At first glance the WR-55 appears to be an ordinary AM/FM table radio but it is actually an advanced design with performance that is surprising in some ways. Its release is timed to celebrate Sangean’s 50^th Anniversary and they have designated it as a 50^th Anniversary Commemorative Edition.

Operationally the WR-55 is a simple AM/FM tabletop design with a lighted rotary analog style tuning dial, volume and tone controls, AM/FM/Aux/Bluetooth mode selector and a Tuning/Mode LED indicator. One hint at its super audio capabilities is the beefy AC power supply which delivers 19 volts at 1.8 amps.

Features & Specifications:

AM/FM/Aux/Bluetooth modes

DSP Tuner

Lighted Analog-style Dial Scale with Dimmer

Loudness (always on) & Tone Control (Knob)

Aux Input 1/8” Stereo Mini-jack

Headphone Output 1/8” Stereo Mini-jack

USB C Power Output for charging external devices

External AM Antenna Input (Screws)

Color LED Tune/BT/Aux Indicator – Yellow-Blue-Green

Acoustically Tuned Ducted Port Wooden Case

Low Noise Switching Power Adapter 19 Volts/1.8 Amps Center Pin Positive

Audio Output Power 15 Watts Main/10 Watts Tweeter

Dimensions (Approx: 10 1/2″ L x 6 ” W x 6 1/2″ H

Checking It Out: Sangean is one of the largest manufacturers of radios and offers many excellent quality portable and table radios in various configurations and price points. The WR-55 seems like a typical model but as I got to know the radio, it became apparent that some very clever designs went into it. But before I go into some of them, I will tell you right here that this radio was designed for sound. As I initially tuned around on FM I was impressed (I should say surprised) at the power of its audio…this thing can play loudly…I mean really loudly…it can be driven to very high volume with little sense of distortion.  A look at the spec sheet shows audio output power is 15 watts for the Lo/Mid (Main) speaker and 10 watts for the Tweeter…by table radio standards this is extraordinary. It is also fairly heavy for its size which would seem to indicate robust internal components and sturdy construction. We’ll take a quick look inside later.

It is also worthy of note that the radio has good tonal shaping which gives it a very full and satisfying sound quality. The loudness compensation, which is somewhat responsible for this, is non-defeatable but in everyday use I would probably keep it on most of the time. Importantly, people often overlook the fact that placement can have a profound effect on the sound…you can control how bassy the sound is by careful placement. Put it on a shelf or counter in front of a wall and you get bass boost…corner placement would emphasize this even more. But place it in a more open location such as on an end table or half-wall and the sound will be leaner. This is true for most audio devices.

I also want to talk about the innovative and unusual tone control. Almost every single-knob tone control I have seen is really a treble cut control. That is, their circuits are “normal” or “flat” when the control is at maximum, and you can reduce the treble by turning it down. (Cynical engineers sometimes refer to them as “variable muffle” controls…who says engineers don’t have a sense of humor).

But the WR-55’s tone control works differently. Odd as it sounds it acts primarily as a midrange control but just a short time playing around with it on various program sources will reveal how useful this can be. In full clockwise position the midrange is reduced to the point where you hear primarily bass and treble…audio people call this “boom and sizzle”. Vocals recede into the background but as you begin to rotate the knob counterclockwise the midrange increases and vocals become more prominent…very cool and unusual. As you continue to turn the knob counter clockwise you can make the midrange more dominant. It’s much simpler to do than it is to describe it and it’s easy to find a setting that sounds right for you. While separate bass and treble controls would be preferable this is a very unusual design and it works better than the typical single knob tone control so I give it a thumbs up.

Reception: The WR-55 is a DSP design using Silicon Labs Si4831 chip, and basic reception is very good to excellent on both AM and FM. I was impressed by its ability to pull in several very weak FM signals as well as my reference radios…FM sensitivity is excellent. AM is also quite sensitive and as good as any table radio I have tested with several weak stations rendered with good volume and low noise. There is a 6 ¼” ferrite rod of good cross section inside which helps to account for this…. few current day radios of any design have such a robust AM antenna. Also important is Sangean’s power supply which, although it is a switching design, is unlike the typical switching power supplies used for charging battery-operated radios…this one is has to allow good AM reception and thus has proper RFI suppression. As long as the wall wart itself is kept at a reasonable distance from the radio (the manual suggests 12 inches as a minimum) it allows noise-free AM reception. Sangean has proven over and over again that switching supplies can be noise free if they are properly engineered.

The only negative here is that the tuning behavior is a bit finicky. The radio is very sensitive on both bands but as I tune across strong signals there are several peaks (although the tuning LED shows when you are properly tuned). The tuner may jump to a strong signal and hop over a weaker one and, as I’ve found with other radios that exhibit this behavior, you can sometimes receive the weaker station by tuning in one direction (Up or Down) but not the other. But the good news is that if you are a bit patient while tuning you will get excellent reception. This may not be the best radio for band scanning, but table radios are usually tuned to one station and listened to for long periods, so tuning behavior is less important than eventual reception and listening quality. In other words, I’m happy with the reception for a table radio. The WR-55 ranks **** on both AM and FM. It is actually closer to **** 1/2 in sensitivity but for selectivity it ranks **** which is still excellent and better than most.

Other Things: The WR-55 has some nice extra features. Although it is a mono radio it has a stereo earphone jack so you can use your stereo earbuds…it drove several earbuds I have on hand to good levels but it’s not a good match for lower impedance or lower efficiency earphones. The dial is brightly lit and there is a dimmer knob on the back which goes all the way from full on to off if needed. The Aux input, USB Type C charging socket and AM Antenna Screws are nice additions. The multi-color LED acts as a tuning indicator and is green on AM and orange on FM. In Bluetooth mode it is blue and in Aux it is green…nice! The Bluetooth functioned as you would expect and things sounded great in that mode.

A quick look inside shows why Sangean is well-justified labelling this as a “Premium” radio. In addition to that large ferrite rod, every aspect of the design is first class for a table radio. The speaker has a large, heavy magnet and is powered by a powerful STA540 amplifier chip and massive heat sink which together provide a total of 25 watts to power the two drivers…this is just unheard of in typical table radios. The J-shaped tube on the back panel is a ducted port which allows for enhanced bass performance. There is a metal shield adjacent to the speaker magnet – Sangean explained to me that this is a ground panel which enhances FM reception…this is something I’ve never seen before and shows great attention to detail. It appears that Sangean took no shortcuts with their 50^th Anniversary Commemorative WR-55.

Pricing Info: The MSRP is $249.99 but I have seen the Amazon price fluctuating between that and $159.99…I don’t know if it will settle at one price or continue to change as it has just become available.

Conclusion: The Sangean WR-55 is one of the best performing table radios I have seen. Although it lacks stereo it otherwise represents the best build quality and performance you will find in a table radio. Congratulations to Sangean for 50 years and thanks for another wonderful radio!

Jay Allen   

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