SangeanHDR-14 HD Radio/FM Stereo/AM Portable Radio,

Though I am not a radio collector, I have quite a few radios. I wish to listen primarily to classical music.As I live in the Philadelphia, PA metro region, which is, in my opinion, a "vast wasteland," at least regarding radio stations, I wanted an HD radio as I had found, from owning an HD radio in my car, that classical music can be heard 24 hours a day, something that cannot be done with a "straight" analog AM/FM receiver.I purchased three (3) Sangean HDR-16 models (to keep in various rooms of my house) and these provide excellent sound quality but they leave something to be desired, at least regarding HD reception. (I am aware of the FCC's restrictions on HD transmission power.)Having heard that this HDR-14 is actually superior in HD sensitivity to that of the HDR-16, I decided to give it a try.It IS superior in HD sensitivity! There are exactly two (2) stations that transmit classical music in my area. One is only "half" classical, at least with its analog signal; the other half is jazz music (WRTI 90.1 MHz).But this station transmits in HD and it switches the HD1 and HD2 signals at night. In other words, when the main analog channel (and the HD1 channel) play classical music, the HD2 sub-channel plays jazz. When the main analog channel switches to jazz (along with the HD1 channel), the HD2 channel plays classical music.Switching is, of course, not particularly onerous but it's a shame that this station cannot transmit both all at the same time (which would probably require a second frequency).However, in addition to that station, there is a relatively little-known station: WPEN-HD2 Burlington-Philadelphia which is "piggy-backed" onto a sports-talk radio station (97.5 MHz). The sports is on HD1 and the classical music is on HD2 (and the sound quality is excellent).Unfortunately, where I live, reception via the HDR-16 is spotty at best. Sometimes the station may play for hours with nary a hiccup but other times, well, forget it!Hoping that the HDR-14 would be better at receiving this station, I purchased one. I have been using it extensively (on batteries) since I received it (on March 2, 2019). (I cannot comment on battery life. The radio does have a low-battery indicator light but it has not yet been activated.)Its reception sensitivity is markedly better than any of the three HDR-16s I own. This HDR-14 picks up WPEN-HD2 in places in my house where the HDR-16 won't pick up any HD signals at all. And its reception is consistent on a daily basis. When I want to listen to WPEN-HD2, I can do so whenever I wish with this radio.Setting the radio is VERY easy and there are quite a few options, all of which are explained in the extremely readable owner's manual (but you don't really need that manual; everything is logical and common sense is really all you need for setting the various options within the menu).I am very pleased with the HDR-14 but, as always, there is a "fly in the ointment."And that is the sound quality. As the HDR-14 is a small pocket-size radio, you cannot expect outstanding sound quality from its speaker - and you don't get it.What I had hoped was that. through headphones, the sound quality would be excellent. No such luck here either.Now I do not want to damn with faint praise. This radio is very, very good and I'm glad I have it. I only wish that the sound quality, at least via headphones, would be at least as good as that achieved via the HDR-16.One of these days I'm going to try using it with a Bluetooth transmitter, running the sound into a stereo system but I'm afraid that I do not have high hopes - after all, if sound through headphones is only "okay," what difference can I expect in sound quality through a stereo system considering that the Bluetooth transmitter will be connected to that same headphone output?What we need, of course (Sangean please take notice) is a combination of the HDR-16's sound quality (ore even better) and the HDR-14's sensitivity (or even better). If such a radio were ever introduced, I would buy one (or more)! I also suggest that an external antenna input be included to allow a better antenna to be connected to the radio.I do not know what the fate of HD (regarding radio, this means Hybrid Digital - not High Definition) radio will be in this country. Many AM stations have already abandoned transmitting in HD (including our one news station KYW 1060 kHz - though they do transmit on an FM HD subchannel, the problem there being that the audio is delayed by quite a few seconds, something that it was not when they transmitted on AM HD). That loss is really too bad. AM HD sounds just about as good as analog FM (actually better as there is no hiss).And, at least in the Philadelphia area, the FM stations that do transmit in HD have one or more HD subchannels but they all transmit the same kind of "garbage radio" as the main channel. How many people are going to buy an HD radio just so they can listen to more of the same trash?But that's enough of my complaints. The Sangean HDR-14 is a very good radio and, when considering only pocket-sized radios, I believe that it stands head-and-shoulders above any other pocket-sized radio I own. Its sensitivity on analog AM and FM is quite good (and its FM section can be "forced" to receive in mono only which will improve analog FM sensitivity - HD remains in stereo) and its sound quality is certainly on a par with any of my other comparable radios.Therefore, if you are interested in a high-quality HD radio, I can highly recommend this one.Thank you for reading all of this and for considering my recommendation.Lawrence H. Bulk

