Customer Reviews

Sangean DT-400W AM/FM Digital Weather Alert Pocket Radio

5 star:		(105)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This is a fine radio with very nice improvements starting from its predecessor, the Sangean DT-200VX. It is a very light and small portable radio with very good battery life that can be taken almost everywhere for full as well as easy listening capabilities.

PROS:

1) It has quite good reception on all bands (AM/FM and Weatherband). Now it also has excellent and almost completely static-free reception on all 7 US frequency channels of the standard NOAA weather-band. In addition, this radio also has the official NOAA weather alert detection capability to signal the user of impending weather disasters as well as other problematic situations such as child abductions, flash floods, earthquakes, etc. However, this NOAA alert capability is NOT the latest S.A.M.E. technology (Specific Area Message Encoding) that is available on some other table top units that can give a county by county area warning to individual users. Like its predecessor, this radio also has a monaural/stereo switch (bandwidth control) for FM listening improvement, but there is no RF (radio frequency) DX gain switch on the DT-400W as there is on the new Sony SRF-37W for example, but see Con below.

2) It has a very big and easy to read display with a battery level indicator, a lock display indicator, a 90 minute shutoff capability (that can be disabled during each listening session if needed) with an on-screen indicator, etc. It also has a clock and a backlit display, but see Con below.

3) There is a very nice arrangement (called My Favorites) for as many as 19 presets for any band in any order with simple retrieval of all presets, but only in order from the first one designated to the 19th one in a logical progression (it won't go backwards to find the previous preset for example).

4) Its deep bass boost is a very nice feature.

5) Automatic scanning capability and seeking capability, but see Con below.

6) It also has a nice and easily removable belt clip for wearing the unit for jogging or walking.


CONS:

1) Backlight cannot be turned off even in daytime and even in bright sunshine conditions. It is apparently an LED (light emitting diode) with an extremely low power drain, but it seems very illogical to me that it can't be overridden when it isn't needed at all. Apparently, it is actually only on briefly while tuning the radio and then it shuts itself off after a short time, but to not be able to disable it entirely when it is not needed seems absolutely counterintuitive to me.

2) It is certainly well built with a fully attached battery compartment door (requiring two AA batteries), but it is not as rugged as the Sony SRF-37W for example (and the latter only requires 1 AAA battery). Of course the reception and acoustics are better overall on the DT-400W so get a good case (like the Sakar International HS-10, a small hard shell case which it fits like a glove).

3) A 90 day limited warranty from Sangean America is way too short given that even the Sony SRF-M37W has a 1 year limited warranty (see my review of the SRF-M37W and also its product manual for details).

4) During automatic scanning/seeking, the audio is muted so you can't hear any stations as they are detected. Only the strongest stations are picked up during the scanning/seeking process. Of course during manual scanning the individual stations are easily heard so that you can readily pick the station you want to listen to.

5) Sangean chose to put the speaker controls on the same slide switch along with the Stereo/Mono (bandwidth) changing capability. In my opinion the arrangement was better on the DT-200V with a simple and direct push button Stereo/Mono switch on the front of the radio and not on the side with one other commonly used function.

6) As also discussed by others, you must connect the short trailing wire (that is supplied by Sangean) or else connect a set of supplied earbuds (or a more comfortable set of headphones- see below) in order to receive any FM or Weather-band transmissions at all- including the weather alert transmissions.

7) The supplied earbuds are very uncomfortable and could also be quite dangerous given the volume output that this unit is capable of with 2 AA batteries.

This is a decent AM/FM (stereo) weather alert radio with two significant exceptions you should be aware of.

You will NOT be able to receive FM or Weather Radio without first attaching the supplied external antenna (a piece of wire that plugs into the earphone jack) or having the earphones plugged in. If you are counting on the radio as a weather alert radio and don't have the antenna with you or forget to plug it in, you won't get the warning. If you have the earphones plugged in, you'll have an antenna but the speaker is disconnected and you won't hear the warning unless you are wearing the headphones.

Also, don't pack this radio away in your emergency kit with batteries installed. The radio has a clock feature which continuously uses battery power - so just when you need it, it may be DOA.

I wasn't happy with the FM on my tiny Sangean DT-180 and my Sony SFR-M37V provided similarly disappointing FM. But both were good on AM.

Wanting an upgrade, I bought the DT-400 on Amazon for $61 free shipping. You can choose the built-in speaker or go through the earbuds, which serve as the FM antenna. Without the earbuds or provided wire you will get zero FM reception. I replaced the stock buds with my V-MODAs and the FM was just as good.

