Small Pocket Radios (with a loudspeaker) User Review

With phone technology being what it is, it’s possible to listen to radio broadcasts from anywhere at anytime. But doing that uses power. Some of us will turn to using a simple, small and portable radio instead.

It’s easy to believe that pocket radios are now redundant devices. Still, if you’re in the market for something that doesn’t rely on a cellphone network, headphones, a Bluetooth connection, the Internet, a subscription service or a USB charge, an unsophisticated pocket-sized radio might be just what the doctor ordered.  

Miniature radios are common enough but many don’t have a speaker with them. You’re expected to plug into a headphone jack and listen to it that way. Headphones are great but I like to put my radio on my tackle box when I’m fishing. Sometimes I like to pop it into my pocket and listen to it while I’m working.

Those with a speaker often have poor reception and dials that easily get bumped when sliding into a pocket. This causes the volume to change and the station to be lost.

‘Sangean’ is spending some serious time on making a quality product. I know this because I also came across another player in the market called ‘Degen’. This radio has good features too… at half the price.

I bought one to see how it stood up to the Sangean.

I was already aware of the sound limitations of small speakers and quite prepared to accept the result whatever it was. (It couldn’t have been any worse than a mobile phone’s built-in speaker, right?) I bought the Degen and used it for a week. Bad choice. Each hour passed, I had to re-tune the radio to its assigned station. That’s when I did more research and added one special detail to my specs: Phase Lock Looping.

PLL enables a portable radio to tune into a station and hold onto it no matter what power is left inside the batteries.

I needed a radio that held onto the station’s frequency all day long without touching it. (See the video above for why the Degen radio did not)  

One thing I didn’t mention in the video was the amazing difference in their tones. They are in no way alike. The silver Sangean has a much deeper one (And a bass boost button for even more. Don’t expect a sub-woofer sound to miraculously appear). The black Degen is tinny, with virtually no mid-range, forget the bass region of sound. You may like to consider this feature when choosing your radio.

One final benefit I found since owning the Silver Sangean is the power (and volume dial) button. It’s on top. When the radio is in my pocket and my phone rings, I like to switch the radio off. That large button is easy to access in a hurry.

With its tapered, two-toned sides, it’s not a particularly stylish-looking radio, but it’s highly functional. If you pay a little more, Big Brother (below) is similar in size but has a better aesthetic, I think.

Both of these radios have enough station presets (25, I think) to get you by. I’ve got my three favourite radio stations saved in mine, and anything else I’ll require in the future will be a bonus.

The rest is all yours to enjoy while fishing, gardening, taking a stroll, or sitting by the pool with a cold drink.

Now, please go and read my book. 🙂 -M

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