This radio is excellent! Admittedly, options for new radios with hybrid digital capability are slim and sangean pretty much makes all of them outside of car stereos, but this radio (and I assume the HDR-16) stands on its merits despite that market position.The good:- FM reception is stellar. HD stations come in smooth. I have an insignia NS-HD01 which does not pick up some HD subchannels. This radio gets everything, even inside my house.- Sound quality is surprisingly good and punchy for one single mono speaker.- Convenient size: I put it in a little case and chuck it in my bag.- Fit and finish: feels “premium” and is a good weight in hand. I like the rubber buttons, the headphone jack, the little kickstand, and it feels solid. I would not worry about a small drop.- Battery life: I get about 35 hours out of 3 rechargeable AA batteries with a mix of headphone and speaker use.Bad:- The shiny plastic is a fingerprint/dust magnet I find myself wiping off frequentlyThe AM reception is also surprisingly good, and the station preset menu is easy to navigate. A great buy for anyone who is looking for a little FM/AM receiver for travel or home

This radio has to be one of the best radios I have ever owned, other than an old multi-band short wave radio I had as a child. AM and FM reception is great, and I was pleasantly surprised to find incredible AM reception. Most other radios I have had for the past 10 years or so had horrible AM reception. The old school tuning dial with the string and open air variable capacitors and tuned front end were the only radios I considered decent until now. Good luck finding one of those now - except for garage sales! This is the first digitally tuned radio I have ever owned that had such great reception.Sound quality out of the built in speaker is OK - pretty good for a portable small unit. The radio really shines when you plug in stereo headphones. Excellent sound - both analog and digital.Operation is simple, and the manual makes sense. The radio has some weight to it, which in my book is a good thing since it shows it is more than a simple design. I could not resist the temptation to take a peek inside. Well made, and a dual coil AM bar antenna was seen. Don't make the mistake I did and remove the screw for the antenna...I measured the radio's current consumption to get an idea of what battery life to expect on the 3 AA batteries:Standby with clock on display: .2maAM (not HD) with volume turned all the way down: 46maAM HD - could not measure since there were no AM HD stations in my area.FM (not HD) with volume turned all the way down: 47maFM HD with volume turned all the way down: 51maSo, I am going to round it out to be 50ma when using the radio. As you turn up the volume, the current draw increases. At a moderate volume I measured 75ma, and at a louder volume around 110ma.Each time the LCD back light was lit, an additional draw of 15ma was noted.Figuring an average AA alkaline battery is good for 2500mah or more, I calculate a continuous play time of about 30 hours or more at a moderate volume.I do have a small wish list I hope that the manufacturer can implement on the next version / model of this type of radio:1. Add a setting to better control the LCD backlight. Currently it only lights up for a few seconds after pressing any of the buttons. There is no way to set the delay time before it goes out. Perhaps add an additional menu item to allow the user to set the delay time, or set it to keep it on all the time. Perhaps an AUTO setting that will keep the LCD lit up while it is connected to the AC adapter? If you want to use the radio as an alarm clock / clock radio, a continuously lit display would be great.2. The ability to turn off HD radio and receive only the analog audio. (Not that important)3. Some basic tone control or EQ.4. A USB port to upgrade firmware.I would be willing to pay $20 more if they released a newer version with the above mentioned wish list.All in all, I am very happy with my purchase. I use it at night to fall asleep, and sometimes during the day by plugging the headphone output to my living room sound system. I highly recommend this radio to anyone interested in checking out HD radio.