The AM and FM of the DT0400 beat the reception of my aforementioned radios. The weather band is a plus as is the Deep Bass button. Also, with TV band obsolete in 2009, the DT-400, which replaces TV with weather, is an important update.

The sound is far better through the provided buds or my upgraded V-MODAs and I recommend using them over the built-in speaker.

Final verdict: Highly recommended.

I've been fascinated by small transistor radios ever since I received my first one in 1960. It was AM only, had a long telescopic antenna, two transistors, and cost the equivalent of more than $100. today! Did I mention it ate expensive 9 volt batteries in little more than an hour and was so poorly constructed it only lasted a couple months even with fanatical care? LOL.
How times have changed; this radio is a delight to use--as simple as it gets--and performance is on par with anything on the market that will receive AM and FM without a roof mounted antenna (FM and NOAA works best with the shorter earphone wires). AM performance in particular is brilliant with exceptional stability sensitivity and selectivity. I get usable signals from all over the eastern half of the country at night--even one up in Toronto, Canada! FM performance is more in line with fine stereo components including slightly wider than ideal selectivity, a bit easily overloaded by strong local signals but still as good as all but a dedicated FM tuner. The seven NOAA channels are the perfect replacement for the TV band included in the previous model and the emergency auto alert function can be tested at noon every Wednesday when a test signal is sent out.
Construction and form factor are excellent as expected from Sangean. The only thing I'd change is to have FM tune (both manually and with auto scan) to odd numbered frequencies only as that is where the channels are centered; also an alarm clock function would have been nice. Otherwise this is as good as you'll likely ever find in a pocket radio at any price.
January 2010 update:
After owning many of the highest rated mp3 players over the years I still have to dig out this little Sangean radio and tune in a strong FM station to remind myself of what music is SUPPOSE to sound like! If you think mp3 is the way to go, even in these ultra high tech times, be sure to let me know if you find one that can compare to this radio when used with top quality earbuds!

There is little I can say or add that previous fine reviewers have not covered other than this little wonder just accompanied me and my family through hurricane Ike and it performed spectacularly.

Normally I wouldn't be anxious to hand over $60 for a "pocket radio," but this ain't your father's pocket radio. I'm into my sixth decade on this planet and have seen any number of "pocket radio" variations in that time, none of them as complete a package as this. I'm currently also a talk radio buff and hail the return of AM radio for that format. I also love old analog radio dials but you can't beat a digital with pre-sets for quick tuning accuracy, especially on a radio this size. Because of its size the speaker sound is on the sharp side but for someone my age with a degree of high-end hearing loss it's great.

I cannot find a single fault with this little jewel. It is frugal on batteries even though a small LED illuminates the display for about 7 seconds whenever a function button is pressed while the radio is on, which is especially helpful when you're in the dark without power.

Read the features list - everything on it is real and works as advertised. I couldn't be more satisfied.

I feel strongly compelled to add to this discussion and the comparison between the Sangean DT-210V and the newer model Sangean DT-400W pocket size radio.

First off... I have both in my possession as we speak. So I am a reliable source for what I am about to share.

Now I have owned the DT-210V for at least four years. I have loved this radio! Reception, sound, performance... is second to none in pocket size radios. I have purchased at least 4 of these over that span of time... telling friends of this great gem and they have loved it as I have! The earlier purchases came with a great set of ear plugs that rival named brands at $30 to $50 a hit. More recently, Sangean no longer ships these earplugs but a lesser quality replacement with purchase of the DT-210V (similar to one in picture above). That's a shame... but I have kept my originals and still use them regularly.

Ok... just recently, I purchased the DT-400W... and hear is what I can tell you definitively for comparison of each model:

1) Reception: No difference. Don't get caught up in the lame claims that AM is better or worse for either model. There is no difference for either AM or FM reception. The KEY is the sound that fills the ears... and the more "tinny" it sounds... the more pronounced the hiss or static becomes (i.e. I took note of a claim that the DT-210V was superior in AM reception over DT-400W by a post from Amazon). Which brings me to my next very important point.

2) Quality of sound: Hands down, slam dunk... the DT-210V wins by a mile. I Could not believe the difference in overall quality of sound. I have always been impressed with the DT-210V's ability to sound like a concert hall in my ears... coming from a such a small device. Now... mind you, I am comparing these two pocket size radios using the SAME set of quality earplugs that came with my original DT-210V purchase (How nice if one is lucky to find these earplugs with a future purchase of the DT-210V. However, if not... you can always go and purchase better earplugs seperately - but one has to understand... it will only sound as good as the unit that is pushing it out. Which brings me to the DT-400W). There is no debate regarding the nice additonal features of the DT-400W model, with its enhanced updated memory presets (easier to use after setting), the updated weather band, the LCD light, etc. But... the SOUND of this radio is a BIG disappointment when comparing with the DT-210V. It sounds flat and un-impessive to the ears. Easily... inferior in quality of sound to the DT-210V. I guess something has to be sacrificed when a company adds features. I can do without... if it means sacrificing the most important thing.

