Customer Reviews

GE 72887 Superadio III Portable AM/FM Radio

5 star:		(150)
4 star:		(65)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

If you love AM radio and are looking for a radio that has fantastic reception your choice comes down to two radios: the ccradio plus and the GE Superadio. These are the best radios on the market for fans of talk, sports, Art Bell, Phil Hendrie, etc. Which one should you buy? I have both (the GE for my office, ccradio for home) so here is my take on the two. Both have nearly equal AM reception. At night, you can easily pull in stations from hundreds of miles away (some say even over a thousand miles away but this depends on where you live). There the difference ends. The ccradio has a lot of features that I felt I wanted in a radio. It has a sleep timer, accurate digital tuning, automatic timer that turns your favorite show on at a predetermined time, scan buttons, lighted dial, power cord (not bulky adaptor), weather radio (with auto alert), memory buttons, tv audio of the network stations. The only flaw is that it has a grab indentation rather than a full handle. They are a family business and take GOOD care of their customers. The ccradio company LOVES radio and loves people who share their passion. Is it worth the [$$] for the extras? To me it is. The Ge Superadio has a rotary - and inaccurate - tuning dial. This will drive you crazy if you do a lot of channel switching. Some people tape graph paper to the radio and mark where they found the stations - it is that inaccurate. There is no timer, no alarm, no weather, no tv audio, no lit dial, etc. The sound is better on the GE Superadio, though. The GE SUperadio feels cheaply made and probably won't make it through many beach or camping excursions. The GE Superadio is enormously sized - it is the size of a small attache case or TV! If you only want to pull in one distant station and keep your dial set to that station, get the GE radio. That is all you need. It has great, almost legendary, reception without any bells or whistles. On the other hand, if you love radio, need the extras, change stations a lot, want something sturdily built that will last a lifetime, want to explore the large number of AM stations that are out there, go out and order the ccradio with slightly better reception (see their website to order). I am a radio person rather than a tv person. I have radio playing all day (as some people have tv going on all day). I sleep to radio (and need that sleep timer). I would rather listen to a talk show than watch a sit com. I would rather listen to Coast to coast, Phil Hendrie, and Rush than watch another rerun of Frasier or Friends. If you are like me, do yourself a favor and invest in the ccradio. You won't regret it. P.S., the FM reception will be better than you are used to, also.
Bottom line: The GE superadio is low cost with no extras and big and bulky. The CCradio plus is expensive, has every extra you could want (except a decent handle), more sensitive but does nto sound as good as the GE for music.

It's big, it's bulky, and you can't carry it while you're roller blading, but the GE Superradio has the best AM and FM reception of just about ANY portable radio on the market, short of a $500 Lowe. It's especially valued for its sensitive AM reception (it's a favorite of AM broadcast band "DXers" chasing distant stations) but the FM reception is nearly as good. Spend some time listening to it in the evening and you'llbe amazed how many AM stations are out there that you never suspected existed.

After I loaned mine to a builder friend working on my house, he ran out and bought one; his old job site radio just couldn't get his favorite stations. He listens to it at home now, too. For the money there's just nothing else that even comes close.

There is no other better radio Ive seen bar none !. I have portable shortwaves/AM {Grundig+ Sangean} They do not compare to the sound quality of this GE. This radio also out performs my other $400 portable on the AM band. Ive also tryied the C Crane radio {over $100} and its digital and had heavy current drain so figure on a set of batteries a week for most digitals. This GE radio goes strong as it is non digital. If AM band talk show listening is your forte THIS IS YOUR RADIO ! The sound on this GE takes you back to the daysof the 30/40,s era where great sounding radios were at their prime. You cant go wrong on this excellent AM radio. DX stations all over the US are easy to pull in with this GE. By the way Im 70+ and Ive seen good radios. This is one indeed, and with the external antenna hookup on radio of which I use finding lond distance stations are endless Figure on about 25hrs listening time with a digital display radio with clock and memorys. This GE has been playing over 2 1/2 weeks for 6 hrs a day and still going strong on its 6 D size battery pack

The GE Superadio III used to be a great radio. I bought my first one seven years ago and it worked so well that I bought another. I have recently purchased two more as gifts and they are not the same radio. Side-by-side they look the same (except for the numbers on the tuning dial). Inside they have dissimilar circuit boards. The real difference is the two new radios are unable to tune stations nearly as well as the older radios. I would recommend not purchasing this radio.

If you're looking for a radio that will pick up stations like the quality radios from 30+ years ago (I'm 39), then you need look no farther. Tired of having to move radios in unusual positions (draping power cords, etc) in order to get my Cardinals baseball games in clearly, I decided to try to find a radio like the one my father had many years ago. I was somewhat concerned about the GE brand name as many of the items I have purchased within the last several years form GE have been substandard. NOT WITH THE SUPERADIO III!

