C.Crane Rep Announces the New CC Radio 2 for 2009

C.Crane told me today that a new incarnation of the CC Radio Plus, called the CC Radio 2, will be coming out in 2009, hopefully in May.

The new C Crane will replace TV band with an emergency 2-Meter Ham band. Sangean will still be the producer. The radio will look almost identical to its predecessor. No colors were announced.

FM should be stronger than the previous model, but not as strong as the C.Crane CSW. AM, based on the same 8-inch internal ferrite antenna, should be the same, which is considered very strong.

One customer request for brighter display has been addressed. The CC Radio 2 will have 3 display settings.

Hopefully this new version will begin a clean slate, unshackled by previous bad reviews on Amazon on elsewhere about the LCD screen. A warm-sounding big table radio with presets, a telescopic FM antenna, a rich AM reception is welcome among radiophiles. Let's hope the "2" version delivers.

C.Crane told me today that a new incarnation of the CC Radio Plus, called the CC Radio 2, will be coming out in 2009, hopefully in May.

The new C Crane will replace TV band with an emergency 2-Meter Ham band. Sangean will still be the producer. The radio will look almost identical to its predecessor. No colors were announced.

FM should be stronger than the previous model, but not as strong as the C.Crane CSW. AM, based on the same 8-inch internal ferrite antenna, should be the same, which is considered very strong.

One customer request for brighter display has been addressed. The CC Radio 2 will have 3 display settings.

Hopefully this new version will begin a clean slate, unshackled by previous bad reviews on Amazon on elsewhere about the LCD screen. A warm-sounding big table radio with presets, a telescopic FM antenna, a rich AM reception is welcome among radiophiles. Let's hope the "2" version delivers.

Comments

[Ed]

I would love to buy this if it works as advertised, but then C. Crane likes to over-price this model when it is new, at $159 or $169, which is too much.

[Paul]

New Philips GoGear 2GB MP3 Player/FM Radio for $16.99 shipped free. I'm not sure how good this thing is; but it's really cheap.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16855503023

[Jeffrey McMahon]

I'll be tempted to buy the new CC radio even though I know it's a good 40 dollars overpriced. I'll probably use an Amazon coupon to take away the sting.

[Mike W]

I had a CCR for years as it slowly died on me. Great AM performer, good battery life, and very convenient to move around from room to room.

If you are interested in the CCR II, my two cents here would be to regard this as an opportunity to pick up the original CCR on the cheap.

You won't be using the ham band, and any minor improvement on the FM band will be limited by the speaker on this model, which is not really optimal for music.

[Jeffrey McMahon]

The old ones sell too high to make them worth it. Of course one on the cheap would be nice. The look is supposed to be similar, which is pedestrian, but I don't mind the look.

[Mike W]

It's a great AM/FM radio in its way, Jeff, but frankly, it is frustrating as well.

Many of the buttons are cheaply made and some of the controls oddly placed.

Over time, it gets to where the presets and the power buttons have to be hit more than once to "take", one preset will tune to a station saved in another preset button, etc. The alarm function is too easily set accidently, and it defaults to go off at 6am with a painfully shrill beeping noise, as it did on the day I finally tossed it.

I replaced it with a PR-D5, and aside from the odd look of the thing, the only advantage I would concede to the CCR over the PR-D5 is battery life.

[Jeffrey McMahon]

Your description of the buttons has scared me from it. Thanks. You saved me some dough.