Now, if all you are looking for... is a good weather band and AM talk and sports, then by all means... the DT-400W is a very nice purchase. But... if your priority is FM sound and reception from a pocket size device, then I HIGHLY recommend the DT-210V. It blows away the DT-400W for overall sound quality (via earplugs or external speaker - which both have).

Of course, the DT-210V's nice feature for TV sound will become obselete very soon. I haven't used it enough to care. I thought the weather band would be nice to have, but I can live without it... if it means sacrificing overall quality of sound to the ears.

For me... when you're plugging something into your head... it better sound real good! The DT-210V is far and away better than the DT-400W in comparison for this category. Reception is no different... regardless of what you might hear. I tested with same earplugs in use for both.


In summary, I was excited over the purchase of the DT-400W (with its additional features), until I did the comparison of the two radios. It's not even close to me.

I am taking the DT-400W back. Not because of its quality of reception that is Sangean's trademark. Simply because I already have a pocket size radio (DT-210V) that provides the same quality of reception... but quality of sound that is easily superior.

Love it. Excellent reception, good battery life, weather band comes in strong as well. In Houston, I have picked up St. Louis and Tampa stations at night. I can even pick up listenable AM going up the elevator in my building! Nice upgrade over my old walkman style radio. I like the switch enabling the speaker even if the headphones are plugged in.

I've had mine for a handful of months now. It is a great pocket radio. I work outside and keep it on all day. I basically listen to AM stations, but my few experiences with FM were fine. FM may sound a little better than AM.

Keep in mind that it is a very small radio with a tiny speaker. The laws of physics say that a single, tiny speaker cannot reproduce the full audible spectrum or play real loudly w/o distorting (regardless of B---'s marketing hype). This speaker is mostly for voice, and plays loudly enough to overcome nearly all background noise (I'm including trains and big trucks here). I've never tried the earbuds.

It goes weeks between battery changes. The battery indicator's been down to one bar for a week, but it hasn't died yet.

It automatically turns off after 90 minutes. I'd rather it didn't but, on the other hand, it a quick, easy way to keep track of time.

The weather bands are very handy. Working outdoors, it's nice to be able to check on those clouds that're rolling in.

I've dropped it a couple of times. It's been rain splattered a few times. Cleaning chemicals have gotten on it. No problems yet.

The only bummer is that I'm so completely satisfied with it that it won't be available when I DO need a replacement ;).

joe

29 May 2010 addition...
I got caught in a thunder storm last week, and forgot the radio was in my shirt pocket. It got soaked and quit working. I opened the battery door, removed the batteries, blew the radio out with compressed air, and hung it in front of a 6" fan, in my work truck. 2-3 hours later it worked as good as new. I left it in front of a desk fan overnight. Great radio.

June 2011...
I got caught in a sudden thunderstorm again. Radio was in my shirt pocket, and quit working. I repeated the above battery, canned air, and fan routine. The radio was working again a couple of hours later, and works fine now. Again.

08 Nov 2011...
Guess what... Sudden rain, soaked radio, dead radio, battery removal, canned air, truck fan, working radio. Again. Wish I could add stars.

I purchased this product to receive an NPR station about 100 km away as well as local, horizontally polarized, lower power FM stereo stations. Until now, when confronted with a weak signal, other 'walkman" type radios that I have tried had performed poorly because of inadequate RF/IF filtering and limited RF dynamic range. I am happy to report that the selectivity and sensitivity of this Sangean DT-400W radio has fulfilled my objective. Two points of improvement are suggested; for removal of the radio from a shirt pocket, it would be nice to have a short pull string type loop attached to the radio body. Secondly. the radio will not stand upright because of its curved lower base. I would highly recommend this portable radio for its overal RF and audio performance. Having the weather band included in this model is another big plus.

I purchased the Sangean DT-400W Sept 27, 2009 and received it about a week or so later. At the time I pretty well liked it and rated it pretty high, except for now, it stopped working in late August 2010. No sound or noise on the speaker or ear buds. It does continue to be a pretty good clock though and I can navigate the stations silently. That would be OK, however, I purchased it to hear my favorite radio stations and to get the weather reports/alerts. If you are looking for durability, you might want to skip this one, unless you just like radios that go out of warranty and fail, and you like paying out $57± a year for new ones?? Oh, by the way, I was not rough with it, as I wanted it to last for a few years. Darn, was I fooled!