With a classic, vintage design and quality design and performance, the Sangean WR-11 definitely earns its place on our rankings of the best tabletop radio. You’ll feel warm every time you look at it and listen to it in your home. You won’t buy it because you are looking for the best speakers, but because of nostalgic reasons.
Why We Like It – Sangean WR-11 Wood Cabinet Review
The good old days of radio beckon, and the Sangean WR-11 responds to the call with a gorgeous wooden cabinet and stellar sound quality. Even if you don’t listen to the radio, this one will look great on your tabletop.
- Fabulous, full-range sound quality
- Achieves a deep bass uncommon in tabletops
- Gorgeous wood cabinet
- May need to add an external FM antenna
- AM radio sound quality not as good
Performance
Similar to the Anker SoundCore Flare, the Sangean WR delivers top-quality sound in a small package. Yes, it’s an AM/FM radio, but it has a full-range speaker that truly sings (or talks, depending on what you listen to). It has much better sound than our top pick, the Panasonic RF-2400D. It’s also arguably better than the similarly built Tivoli Audio Model One. As you want with any analog radio, the tuning dial is quite precise so you can easily find your favorite radio station. Unlike the Anker SoundCore Playtime Bluetooth portable, which doesn’t have radio frequencies.
Design
The Sangean model WR is a beautifully designed tabletop radio. The wood cabinet is crafted with real walnut and it shows. This Sangean also has nice, modern design inclusions, like an AUX input so you connect your phone or other audio sources. You can also connect the radio to a recording device or listen to headphones. The only annoying part is that you’ll probably need to connect an external antenna to get good radio reception, depending on where it’s placed. An external FM antenna is cheap and easy to add, but adds a little bulk. In case you want to get a radio for an emergency, you need to read our RunningSnail NOAA review.
Value
If you want a classy-looking AM / FM tabletop radio with great sound, then this price point for this Sangean isn’t ridiculous. You can buy much cheaper radios, but you’ll definitely sacrifice sound and looks. You could consider the Soundance SDY019 if you’re looking for a more budget option, though the Soundance has a much more modern look. If you are looking for a cheap modern boombox that you can use to listen to the radio, read the Sony CFDS70 review.
Sangean WR-11 Wood Cabinet Review Wrap Up
The way that the Sangean WR-11 looks and performs is great. It’s simple to use and streamlined, yet updated functionally in some smart ways. This is a nice piece to create a vintage aesthetic in the home. You have the added benefit of using it with your phone if you’d rather play Spotify than radio.
