There are many radios but so few are worth buying. There is much deserved hubbub about the Kaito/Degen 1103, which I own and which gives top FM performance. But its mediocre AM, mediocre speaker, and horrible ergonomics, especially the anti-intuitive, tedious two-button volume control kicks it down several notches. For the general listener, I'd go with the 99-dollar Grundig G4000. Its FM is almost identical to the Kaito/Degen 1103; its speaker is far better; its AM is far better. Its only disadvantage is that it has no "line-out" for hooking between an audio cable and a good speaker system.
But if you want a good speaker with digital presets and a good clock, you might look to the Sangean Sonido . At $99 (60 dollars less than the Tivoli Songbook, which has FEWER radio bands) and featuring weather and TV bands, it may be the best bedside radio for the general listener.
My esteem for the Grundig S350 and its slightly improved cousin the Eton S350 Deluxe has gained in esteem because I've learned to use the RF Grain switch to avoid overload on some AM stations.
Update 9-25-07: Based on price point, AM/FM reception, dual speakers, and iPod connectivity, currently the best radio (absent short wave) available is the Sangean PR-D5. For more info on the PR-D5, check out my review.
http://www.sangean.com/product.php?model=PR-D5
"Sonido" may have been updated with this mini-stereo minus the "weather."
Not enough presets but the tuning looks interesting and if I see it under $70 it might be worthwhile as it has an AUX-in for Ipods.
Posted by: J | August 25, 2007 at 11:36 PM