Sangean H201 AM/FM Digital Shower Radio
by Sangean
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List Price: Our Price: $59.99 You Save: $39.01 (39%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $52.79 (click here) Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sangean H201 AM/FM Digital Shower Radio
Customer Review: A Great Shower Radio
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the Sangean AM/FM Digital Shower Radio about two months ago. Previously I have owned the Sony ICFS79W Weather Digital Shower radio and it worked well for me for about six years, but the top of the radio was made out of a material that cracked over time and the radio simply wore out. I had it hung from the shower door when I owned it.
When I was researching radios I knew I wanted something different than the Sony, simply because the Sony wore out too quickly for my taste. The review here is comparing the Sangean radio to the Sony since this is my only frame of reference. This review also must take into account that I have only owned the radio for two months.
I purchased the Sangean radio based on the reviews on Amazon. In the photo the radio looks cheap but when it arrived I was surprised at the size of the radio and the weight. This is a substantial unit. I liked the sleek design and I really liked the wall hanging attachment that was included. I mounted the radio up above my head and next to the shower head because the vents in the speaker point down and I thought that this would provide me with better sound.
The radio was easy to program. The buttons are sturdy and feel like they will last longer than the Sony. The radio is intuitive to use and there are five presets for AM and five for FM. Since I am a creature of habit the radio is usually on one preset station. The only minor complaint I have is that when you turn on the radio the clock is not present and there is no way to tell what time it is. I can turn off the radio and the clock immediately comes on.
The sound is also more substantial than the Sony. It has a deeper base sound and for one speaker produces a pretty nice sound for the shower. The volume buttons (there is an up and down) work well and it is easy to find a setting loud enough to be heard over the shower and quiet enough not to wake up the rest of the house.
The only thing I did not understand is the light on the side of the radio. It is like a miniature miner's helmet light and in the shower it really serves no purpose. I imagine if you took this radio out on a boat it could come in handy some way. This radio also comes with a strap, which I attached, and you could theoretically hang it over the shower. I simply mounted the radio on the included wall mounting unit so the strap itself is redundant to me.
I would highly recommend this radio to anyone looking for a solid, well-built and nice sounding system.
Customer Review: Great quality...built for long term use
Summary: 5 Stars
I love having a radio in my shower & I used to have the shower/CD/radio from The Sharper Image. It was okay, but it just stopped working after about 6 months of use. I was disappointed because it was expensive ($100) & didn't seem to have the staying power I was hoping for. I had put the Sony ICFS79W shower radio on my Christmas wishlist & didn't get it. That was a blessing in disguise because I ended up doing a bit of research on this product & bought this one when I didn't get the Sony. All I can say is this is a great product. If you're doing research on which one to buy, I can tell you I've done a ton of research - GET THIS ONE! =)
Like the other reviews indicate, this product "feels" like quality. It's definitely a solid build & seems built to last. The reception is pretty good, but I do think that reception will depend more on your location than the radio. I live in a hilly portion of Southern California so it's "hit & miss", but I get all the stations I like. The sound is great & it's pretty much what I expected from a shower radio.
There are a couple of bonus features that I'd really like to point out: 1) A lit display that displays the time when you're not tuning the radio 2) A timer feature - You can turn the radio on & set the timer (with the push of a single button) to turn the radio off automatically. You can set it to countdown to whatever time frame you'd like. This is great if you're using it in the shower/bathroom while you're getting ready. You can just "set it & forget it" 3) The handle on the back - it rotates out of the back & is perfect for hanging over a shower rod (you don't have to remove or adjust the shower curtain rod - simply rotate the handle over it & you're set) 4) Lastly, Sangean is labeling this as "waterproof" & "it floats" - to me, this is a sign of quality that they're standing behind their product & also that it's meant to get wet. You can take it to the beach or even on the boat & you'll be good to go.
Overall, this is a great radio for the shower or for taking to the beach/on a boat/outdoors. There are a lot of reviews & the average (at the time of this writing) was 4 1/2 stars - it's for good reason.
Customer Review: Best quality you can find; solid and built to last a lifetime
Summary: 5 Stars
The first thing I noticed when this arrived was how solidly it was packaged, and then how solid and slick the plastic is. It is compact, but for it's size it was far heavier than I expected. Most electronics today are flimsy, and this it definitely not flimsy. It reminded me how sturdy things used to be made; it wasn't long before I realized it was not overpriced at all. It feels like there is no hollow space inside, and it's light enough I mounted it onto the wall without concern to stud placement.
