Review on Stay Tuned to Entertainment with the 📻 Sangean K-200 Multi-Function Upright AM/FM Digital Radio (Pink) by Edward Mcnamara

I have both this model and the Sangean RCR-5 (and this review has been published). The K-200 has great sound quality and takes up less bedside space, but the RCR-5 is better in almost every other way that matters to me; Much better that the K-200 has been moved to our office/tailor shop and I now use the RCR-5 as my daily alarm clock and radio. Here's my take on why the RCR-5 is so much easier to use than the K-200. (1) Physical raised buttons for power on/off and changing presets. The RCR-5's buttons are easy to find in the dark and work great. The K-200 has these flush membrane buttons and they DO NOT work properly; to the point where I have to press the power button multiple times for it to work. So frustrating, especially when trying to quickly turn off the alarm - and I just completely gave up trying to repeat it. (2) Blue backlit display. Having this alarm clock in your bedroom is SO important for a good night's sleep. Blue light activates "wake time" chemicals in our brain, while amber light activates "sleep time" chemicals; I found it difficult to fall asleep next to the K-200's blue glow, so I either had to turn the lights off completely before going to bed (which means I can't see what time it is if I wake up in the middle of the night ) or put something over my eyes so the blue glow doesn't disturb my sleep. Instead, I find it much easier to fall asleep with the RCR-5's amber light glowing next to my bed. (3) Alarm clock on weekdays. Both Sangean models offer this great feature (only setting the alarm for the same time on weekdays) but the RCR-5 is much easier to set up. The K-200 forces you to use the dial to set the alarm (turn to set and then press), and it's difficult to move to the next item without resetting the current setting because the dial accidentally turns when it is pressed. 4) Alarm volume. One of the things you can set for each alarm on the RCR-5 is the volume at which it sounds - it's AMAZING! With the K-200, you have to physically turn the volume knob to the volume you want the radio to turn on at in the morning. it's annoying when you listen to the radio louder during the day too. (Or if you have a toddler. See below.) This meant that every night I had to turn on the radio, crank the volume knob to the desired wake level, and then turn it back off. I ended up just marking with a sharpie where I liked the alarm volume so I didn't have to turn it on to check the volume after my husband fell asleep. (5) The volume control is a large illuminated dial on the front. (it's a skinny wheel on the side of the RCR-5). This is especially important when there is a baby in the house! With the K-200 my daughter wandered by and randomly turned the volume all the way up while the unit was off just to play with the big fun dial. Next time I turn it on to listen to the radio, GIANT EXPLOSIVE SOUND! Ouch. Eventually I learned how to turn the volume down before turning on the K-200, but it was a hard-fought lesson. The RCR-5's much thinner wheel doesn't look like a shiny toy, so she hasn't fiddled with it yet. Overall, the RCR-5 has the best features and capabilities of any clock radio. ever had. I wish the K-200 had all of these features because it actually sounds MUCH better, especially for talk radio (I'm an NPR junkie). But the RCR-5 simply wins in terms of functionality, which is why I highly recommend it if you're looking for a bedside clock radio.