Review on 📻 Sangean WR-16 Bluetooth Wooden Cabinet Radio with AM/FM, USB Phone Charging - Walnut by Yiorgos Reynolds

Buying something as simple as a basic radio is a lot harder than it needs to be as there's no real way to get a site by side comparison without buying both which I did. I will try not to repeat other reviews as most of them are pretty accurate. Here's the result: TIVOLI ONE MODEL I've been watching the Model One for a few years and liked the minimalist aesthetic but didn't like the top price, so I bought a used model at auction. Although in good condition, it needed some work. The first thing you need are new legs. The Model One comes with self-adhesive silicone rubber feet and I didn't have any as they are very easy to remove. I installed a set of rubber feet. The tuner had the crackling and drifting issues that many reviews complained about, so I used a contact cleaner to clean the tuning capacitor where the rotating shaft enters it. Problem solved, but probably not permanent. There's also a faint but noticeable low-level hum coming from the speaker even when it's turned off, which seems to be another common problem. This appears to be due to inadequate power filter circuitry. Using an external power supply solved this problem. Although the radio was now working fine I was still not happy with it and decided to give the Sangean WR-16 a try. I bought the WR-16 brand new because of the very reasonable price. It has built-in Bluetooth that works seamlessly. I've read complaints about Bluetooth sound levels, but found that when the volume was cranked all the way up on my Pixel I XL, the audio matched the radio. The Sangean is slightly larger than the Model One, with more thoughtful touches like rounded corners on the case and a backlit dial that makes it easy to read, especially in the dark. It also has backlit mode indicators that are easy to see in daylight but glow brightly in the dark. The Sangean also has these legs which I will eventually replace. Which brings us to the "booming" sound that many complain about. The Sangean features bass compensation circuitry that boosts the bass slightly when the volume is turned down and has a rear bass connection, while the Tivoli has a downstream connection. This gives the music on the Sangean a fuller sound, but talk stations can suffer a bit. Some people recommend plugging the port with a piece of cloth or a cotton swab to muffle the bass. If this is really a problem for you, try covering it with thick tape. This worked best to muffle the bass. I ultimately decided to leave the bass port alone as the difference between the two radios is much smaller than I expected from other reviews. I didn't notice any difference in sound when the radio was close to the wall, but putting it in a corner will likely make it louder. The WINNER WR-16 won the competition on every count, or more accurately, the Model One lost on every count. The Tivoli's brutally minimalist design, its main feature, is also its downside, as this philosophy unfortunately extends to its interior as well, with cheap components on a minimally designed circuit. Disappointing, especially for the price. The Sangean has higher quality components and a significantly better speaker, as well as significantly more sophisticated power filtering with no unwanted hum or noise. The casings of both devices are made of laminated MDF rather than solid wood, but the Sangean has more craftsmanship and a thoughtful design. For people who only listen to talk radio, need a particular aesthetic and aren't concerned about the cost, Tivoli can be the choice. Otherwise you pay a lot for brand advertising and get little in return. Sangean is about half the price and easily doubles the cost.