Review on 🎵 Sangean U3 Digital Tuning Radio: AM/FM Ultra Rugged & Water Resistant - Blue/Black by Kevin Taharka

The U4 radio/bluetooth speaker is big in every way. If size and weight don't put you off, you'll be pleased with great sound and great battery life. I bought this to replace a stolen Sangean BB-100 and it's definitely an upgrade in terms of volume and features. The BB-100 always seemed too quiet, even though it sounded nice. The U4 is loud enough for camping and backyard BBQs, but not loud enough for a dance party. It may be too quiet for a large work area. At a volume of around 75%, distortion can occur depending on the setting and the music. Although I'm very sensitive to it. My kids hit 90% of some trap beats and it didn't bother them at all. The treble and bass controls are nice to the touch and allow you to customize the sound (optimized for outdoor use by default). The Sangean can always get very dynamic sound from a single speaker, but you won't get surround sound from many Bluetooth speakers (like Sony or UE). Battery life with rechargeable batteries (sold separately) is excellent. The U4 went through a week-long hike of over 30 hours of use at varying volume levels from 25% to 75% without dying. It's nice that they charge in the radio and you have the option of using alkaline batteries or just plugging it into an outlet. You can charge things through the USB port when the radio/speaker is not in use. Output power is only 1 amp (like phone chargers were 10 years ago). So if you plug your phone in overnight, it can be charged. It's great if the kit has AM, FM and a weather band. The weather comes in handy when camping or in areas with poor phone coverage. As others have pointed out, the antenna is a bit short, but wrapping or plugging a wire around the metal base of the antenna can boost FM and weather reception. I wish Sangean had built in an external antenna connector for us nerds. They do this on most of their other radios and it's useful. The attached antenna is short so it can be folded and attached to the top of the radio (for easy storage and portability). The digital tuner and the RDS screen (text display of station and track information) work. as well as preset buttons and other controls. Pairing is easy and adding aptX is cool (again for nerds) but I don't think you'll hear a difference. It's heavy but well built and durable. In the attack, they could probably injure a black bear. There aren't many grizzly bears, but radio will survive even if you don't, so be sure to include it in your will. If buying rechargeable batteries adds to the cost of the U4, you'll most likely be spending over $200. If you don't need extended battery life, radio, and other features, you can get a better all-weather speaker for the price. For my needs the U4 is great and I don't think there is another product that could do better.