Boasting an acoustically balanced wooden enclosure and an enhanced front-firing 3-inch speaker, the Sangean WR-2 tabletop radio offers the sound and features of a living room system in a cabinet that fits conveniently in a bedroom, kitchen, or garage. Any discussion of the WR-2 begins with its walnut-finished wooden housing, which is rich in both appearance and tone. The cabinet's front surface features the speaker on the left side, a series of intuitively placed control buttons toward the bottom, and a generously sized LCD display in the middle with three brightness levels. More importantly, the cabinet teams with the 7-watt amplifier and the acoustic bass compensation system to add warmth and depth to the audio. Complementing the housing is Sangean's advanced RF/IF electronic circuitry, which picks up distant AM and FM stations and reproduces them with unmatched clarity, making music and even talk programs come alive. Even though the WR-2 is advertised as an AM/FM radio, it offers much more than a standard digital tuner, including a Radio Data System (RDS) that displays short text messages on applicable FM stations, along with support for the Enhanced Other Network (EON) and its traffic information (available in certain regions). And unlike most tabletop radios, the WR-2 lets listeners adjust the treble and bass levels via the variable volume control. In its default mode, the rotary volume knob displays the volume level from 1 to 60. Tap it once, however, and it turns into a full-range treble control, and two taps creates a full-range bass control. Additional features include a clock with an alarm (radio or buzzer), an auxiliary input jack for connecting such devices as an iPod or MP3 player (both of which sound great through the speaker), a recording output jack, 10 memory presets that help you quickly find your favorite stations, and a full-featured infrared remote control.
A final bonus stems from the power backup function, which plays the radio for six minutes during a power failure (ideal for emergencies) and retains the memory preset and clock values for about an hour. The WR-2 measures roughly 9.5 by 4.5 by 6 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 5.5 pounds.
What's in the Box
WR-2 tabletop radio, detachable power cord, infrared remote control, user's manual.
