Herculodge Reader Dana Compares Sangean PR-D5 and PR-D15

Thanks, Dana Myers:

I have both a PR-D5 and PR-D15 (Amazon.com, $78, free-shipping). First impression of the D15 after a couple of hours of tuning around is that the D15's AM reception is indistinguishable from the D5 - which is to say excellent in both cases (I certainly did not notice reduced sensitivity as others have commented on).

After turning the Loudness boost off, audio from the D15 is relatively crisp, particularly in side-by-side comparison with the D5, and increases intelligibility of AM reception. My subjective comparison with the D5 was initially with Loudness in the default On setting; turning it off gave the D15 a notable advantage over the D5.

Fine tuning is available and works as expected; it gives some idea of the AM bandwidth, which seems pretty tight and sharp at perhaps 6-8KHz total width. No "tweet" (10KHz heterodyne between adjacent carriers) was ever noted, same as the D5.

Eventually I added a bit of treble boost with the tone controls, another welcome addition to the D15. Also, I loaded the D15 with Tenergy 5Ah cells, which had an initial charge before installation, and the radio finished the charge sometime overnight. I do not know how long the radio will take to charge them from nearly exhausted; at a "standard" charging rate, it should be around 7-8h.

Did I mention the wonderfulness of the carrying handle? It's awesome.

If you have neither a D5 or a D15 and want one, I'd encourage you to spend the extra $10 for the D15. If you have a D5, the D15 represents a good upgrade when you're ready.

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Comments

[Gary]

Thanks for your review, Dana. Muffled sound on AM is my biggest complaint about the PR-D5, and it sounds like the PR-D15 is better in this regard.

[Mischa]

Indeed thanks for the review! Can you comment on battery life as compared to the PR-D5 (which is not really good imho)?

[Dana Myers]

Gary: I'd say the PR-D15 definitely offers better audio clarity for AM reception. My impression is that the AM IF bandwidth is the ultimately limitation, but the bass boost of the PR-D5 reduces clarity. Turning the Loudness off and bumping treble a couple of notches made me pretty happy with the audio quality for AM DXing. It's still not a hi-fi music box.

Mischa: I do not know the battery life of either model . The PR-D5 is loaded with Duracell C-cells and the PR-D15 is loaded with Tenergy NiMH C-cells; I've mostly been using the AC adapter with the PR-D5, while I'm taking advantage of the rechargeable cells in the PR-D15. I'll report back when I have a better idea.

[Pianoplayr88key]

How would the PR-D15 compare - on speaker sound vs the GE Superradio III, AM selectivity & FM performance vs the Tecsun PL-398BT, AM sensitivity vs the GE or Select-A-Tenna boosted Tecsun, AM audio response vs the GE in wide mode or the Sony SRF-42?

There are stations I'd like to be able to listen to in the daytime that are unreadable on the SR3 and the PL-398BT + SAT. Some are just too weak to hear any audio, and some are also further obliterated by local first-adjacent splatter (even in ±1kHz mode on the Tecsun). I'm hoping the PR-D15 could get splatter-free armchair copy (for example strong enough to stop a scan). :)

For example, from near 32:45:40N 116:56:50W I'd like to be able to listen to via daytime groundwave:
● 550 KFYI (next to 540 XESURF)
● 680 KNBR (next to 690 XEWW)
● 700 KALL (next to 690 XEWW)
● 720 KDWN
● 750 KOAL (next to 760 KFMB)
● 770 KCBC (next to 760 KFMB's ~48 mV/m)
● 810 KGO (next to 800 XESPN)
● 840 KXNT
● 900 KALI (~4.2 uV/m, next to 910 KECR's ~29 mV/m)
● 1160 XEQIN (next to 1170 KECR; KSL would also be nice)
● speaking of 1170, could the PR-D15 null KCBQ (~N) well enough to get KYET (~NNE)?)
● 1180 KERN (~14 uV/m, next to 1170-KCBQ's ~132 mV/m)

The list only includs a few target stations; there are others I'd also like to be able to listen to via daytime groundwave. Also I don't want reception degraded on, for example, 900 or 1180 when I'm near 11865 Moreno Ave in Lakeside. :) (On my Tecsuns, pretty much the entire band is wiped out there, with even locals being tough to hear.)
If 900 & 1180's signals are at least as good as http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq6KSavcVMI in Lakeside, that'd be awesome. (I suppose I could settle for reception like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMAPKTnJtnA if absolutely necessary, considering low received field from target and proximity to first-adjacent locals.)

[Dana Myers]

Pianoplayr88key asked: "How would the PR-D15 compare - on speaker sound vs ...an arbitrary list of receivers... "

I really don't know. I can and have compared the PR-D5 and the PR-D15. I can't tell you what the PR-D15 sounds like compared to whatever radios you have laying around - much less how it would receive various specific stations at your location. If you order a PR-D15 from Amazon.com, it'll cost you about $80, much less than a researched answer to your question would. You could then get your own answer.

All I know is the PR-D15 is a better choice than a PR-D5.

[Gary]

A radio enthusiast named Phil on the Yahoo ABDX group owns both a PR-D5 and a PR-D15 and likes both of them. Recently he bought a Sangean H201 shower radio, which he reviewed on ABDX. He says the H201 is as sensitive on AM as the PR-D5 and PR-D15, which surprised me. He also says that the H201 has much crisper sound on AM than the PR-D5 and PR-D15. He commented that the H201 display generates a small amount of RFI when it reverts to clock mode shortly after tuning a station. This noise is audible on very weak stations. The H201 is currently available for about $65 on Amazon. Based on Phil's review, it sounds like a decent radio for the money. It is also water resistant, but that doesn't mean it can't be used as a normal radio rather than a shower radio.

[herculodge]

Gary, we have the H201 radio and while it sounds good, it has issues: It accumulates water in the speaker and the sound gets muffled. You have to shake the water out repeatedly. I hated it. I quit using it. Now I play a Tivoli Songbook in one bathroom or the CCRane CCR Plus in the guest bathroom. I just play at loud volume so I can hear inside the shower. We had a Sony shower radio a few years back but it died after 2 years. I wonder how water proof these radios really are.

[StarHalo]

Piano, you need to try out a radio with synchronous detection; you'll find this feature's ability to completely block out adjacent stations/noise will bump up your log count significantly over a radio that doesn't have it.

[Gary]

Jeff,

I'd be more concerned about how the H201 works away from water, as a replacement for a PR-D5 for example.

[herculodge]

I wouldn't do it. It sounds better than the PR-D5 but that isn't saying much. I'd rather see you get the new CCrane Enhanced radio.

[Gary]

Yes, the CCRadio-2E definitely has good sound quality, with useful tone controls.