* Quick Shopping Guide – Jay’s Personal Picks For Performance and Value
Although this website provides in-depth reports on portable radios past and present, to help you shop here is a quick way to find that perfect radio for yourself or as a gift. You can always find in-depth information about any of these radios by clicking on the links to their full reports. And if you access Amazon via any of the links provided, anything you purchase during that session will help to support this free website at no cost to you, and you’ll get Amazon’s best price and return privileges. Prices do sometimes fluctuate up or down…the prices here were valid as of late 2024.
There are many other choices but these are all best in their classes and are my personal favorites and recommendations – Happy Shopping!
Note: Due to the current economic situation most of the prices of these items are incrementally higher than posted in this article, but since prices may rise further or eventually fall I have resisted changing them as they are in somewhat of a state of flux.
Best AM/FM Portable Radios:
C.Crane CC-2E $179.99 – The best of the best for reception and sound quality – I use mine every day. Also features NOAA Weather and more.
See it at Amazon: (Black Mica) (Titanium)
C. Crane CC-3 $209.99 Same as CC-2E Above with the addition of bluetooth.
Crane CC-EP Pro AM/FM Radio – $99.99
The CC EP-Pro is an updated version of the original CC-EP. It is a DSP design, and is a less expensive way to get ***** AM and FM reception along with excellent sound. C. Crane likes to call it today’s Superadio and in many ways it is.
Read the Complete CC-EP Pro Review:
Sangean PR-D4W $77.93 Very Good AM/FM/Weather band on a budget…a solid radio.
Compact/Inexpensive AM/FM Radios
Sangean PR-D7 $69.99 A very nice mid-sized portable
See Them at Amazon:
Sony ICF-506 $46.10 – (the ICF-19 is discontinued) Excellent reception and built-in AC power for all-day use.
These two radios look pretty much the same other than their handles and they perform the same – the only differences are that the ICF-506 has a handle while the ICF-19 had a strap. I like the ‘506 for its built-in AC power for use all day long.
Sangean PR-D19 $60.99 – Small two-speaker stereo model with good reception and nice sound available in many color combinations.
See Them At Amazon: Scroll Down To See All Colors
Best AM/FM HD Radios:
Sangean HDR-14 $72.65 – Sangean’s smallest HD radio packs surprising HD performance into a palm-sized package.
Sangean HDR-16 $122.73
Best Portable HD Radio – Best portable radio with great reception and HD lets you hear all those “hidden FM channels”.
Sangean HDR-18 $146.99 Table Radio with HD – Great performance and a remote control in a nice-looking wooden cabinet.
Sangean HDR-19 AM/FM/HD/Bluetooth Radio $198.99
Sangean’s HDR-19 is an upgrade to their superb analog-style WR-55 which I reported on a few months ago. It is housed in the same Natural Cherry ported wooden cabinet and shares the same powerful amplifier of the WR-55 but includes a digital interface with all of the features of today’s modern radios adding FM Stereo, HD reception, RDS and Remote Control. I’ll put the two radios side-by-side to compare them for you.
Read the Sangean HDR-19 Review:
Best Radios With Shortwave
Tecsun S-2200X World Band Radio $372
The new S-2200X uses the same cabinet as its predecessor but is entirely redesigned and greatly upgraded. This radio is feature-rich, functions well as a desktop or large portable and has a very nice overall feel with great sound. It is the grandad of today’s multiband portable radios.
See it at Amazon: (When Available)
Read the Tecsun S-2200X Review:
Tecsun PL-990X $269.99 at Amazon:
Outside the US get it from Anon-co.com
Tecsun’s little brother of the larger S-2200X, this mid-sized portable features excellent reception and is fully featured including Bluetooth, MP3 playback, flexible external antenna capabilities along with top performance and great sound.
Sangean ATS-909X2 AM/LW/FM/SW/Air Radio $233.73
Sangean’s ATS-909X2 is the third generation of their well-known series of top-of-the-line multiband portable radios. The immediate predecessor was the ATS-909X which replaced the earlier ATS-909. Each upgraded version has represented an evolution of performance and features and the current ATS-909X2 is no exception. This attractive radio has nice ergonomics and a quality feel which we’ve come to expect from Sangean.
Read the Sangean ATS-909X2 Review:
Eton Field/Field BT $128
The Eton Elite Field (formerly the Field BT) is a large portable with good AM and excellent FM/SW reception, FM RDS, Bluetooth and big radio sound. There is no keypad but there are 50 Memories and other features to make tuning fairly easy. Best sound multi-bander at this price.
