Sangean intros WFR-20 tabletop WiFi radio

It's been nearly a year since we've heard from Sangean, but the company is hitting back with a swank new WiFi internet radio that's shaped a good deal like its past units. The WFR-20 offers up "direct access to over 6,000 Internet Radio stations (and 21,242 on-demand streams) in 250 locations from 60 genres," and you can organize your favorites in the My Stations folder. Additionally, it's designed to operate with or without a PC, and if you have a networked computer nearby with Windows Media Player, you can have "full access to your digital media library using the UPnP Server." Furthermore, you'll find a three-line display, four alarms, an aux input, dual five-watt speakers, and a wireless remote to boot, but there's no word on a price or release date just yet.

[Thanks, Larry]

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 18th 2007 8:13AM]

Not bad looking.

I have yet to hear a decent sounding HD table radio yet though.

Cool concept, interesting features, but HD Radio suffers from being the weakest launch of anything ever.

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 18th 2007 8:14AM]

sorry about the dual "yet"s.

[Rick LaBanca @ Sep 18th 2007 9:18AM]

It's not an HD radio is it? Maybe if it was both HD and wifi it would be cool.

But it's disappointing that both HD and wifi radios are so overpriced.

Plus look at this thing. All that room and no handy preset type buttons?

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 18th 2007 9:25AM]

You know, I completely misread that.

Who doesn't like WiFi?

Jebus, I suck! :(

Sorry everyone.

Sorry.

[qubito @ Sep 18th 2007 8:15AM]

Looks alot like the Roberts WM201 radio - http://www.robertsradio.co.uk/pages/wm201.html - available in the UK now for some time and based on the reciva platform.

[J8 @ Sep 18th 2007 8:37AM]

Well I have no Windows PC running Media Player. So I'm out for this one: http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/13/freecoms-musicpal-wifi-radio-now-on-pre-order/#comments

[Dennis @ Sep 18th 2007 9:03AM]

"direct access to over 6,000 Internet Radio stations (and 21,242 on-demand streams) in 250 locations from 60 genres,"

good luck navigating those on a screen like that

[Chris @ Sep 18th 2007 7:40PM]

Why not?
I quite happily navigate that exact same list on my Reciva based Logik WIFI radio.
Its no different than the way in which an Ipod works navigation wise, you pick the genre by scrolling through a list, click the select option (by pressing in the same scroll wheel), you get a list of stations playing that type of music.
Hardly difficult at all even with 3 line display, unless you are some sort of retard

[Clayton Scott @ Sep 18th 2007 12:44PM]

The WM-201 by Roberts is our Radio labeled exclusively in the UK under the Roberts label. Sangean has been a proud designer and manufacture for many Roberts products over the years.

Well, the list of stations can easilly be navigated actually. It is quite easy from the unit, but as you say it can get tiring to search ALL of them. You caon log onto a website (Reciva) and navigate that way, then send it to your radio for future use.

And I was using the UPnP to listen to my some 3000 song bank and it worked flawlessly. It is a good sounding radio, and sounds even better when you use the line-out to plug in a seperate amplified subwoofer. . . It will blow your mind the volume and sound this little radio puts out.

(In case none of you got it by now I work for Sangean.)

[FMonk @ Sep 18th 2007 1:40PM]

Please invest in some product design. I like the quality of your products, but I can't justify paying over $100 for something that look like it was thrown together with parts from 80s and 70s.

[Clayton Scott @ Sep 18th 2007 2:08PM]

I think that the design is perfect. But alas, they are a Eurpoean style than many Americans just don't appreciate. Not to say you are not capable of appreciating it. As for preset buttons, you don't really need them. 90% of the control will be from the remote with which you have single button access to your presets.

[tuna @ Sep 18th 2007 2:28PM]

Clayton,

Not to antagonize you, but labeling something as "European design" simply doesn't make it aethetically excellent. I'm not talking about functionality here. I'm talking about the way the product looks. I'm talking about first impressions before a finger even touches a button, and I don't need to elaborate on the importance of first impressions in the field of consumer goods. If I hadn't read several favorable reviews online I would have never bothered to checkout Sangean's HD radio. A the price range your products are in, your target audience cares about the form factor. I've been an advertising art director for over 12 years. When I'm spending $200 for a radio, I want it to be stylish and functional. Take this as a feedback and opportunity to improve your products and business. You gain nothing by being defensive and it projects a negative impression onto the Sangean brand. Look at Tivoli, despite quality issues, their stuff sells. Sangean has the quality and it has an opportunity to be even greater.

[Clayton Scott @ Oct 26th 2007 6:46PM]

I understand your concern and we do take these opportunities to get feedback. In fact, I am the one that takes them to the factory and the design team. I was merely explaining that the Eurpoean style and preference is the single button, strong remote control, wheras the average American consumer prefers as was suggested buttons.

I have already taken this information to the factory and in the next model we have already incorporated preset and other function buttons into the design, and it does look much more modern than the retro style of this particular model.

[flowerpower @ Sep 19th 2007 3:44PM]

I love Sangean. Someone needs to use some hardcore spell checker on the sangean.com website. The use of description on their products are confusing and not put together very well. They should make the website more girl-friendly.

[Ankur @ Sep 20th 2007 2:43AM]

I dont know about the sound quality of this thing but the Roku Soundbridge Radio looks much better in my opinion and since i have one i know it sounds great.

[mahdi bibak @ Sep 27th 2007 8:43AM]

mahdi bibak

[Gagarin Miljkovich @ Oct 26th 2007 9:23AM]

Some comments about the discussion about "design" visavi "recieving prestanda".

I have been user of several of Sangean's portable FM-radios, since 15 year. The first of them has excellent and superior recieving prestanda. In the latest models it's seen like Sangean has invest more in the "design" than the radios electronic circuits. Sangean's new portable "designed" FM-radios are seen cool but have useless prestanda for recieving. They can only tune in the strongest station, and if a station is to strong it's disable tunein of other station.

In my point of view I don't want a radio with heavy cool "design" to look on. I appreciate a radio with great recieving prestanda, and use it to listen to radio.

And I like the retro design of WFR-20 WiFi-radio.