Customer Reviews

Sangean America DT-210 DT-210 AM/FM Digital Tuning Pocket Radio

5 star:		(168)
4 star:		(90)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(43)

 

 

It is said in radio engineering circles that all possible advances in improving radio reception reached a pinnacle decades ago. As anyone who has used some of the classic radios of ages past can attest, there are burled wood, chrome, hand-wired, and even vacuum tube examples with reception and fidelity that put modern units to shame. So in the 21st century, the age of portable entertainment and miniaturization, why isn't there a pocket example of a "pinnacle of engineering" radio?

Leave it to a small overseas company barely decades old itself to create the solution. The Sangean DT series of radios have long been considered the "pocket DXers" of portable radios, DX meaning distance listening, and this most recent design ups the ante and raises the bar by lowering the weight and shrinking the size. Weighing in at slightly less than a cell phone, with dimensions on par with an iPod, it's the device of vintage performance and modern size that many serious radio listeners have been waiting for.

And a serious radio it is. For example, The stereo-mono-speaker switch is a blessing on many different levels; weaker FM stations that cause most radios to bounce noisily back and forth between mono and stereo mode can now be forced to mono for a much cleaner signal. When you're ready to listen using the speaker, you can just leave your headphones plugged in - they become the FM/TV antenna. Alternately, a length of antenna wire is included, plus the plug is standard mini 1/8" size (not the rare sub-mini size found on some other DT series units) which means that any antenna with a mini plug can be used for ultra-long-distance/rural listening.

Sensitivity is nothing without selectivity, which is the ability of a tuner to pull in a weak station that's right next to a strong one on the dial. This is where the cost-saving measures of other manufacturers become annoyingly obvious, and where the little Sangean shines. Here in Southern California on the FM dial, between 88 and 90Mhz there are at least *ten stations*. In the space of 2Mhz! I had no idea prior to owning this radio that so many were there. Any other radio might be able to pick up a scant few of the more powerful stations with some antenna positioning and tuning trickery, but the Sangean gets them all casually, no hassle or drama. AM reception is similarly impressive; KOA Talk Radio out of Denver, Colorado, nearly a thousand miles away, comes in audibly and regularly without the aid of an antenna.

Once you've tuned that rare station, you'll want to enjoy the listening experience, and the good news continues here also. The small speaker is nicely balanced and seems specifically designed to bring out the human voice, so that when listening to a weak/distant station, voices stand out from the static. The real joy begins when you use headphones - the included earbuds are cheap (as they should be, the purchase price should go towards the actual radio, not earbuds) and only adequate, but a quality set of headphones will produce an amazing high-fidelity sound. The bass boost helps balance out cheaper earpieces, and with better sets, pushes the bass into DJ territory.

There are a couple negative points - the interface relies on a single set of up/down keys, which means a third button has to toggle between tuning and memory presets. It's a little stilted and requires some practice before you can scan presets without looking. Also, using the headphone input as an antenna means you can't listen to FM or TV without something plugged into it. But these are small issues in light of pure tuner quality.

So is the Sangean right for you? You don't have to understand any of the technical fine points or jargon above - if you notice a difference in reception between your car radio and your portable, or if a friend's radio seems to get a station you can't, you're ready for the DT-210V. Fifty dollars for a pocket radio might seem steep, but then other portables don't provide fifty dollars worth of performance. If you take radio listening seriously, it's time for an equally serious radio you can take with you; the Sangean DT-210V nets my highest recommendation.

(Six month update - Despite hours of use daily and a few rough spills, my DT-210V still looks, works, and sounds the same way it did the first moment I took it out of the box. Using the same rechargeable batteries I picked up when I purchased the radio, I haven't spent a penny more on powering it, either. I attempted to make a short list of AM stations I could receive with the DT-210V, only to find days later that I've thus far pulled in 126 stations from 12 states and 2 countries [best catch so far: KOKC out of Oklahoma City, OK, 1,135 miles away and as clear as a local station some nights]. Incredible!)

(One year update - No change. 1000+ hours of use and my DT-210V is unfazed. I've since gotten a pair of professional studio monitor headphones and have found that songs played on FM music stations are EQ'd identically to the same songs played from a reference CD player - the 210 is perfectly balanced and actually makes a great portable reference receiver!)

