Review on 📻 Sangean PR-D19BU Portable Radio: FM Stereo/AM Digital Tuning, White/Blue, with Protective Bumper by Nikki Byrd

I have both a PR-D18 (which I have owned for several years) and this PR-D19 which I just received. There are many reviews of both here so I'll mostly compare as both are really great radios. Sangean knows how to make radio; for them it is not secondary; They are committed to the radio and you can tell. (For the record, I am not affiliated with the manufacturer nor with anyone selling this or any other radio. This is my review of my own radio, which I paid for myself at Revain's current price.) Compared to the PR-D18 ( single speaker in mono version), this PR-D19 offers better reception on both the AM and FM bands. This is said after a parallel comparison of many interfering signals. The difference is most noticeable in AM, as 19 transmits weaker signals with noticeably less noise. The wide/narrow bandwidth control is also a really nice addition to the 19 that the 18 doesn't have. It makes a bigger difference in AM and can really help with super weak signals that you're trying to hear, but of course if you're already narrowing it down to the tiny AM band you'll hear it (sound gets muddy), but this is an option for very weak signals. Given the sensitivity of this radio, you'll probably never need this control, but it's good to have. UPDATE: As I continue to use this radio I have found the narrow bandwidth setting on FM very useful. You don't hear any noticeable drop in audio quality when you select close tuning on FM (like AM) so at first you might think it doesn't really do anything. But I've tried it on some really weak, distant FM stations and found that the inability to pick them up can be caused by interference from adjacent channels, and switching to a narrow bandwidth will fix that and knock out the weak station with it you can hear him . The effectiveness of this control on FM allows me to hear at least two or three FM stations in my location that NO other radio I own can pick up cleanly, making the PR-D19's FM performance even better, than I originally thought. Be sure to try this setting if you have this radio and have an FM station that is difficult to pick up. FM is very, very close to 18; In fact I could only find a few weak signals that made any difference at all, but the 19th was a bit more sensitive to FM than the 18th. Sangean, in his radio knowledge, has wisely set the stereo threshold up to 19 so he won't try to get a stereo signal unless the signal is strong enough. Or you can just lock it to mono by pressing and holding the Display/Mono button. This is a big advantage over other radios that go in stereo, even if that means additional noise and often leaves the listener with no other choice. (Make no mistake, though, this radio works fine in stereo on the vast majority of stations - over 50 miles away. Stations that are deleted 19 in mono are weak stations that most other radios are unlikely to pick up at all. . ) size , the 19 is only an inch longer than the 18 and maybe only a small fraction of an inch thicker; Otherwise the dimensions are identical. Good. There's probably no place you could take 18 that 19 wouldn't fit. A really nice feature of 19 that 18 lacks is the top presets. I'm not usually a big user of presets, as they're usually no less cumbersome than just tuning in to a station. (This is especially true on radios with hundreds of presets where you have the problem of never remembering what's on which preset so they're almost meaningless, and it often takes a few button presses to activate a preset anyway , so I just set it up manually.) Here, on the other hand, you have presets right on the radio, which is great because you can activate them with touch and push buttons, which is perfect in a dark environment. Because you squeeze them, you can also use them with one hand. (The front buttons for presets require you to hold the radio, or at least support it from behind, or you're more likely to tip it over than successfully press the button.) In terms of sound quality, the Sangean often tends towards a warm sound with an emphasis on bass Select. People who like the sound of an old radio love it. I'm happy with how these 19s and 18s sound (sound quality is identical), but if I had drummers I wish they sounded a little more tinny. I know what the Sangean is trying to do, or I think I'll do it anyway, because some people find copper sounding cheap, like early transistor radios, and they don't want that. However, I would have liked the presence of a tone control that would allow the listener to say something about it. Battery drain at 18 is moderate and I expect it to be similar to what I've seen so far. I've seen some complaints about battery life in other reviews of these two radios, but you have to keep in mind that these radios produce a lot more audio power than other small radios, and the amp uses the lion's share of the energy. radio performance. I would suggest getting a set of rechargeable AA batteries and a charger (only about $15) and never worry about battery life again. If you prefer, you can keep a set of AA alkaline batteries in a drawer so you can insert them and continue using the radio while the batteries charge. Finally, the aux in feature is a great addition to the 19 that the 18 doesn't have. Easily play music streaming from your phone or tablet. Some offer Bluetooth for this radio, but I'm just as happy with the 3.5 jack - just plug in and go, no pairing required. (A tip for using the aux-in: I see reviews of other audio devices where people report that they have damaged the speakers of the radio or other device that uses the aux-in. Although I've never heard of it that this happened with this radio, speaker damage may occur in any device with this feature, then start playing the audio on the output device at low volume, then turn on the radio radio station to the same radio volume setting. You can toggle briefly between the Auxiliary input and the radio to compare the volume you get from the Auxiliary input to that of the transmitter If you are using a device with its own internal amplifier, such as your phone , failure to perform this test may result in you delivering more power to the speakers than they can handle, which could result in damage or total failure.) PR- D19 It's a great radio with the 'right' controls, features and complexity. You can set an alarm and all that, or you can just turn it on and listen. And in terms of reception, it's almost as good as it gets.