Sangean PR-D5 Review
Someone was kind enough to inform me that the Sangean Sonido Radio, newly updated, will be called the Sangean PR-D5. The old Sonido is still available with Weather and mono speaker. But the PR-D5, looking very much like the Sonido, does not have have Weather Band. However, it boasts 2 stereo speakers and RDS as evidenced on the Sangean Website. Currently the Sonido is selling for 89.99 on Amazon. Buying from a vendor, one can purchase the new PR-D5 for about 89 plust 7 dollars shipping on Amazon.
Update: After reading about the PR-D5's exceptional AM ferrite antenna I could not resist buying it for 70 dollars (after I applied a 25-dollar coupon) on Amazon. The radio was delivered a few days later. I've been using it as a bedside clock radio in place of my Sangean WR-2 and here are some initial impressions.
1. The FM reception is very strong, better than my Sangean WR-2 because the PR-D5 has a telescopic antenna. To give you an example of superior FM reception, 89.3 comes in clear on the PR-D5 whereas you have to hold the piggy tail wire antenna on the WR-2 to get 89.3 clearly. Also the very weak 88.9 comes in fairly strongly on the PR-D5 and barely comes in at all on the WR-2.
2. The AM reception is very strong, as good as Sangean advertises. I'd say it's a tie with the very strong Sangean WR-2. Both radios are tied for first for my very best AM performers.
3. In theory, the PR-D5's dual stereo speaker should sound richer, fuller than the WR-2's monoaural speaker but I can't tell the difference. The sound is equal for me. Of course, sound is very subjective. In fact, I actually prefer the single monoaural speaker of the WR-2, especially for AM talk radio. The voices seem slightly muddled with the dual speakers of the PR-D5 yet the voices are clear for FM talk radio. With the stereo speakers, the PR-D5 doesn't seem suitable for "quiet" AM bedside listening, but for filling a room, like a den or a kitchen, the PR-D5 is highly recommended.
4. The heavy weight and deep depth of the WR-2, much greater than the skinny, light-weight PR-D5, gives the WR-2 a more solid feel. For tactile category, I like the WR-2. You feel assured that you won't tip over the WR-2 when you're toggling the presets. To the PR-D5's credit, the radio does not tip over when you use one hand to toggle the presets.
5. No remote for the PR-D5. You do get a remote for the WR-2. Also the WR-2 can bypass the auxiliary mode when you're toggling between bands whereas with the PR-D5 you must go through the auxiliary mode. This is a minor point about the PR-D5 but it bugs me anyway.
Conclusions: Easily, at 89 dollars the PR-D5 beats other portables, like the overpriced 159-dollar Tivoli Songbook. But as a bedside clock radio I prefer the look, feel, and ergonomics of the 140-dollar Sangean WR-2. If only the WR-2 had the PR-D5's FM reception, it would be a nearly perfect radio. Who knows? Maybe Sangean will update the WR-2 and give it the PR-D5's powerful FM sensitivity. I can only hope. For now, I'm wavering between which radio to keep by my bedside as the stereo speakers of the PR-D5 seem less than ideal for AM talk radio while its telescopic antenna renders superior FM to the WR-2.
Update: I ended up keeping my WR-2 as my bedside clock radio. I preferred the AM talk sound, the heavier footprint for stability, and the ease of toggling at night. In contrast, the PR-D5 was too dark to see at night and it was too easy to activate the alarm mode while toggling the AM/FM band button. I'm keeping the superior reception PR-D5, however, as it sits proudly on my kitchen shelf.
Further Impressions: Having owned the PR-D5 for a month now, I've focused in on its most glaring weakness: Its dual 2.5-inch speakers lack richness and depth. The radio would be better off with one 3-inch speaker or greater. Imagine a radio with this reception married to a speaker that sounds like the Tivoli Three. Now that would be something.
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