(Two year update - I've since replaced my Sangean with a Japan-only Sony SRF-T615, which is smaller and has better-yet reception. But I'll definitely be holding on to my DV as it has better audio quality, can be turned up louder, and is still only half the price of the Sony.)

(Three year update - My DV is now pulling classical-music-for-infant duty; Thanks to the diminutive design of the 210 combined with the wire antenna, it easily tucks away inside a bassinet with the antenna either hidden under the mattress or suspended outside the crib, so the entire setup is completely out of the way of both child and parent. I've tried a few other, cheaper portable radios in this role, but inconsistent reception and concerns about a metal whip antenna near a crib made them a non-option. The DV easily and dependably pulls in the local classical station, providing quiet and faithfully reproduced nap time music for baby.)

(Five year update - I still prefer this radio for working outdoors, thanks to the great reception and loud speaker; I turn it up and place the radio facing outwards in a cargo pants pocket - presto, the sound follows me wherever I go, no headphone wires to get tangled in. This model has since been replaced by the DT-400W, and long-distance listening with powerful portables like these is now a hobby called "Ultralight DXing", the enthusiasts of which regard the Sangean DT series among the best.)

I am a daily radio user, and carry this unit around with me everywhere. I listen to baseball & football games, music, talk radio, news, weather, AM & FM, you name it. I've now purchased two Sangean DT-210V's from Amazon in as many years, but the second one is currently dying the same death that ended the first one. The design is very user-friendly, and I use every feature; presets, headphone/handsfree, station scan, etc. I would put the reception this unit gets up against any other portable on the market. It's great, even in remote areas where others lose it. But the chronic problem which I thought was unique to #1 is now afflicting #2... the power button. On both units I've owned, it slowly begins to malfunction, then stops working altogether. My second one is currently in its final stages. Sangean, if you ever get a copy of this review, please redesign the on/off switch to be more durable. Maybe less plastic and more metal parts, if only at that point of contact. You have a loyal customer here, but I can't afford to replace this gem of a radio once a year. It's sad, because the reception, the clarity, the ergonomics of the radio want to live a longer life, if not for the on/off switch.

I had my eye on this radio for a few days and purchased it when it came up as a Gold Box Special. I'm very glad I did.

This little radio does a great job, especially for AM purposes, where my favorite newsradio stations are. I had no trouble tuning in on my favorite stations (AM and FM) including one station that broadcasts from Tampa, FL that I'm able to pull in from the opposite coast. The TV does quite well, but my area only uses 3 or 4 channels within the 2 to 13 range, so I hardly use that band area.

The only surprise (for me) came with the needed use of an antenna for the FM and TV stations. Normally, the wire for the ear buds works as the antenna, but if you use the on-board speaker (which works great) you'll need to use the included antenna wire which plugs into the ear bud jack. But that's not a big overall deal.

The first day I used it I accidently dropped it on the brick floor with no ill effects. One battery popped out from the impact. It still works fine - just a few tiny nicks in the front.

I'm glad I didn't buy a cheaper radio, which is what I had originally set out to do. I like this radio. It's easy to handle, it's already taken a beating, and it works really nice. I look forward to using it for years to come.

UPDATE: Five months later and I have fallen deeper in love with this darling little radio. It's been dropped and slobbered on countless times (on tile, brick, and concrete flooring) by a 1 year old toddler. It still looks and runs great. (The lock feature comes in VERY HANDY when dealing with a curious toddler. Super feature.) My husband has complimented me on choosing this radio...it's helped us through Hurricane Charley and helped beat off boredom the days without power afterwards. I do not regret buying this radio and would gladly buy it again and again and again if I had to.

