SangeanWR-16 AM/FM Bluetooth Wooden Cabinet Radio

I've had my eye on this radio for awhile, so when the price dropped on Amazon I jumped on it. I am not disappointed. It is not only beautifully designed but sturdily built. It is quite solid and heavy and the sound quality is superb for such a small speaker. The controls have a sturdy quality feel to them, not cheap and chintzy as in cheaper plastic radios. The FM reception is very sensitive and the stations come in crystal clear with a nice bass fullness that small radios frequently lack. There are plenty of connection options with a AUX IN and a headphone out plus USB charging and connections for external FM and AM antennas. I used the FM antenna that came with the radio and don't feel the need for anything more. I also connected a small inexpensive AM loop antenna which enhances my AM reception for talk radio. Another welcome feature is the Bluetooth connectivity so I can listen to any Internet content I care to access. Overall I'm very pleased with my purchase and thoroughly enjoy the beauty, quality, and simplicity of this radio. If you love old school radio with the added convenience of Bluetooth, you won't be sorry.

This is the bluetooth version of the classic Sangean FM radio made for decades since 1974 when FM was talked about as the new trend. The wood is a warm honey tone with good figuring, just about the best looking wood cabinet you'll find. The cream color face is bright and easy to see in a low light room. Unlike the classic Off>FM>AM knob, this version has Off>FM>AM>Bluetooth>Aux. Bluetooth connects easily, and once set up, it automatically connects as soon as I turn the knob to Bluetooth.Hadn't had a Sangean radio or seen one up close so wasn't prepared for what a quality object it is, in looks, operation, and feel. I knew the Sangean brand as a top HDR / short wave / FM brand so I wasn't too surprised how smoothly the knobs work, how easy and simple the operation is, and generally how well it works as a radio. But the quality of the wood cabinet is better than expected, flawless in each of the three Sangean samples I now have. Watch the little Sangean video included in the Amazon listing that shows them making the veneered wood cabinet; it's no wonder Sangean features that little film of their workmanship because it doesn't disappoint in person.Read in reviews here the sound is bassy, and it's somewhat true but at least it's not tinny or boxy. I did some A-B-A testing when it arrived, against similar sized radios and found it to be the best of what I could find, a warm good sound for news/voice and sounds good for classical orchestral music too.

I really like this radio a lot. I've had a couple of these recently, where they're sort of a nod to the retro past with one quality speaker, and an old analog style dial. I compared this side by side with a Tivoli in my office, and I think that the Sangian wins. It has a very high quality sound, and I can pull in my local stations nicely. The cabinet is easy on the eyes and fits right in with our professional office.

I am a radio listener almost all day, every day. The Sangean WR-16 was a splurge to see if it would really be better than the radio I had. It is so much better. Strong reception and crisp sound.

I've been wanting and waiting to get one of these for over a year now. But now that I have gotten it in hand I'm honestly a little disappointed.First the good: the build quality is phenomenal. Very solid, very beautiful radio. Knobs are smooth and sure. I have no doubt this radio will last for years. The fit and finish are definitely top tier. Stations lock in well when tuning - I'm sure that's due to a PLL tuning system. I kinda wish it didn't have the PLL circuit, but I knew going in that it would.FM performance is good with both internal and external antennas. Given the presence of interference, it definitely fares better with the external one. I have it sitting next to my computer and it does great with the external antenna.AM is a mixed bag. Definitely needs an external antenna, in my opinion. I don't listen to AM much, so it's a non-issue.Bluetooth works great and pairs easily and quickly. Honestly, though, if you just want a bluetooth speaker, there are better options out there. But, it's a nice add-on. Still not sure if I'd get the BT model again, though.OK, so the sound. The sound is a mixed bag. The bass extends faaaaar too much into the midrange so speaking vocals sound boomy and muffled. I was listening to a more bass-heavy song and every time a bass note hit it sounded like someone turned the volume down on the rest of the music. It was super weird. This can make female vocals sound richer, but male vocals tend to get stuffy and heavy.Overall, it's a beautiful radio that errs on the side of being too warm and boomy. For some that'll be great. Definitely not great for critical listening. But, great radio overall.