Best AM Radios for the General Listener: 2010 Update

 

Modern radios only offer three choices for strong AM performance that I know of: 

One. The C.Crane CCR-2 

Two. The Sangean PR-D5

Three. Last but not least, my favorite AM sound comes from my big burly Sangean U3 worksite radio. Be warned: Some people don't like the U3 because they say it's bass-heavy. I hear a lot of bass, but this doesn't bother me. I like the deep sound. Personal preference. Some readers have reported good performance from the U3's little brother, the Lunchbox, which I hope to buy when it comes available in the US. 

Buying Vintage on eBay

For vintage, you can't beat the GE Super Radio II. Some strong runner-ups are the Panasonic RF-888, the Sony ICF-5900, and the Sony TFM-8000.  

Looking into the Future

As Internet radio gets better and better, it will become more tempting to receive perfect "signals," via the internet, for both AM and FM. The Internet radio that tempts me the most is the Logitech Squeezebox. Prices varies quite a bit. I've seen it as low as $130 and as high as $200. One Amazon reviewer said he used rebates to get his for $75. As I post this, the Squeezebox in black is $160. That's the same price as the CCR-2. With prices like this, Internet radio is getting more and more tempting. 

Comments

[Scooby214]

I just picked up a black Squeezebox from Best Buy this morning, on sale for $150. I had enough rewards points available to cover the tax. I have been shopping for one for a while, and almost went with the Grace model for $99 (free shipping), or the Myine IRA (which is no longer $69) at amazon.com. When I went to Best Buy today, I just couldn't resist the price, considering that I didn't have to wait for shipping.

I like that both the Grace and the Squeezebox will allow me to manually add the streaming url of my tiny, local indie outlet. The Myine IRA doesn't appear to have that capability, so it was out of the question. It is reported that the Squeezebox will also work with Clear Channel streams, which is important to me for our local news station.

I plan to play it through my micro transmitter so my vintage sets can play the mix of jazz and indie stations that I like the best. All of the best stations seem to be out of my listening area...

[jeffrey McMahon]

Brian, thanks. Keep us updated on your radio's strengths and weaknesses.

[Scooby214]

It took me just a few minutes to get the Squeezebox connected to my wifi and I was off and running. I added my favorite streams through the website, and am good to go.

The Squeezebox sounds very good through its built-in speaker, and even better when streamed to my 1956 Blaupunket radio with my micro transmitter.

I'll try out Pandora, as well as some of the streams available through the Squeezebox's menu. I'll post back here in a few days when I've had a chance to test its reliability and usability.

Nothing beats listening to a high bitrate smooth jazz stream on my Panasonic RF-888 (via my Squeezebox and micro transmitter).

Brian