I've been a radio broadcast engineer for almost 25 years. I've been an electronics experimenter and radio nut for even longer, since I was 12 years old. I've had quite a few small radios through the years, but this is the best performer so far. I was disappointed by other "Walkman" type radios. This has the best AM & FM reception of anything I've owned. Here is what I like about it. The mono/stereo mode switch for FM is great. I would rather listen to a clean mono signal than a noisy stereo one. This is especially useful for public radio news/talk programs. I don't know why NPR stations don't program their audio processors to go into mono mode during talk programming, they would increase their fringe area coverage and make a lot of cheap noisy portable radios sound better. The FM stereo reception is slightly better than the Sonys I have. The Sangean is one of the very few that lets you select the mono FM mode, a big plus for me. Also, many small radios get overloaded by strong local transmitters. This tuner is much better near one 50,000 watt FM transmitter I work near. I can still tune weaker farther away signals when I'm 3/4 mile from the 50kw tower. Someone complained in another review that it doesn't have a local/distant switch...it doesn't need it. The AM tuner is excellent, especially considering the small size of the radio. If it has a ferrite bar antenna rod, it must be small. They must have some very low noise high gain semiconductors to get such a good signal-to-noise ratio with a tiny AM antenna. The AM tuner is very sensitive and selective. I can listen to WWJ 950 AM from Detroit during the day, about 80 miles away. You can barely detect a station on 950 with my Sonys. At night, I can DX many AM stations. I was listening to hurricane Katrina coverage at night on WWL 870 AM in New Orleans. I live 20 miles north of Lansing Michigan. The TV audio reception works great, but I haven't really used it. I can get channels 5,6,8,10, and 12 where I live. The audio is weaker on TV, probably because the deviation is only 25 KHz instead of the 75 KHz used on FM. They should design these so the audio gain increases about 10 dB when tuning TV audio. That way you wouldn't need to turn up the volume when going from AM/FM to TV audio.

Someone complained about the power switch...mine works fine. The earbuds are good for listening in bed. I use headphones while walking my dogs. The box says it has 25 presets, 15 FM and 10 AM. Mine doesn't. It has 10 FM, 10 AM, and 10 TV. A minor issue. The 10 presets for TV are stupid, since there are only 12 VHF channels. It's easy enough to use the +/- tuning to get the TV channel you want.

The audio sounds great with plenty of level to drive headphones. The small speaker works OK, but you can't get much volume without clipping distortion. 95% of the time I use heaphones. The "Deep Bass Boost" (DBB) works fine with headphones, but I prefer a flat response.

I think the DT-210V deserves 5 stars, simply because it's the best pocket size radio I've tried. The reception almost equals a car radio. That's respectable for a tiny shirt pocket radio operating on 3 volts.

This is a great radio. I had earlier models of this radio for many years and I was pleased with them. When I first this new model, I was a little concerned. The radio looks flimsy at first, but I have used it daily for several months and it is more sturdy than I first thought. Also, unlike previous models from the same manufacturer which used an earplug with a "mini-plug" that was hard to find, this radio uses a regular earphone. It receives AM, FM, and the sound of TV channels 2-13. I use it all the time and am very pleased.

The best features of this radio are its highly sensitive AM "front end", the part that is responsible for the radio's sensitivity, which in this case is excellent, and its sound. For a small case, this radio has a very pleasing sound--not tinny, and much better than its slightly larger cousin, the DT200V. Minuses? Buttons could be arranged a little better (the bass boost probably doesn't have to be so prominent) and sound volume is a little too low on TV band.

I am in a very weak signal area. I have had several Sony SRF-M35 (I am hard on radios). Primarily, I listen to AM broadcast and based on other reviews I have read, I thought this radio might do a little better in that area - I was not disappointed.

A major improvement for me over my Sony (which is a good radio, I might add - I bought at least 4 of them over the years) is in its interference immunity. I recently installed a LCD monitor at work inside a building that attenuates AM pretty severely. The tremendous amount digital whining and other irritating noise that thing spews out coupled with a weak signal was intolerable. This radio deals with those issues MUCH better. At home, I live near a very noisy power line that virtually wipes my favorite weak station. This radio brings that signal in to a degree that I can easily listen to it everywhere in my house. I am not kidding here, I can actually see it arching at night! No other portable radio I have does anywhere near as well (I have several other Sangean shortwave radios as well). Even my beloved Drake R8 is pretty worthless although I have yet to give it a proper antenna (building that 3' tuned loop antenna is one of those weekend projects I have yet to get to). Overall, for a portable, its weak signal performance and interference immunity is absolutely spectacular.

The sound quality is very good. I have noticed some hiss on very weak signals however the drastically improved signal fidelity may account for my increased awareness of this.

I like the controls. I find that they are easy to use for me. They aren't perfect but they don't hinder either. The volume control is a little too sensitive but it is manageable. I love having 10 channels on AM! My Sony only allowed for only 5. Setting them is painless. It also has an auto seek feature not present on my Sony. The swivel belt clip is a very nice innovation. That was a major problem for me with my Sony. I constantly was hooking the radio on things while it was hanging on my belt and breaking the belt clip off. For a while, I thought I should invest in an epoxy company. This clip design seems to have pretty much solved that problem. Also, it is easy to adjust the radio orientation vertically on your belt to maximize reception.