Best Smaller Radios With Shortwave
Qodosen DX-286 – $89.99
The Qodosen SR-286 and DX-286 (the US Version) have caused a sensation in the radio community. Utilizing the automotive TEF-6686 DSP chip it offers extremely high/trend setting performance along with an unprecedented amount of user control. For radio enthusiasts this radio allows much more access to various settings than other radios but the payoff is amazing performance. It includes a hard carrying case, cloth carry bag, a short USB charging cable, printed Owner’s Manual and two 18650 Li-ion cells.
See it at Amazon (With 2 Batteries)
Read the Qodoesn DX-286 Review:
XHDATA/Sihuadon D-808 AM/LW/FM/SW/SSB Radio $103.00
The D-808 has become a favorite in the Ultralight class of radios, featuring impressive overall performance in its size category and at a relatively modest price. Feels solid and also includes SSB.
Read the XHDATA/Sihuadon D-808 Review:
Tecsun PL-330 $79.98 See it at Amazon
The small P-330 is a top performer in its category, besting many similar sized radios of a few years ago. It includes SSB as well. Read The PL-330 Review:
Also see the Tecsun PL-320 – Similar to PL-330 above but no SSB. $59.99
Sihuadon R-108 (Formerly the Radiwow R-108): $59.90
Another popular compact is the R-108, little brother of Sihuadon’s D-808. which compares with the Tecsun PL-320 above. World band reception, nice sound but no SSB.
C.Crane Skywave 2 $89.99 – Very compact but with more bands than most radios including AM/FM/SW/Air Band and NOAA Weather. A true traveler’s companion.
C.Crane Skywave SSB 2 $179.99 – Same as above with a great accessories package and the addition of SSB – Single Sideband which lets you listen to HAMS. The “Swiss Army Knife” of radios.
Eton Elite Traveler/Traveler III $84.75 – Great AM reception for the price, FM RDS plus shortwave.
XHDATA D-109WB AM/LW/SW/FM/Weather Band With Bluetooth & SD Card Reader $48.90
Another XHDATA wonder which performs better than its price would suggest. AM/FM/SW with very good reception, keypad entry, Bluetooth and SD card playback along with very full audio at this size…another great value from XHDATA.
Pocket and Earbud Portables
There are two types of pocket portables – those that are primarily used with earbuds like the old Sony Walkmen, and those which are primarily used with their speakers like truly vintage pocket portables. The earbud portables are generally higher performing and more expensive. They may or may not have a speaker but they generally have a digital display, provide FM stereo through the earbuds and use the earbud wire as their FM antenna. The traditional portables have a whip antenna for FM and are mono.
Earbud Models:
Sangean DT-800 AM/FM/Weather – $64.83
Sangean’s full-featured earbud/speaker portable has many features and top performance in this category:
Sangean DT-160 $42.99 Use with earbuds – Excellent FM performance and a real bargain.
Sangean DT-210 AM/FM Pocket Portable $42.76 Smallest Of This Group but has top performance and great sound.
C.Crane CC Pocket $64.99 Use primarily with earbuds but includes a built-in utility grade speaker. Solid all-around performance.
Traditional Pocket Portables
Sangean SR-35 $24.32 Pocket portable with great FM sound thru its speaker along with very good AM/FM reception – kind of amazing actually.
Complete Pocket Portables Review:
Panasonic RF-P50D $18.00 The RF-P50D is a good all around pocket portable with good reception and easy tuning.
Review Upcoming.
Prunus J-166 $9.97 The J-166 had good AM/FM reception and middle of the road audio, not muffled and not thin…similar to Sony ICF-P27 but a a rock bottom price. Has Battery and Tuning LEDs.
Review Upcoming
Table Radios –
These run on AC power and are generally left in one place, such as a family room or den. They range from pricey with top quality sound and features to smaller mono units that still sound very good for their size and can fill an average room with pleasing audio .
Sangean WR-50/WR-50P $145.27 (Mono) / $195.09 (Stereo) – FM RDS, Bluetooth and Remote Control. The best sounding table radio I’ve heard…looks and sounds like a small component system. Very impressive quality.
