Holy Disappointment! Our First Sangean WR-12 Buyer Says It's a Dud!

 

I bought a Sangean WR-12, expected to arrive from Amazon next week, but I may have to return it based on Emmett's initial impressions:

I got my Sangean WR-12 today and, as I suspected, it's not the BlueTooth model that was advertised.  Unfortunately, the missing BlueTooth capability wasn't the only disappointment.  The sound and sensitivity are also very disappointing.  I had hoped the Sangean would be a replacement for my aging Proton 300 as pictured, but it pales in comparison to the old Proton.  

The sound on the Sangean just seems muddled no matter how I adjust the treble and bass.  I have a bit of a cold that I thought maybe affecting my ears, so I asked my daughter what she thought of the sound.  She said it sounded "off."  

As for the tuning, I could not tune in nearly as many channels, in AM or FM, as my Proton.  I made sure it was set to external antenna, and I positioned the antenna every which way and still no improvement.  

When I called for a return label, the customer service rep offered me a discount if I wanted to keep it.  Even at $50 less, I plan to return it.

Maybe I got a dud since it is one of the first off the assembly line.  I am eager to get your thoughts on the Sangean when you receive yours.

Comments

[Gary]

This doesn't sound too promising. You'd think with two speakers and a subwoofer the WR-12 would be capable of better sound than the single-speaker WR-2. I find the WR-2 has very good sound quality. The WR-12 should also have reception at least as good as the WR-2, but it sounds like this is not the case. My WR-2 is fair on AM and pretty good on FM.

I wonder which way the ferrite bar AM antenna runs in the WR-12. In the WR-2, it runs front to back, rather than side to side.

[herculodge]

I will open my box very carefully and keep all paperwork just in case it has to go back. Talk about a disappointment.

[jonnybardo]

I can't help but chuckle a bit and thank my stars that I don't have TWO expensive obsessions. But I can totally resonate with the experience you're all having.

[Doug]

The Proton 300 sets a high bar, so I am not stunned to hear that this Sangean fails to measure up. I picked my Proton up about 2 years ago and the audio is exceptional, both talk and music, a big, concert-hall, balanced, room-filling sound even without the external speaker. The only table radios I have that compare, re audio, are a couple of old German tube radios and both are twice the size of the Proton. Reception, both sensitivity and selectivity, is solid with the external Terk FM antenna and built-in Proton ferrite bar. Plus, the thing weighs almost 15 pounds. You can pick these up in good shape for $100-150 if you just keep checking. For the money, I doubt any contemporary radio can match the Proton for sheer listening joy.

Doug

[Some Dude]

I received one today as well. I actually think it sounds pretty good. Using the aux input, I had to play with the treble and bass a bit to get it to where it sounded best but once I did it fills the room nicely. The highs aren't the absolute best I've heard (though I'm certainly no audiophile), but they sound decent. The bass is really nice.

I agree that the reception isn't great, but it's in a spot that I've had a few other radios not get great reception either. That may not be a huge deal for me, as I always intended to use it more for auxiliary input. But the reception definitely should have been better.

[Huesby]

"For the money, I doubt any contemporary radio can match the Proton for sheer listening joy."

I agree with you 10,000% if not more...

[herculodge]

Now two people have weighed in to tell me it has bad reception. I tell you if it's worse than the WR-2, it's going back. I'm bummed already. Is FM bad? AM? Both?

[captain vere]

Received mine today also.
Returning today.
Although nice wood cabinet,and general layout (with respect to retro. style) the sound is significantly below my expectations and the plastic knobs ruin the overall esthetic (at least for me).... reception is also below the standard I have, especially given the price point. I waited a long time for this radio and had high hopes...I generally like and appreciate Sangean...alas, the search for the holy grail table radio continues....just btw, anyone have an opinion regarding the cue1 radio?

[herculodge]

You guys are killing me. Three up and three say it stinks. The truth hurts. I'm dreading receiving mine.

[brandon]

I feel all of your pain. I decided after my Kaito 2100 (CCRadio-SW variant) died several years ago after only 1 year of use that I would never again purchase a modern portable or table radio - only vintages for me, and only ones in near mint cosmetic/operating condition. My most recent purchase was a Grundig Satellit 2400-SL - have had it for about a month now and am thoroughly happy with it, will have to write up a review soon.

[John]

I hate to pile on, but I'm similarly disappointed. Received the radio yesterday and immediately noticed the flat sound and poor reception others have noted. The radio seems to struggle to find and hold a strong signal on blowtorch stations that my better pocket radios pull in with ease. I'll add one more complaint to the list: the FM dial calibration is significantly off -- by more than a full digit to my eye (e.g. a station at 93.1 picks up on the dial to the right of 94). The AM dial, on the other hand, seems pretty accurate.

I have several Sangean radios and generally have been pleased with all of them -- some more than others, but still generally pleased. This is my first disappointment with the brand, and it's a major disappointment given my high expectations (and the price!).

[herculodge]

Sounds like the drifty Tivoli Model One. Same company make it? I guess I'll be returning mine when it arrives next week. No great radios anymore. No wonder I've retreated into a watch obsession.

[Paul]

Can those who have the new Sangean please report on country of manufacture? Is it made in Taiwan or mainland China? Sangean is a Taiwanese company.

[Angelo]

Brandon: Looking forward to that review. Jeff----plenty of great radios still available----the classics, not the contemporary ones. Seriously, for those willing to spend on a relatively high end new radio, that same money will buy gems from yesteryear. Risky? Sure. But the payoff is worth the gamble.

[Angelo]

By the way----the Sangean looks an awful lot like plastic Channel Master radios from the 1960s. Caramel and white cabinets, very simple. They were inexpensive back then, not so much now----and probably pick up more stations if they're anything like my Super Fringes!