Reviving the Topic "Which portable radio has the best AM/FM reception?"

There is an old topic here entitled "Which portable radio has the best AM/FM reception?"
The thread appears to be closed and would not allow me to reply to it.
The same topic; via the DuckDuckGo search engine, led me to this forum.
Today I would like to ask the same question "Which portable radio has the best AM/FM reception?" with the additional desire for good sound too. The budget is approximately $150.

 

According to Top 6 Best Portable Radios Reviews in 2017 (Guide & Comparisons) | WireVibes! this guide, Sangean PR-D7 BK AM/FM Digital Radio looks like the best deal. What do you guys think?

 

I have a Tivoli PAL which gets regular use. Though I've not tried any others, the Tivoli gets good reception, sounds decent and is easy to take along most anywhere. It's also within your budget.

 

Given the lack of discussion on this topic speaks volumes to the state of terrestrial radio today. I suspect few people own or much less listen to radio anymore due to the availability of widely varied programming easily streamed via the internet. Being an old-timer and having grown up on radio, I still enjoy scanning the FM and AM broadcast bands in search of entertainment.


My all time favorite portable FM and AM radio is the C. Crane model CC2E, which is still being made and sold as of this writing. Sadly, most people wouldn't dream of spending $169 for a portable radio, but if very good performance is truly desired, the asking price is more than reasonable! The C. Crane CC2E is a super sensitive and selective performer with warm and full audio through its 5" speaker. Sensitivity refers to a radio's ability to receive distant and weak signals, and selectivity refers to a radio's ability to effectively and clearly separate signals on adjacent frequencies.


The CC2E is a lunchbox size digital portable with the classic physical CC Radio look and feel, but this latest model represents a substantial performance upgrade to previous models.


There are numerous misinformed reviewers who have had negative things to say about the CC2E's performance, but I suspect its because they don't understand that excellent radio signal reception is dependent upon a low-RFI environment. RFI (radio frequency interference) can severely limit the performance of even the best receivers, and is prevalent in most homes today caused by things such as dimmable lights, computers, modems, TVs and many other electrical appliances. I enjoy using my CC2E outside away from such interfering sources where my CC2E can perform the way it was intended. If used indoors, placement of the set is critical to good performance, and an external antenna may even be necessary. I'd love to connect mine to a good outdoor antenna, but living in Florida where electrical storms are common, I'm afraid of damage to the set or worse.


Another C. CRANE lunchbox size set that performs very nicely is model CCEP. It's a totally analogue set that costs about $80 and is a great deal in my opinion. Its build quality is a bit flimsy, and should be handled carefully, but it is such a delight to use!

 

You can probably get a really clean used GE Superadio for less than $100, maybe much less like $50, in which case you'd have $50 in the budget to get it aligned at some point if it needs it and you can find someone who knows how to do it. The Rat Shack knockoff wasn't bad at all and might even be found cheaper. I don't know as there have been any major advances, if there have been I'd like to learn about them, too.

 

I suspect lots of people who would like to have a good radio to listen to FM or AM would still be disappointed by the number of programs out there sourced from lo-res internet streams. Less people you have in the building paid to care about the larger amount of stations in the same building, means more people turning on (what used to be "sattelite" formats, but are now) net-sourced programming services, and walking down the hall to do what they think is their "real job".

I really miss the days when I could be touring around, walk into a big-market station, and run into at least half-a-dozen engineering-types (AND programming-types) who could tell you what makes their actual signals superior to their competitors.

 

Sony ICF-SW7600GR
Medium Wave Circle - Receiver Review: Sony ICF-SW7600GR

 

Good advice. If you want great AM performance and sound, you can't buy anything better today than one of the CCs radios.

 

I listen to terrestrial radio almost daily, as well Sirius/XM, Rhapsody/Napster and my music collection. I have stereo receivers in 4 rooms of my house and I can dial up radio at anytime. I have a couple 20 and 40 buck CD/AM/FM/TAPE players one for the wife in the kitchen and one in my workshop. The point being, I have no use to get another portable radio, and if I do it's gonna be one of these, not a expensive one. The point is, just because there is a lack of interest in this thread or offering POV's on portable radios, don't say it's because of a lack of interest in radio. I think that assumption of yours has been debunked.