See The WR-50P At Amazon (Stereo Version)
See The WR-50 At Amazon (Mono Version)
Sangean WR-55 AM/FM Table Radio – AM/FM/Aux/Bluetooth $154.73
The WR-55 features a lighted rotary tuning dial and a Tuning/Mode LED indicator. It is an advanced design with performance that is surprising in some ways.
Sangean RCR-40 AM/FM RDS Stereo Radio – $133.99
The RCR-40 is more than a typical clock radio – it is a combination of clock radio and high performance, compact stereo table radio. It offers excellent performance in typical Sangean tradition and a remote control.
Internet Radios:
Internet radios can open up a new world of listening by letting you stream content sorted by Genre, Country, Podcasts etc, using Aggregator software that makes searching for stations easy, plus you can optionally use a smart phone to program and control the radio. Internet radios are also a solution for locations where off-air reception is not available or satisfactory.
Sangean WFR-39 Internet Radio – $99.48
The WFR-39 is fairly small, yet it offers full-sounding audio and battery portability and is loaded with all the features of an up-to-date WiFi Internet streaming device including the ability to be programmed from your phone all at a very reasonable price.
CC WiFi 3 Internet Radio – $119.99
The C. Crane CC WiFi 3 includes a Clock, Bluetooth and Remote Control. Mono unit but with Stereo Line Out and Earphone jacks and enhanced WiFi sensitivity with an external antenna if needed. The optional Skytune app lets you find and customize your station lists.
Sangean WFR-32 Stereo Internet Table Radio – $141.99
The Sangean WFR-32 Stereo Internet Table Radio externally it resembles the RCR-40 Stereo Table radio but it is a dedicated Internet/WiFi device offering a wealth of capabilities for those who want easy access to everything other than regular AM and FM stations. It’s list of features is long and sound quality is excellent.
Sangean HDT-20 AM/FM/HD Component Tuner – $187.37
The HDT-20 is the only component HD tuner anywhere near its price. Day Sequerra is the primary alternative and their models begin at ten times the price of the HDT-20. Most HD radios can feed an audio output to an external amplifier, but there are specific advantages of a component style HD tuner. The HDT-20 is designed to easily interface with any home audio or audio/video setup with standard RCA Line Out jacks along with SPDIF Optical and Digital outputs for maximum connection flexibility. And of course, overall performance is top tier.
Special Purpose Radios
Sangean U4 Rugged Jobsite Radio $156.89 – Versatile power options include built-in AC, external 12 volts or D cells, either regular or rechargeable…includes FM RDS, Weather Band & Bluetooth. A strong player which can fill large or noisy areas – very rugged construction.
Sangean MMR-99 Emergency Radio $119.99 – Better sound and reception than most and this one has all the most wanted features including solar and crank power and the ability to charge your cell phone in a very cute brick-like shape.
C.Crane CC Solar BT $99.95 – C. Crane has upgraded their CC Solar to the CC Solar BT with the addition of Bluetooth. Features include 3 AM bandwidths, High Power amp mode, and it can run on AA’s or internal rechargeable battery – many unique features and great reception.
Read the CC Radio Solar BT Review:
XHDATA D-608WB Emergency Radio – $39.98
The folks at XHDATA have come up with a top performing Emergency radio with all the usual features and a few unusual ones as well, such as both a beam flashlight and a general room light…even an attention-getting SOS Alarm siren. Bluetooth, SD Card playback and shortwave are thrown in too! Reception and sound are very good and overall this radio belies its rock bottom price.
Antennas & Great Gift Ideas
Grundig/Kaito/Tecsun AN-100/AN-200 Loop Antenna – $35 varies from time to time and brand to brand. Very cool-looking and best Bang-For-The-Buck Antenna for AM Lovers – Several versions but all work identically. Can transform a mediocre radio into a sensitivity champ with a direct connection or with no connecting wires. Just place it next to the radio and hear those weaker stations pop in! AM loops are staples of serious AM hobbyists and this one is a bargain.
Terk AM Advantage: $49.99 – Long available the Terk is elegant and very well made and features a calibrated dial to let you know where you are tuned.
Sangean ATN-60 Shortwave Antenna $14.00 – For SW listeners one of these 23 foot reel-up antennas can greatly improve reception over the built-in whip antenna. This one is very flexible as it can connect directly to the Aux Antenna input on radios that have one, or you can clip it right to the whip antenna for radios that don’t. See It On Amazon:
As always feel free to send me questions.
radiojayallen 
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