I really don't care much about FM but it seems to perform well - at least until we get some stations here worth listening to. I would agree with another reviewer that the included ear-buds tend to saturate with the DBB setting. The ear-buds sound good enough though and if you buy some better headphones, it sounds great! I don't need the TV reception at all but it seems adequate. I also like the fact that it has a speaker with very small increase in size over my Sony. The speaker isn't at all tinny sounding as one might expect it would.

The battery life seems to be very good as well. I have been running the radio off of some "used" batts borrowed from one of my semi-retired Sonys for a half a week and they are still going strong. I usually got about a week of worth of use with the Sony from a fresh set so I am encouraged. It certainly isn't any worse.

I have bought another one for use at home.

Bottom line, I don't have a whole lot to say that is bad about this radio. At this price, it is worth every penny. The only thing I wish it had was a back lit display but I guess that is what flashlights are for.

I walk a lot in an urban setting, and like to spend the time listening to the radio, including some weak FM stations. All of the radios I've tried had difficulty getting the weak stations. Setting the DX/Local switch to local helped, but there were parts of my walk where I just couldn't get the stations I want.

This radio has solved that problem. The reception is rock-solid on both AM and FM (even without a DX/local switch). It's much better than the four or five other radios that I've tried. (I can actually get some AM stations inside a public bus in an underground station! Beat that!)

I took away one star because the controls could be better designed. The volume control knob is too small, making it overly sensitive and hard to work with gloves on. And to use preset stations, you have to push a button before you can browse through the presets. After a short time, it resets to manual, so you have to push the button again to change stations again. It's annoying for station-flippers.

Despite these minor annoyances, I heartily recommend this radio to anyone looking for really good reception in an urban area. I haven't used it to get weak signals out in the boondocks, but I bet it would be good at that too.

This little radio is a little pricy, and it doesn't have the world's most awesome sound quality. The trade-off, though, is that for its *size*, the sound quality is great.

You don't really get a feel from photos or descriptions of how tiny this thing is. If you need (as I do) a very, very small radio that you can carry in a pocket and listen to without headphones, this a great deal.

The speaker is very, very small, but it's more than adequate for NPR in a hotel room. It's not nearly powerful enough to listen to music at a decent volume, but it's really not designed for that.

The reception is great, unless you try to run it without the headphones plugged in. Because the headphone cord doubles as the antenna, playing the radio without anything plugged into the headphone jack means you get almost no reception. Sangean includes a plug-in antenna for headphone-free listening, but it's not neccessary. If you just leave the phones plugged in when you switch the speaker on, you get excellent reception. The stereo-mono switch is wonderful: I can't imagine why every other manufacturer doesn't include this feature. Great for weak signals; reduces the noise and static level on distant stations.

The user interface is very intuitive. I personally would have preferred a few direct-access memory buttons for favorite stations (a la Sony), but it's actually pretty easy to program and recall stations by scrolling.

Headphone listening is excellent. Disclaimer: I didn't even *try* to use the included headphones. I have listened to this radio through Bose QC2s and Shure E2s. Sound quality is great with either set, and I've been using the E2s with it ever since.

On the whole, this is a really well-designed niche product. It does what it does flawlessly, but you need to be clear about your needs. If you're looking for a radio to listen to music with, get something bigger. If you need a really tiny packable radio with reasonable sound quality, you can't beat this unit.

This is the perfect little radio, folks. It is small and sleek, with nice features. The reception is VERY good. In fact, I have not been able to listen to my favorite radio program for a year, since I moved last year from the town that it is broadcast from 50 miles south of my new home. Now I am able to pick up the station (although I have to angle the radio just in the right place in the house). No other radio since has been able to do that.

You can even listen to local television broadcasts. The local television stations are extremely clear.

Great features on this slick little radio. I especially LOVE the little speaker on the front. It sounds fantastic! Great little digital display on front. Deep Base Boost (DBB) sounds fantastic.

I guess if there is one thing that I could say would have been a bit of an improvement would be to have a backlight on the digital display. But I'm not complaining. I love this radio!!

This obviously was a very well thought out radio by Sangeans. It has everything I was looking for in a pocket sized radio!

I am tempted to order another one.