2008 was a year that sent me to vintage radios as I was disappointed with the overall quality of today's offerings. My favorite vintages, which thus far have not disappointed due to some malfunction or other, are my Sony ICF-5900, ICF-5500, Panasonic RF-877, RF-888, and RF-1130.
Radios I Tried to Like But Couldn't
Sangean PR-D5: As far as this year's current radio crop, I really tried to like the Sangean PR-D5, great quality build, great FM, and especially AM, reception, easy-to-use. Two faults: Takes AA batteries and its worst fault--lousy speaker sound. I really wanted to like this $80 value of a radio but could not. After all, if you don't like the sound, you can't get beyond that.
C.Crane CSW: Here we've got a great FM performer but AM, while capable, is disappointing compared to the PR-D5 and other radios. The memory system is half-baked. And for me worst of all is the speaker sound, harsh, distant, and reedy. Again, it's hard to love a radio when you don't like the sound.
The Radio I Tried to Hate, But Love
Boston Acoustics Horizon Duo: I only want to like manly radios, not pretty high-fidelity speaker radios with FM wire antennas, but this Duo has a great tuner, meets all my reception needs, and its dual speakers sound like a $1,000 sound system putting all my other radios, including the Sangean WR-2, to shame in this category. The $115 was a great value for my beloved Duo, the Radio I Tried to Hate in Vain.
cant say that i hate ccsw, but mine is boxed and probably will stay that way for a while. one day a year from now ill pull it out and it will be a brand new toy. ill once again realize its no big deal and put away again.
Posted by: gerald | January 02, 2009 at 11:27 AM
My contributions would also be PR-D5 (bought and returned two) and the Kaito 2100, aka the CSW. The Band select switch went bad and dosen't always let me select FM anymore, plus the arrogant take-it-or-leave-it attitude of Kaito's "customer service" left a real bad taste--I'll never buy another Kaito product. I'm fairly satisfied with my white Sangean WR-2, and even happier with my daily standby, the plain-jane BA Duo-i, though for ipod playback I was even even more impressed by the Cambridge Audio iDock (at $54 it was the deal of the year).
The Sony HD tuner was a complete wash-out; no more HD radio for me. If that's as good as it gets, I'm not impressed.
I'm sort of in "meh" mode with my Sony 7600GR purchase...it may be one I'll sell off in '09 to finance something new... At least I'm hoping something bigger and better appears on the "horizon" and no pun on the BA Horizon series intended. No internet radios, thanks.
Posted by: Ed | January 02, 2009 at 12:16 PM
I like the build quality of the WR-2 but its sound is easily eclipsed by the Duo.
I gave up on small portables like the Kaito 1102, 1103 and even the Sonys because I don't need to hear Donald Duck when I've got talk radio on.
Posted by: herculodge | January 02, 2009 at 01:34 PM
Jeff, just to let you know that I bought the Panasonic RF 569 you featured on your blog the other day. Apparently, this and many other Panasonics, CIRCA 1970/80s, were manufactured in Singapore, not Japan.
Posted by: Tom Welch | January 02, 2009 at 03:41 PM
Let us know how it performs. Thanks.
Posted by: herculodge | January 02, 2009 at 04:06 PM