Review on 📻 Sangean DT-160: Discover the Efficient AM/FM Stereo Pocket Radio with Extended 100-Hour Battery Life! by Matt Hamilton

I have two amazing little Sangean radios: SR-35 and WR-7. The $20 SR-35 is surprisingly sensitive, and while it's not small enough to be pocket-sized, its slightly larger body delivers a fuller sound than almost any of its competitors. I have two of these that I use every day and I've given some away as gifts. The WR-7 costs four times as much, and with good reason. This beautiful wooden case looks like a miniature mid-century tabletop radio (think the KLH from 1965). Sounds amazingly reliable for such a small device, has great battery life and although it only receives FM (no AM at all), it also works as a Bluetooth speaker and has an additional download jack. I'm blown away by this handsome little guy and I'd say he's worth the asking price. I mainly use it for travel. My daughter loved it so much on our recent family trip that she asked to take it to her dorm room this fall. I would like to buy another one. I bought the DT-160 without speakers because I read good reviews and wanted to compare it to the two pocket radios I use in bed at night. My trusty little Sony SRF-39 (even without speakers) has served me well for years, is a far end champion, seems to run forever on a single AA battery, delivers rich, clear sound through headphones, is the epitome of simplicity, and is light as a feather. I also have a CCrane pocket radio, which sounds just as good in its own way, is just as excellent in sensitivity, includes NOAA weather bands, and - for digital radio - has an exceptionally well thought-out user interface, while (as with the Sony) being able to conveniently do all the functions with a touch control without having to switch on the light. I like the Sony analogue tuner because it's fun to turn the tuning wheel and see what happens; The Crane button is more convenient when I want to listen to specific stations. At the moment I don't want to miss them anymore. The build quality of the DT-160 is impressive. It's actually a bit heavy for a pocket radio, but nowhere near as easy to use as the CCrane or Sony. The dial is finicky (searching and scanning require the same but different movements) and dual purpose (the wheel is pressed to turn on several other functions), which really annoys me. In fact, I chose the transparent "prison style" version as it doesn't include a clock function which I've read adds another function to the tuning dial. The preset buttons are on the top of the radio, but the first preset is so close to the headphone jack that it's difficult to reach with headphones plugged in. However, my biggest disappointment with the DT-160 is its poor sound. qualitative. I used the same pair of Sennheiser headphones to test all three pocket radios and tune in to at least four local New York stations (WBGO-FM for jazz, WFUV-FM for rock, WNYC-AM for talk, and WQXR-FM for classical). . CCrane and Sony sound full and natural across the board. Sangean, on the other hand, is too bright and even harsh. If you're just interested in listening to talk shows you might be fine with this, but I wouldn't recommend it for music. So in summary, I'm sticking with the CCrane Pocket and the Sony SRF-39. CCrane isn't cheap, but I honestly think it's worth the extra money for the well thought out interface and great stereo sound quality. Sony discontinued the SRF-39 a few years ago, but you can easily find a decent used one online. That's how I got mine. I paid $15 and although the case is slightly scratched it works like a charm. I would recommend one of these instead of the DT-160. A few other notes: The CCrane Pocket has a speaker, but it sounds tinny - actually a lot worse than the $20 Sangean SR-35 - but then again, the Crane is a true pocket computer. Radio. And with the Crane, you control audio output to the speaker or headphones with a switch on the side, rather than simply plugging in phones like the SR-35 and many other inexpensive radios. I don't use the SR-35 for headphone listening because although it plays both left and right channels, the audio is mono, not stereo. However, with its powerful speaker, sensitivity, and analog-style simplicity, the SR-35 is quite possibly the best radio you can buy for under $20. Oddly enough, the adorable Sangean WR-7 doesn't have a headphone jack.