The sound is good. The midrange is very flat and clear. It picks up most stations I seek even with the FM antenna down. My other radios can't even pull them at all. AM is exceptional. I live near high power transmission lines, and it doesn't phase it a bit.

GE could have put in a digtal tuner, or a weighted flywheel for tuning. Also they could have used better feeling controls and a more substantial case. BUT, this would have dramatically changed its price range and not have improved performance much.

Overall it is an exceptional value!!

This may be the last product with the GE name that actually performs to the level of quality that GE was once known for.

Some products seem to predict their own futures. Corning Ware was introduced long before anyone even knew what a microwave oven was and it turned out to be the best cookware for the ubiquitous food zapper.

Now, the GE 7-2887 Superadio III takes its place among such prescient products. Your humble communications technician, seeking to hear another human voice while on the job in a computer room, found the Superadio III remarkably well suited to the computer room environment.

I had previously brought a Grundig Yacht Boy 400 and a Sony ICF-2010 to work to listen to an AM talk radio station, only to find out that what makes them so good for world band (shortwave) reception are the very things that meant disaster in the computer room's EMI (electro-magnetic interference) rich atmosphere. Being digital receivers, their computer-like circuits eagerly plucked from the air the squeals, drones and squawks of the network servers, PCs and PBX system that occupy the room while adding their own synthesizer noise to the weakened signal. I pondered the possibilities for better reception. I could put the radio nearer an exterior wall, crank up the volume loud enough to hear while seated at my desk, and be promptly thrown into the parking lot, since others in the room don't really want to hear the same station. Through the interference on the Sony came a commercial for the CCRadio by C. Crane, a tabletop receiver specially designed for long distance reception of AM news and talk radio stations (Translation: The speaker ain't so hot for music). Pricey but perhaps worth it.

I read a few reviews of the CCRadio and another model kept popping up as the undisputed CHAMP of Long Distance AM Radio Reception, the standard against which other contenders are measured, the one, the only, ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for the GE 7-2887 Superadio III. Wow, I thought, how often I had seen them at WalMart and Kmart and how often I said to myself, yeah, right, Superadio, ha ha. Yet, here were some of the toughest-to-please SOBs who ever twiddled a tuning knob using this radio as THE benchmark. I was intrigued.

A quick visit to the usual suspects (Best Buy, WalMart, Kmart) proved fruitless ("Sorry, if it's not on the shelf, we're out. . .No, I don't know when we'll have more"). In desperation, I came to Amazon.com, typed "superadio" in the Search box and there it was in all its "usually ships in 24 hours" glory, and for less than the best street price. 2 UPS Second Day Air days later, it was waiting for me at home. I didn't unbox the radio until I was back at work the next day.

Even before digging into my Sausage McMuffin with Egg breakfast, I unpacked the Superadio III, plugged it in and was, indeed, amazed. The interference no longer dominated the signal from Los Angeles radio station KFI. It was still there, but not as much as on the Sony and Grundig. The Superadio III's analog tuner is, by its nature, more immune to it. Throwing the WIDE/NORMAL switch to the NORMAL position reduced much of the interference. Judicious tuning and adjustment of the separate bass and treble controls brought forth the desired sound while further fading the interference to a tolerable level. Thanks to the 2-speaker sound system, the Superadio III delivers more "presence", allowing it to sound louder even though the volume might be lower than on a radio with inferior sound.

At the minus end of the scale is the tuning scale itself. The aforementioned station at 640 kHz appears between the 650 and 700 markings (675 kHz?). If you do a lot of station hopping, keeping a station list with each's position on the 1-to-10 "log scale" above the AM and FM scales might be a good idea. Made in China and imported by Thomson Consumer Electronics, the Superadio III has a less-than-substantial feel to its construction and controls. Better-built radios DO come out of China (can you say "Grundig"?) but they also cost accordingly.

For its price, the GE 7-2887 Superadio III Portable AM/FM Radio does just what you buy it for and will probably continue to do so for many years to come as more and more computer room hermits discover its ability to bring the outside world inside. They can block your access to Web radio, but they can't stop you from listening.

I will attempt to review the GE 7-2887 Superadio III Portable AM/FM Radio below. I will focus on these categories: AM reception/performance, FM reception/performance, quality and price vs. overall value.

