Herculodge

No AM Signals on the Sangean PL-990x Forced Me to Return It

My Tecsun PL-990x finally arrived today from Anon-Co (via Seattle, eBay)—a sleek, metallic beast promising to conquer the airwaves. FM stations roared in beautifully through its rich, full-bodied speaker, including 91.5 KUSC, which eludes my other radios, but AM? Nothing. Not even a whisper from KFI, the local Los Angeles powerhouse that could practically be picked up on a toaster.

Cue the troubleshooting circus. I double-checked the settings, made sure the antenna was set to internal, waved it around like a sorcerer casting spells—still dead silence on AM. At that point, it was clear: this shiny new marvel was about as useful for AM reception as a decorative paperweight. So, with a heavy heart, I initiated the dreaded return process.

And that’s the real tragedy. The PL-990x wasn’t just a radio—it was a spaceship, sleek and commanding, practically inviting me to settle into its luxurious cockpit and chart a course through the airwaves. It had presence, charisma, and that satisfying heft that says, "Yes, I’m worth every penny you spent."

But no AM meant no mission. So now, I’m left sulking, wondering if I have the energy to dive back into this ritual of disappointment. A slightly used Tecsun PL-660 is on its way, and maybe—just maybe—it’ll pick up where the 990 spectacularly crashed and burned.

Sangean PR-D12 Is Solid on FM and AM in the Right Environment

Since the Los Angeles Fires tore through Southern California in January 2025, I realized my household was embarrassingly underprepared for live news coverage. Streaming devices and smart speakers suddenly felt flimsy when the sky turns orange. I needed something sturdier, more reliable—like a good, old-fashioned radio.

Enter Sangean, a brand I trusted a decade ago. I fondly remembered their radios delivering a warm, bass-heavy sound—pleasant, if not exactly hi-fi. My ancient PR-D4 still hums along in the garage, proof that Sangean builds workhorses. So, naturally, I picked up their new DSP-chip PR-D12, curious to see how it stacked up against its analog ancestor.

The verdict? The D12 is brighter and more balanced than the D4, though the warmth I loved has cooled a bit. FM reception is a mixed bag. From Torrance, Pasadena’s 89.3 comes in strong with three bars and crystal clarity on the D12. On the D4? Same signal strength but with a thin veil of static, unless I awkwardly angle the antenna like I'm searching for alien life.

But then things get weird. 91.5, my go-to classical station, sings smoothly on the D4 but sputters on the D12—two weak bars and static, no matter how I threaten the antenna.

AM? Forget it. 640 AM is listenable but laced with floor noise on both radios. I twist and turn the radios to align the internal ferrite antennas like I’m cracking a safe, but the noise stays. Worse, AM talk radio voices sound like they’re broadcasting through a burlap sack. Long-term listening? Not a chance.

What the D12 does have going for it is user-friendliness. Four preset pages with five slots each make navigating stations painless—perfect for my wife, who refuses to wrestle with complex manuals that read like an SAT prep book. She’s happy with 89.3 and 89.9 blasting clear and loud, so the D12 earns its spot in the kitchen.

Still, I can’t shake the feeling I need something more commanding, like the soon-to-arrive Tecsun PL-990x. Maybe it’ll crack the code on AM audio bliss. Until then, the PR-D12 holds the line—solid, if not inspiring.

Moderate recommendation.

Update:

I told my fellow radio enthusiast friend Gary about how I could not listen to the AM sound on the PR-D12 or my PR-D4, and he expressed the same sentiment. He said the only AM he can listen to from his vast radio collection is his now defunct C.Crane CC Radio-SW, which is a clone of the Redsun RP-2100. This made me sad because many years ago I enjoyed listening to AM on my Redsun RP-2100, but I fried it when I put the wrong AC adapter in it. Getting good AM sound out of a radio is hard these days. 

Second Update:

Three days after writing this review, I moved the PR-D12 to the garage where it sounds great on AM so I blame the kitchen, not the PR-D12. 

The Sangean PR-D12 Performs Like a Champion on AM and FM in My Garage

I couldn’t stand the AM sound on the Sangean PR-D12 in my kitchen—muddy, lifeless, and with no option to toggle between wide or narrow bandwidth. A design oversight, to put it kindly. But then I exiled it to the garage, and suddenly, the thing sings on AM. Turns out, this little radio isn’t just an FM star; it pulls its weight on AM too—if you park it in the right spot. Moral of the story? Radios are like houseplants: you can’t judge them until you’ve shuffled them around to see where they thrive. Now, the PR-D12 reigns supreme in my garage, blasting away as I grunt through kettlebell sets. A true champion—at least within the concrete walls of my sweatbox.

