Three Bad Radios from the Same Brand: Three Strikes and You're Out

Full disclosure: I love my Sangean WR-2 and would buy one again, but Jack has had a different experience with Sangean:

I've had only bad experiences with Sangean radios: An SG-622 with assembly quality so poor that the volume knob and battery cover would fall off. An ATS-404 that refused to power up. The infamous WR-12 that sounded like it was wrapped in a blanket and placed at the bottom of an oil drum...

Tell me if my luck is that bad, or if quality control is not their strong suit.

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Comments

[Ken Carr]

And then there are those who have a good experience with a Sangean-manufactured radio. I recently purchased a Radio Shack DX-402 (Sangean ATS-505). My review is here: http://idlenot.com/?p=2449

[james]

Hey Jack, given the extreme cost-cutting that has gone on in consumer electronics I would be the first to say your bad luck is unremarkable. The only quibble I might raise is if you bought these items refurbished or as open-box returns. The odds of getting a lemon go way up in such cases.

Anecdotally, I have owned five Sangean radios through the years. I have had good luck with them. Just now I was listening to my DT-200V which I have listened to near daily for at least fifteen years. I have literally listened to this radio for thousands upon thousands of hours. I had and sold the smaller 300 which was not as good on AM but still a fine little unit. I regret selling the Radio Shack badged 909 I had. That was a terrific little radio. Still have the DX-396 which is pretty good on AM. Recently purchased the little yellow 400W weather band radio. It is a masterpiece of injection molding--not one sharp edge anywhere. It seems to rival the old DT-200V in terms of sensitivity on AM, but selectivity seems noticeably worse. Perhaps the filters aren't as tight or the shielding inside is poorer. And again, it may be because of the proliferation of IBOC which the venerable 200V seems more immune to.

[Tim]

I've had the best experiences with Sangean radios. They're my favorite company. Yes, I've gotten a couple lemons over the years, but these were due to quality control issues, not the actual designs of the radios. To mention a few favorites: WR-1, CL-100, 505, 909, 909X, PR-D5, Sonido, DT-400W, etc. I find these models to work well, to be ergonomically sensible and very easy to learn, to have decent audio quality, and to be attractive.

I've ventured away from Sangean a few times, but have always been disappointed. I had an RCA Super Radio, and thought it was a piece of junk. I have a Sony ICF-SW7600GR and hate it for its terrible audio quality and lack of a tuning wheel. Now I prefer to stay safe by buying only from the company I like and trust the most.

Between Sangean and C Crane, my radio needs are fully satisfied.

[Tim]

By the way, I would attribute my success with Sangean to AVOIDING AMAZON. All the lemons I've had have come from Amazon, which I'm positive continues to pass around lousy previously returned radios. I once got two faulty Sangean DT-400W units in a row, and I have a suspicion that they were the identical units both times.

[Angelo]

But if it's true that Amazon is selling returns----why are there so many damn Sangean lemons?

[Tim]

Obviously, Sangean somewhere has quality control problems, at least with some of the models/factories. I buy now only from reputable radio suppliers, such as Radiolabs or C Crane.

I know, I know - some people seem to despise C Crane. Well, once again, I've had only good experiences with them, and I've bought a ton of radio equipment from them the last twelve years or so.

[Tim]

I've had many Sangean products, and far fewer Sony products. Yet, the number of Sony duds has been greater than the number of Sangean duds. For example, I've had problems from the opening of the box with the Sony ICF-S10MK2 and Icf-F10 radios. I've also had Sony CD players that quickly developed problems. Now I try to avoid Sony.

No, I'm not a Sangean rep. I just like stuff the works well and looks good, and that has been my experience with Sangean.

[Jack Marshall]

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. It sounds like my bad experiences with Sangean isn't typical. I'm still reluctant to give them another shot, but I'm glad to know others have gotten along better.