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

Other products by Sangean

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6 x 5 inches ; 8.6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0009ZAA4M
• Item model number: WR-2 Walnut
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,729 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

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

  #2 in	Electronics > Portable Audio & Video > Radios > Replica & Nostalgia Radios
  #12 in	Electronics > Portable Audio & Video > Radios > AM-FM

• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 27, 2008

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 walnut-finished 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

62 of 63 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.

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Attractive and rich sound, August 25, 2006

By	Richard Singer - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I researched a lot of clock radios, including models from Tivoli, Boston Acoustic, Cambridge Soundworks, Bose, Proton/Sangean, and decided on this unit for the following reasons: stereo headphone jack; line in for MP3; front(vs. top-mounted) 3" speaker; programmable, digital tuning; digital clock. To my mind, it is oxymoronic to expect stereo speakers on a compact clock radio--the unit is on my night table and I am not sure how I can perceive stereo separation given that configuration; however, I do desire stereo headphone capability, which the unit delivers. When I lived in New Hampshire, I had very few stations to listen to, owing to poor reception, in spite of the external FM antenna. Now that I am in the metro Boston area, I do not find reception to be an issue. I have never been able to set my clock automatically with the RDS, but the other features, i.e. song title, artist, radio station work satisfactorily. I think the sound of the unit is superb, but it would be interesting to do a side by side aural compare with some of the above-mentioned units.

A couple of complaints:
1)Alarm set/disable is needlessly complicated. Yes, I know how to do it, but any system that requires you to consult the user's manual for a refresher on how to disable the alarm...well, all I can say is give me a toggle switch (virtual or otherwise).
2) The display defaults to the radio frequency. I think this is ill-considered: I rarely change stations, so I know what I'm listening to; on the other hand, I don't know what time it is until I toggle to time on the display. I don't get that.

The other day my wife and I were busy with a project in the bedroom--installing Container Store closet systems--and I played my Dell Jukebox MP3 player through the unit. I have to say, it really delivered; the sound quality was quite high.

All in all I am very pleased with this purchase and do believe it gives me all that I want--good sound, compact design, nice appearance--at a reasonable price.
Dick
Sharon, MA

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning Performance, May 31, 2006

By	Darryl Pierce "RadioMan" (Georgia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There is so much I could say about this radio, but in short it works perfectly as described by the manufacturer and even better. It was purchased as a replacement for an Under counter GE Radio/CD Player. I tried a couple of other radios ( Crosley, Emerson, Sony) None of them could fill the room like this one. However, the most impressive feature to me is that it could pick up all of my favorite stations without much effort. I unpacked the radio in my basement, where reception is terrible unless you use an external ( outdoor antenna), and this radio pulled in all of the stations.

The RDS function is great for seeing the titles of songs playing and Station IDs on some stations. I have yet to see a station actually broadcasting traffic reports in the Atlanta area, but it is nice to have the capability to see them if they do start broadcasting traffic data.

As for Sound Quality, it is great.. The Radio can be a little heavy on the bass, I had to turn it down a couple of notches in our kitchen. ( The radio sits in a corner,( which enhances bass)and I had to increase the treble, All of which you can do via the volume control on the radio or the remote control.

The radio has automatic time setting feature via the RDS system. It also features a power loss recovery system. Radio continues to function for about 6 minutes with no AC. THe Clock and memory settings are retained a little longer. The Radio is fairly simple,even though it has more buttons than a Tivoli, or Crosley, it is still easy to operate.

The table radio is a fast growing segment of electronics thanks to the IPOD. I have seen a few models come out that I might have considered had they been available, but I am very happy with the WR-2.