Sangean WFR-20 WiFi Internet Radio & Media Player
by Sangean
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List Price: Our Price: $224.36 You Save: $74.64 (25%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $156.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sangean WFR-20 WiFi Internet Radio & Media Player
Customer Review: You Will Become Addicted
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased my WFR20 11 months ago. I loved it from the start. It's a solid feeling, well constructed device that has some heft to it. I did not purchase for the sound quality but was pleasantly surprised that it sounded so rich for such a small box. The Reciva website makes it fairly easy to search for and add stations which you can then access directly on the radio. I mainly use it to listen to talk radio from around the world. It also works well streaming mp3 files from a PC. Works well with .m3u playlists (create your own party mix!).
At first I didn't like the single knob but now think it is quite ingenious. My 76yr old Mother operates the radio without any problems; there was a learning curve but she likes her British talk station LBC, London so much she got the hang of it pretty quick. Speaking of my Mom, she liked my radio so much I ordered her one of her own so she can listen to it in bed at night (great way to drift off).
You can listen to just about any talk show host even those not in your local market...ie, Ed Schultz, Thom Hartman, Mike Malloy, etc... In addition, there are plenty of commercial free music stations available also (they take a bit of finding but they are out there).
The WFR20 is the 'close cousin' USA version of the Roberts WM201. Roberts supports the WM201 in the UK while Sangean the WFR20 here in the USA. Speaking of which, Sangean just released a firware update to add some new features (ie, signal strength meter). If you search for 'Sangean' on the Reciva community forums you can get more details into the firmware upgrade(s).
I hope internet radio catches on here in the USA. I feel it is sort of a hidden treasure only I know about. My radio gets constant daily use of at least 4 hours a day.
If you're on the fence and love radio or want an expanded view of the world get this radio.
Customer Review: Superb Radio
Summary: 5 Stars
I set up this radio a few days ago. Setup and operation are reasonably intuitive. One minor criticism would involve the flimsiness of the remote control (very typical of many current products) and the use of a single know on the radio to operate the whole thing.
This radio enables you to access thousands of radio stations and sound streams located all around the world. I use if for favorite French and Spanish stations, as well as local stations that typically are received poorly. All come in with flawless digital fidelity, although sound levels will vary and volume adjustments have to be made.
Although it is possible to dowload lists of stations and manually sift though them on the radio, I would recommend using the Reciva web site to search for stations and then upload these choices directly to your radio. (I did crash the radio at first while trying to download a list of over 3000 stations originating in the US.) The Reciva site makes this rather easy to do, although the site could benefit from some redesign. Thanks to Reciva suggestions, I have discovered several great stations.
Radio fidelity is good given the small speakers, but I use the line output fed directly into a sound system. The line output does not mute the radio, so it is necessary to turn the volume down. Sound quality through the sound system is great.
Altogether, the radio is well designed and the menu system becomes easily understood after a few tries. I use a wifi connection, but the radio can also be connected directly to a router through an ethernet cable.
If you are a radio fan (as I am), this is the one to own.
Customer Review: Sangean WFR-20 WIFI Woes
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought one Sangean WFR-20 Internet Radio for my wife and one for my brother for Christmas. My brother took his out of the box, entered the Verizon Fios router key, and was listening to stations from around the USA immediately.
My wife took her radio out of the box and couldn't figure out how to set it up. So I read through the instructions and proceeded to attempt WIFI connection to my new Linksys N Ultra Range Plus router. The router uses a WPA/WPA2 encrypted key, which I managed to tweedle into the WFR-20 after some fiddling around with one and only radio knob.
Each time I entered the router key into the WFR-20, the radio scanned for the router and told me that I had entered the wrong key. I reviewed the troubleshooting information in the manual, checked my router settings, reset the router once and the Internet radio multiple times. It just won't work.
I purchased both Sangean radios from Amazon.com, which sent one device from a major music store. The other device had a mailing label that had an Amazon.com return address. Although they were purchased through Amazon.com, the radios apparently did not originate from the same seller. I can only wonder if my radio is rebuilt or defective.
I eventually was able to hook up my wife's radio to the router via an Ethernet cable. However, this defeats the purpose of being able to have the radio in another area of the house. Taking all things into consideration, it is easier to use a netbook PC to listen to Internet radio that use the Sangean radio.
Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!
Customer Review: Outstanding radio
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been a radio "nut" since I built my first crystal radio when I nine years old. Since then, I've become an amateur radio operator, worked as a maintainer for aircraft radios, and been a shortwave listener for years.
That's my "radio" background.
So what about this Sangean WFR-20 wifi radio?
I've had my radio for a few weeks now and I am very pleased. Set up was accomplished in minutes. It's user friendly even if you have the slightest aptitude for computers/radios etc. Nothing tricky at all.
Now I can receive, in clear digital audio, 30,000 radio programs from all over the world. No static, no drift, no radio buzz if my neighbor decides to use his electric saw. Searching for stations is easy through the decision tree on the display, i.e., locale, genre, my stations etc. Pick one and go through the stations.
In addition, I've programmed, via the easy to use Reciva site, all my favorite talk shows, news programs, music stations. I found excellent stations I never heard of before.
You have to get used to the one dial set up. That takes about 30 seconds to figure out. Big whoopie. The only "negative" I can come up with is that the "tree" you go through to get from one station to another is a little awkward, but no big deal at all.
The radio is convenient enough for me to use it in the basement, in the kitchen, outside in my workshop. Comes in great everywhere on my property.
I don't know about other brands of wifi radio, but I do know that I really like my radio a lot. Should have bought one earlier.
Customer Review: Very pleased with purchase
Summary: 4 Stars
I was a long time shortwave listener as I liked to listen to broadcasts from around the country and world - needed perspective. As shortwave stations died, I kept looking for a replacement that would work well on a bed side table, where I tend to listen to radio most often - early morning, late at night. The Sangean WFR-20 Wi-Fi Internet Radio admirably fits the requirement - while not perfect it more that meets my needs. It is a pleasure to listen to distant broadcasts without static and crackle.
As others have noted, the setup is straight forward assuming you had some hand in setting up your existing Wi-Fi system. I find the sound quality to be very good considering the units size and if you want better sound quality, just plug in a set of good quality headphones and listen to high bit rate broadcasts - you will think you are in a concert hall.
My nit picks are again as noted by others and have to do with the controls - they are functional but not the easiest to use. I too wish there were more than 6 presets for easy selection of stations but the "My Stations" which you set up on the Reciva web site, is certainly a good way to partially fix this problem.
I suspect the key to ensuring that you will enjoy your purchase, is to sample the radio stations on the Reciva Radio web site, on your Wi-Fi network (that you will use the radio) - if stations work without dropouts and you like the choices, you will be at least satisfied with the radio. If your needs are similar to mine, I highly recommend this radio.