Sangean WR-2 Digital AM/FM Tabletop Radio, White

Other products by Sangean

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6 x 5 inches ; 8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0009ZAA4C
• Item model number: WR-2 White
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,178 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #8 in	Electronics > Portable Audio & Video > Radios > Replica & Nostalgia Radios
  #28 in	Electronics > Portable Audio & Video > Radios > AM-FM

• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 28, 2005

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Boasting an acoustically balanced wooden enclosure and an enhanced front-firing 3-inch speaker, the Sangean WR-2 tabletop radio offers the sound and features of a living room system in a cabinet that fits conveniently in a bedroom, kitchen, or garage. Any discussion of the WR-2 begins with its white wooden housing, which is rich in both appearance and tone. The cabinet's front surface features the speaker on the left side, a series of intuitively placed control buttons toward the bottom, and a generously sized LCD display in the middle with three brightness levels. More importantly, the cabinet teams with the 7-watt amplifier and the acoustic bass compensation system to add warmth and depth to the audio. Complementing the housing is Sangean's advanced RF/IF electronic circuitry, which picks up distant AM and FM stations and reproduces them with unmatched clarity, making music and even talk programs come alive.

Even though the WR-2 is advertised as an AM/FM radio, it offers much more than a standard digital tuner, including a Radio Data System (RDS) that displays short text messages on applicable FM stations, along with support for the Enhanced Other Network (EON) and its traffic information (available in certain regions). And unlike most tabletop radios, the WR-2 lets listeners adjust the treble and bass levels via the variable volume control. In its default mode, the rotary volume knob displays the volume level from 1 to 60. Tap it once, however, and it turns into a full-range treble control, and two taps creates a full-range bass control. Additional features include a clock with an alarm (radio or buzzer), an auxiliary input jack for connecting such devices as an iPod or MP3 player (both of which sound great through the speaker), a recording output jack, 10 memory presets that help you quickly find your favorite stations, and a full-featured infrared remote control.

A final bonus stems from the power backup function, which plays the radio for six minutes during a power failure (ideal for emergencies) and retains the memory preset and clock values for about an hour. The WR-2 measures roughly 9.5 by 4.5 by 6 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 5.5 pounds.

What's in the Box
WR-2 tabletop radio, detachable power cord, infrared remote control, user's manual.

Product Description

Digital AM/FM Table Top Receiver designed to provide exceptional audio reproduction utilizing a special acoustically balanced enclosure combined with a enhanced frequency response speaker and Sangean's advanced audio circuitry providing the sound and features of a large home stereo system.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Warm Speaker Sound and Great AM, August 20, 2005

By	M. JEFFREY MCMAHON "herculodge" (Torrance, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a very appealing clock radio with digital readout that gives you name of song, artist, and other information as you listen. The mono aural speaker is warm and full. The radio is attractive, solid and well-built, evincing nothing cheap or plastic-laden. The AM is very good. Most FM stations come in strong. But hard-to-get FM stations like 89.3 from Pasadena (I live 40 miles away in Torrance) requires that I move the FM antenna, but this is not a big deal, just a nitpick.

Most listeners will love the WR-2. But if you're a radio buff like I am and enjoy the outstanding FM reception of the Grundig S350, the Kaito 1101 and 1103 models (called Degen in China), then I'm afraid the WR-2 will disappoint. To be fair to the WR-2, the more expensive Bose radio suffers the same problem of mediocre FM reception.

Another important point: Because this radio has a remote control, it works great in your computer office. You can keep the WR-2 six feet or so away from your computer and avoid interference as you toggle stations and volume with your remote.

Post Script: Make sure to turn on the external antenna switch in the back of the Sangean. It improves reception by tenfold.

Update: I bought a second WR-2 (in black) three years after the first and get excellent FM reception so apparently the radio has improved in newer models. New rating: 5 stars.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's all business (that's a good thing)., March 28, 2008

By	Timothy Karlberg (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've owned the Boston Acoustics Receptor radio for about a year, and knew that any other competing table radio would have some big shoes to fill. This Sangean WR-2, now for an even lower cost than the Receptor, is a more-than-adequate contender. In fact, given the choice to keep just one of these two, I'd go with the WR-2. The sound is amazing, even at flat EQ levels (i.e. the default tone settings). But with a pretty impressive range of bass and treble adjustments, this unit provides very crisp sound with a substantive amount of bass to back it up.

The RDS feature is charming, the clock and alarm options are on-par with with the Receptor, and the AM/FM reception is, in my very unscientific testing, the same as BA's radio. This WR-2 is a little bigger, but the finish and appearance more than compensate for that. The I/O's on the rear of the unit offer a record-out jack, which the Receptor doesn't. I'm not sure I'll ever find the application and determination to use it, but it's a pleasure to know it's there.

This unit, like just about everything else made today, has a standard 1/8 inch input jack that will play any audio device you can hook up to it, though marketed almost exclusively to MP3 players and iPods. And, like just about everything else made today with this kind of input, the volume you get from your battery-operated audio device is silly; so soft you're required to turn both units up to at least 75% for audability. But that's to be expected. A far better use for this input, however, is a more robust device, say your DVD player via a simple RCA stereo-to-mono 1/8 inch plug. The sound is full and abundant, and through this radio in aux mode, sounds terrific even if it's not in stereo.

Perhaps my favorite feature on the WR-2, and what gives this an easy lead over the Receptor, is the full-function remote. You can set this unit up across the room from your bed and still use the remote to turn off the alarm in the morning.

I bought the white finish model, and while is looks great, I've found myself wondering if the wood-finished one would've looked better. That's entirely subjective, though, and at the end of the day, I'd love this radio regardless of what it looked like.

The cost is absolutely a value for this radio, and I'm now trying to convince myself that there's somewhere else in the house that could use a great radio so I can buy another one.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great sound, beautiful design, a few flaws, January 21, 2007

By	B. Hobbs (Salt Lake City, Utah United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My old alarm clock radio recently bit the dust, so I started a search for an upgrade. I initially looked at the Bose, but stumbled upon Sangean radios. I usually listen to NPR and jazz in the evening, and the Sangean seemed to fit the bill. Plus, I really like the design. And the price. Amazon got it to me in 3 days with free shipping, and I haven't been disappointed with the radio's performance. It has great sound, and the remote control is great for the other side of the bed (when you don't want to reach over your partner to turn it off).

A couple of things to consider, however. The backlight on the readout is adjustable, but the lowest setting is a bit bright for a dark room. Fortunately, the brightness control is right on the front. I just turn off the backlight before drifting off to sleep. The backlight also has separate setting for when the radio is "off" and "on." Another thing. The radio does not display the time when it is on. This is so broadcast digital data can display while playing (e.g., for stations with data broadcasting, the display scrolls the name of the station, title of the song, etc.). It would be nice to see the time when you wake up (and after you hit snooze a few times), but it's not a big deal. Just touch the "display" button on the front, and the radio switches to display the time. We also have an analog clock on the opposite bedside table. And yes, there is a snooze function (5 min.), although the product info doesn't mention it. You activate it by touching any of the buttons on the front. Sangean has also thoughtfully designed the alarm volume to gradually increase as it comes on, so you aren't jolted awake.

All said, I would recommend this radio. It looks great and performs well. For the price, I'd say it's a great buy.