough, but it unnecessarily complicates a simple act, one that you may repeat many times in an hour. Out of frustration with these poor ergonomics, I often switch to my Sangean 909 with its superb design, and then, once I've found a station, switch back to the CCRadio SW for its superior audio.

Again, the CCRadio SW excels in the essentials of sound and reception, but it suffers from poor ergonomics. It also lacks the versatility that one expects from modern shortwave radios. In addition, after only a few months my first unit developed a major problem with distortion, which made it unusable. The same problem seems to be common with this radio. I shipped it back to C. Crane for repairs, and, because it was still under warranty, they didn't charge me. Give praise where praise is due. The receipt says that the RF board was replaced. C. Crane's service was quick and cordial. However, after several months, the problem returned as bad as ever, so I threw the radio in the trash! I'm now on my second unit. So far, so good.

The CCRadio SW is a decent but annoying radio. I bothered to buy a second one because of its fine audio quality and reception. But there are many things to overlook on this radio, if you can.

I got this C Crane c
csw clock radio with snooze alarm through Amazon.com. Te radio died four days after I received it. I went direct to the manufacturer and they felt I received old stock and asked that I return the radio to them and they woulod replace it with new stock. They were very cooperative and acted immediately to solve my problem.

This is my first c crane radio. I decided to buy it after hearing
about it on the COAST TO COAST AM show and i am pleased with it.

I am an avid a.m. listener and i find it hard to believe that I
paid big bucks for an expensive pioneer receiver before I
purchased this.

For a lot less money and a lot better quality this
c crane radio is far superior in tuning in those hard to reach
a.m. stations.

At night i can even hear a station all the way from IDAHO and
I live in west MICHIGAN!

There is an a.m. rf gain dial, for fine tuning your stations in
during the evening hours, in the case of those irritating night time overlaps.

This radio comes equipped with a twin coil ferrit antenna,
short wave radio,dial speed settings, lots of pre set memory,
an alarm and great f.m. reception. There is also a line out,
so you can plug this into your big expensive stereo receiver( that you may have spent too much money on ).

One of my favorite things about this radio is... you can use rechargeable batteries and recharge them in the radio itself.

This radio is simple enough to use for the normal plug in and play
person and fun enough to tinker with for the gadget persons as well.
I would suggest this for any one who lives in the city or hard to reach places out in the middle of no where.

The only reason why i did not give this radio 5 stars is because it is not AMERICAN made. How ever since nothing is ever really AMERICAN made any more i am happy to say that the company is here in the states for
customer service and sales and happy to report that you wont have to speak to any one in INDIA!

I have had this for a year now and still no problems.
I have NOT had any of the led display problems that have been talked about in regards to this radio in other reviews.

I just gave up my satellite radio (because it's not really all that different from terrestrial radio), and I wanted a new, really good AM/FM radio. When I heard that the C Crane SW was made by Kaito (not Sangean), I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did.

I live in the shadow of a 50 kW FM tower, and ordinary radios (and some not-so-ordinary ones, like the Sony ICF-2010) overload horribly on the FM signal, making the FM band practically useless. The C Crane SW acts like there is nothing unusual about my location at all--no overload problems. I can receive all the local stations and most of the stations from the next city (about 33 miles) without even extending the antenna. Stations sandwiched in on adjacent channels are not a problem either.

I was even more interested in good AM reception, and I was not disappointed. With this radio I regularly listen to a 1 kW station 32 miles away (rated by Radio Locator as a "weak signal" in my location) with solid, strong reception. The wide and narrow bandwidths are well chosen, and I have none of the "hum" problems other people have written about.

Speaking of other people's complaints in reviews here, I don't understand any of them. Repositioning the radio for best AM reception? You have to do that with any AM radio--ferrite antennas are directional, and this is a good thing, because you can tune out interference as well as tune in your station. Pressing the buttons extra hard or 2 to 3 times? No way! What's different about this radio, though, is that you have to hold in a button for a quarter- or half-second for the press to register. This is also a good thing, to prevent brushing against the buttons from having an undesired effect. Didn't work with D batteries? Did you notice the switch labeled "Battery Size:" AA or D? Out of the box mine was set to AA, which is probably the norm.

The sound produced by this radio is full and rich, much more enjoyable than the Grundig/Eton S350, which I would consider the C Crane SW's closest competitor. The tuning on the C Crane SW is PLL synthesized so there is minor chuffing as you dial up or down, unlike the S350 which has analog tuning with a digital readout. The chuffing is not at all bothersome and the design allows the C Crane SW to remember your position on each band and to provide station memories, 10 for each band.

I use the sleep function at my bedside, although I must say that calling this a "clock radio" is a disservice--both in creating false expectations and in characterizing the radio as something other that what it is: an excellent portable radio. The clock is its weakest part: mine gains several seconds every day, and there is no clock display while the radio is on.

With 4 rechargeable AA batteries installed, the radio keeps them charged when plugged in at bedside. The small batteries keep the radio light in weight when I use it as a portable, and power the radio for more than long enough to suit me. I can't even imagine how long D size rechargeables would last.

All in all, a darn good radio.

If you purchase this item through Amazon.com, C.Crane will not honor the 12 month warranty. I just spoke to Customer Service at Amazon.com and they will not honor the warranty either. Buyer beware.C Crane C CSW Clock Radio with Snooze Alarm

I bought a Crane CSW radio from Amazon last week intended as a gift and it arrived by US Mail yesterday. I opened the box, inspected the radio and checked it out against a Kaito KA2100 I bought last year (and my favorable review of that radio still stands). The Crane CSW is essentially a repackaged Kaito KA2100 with a few modifications. The Crane version has a few superficial exterior changes to knobs and side switches and labels. The biggest change is the elimination of an interior AC converter in the Crane version--and a wall brick exterior AC converter with a small DC plug-in is supplied instead. The discontinued Kaito has an interior AC converter and a normal (removable) power plug.

FM, AM and SW reception between the Kaito and the Crane appeared about identical. Be sure to set the AM sensitivity switch to distant (rather than local) to get a clearer reception and sound. The only apparent difference between these radios besides the differences noted above is a slightly more sloppy quality control regarding the knobs. More of them are loose or not centered with the Crane radio--an esthetic issue only, but it gives a more Mickey Mouse character to the radio operation when the knobs wiggle or turn out of true. Other than this, the radio is fine--reception in all bands is really very, very good. The separate gain, treble and bass knobs function well across their entire travel range. And because the radio has an internal ferrite AM antenna, the Crane CSW responds very well to the use of a Terk AM-1000 passive AM antenna to really boost reception of weaker AM signals.

The radio is a fine portable with a surprisingly good speaker. Sound from headphones plugged into the radio is excellent, with the volume and tone controls working with headphones. The knobs are an irritant, but it still will make a fine gift.

The assembly of the radio is high quality and provides clear AM/FM signals. The short wave made need a bit more band spreader control and could possibly use a BFO for sideband and code. Otherwise the radio is outstanding. I listen to a lot of the old short wave stations that I have not been able to hear in years!