First before I begin the review here is some information about me. I am an avid fan of AM radio. I have several favorite stations from as many as 250 miles away to as few as 5 miles away. I listen to AM talk almost all the time when listening to radio. I also listen at all times of day. I also live in a deep valley and have a very hard time getting any decent radio signal. I own several radios, which are a clock radio, a Magnavox home stereo, an antique handheld Panasonic transistor radio (model R-1052), the Sony ICF-SW7600GR shortwave radio and the GE Superadio III.

AM Reception/Performance-
This radio has fantastic reception on the AM band. Far better than my other radios! The stations come in clear and strong. Stations are easy to dial in for maximum signal. The nearly 8-inch ferrite antenna is why; this radio is truly deigned for AM reception.

FM Reception/Performance-
I have had no trouble getting many different FM stations on this radio. The whip antenna is very adequate and I am very satisfied with my ability to receive FM radio signals. This radio does out perform my other radios here as well.

Quality-
I am satisfied with the quality of this radio. It is a large radio and heavy. The casing feels strong and the metal speaker grill is a big plus.

The volume, bass and treble knobs do feel slightly cheap. I can hold the knob and flex it up and down some. Not very much but I do think that if this radio did fall and somehow land on the knob the wrong way it could break. However with proper handling and care I do not see any problem with the knobs. They do turn very smoothly and feel good; they also have a very sensitive adjustment that is great for really dialing in that perfect sound!

The speakers are of great quality and in my opinion one of this radios features that make this radio such a wonderful radio. The six-inch woofer and two-inch tweeter bring this radio to life! This portable radio sounds almost as full and as dynamic as my home stereo system. Now remember that this is a portable radio with two front firing speakers. It will not compete with a home stereo that has two separate speaker cabinets. However this is one of the best sounding portable radios I have ever had the pleasure to listen too. This radio is capable of very loud volumes. I like to listen at setting 1 (0 min-10 max) when the radio is sitting next to me. The audio quality of this radio due to it's large woofer and tweeter make this radio second to none to any of my other portable radios that I own or have listened too.

The tuner on this radio is smooth and sensitive to movement so dialing in on weak signals is easy. The numbers on the dial are inaccurate (as are almost all non digital radios), but on my radio not by a whole lot. I have had no problem adjusting to the offset.

The on/off button is on top of the radio, it is the only button on the top of the radio so finding it in the dark is easy! The other buttons and knobs are laid out in a very logical way and are very accessible in the dark so listening before bed is easy. That for me is a big plus! The radios handle is also very strong and I feel very safe using it to carry the radio.

Price vs. Overall Value-
For the price I paid with Amazon ($35.94) this radio is worth every penny! I highly recommend this radio to anyone who wants to bring AM radio to life. Hear what is really out there. Make AM radio a pleasure to listen too. This is the best radio in this price range by far and competes with radios 3-4 times its price, that says a lot. If you are looking for a much better radio at a reasonable price this radio is a must buy! This is the only radio I use anymore. While it may not have all the extras of many other radios this radio was designed to do just one thing, that is to deliver the best AM/FM radio experience and it does that wonderfully! A must have for any AM radio fan!

Very sensitive radio on AM, widely considered the best buy for the money by far. Very popular in prisons because of its daytime distance performance.

Sound is top rate.

Dial calibration is poor but you can get used to it.

It's exactly as sensitive as the CCRadio at $160 with much better sound than the CCRadio. Lacks only the CCRadio's digital tuning. Sorry, Art Bell.

The Superadio III has quickly become a favorite, both sentimentally and on its merits. I easily and regularly receive stations from 250 - 300 miles north of my home, and (with a little more difficulty due to mountains) from the same distance south. The radio outperforms any other I have owned, and its simplicity of design and tone quality are definitely "retro" in this age. It works like the old ones, and even looks like them! Tone quality of clear AM stations is close to FM quality on some other radios. Some difficulty with accuracy on the slide-rule dial--big deal--if you know the station you're seeking and those near it, you'll find it. A great buy if you want or need superior performance in a portable am/fm radio.

I have never been as satisfied with a purchase as I have been with the Superadio III. It is a sucessor to the SR-II, and is even more sensitive than its predecessor. I have done a comparative review between this model and its supposed clone at, and found that the SR-III is clearly a different, and far superior product. The 12-903 is a new model from RS that merely repackages the previous design. So if you want a quality radio with extremely good AM reception on distant stations, the SR-III is the product for you. The SR-III also has a wide bandwidth position that allows high fidelity listening on local stations. Those customers considering the C-Crane unit should be aware that C-Crane equalizes its audio for speech, making music listening poor. FM reception of the SR-III is good as well, stations up to 100 miles away are receivable under some conditions. The only negative points that I can find with the SR-III are the lack of a ten kHz audio filter and the lack of an AM stereo (as well as FM stereo) decoder, that would allow stereo listening through headphones.