My 13 yr old told me this was her favorite Christmas gift last year (no joke). The sound quality is impeccable. I have never needed the antenna (soft wire type - stores neatly in the battery compartment); glad it doesn't have the chrome telescoping type that breaks off easily. Ours is mounted in the center of the house, and we haven't taken the antenna out; I'm happy it's out of sight. It looks very modern and upscale.
I am frankly amazed how long the batteries last; the (2) D-size batteries last 7 months, and that's with at least 1-hour per day usage (loud); I am underestimating as we actually use it a lot more than that. We use it at the park, lake, on picnics, while gardening, in the garage, on the patio, camping, track meets etc.
I think the only feature they should have included is an alarm clock. The siren/alert is very loud (for safety), and it would have been a very effective sound for an alarm clock. Since they included a sleep timer it would be a selling point. The bright built-in flashlight is also a nice bonus for this radio. I always know if the power goes out all the flashlights in the house will be lost or dead, so this is what I intend to use in an emergency. It is a thoughtful safety feature.
At first I felt this was a bit pricey, but I challenge you to find a model with comparable features at this level of quality; this is the most solid piece of electronics I have owned in all my life, no exaggeration. This is worth every penny, and more. I was a Sony loyalist, but today I am searching for other Sangean products. I am hopeful they sell an alarm clock.
Hey if it makes a teenage girl happy, it's got to be great, right?
Customer Review: Great reception - sounds good - well built
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this radio to replace the Sony ICF-S79V. I liked the Sony, but the top skin covering the buttons broke down over time and rendered it inoperable. Previous to wearing out, the Sony was replaced under warranty for an issue with the top skin coming off and causing inoperable buttons as well.
Lest you think this is a review of the Sony, I will now describe the Sangean's strengths and weaknesses relative to the Sony. To wit, the Sangean doesn't sound as good, but it's decent. I am a veteran audiophile and musician and I can live with it happily. It just has a smaller speaker than the Sony and it shows in the overall timbre as being weaker on the bottom end. But then again, I had no illusions of this being anything but a radio for the shower, and what sound is there is pleasant enough. The speaker grille is louvered to protect the speaker element from water coming in a downward direction and this directs the sound downward, as well. For best sound, mount the radio at or above ear level (although I didn't as I wanted my children to be able to reach it).
Reception is almost as good as my GE Superadio III. That's saying alot. There is no suction cup included for the rubber coated flexible wire antenna (as the Sony has), but the Sangean is more forgiving about antenna positioning, so not a huge deal. I can just let it hang and still pick up the weakest Christian radio stations in my mountainous area. Pretty impressive.
The perceived build quality is way better than the Sony, so I feel like the higher price was justified. It just seems like it was built to last.
Other likes:
> the momentary backlighting
> the large numerals on the display
> the mounting plate that allows easy removal
> has enough volume and high frequency detail
to be heard over my blow dryer (barely)
Bottom line: If there's a better shower radio out there, I'd sure like to know about it. Until then, I'll be quite happy with the Sangean.
Customer Review: Sangean Shower Radio
Summary: 4 Stars
Overall I am satisfied with this purchase and would buy it again. This is the 2nd Sangean radio I've purchased and both have met or exceeded my expectations but they are not cheap. You pretty much get what you pay for.
This radio has a solid feel, nothing flimsy about it and I like the way that the handle rotates down to hide in the back. This radio has good sound for the size, no complaints, but it is not great. This is not a boom box so you are not going to hear it across the backyard but it fills a room nicely. It is great for the bathroom and can be heard over the shower.
I like the digital controls with the station presets. It would be nice to have more than 5 per band but for me that is a minor fault.
The radio has reasonable reception even with the antenna stowed away. When the antenna is extended the reception is very good. Note, the antenna is not the telescoping type but is a wire that is stowed near the battery compartment when not in use. In some ways this is less convenient but on the other hand it is easier to hide the extended antenna. For use in the bath or bedroom I personally like this style antenna better than the telescoping type.
The built in single white LED flashlight is reasonably bright and will come in handy in an emergency or camping. There is also an alarm siren that emits a piercing sound but ... why? Perhaps to annoy the cat.
The radio has a clock, a convenient timer, and an auto off sleep timer but no built in alarm clock. This isn't really a travel radio but for car camping trips I plan on bringing it and an alarm clock would potentially be useful but that is a minor fault.
For me this is a nice portable that is good for Bath, bedroom, kitchen, and listening to ball games in the garage.