The First Rule in a Manly Radio Is to Never Compromise on AM Reception:Best Modern and Vintage AM Radios for the General Listener

Thinking about live and local radio, one first thinks of AM band and with AM band being treated like an afterthought on most radios, or worse, with the ferrite antenna stuck inside the radio with such crude speed that the antenna is not aligned, it's hard to find good AM performance on radios. Assuming the alignment is okay, here are some top AM radios, from today and yesterday:

Today's Radios

1. Sangean PR-D5 (200mm ferrite antenna) for $70-80 on Amazon. 

2. CCRadio-2 (same antenna as the PR-D5) for $160.

3. RCA Super Port (formerly the GE Super Radio III) for $42

4. Grundig G4000 (best in portable category I've tested) for $100

Vintage Radios

1. GE Super Radio I and II: Usually bids between $80-160

2. Panasonic RF-2200: Usually bids between $220-300

3. Sony ICF-5900: Usually bids between $220-280

4. Sony TFM-8000: Usually bids between $100-160

Thinking about live and local radio, one first thinks of AM band and with AM band being treated like an afterthought on most radios, or worse, with the ferrite antenna stuck inside the radio with such crude speed that the antenna is not aligned, it's hard to find good AM performance on radios. Assuming the alignment is okay, here are some top AM radios, from today and yesterday:

Today's Radios

1. Sangean PR-D5 (200mm ferrite antenna) for $70-80 on Amazon. 

2. CCRadio-2 (same antenna as the PR-D5) for $160.

3. RCA Super Port (formerly the GE Super Radio III) for $42

4. Grundig G4000 (best in portable category I've tested) for $100

Vintage Radios

1. GE Super Radio I and II: Usually bids between $80-160

2. Panasonic RF-2200: Usually bids between $220-300

3. Sony ICF-5900: Usually bids between $220-280

4. Sony TFM-8000: Usually bids between $100-160

Comments

[Kevin S, Bainbridge Island, WA]

What about the Redsun 2100 (and C Crane clone) in the "current" category?

[Jeffrey McMahon]

My CCrane CSW/2100 sounds good on AM outside during the day but it loses in its side by side with the PR-D5. Mike from New York did a side by side also and he too came up with superior AM on the PR-D5. Have you tried AM on a PR-D5?