C.Crane Solar Radio: Attention to Details Makes It a Winner

The C. Crane Solar Radio, paired with the optional AC adapter, arrived on Day 9 of the Los Angeles fires—perfect timing for some disaster preparedness. My first impression? Surprisingly compact and, dare I say, stylish. Its buttons and controls are refreshingly intuitive, a rare quality in emergency gadgets that usually look like they were cobbled together by paranoid survivalists.

Then I met the battery door—a stubborn slab of plastic that wouldn’t budge. My fingers failed, so out came the Swiss Army knife, turning what should’ve been a simple battery swap into minor surgery.

Once powered up (on batteries, to avoid interference), I tested FM reception. Not bad. It’s sensitive, though slightly weaker than my Sangean PR-D12 when pulling in 89.3, a notoriously tricky station here in Torrance. Still, it handled it well. KUSC 91.5, though, was a lost cause—same as the PR-D12. Odd, since during my obsessive radio blogging days in the mid-2000s, 91.5 was crystal clear. Maybe it’s not the radios. Maybe it’s today’s electromagnetic smog choking the airwaves.

Later that evening, as I tackled the dishes, the FM sound impressed me. 89.3 came through loud and clear, delivering crisp voices on the news.

AM performance? Initially disappointing—distant, hollow, like voices echoing from a well. My friend Mark reminded me that modern homes are electronic war zones. Between Wi-Fi routers, smart devices, and God knows what else, AM hardly stands a chance.

But then I tweaked the settings. Switching the bandwidth filter from 2.5kHz to 4kHz transformed the AM performance. Suddenly, it shined.

The speaker is pleasant but modest. This is a small radio, after all. Luckily, the hidden High Power Audio Mode (press buttons 1 and 5) gives it a subtle boost—not exactly concert hall quality, but enough to rise above kitchen noise.

Where the C. Crane Solar Radio really excels is in its power versatility—two battery types, a solar panel, and a hand crank. Practical, yet it doesn’t scream apocalypse gear.

So, where does it fit in my collection? The PR-D12 stays in the garage for kettlebell workouts. The Solar Radio earns a spot over the kitchen sink, likely becoming my wife’s go-to. With solid FM performance, customizable AM tuning, and thoughtful design, the C. Crane Solar Radio gets the details right—and comes out a winner.

Possible Faulty AGC on Gary's Refurbished PR-D4W

Giving an update of his previous post about the Sangean PR-D4W, Gary writes:

Sadly, my refurbished PR-D4W only worked well for a little over one day. Now, medium strength and weaker AM stations have a greatly reduced audio level. Before, they sounded fine. It seems like the AGC is faulty. For example, KFI 640 is loud and clear on both the PR-D4W and the PR-D5. KABC 790 is loud and clear on the PR-D5, but has a very low audio level on the PR-D4W. Also, it seems like the AM auto tracking isn't working properly anymore, except maybe on strong stations.

Something in the DSP circuitry has probably gone awry, causing these two issues. Oh well. It was worth a try. Back it goes. No more Sangean "certified refurbished" radios for me.

Amazon Selling Certified Refurbished Sangean PR-D4W for $47

 

 

 

Thanks, Gary:

 

I noticed Amazon has Certified Refurbished PR-D4W radios for sale directly from Sangean America for about $47, so I bought one. I've been watching lots of PR-D4W reviews on YouTube, including yours from three years ago.

 

It's not a perfect radio, but it seems to offer AM reception as good as the PR-D5, FM reception better than the PR-D5, and doesn't have the muffled sound of the PR-D5 and PR-D15. I think it will sound clear, more like my small PR-D7, but it will have far better AM and FM reception than the latter. (My favorite portable for both AM and FM sound quality 

is still the CCRadio-SW. Most others pale in comparison.)

 

I like that the PR-D4W uses four batteries (D cells), rather than the six that the PR-D5 (C cells) and PR-D7 (AA cells) take. With the latter two, I use AA rechargeable batteries, charged externally (even though the PR-D7 can charge internally, it's not optimal to do this). With the PR-D5 I put the NiMH AA batteries in C cell adapters. With the PR-D4W I'll use Eneloop NiMH AA batteries in D cell adapters.

 

I'm not too keen on the polished black finish of the PR-D4W. Polished white or pebble grain black would be better. I also don't like that the display changes from frequency to clock after ten seconds. I think the CCRadio-2E does this also (should be an optional feature on both radios). When on, I'd rather that a radio show the frequency continuously, like the PR-D5 and PR-D7 do. Also, a handle would be nice, on the PR-D4W and on the other two.

 

I do like that the PR-D4W has multiple AM and FM bandwidth filters, a signal strength meter, and weather band coverage, all of which are lacking on the PR-D5 and PR-D7.

 

Anyway, I hope it works okay. Being refurbished by Sangean gives me some confidence. If it doesn't work as well on AM and better on FM than the PR-D5, as Jay Allen implies it should, I can always return it. In my experience, there is still a lot of sample to sample variation in radio performance.

 

-Gary

 

 

 

3 of 4 of Our Sangean Radios Have Button Malfunctions

Our Sangean radios are good performers for FM reception and speaker sound. They are reasonably priced. For user-friendly radios to use throughout the house, the kind that my wife and daughters enjoy using, Sangean is the best bet. 

However, for me a general use Sangean is not my first choice. Because I am an FM reception fanatic, I prefer more of a high-performance radio, the kind that has an SW port, so I can connect a wire antenna to the radio, which usually results in improved FM reception. That's why I have a Grundig G4000A next to my bedside table. But for the rest of my family, it's a Sangean affair. 

However, I should point out a consistent flaw, one that my wife complained about this morning: Three of four of our Sangeans have button problems.

The master bathroom radio, the Sangean PR-D4W, is an excellent value at under $60. However, sometimes when you turn it off, it does not turn off at all. Instead, the radio switches to a nonexistent FM station, like 104.5 or 88.7, resulting in loud static. You have to press off button one or more times to actually have the radio off.

The same problem of the PR-D4 persists in my daughter's Sangean WR-2 radio. 

 

The problem is even worse in the case of the Sangean-made CCRadio-2E because not only do we have the same problem described above, the presets often don't respond until after 3-6 presses. 

 

The only Sangean radio that seems to be trouble-free is the WR-50. We bought it close to 2 years ago for $130. It appears the price is now up to $170. I love the WR-50 but wouldn't be able to use it as a bedside radio for two reasons: One, it has no port for wire antenna. Two, the headphone jack is in the back of the radio. That doesn't make sense. No one wants to stretch an earbud cord around a radio. Headphone jacks should always be in the front or side of a radio. 

13-Year-Old Grundig G4000A SW Radio Replaces Sangean WR-2

Inexplicably, the Sangean WR-2 wasn't getting 89.3 KPCC without static, distortion, and bleed-in from another station, over the last few weeks, even with the wire FM antenna attached to the back of it. Who knows why FM reception is subject to variation. It could be the weather.

In any event, I put the Sangean WR-2 in my daughter's room (she gets her pop station MyFM 104.3 very easily, with the pigtail antenna on the back) and put the 13-year-old Grundig G4000A by my bedside.

The Grundig had been stored in my moist cold garage on a shelf. I resurrected it from the dead, so to speak. I took it into the warm house, sprayed Deoxit on the volume wheel due to oxidation scratchy noises, checked to see that volume scratch was gone, which it was, and I knew I was in business.

Reception for KPCC 40 Miles Away

With the telescopic FM antenna alone, KPCC has a weak signal, evidenced by the Grundig's reception meter, but when I put the wire SW antenna to the side SW antenna port, the reception is strong and clear. 

Over the years, I've had many portables, including the Degen 1103, and some old Tecsun models from about 10 years ago. They all suffered from weak tin speakers. Not so with the Grundig G4000A. The speaker sound is very pleasing. 

Because I no longer listen to AM, I don't have to worry about the inferior AM sound on this radio. I only listen to 4 FM stations: KPCC, KCRW, KJAZZ, and KUSC. All come in loud and clear on the Grundig. 

Over the 13 years, the Grundig has taken a huge beating. When my twins were toddlers, they bent and nearly broke the telescopic antenna, they knocked the radio several times off the counter resulting in some cracks in the outer case, and in general have beaten it to near death. But all operations are working well and for now, until I invest in a Tecsun PL-880 or something like it, the Grundig G4000A is my bedside radio. 

 

Carl Finds the $205 Sangean ATS-909X to be 95% as Sensitive as His $48 Tecsun PL-606

 

Carl Boches writes:

Just received a new Sangean ATS-909X black color from Amazon. I knew all about the so called deafness of the 909x. As of now my most sensitive small radio is my Tecsun PL606. I took the 606 and the 909X out on my balcony in Cebu, Philippines and tested sensitivity and selectivity. Both radios were side by side, but not so close as to have any interference from each radio. Only the whips were used, and I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the 909X picked up 95% of what my 606 did.

 

My conclusion is that there are more sensitive radios than the 909X but not by too much and that the ongoing quotes of the 909x being completely deaf is as far as I am concerned a lot hot air. Not to mention that the selectivity is outstanding.

 

 

Jay Allen Reviews the Tecsun S-8800

 

 I love field radios. The Tecsun S-8800, according to Jay Allen's fine review, gets high marks for FM reception, but its speaker is not as rich as the Grundig S350 and it has birdies on AM. At its $270 price point, I'll probably stay away from it for now. I'm still tempted to get the Sangean 909X or the Tecsun PL-880.