Sangean DT-200X FM-Stereo AM/FM Digital Tuning Personal Receiver
by Sangean
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List Price: Our Price: $43.26 You Save: $6.73 (13%) Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sangean DT-200X FM-Stereo AM/FM Digital Tuning Personal Receiver
Customer Review: Sangean 200V and 210V , the best "walkmen" ever made, by anybody, ever
Summary: 5 Stars
Ieir units will continue to be available for me. (2) to address some comm am posting this on both the DT-200V and 210V sites, as it relates to both. I am writing for several reasons. (1) Sangean makes the best "walkman" ever made by any company ever, and I want to help make sure thents made by other reviewers. (3) to comment on 200 vs. 210 features. (4) Please note that I commute primarily by bicycle, sometimes motorcycle, so my needs are not those of most. And even though I protect itas much as possible, in a pouch on a fanny-pack belt (except when I'm at work or in the steam room), it nevertheless is probably exposed to environmental extremes more than most (like steam heat and salt air).
(1) I first bought the 200V years ago (8 or 10, I think), when it was the first to have AM/FM/TV audio, and I found it to be one of those rare examples where so much attention is paid to detail, but in design and manufacturing, that the product actually does MORE than you expected (more below) (2) Others have discussed AM reception, but my bigger concern is FM reception. I found that I can be in my gym n Santa Monica, surrounded by all the electronics, dial in a weak FM NPR station in Pasadena, and bring it in loud and clear in stereo, no problem; with the other Brands, either I'd have to switch to Mono, or the station wouldn't come in at all; ditto for other areas where good reception is difficult. I've been spoiled. (3) One reviewer said Sangean was the only one who made this type. Actually, in the first couple of years I tried other brands,including Sony, Aiwa, Radio Shack (et al.), and not one came even close to Sangean in quality (reception, sound qualilty, ease of use), notwithstanding their names (4) Another reviewer complained that his "died" after "only" 2 1/2 years. Mine also had to be replaced every 2 1/2 to 3 years. Given the abuse I put it through, I think that's great. Moreover, Sangean has this incredible "out of warranty" replacement program. Basically, every few years,I have replaced the one I bought retail with a brand new one, for a fraction of the price. (5) I discovered, through playing around with it, pluses that Sangean never even mentioned. One example (there are several): All other units, when setting the pre-sets, no matter how many you have already set, when you do the next one, the counter starts at 1, so you have to hit the button twice, then three times, then four, and so on, and repeat to the last preset, and then again for each band. Sangean is smart enough to know you already set #5 (for example) and doesn't make you start over. One more example(and them I'll let you discover for yourself). Re the 4 front buttons on the 200V that I use most, each is contoured, with a raised edge on a different side, making it extraordinarily easy to feel which button I'm touching, with no need to take the unit out and look at it. Try that with any other brand. (6) Finally, as to the 200V vs. the 210v, I finally lost my 200V while bike riding (my pouch wasn't securely closed), went to the website, found out about the 210V, which seemed like an upgrade and ordered it, only to exchange it. Overall it is improved, but not for me. While the 210V has 30 presets, vs. 19 for the 200V, the 30 are divided up, 10 per band, and to change bands you have to hit a separate button. On the 200, I have the 19 set up with the first 7 on TV, then most on FM, then a few on AM, so if I need to change from 107.5 FM to TV Channel 4 because it's time for Law and Order, I can easily do so, without lookingwhile riding,, just by reaching down, Unlocking, &hitting Memory a few times, cycling from one station to the one I want, regardless of band all in literally 1-2 seconds. The only negative for me is the 1-hr. automatic shutoff on the 200V; on the 210, you can disable it. I like that, but nothing's perfect. I do not own stock in Sangean, but I cannot stop singing their praises. I personally prefer the 200 over the 210, but either one is superior to any supposedly-comparable "walkman" made by anyone else. Buy one (or two), and then tell your friends.
Customer Review: Sangean DT-200X Impressions
Summary: 5 Stars
Please Notice that this review is for the DT-200X, which replaces the DT-200VX, as it doesn't have a TV tuner anymore.
I just got this from FedEx about an hour ago, so I'd like to just clarify some things that were unclear or incorrectly stated from other people.
Firstly, the LCD does lit up orange like the Amazon picture shows. I couldn't find written confirmation of this anywhere, so I wasn't sure. It lights up when you turn it on or push a button, and stays lit for about 10 secs.
Secondly- the presets. It must have been stated about 100 times here that when you are tuning from preset to preset you can only go in 1 direction. FLAT OUT WRONG. The "My Favorites" button acts like a toggle. Push it once to go into your presets, push TUNE UP button and you go to your next preset, push TUNE DOWN and you go to your previous preset. Push "My Favorites" again and you go back into manual tuning, which includes use of the scan feature. (Hold TUNE button for 1/2 sec and it scans to the next clear station)
Third- setting presets. Couldn't be easier. Tune to the station you want, push the MEMORY button, use the UP/ DOWN TUNE buttons to select the preset slot you want to use (1-19) and push MEMORY again.
Other Upsides:
Overall the build quality is very good. Like most people the only reason I spent $50 on a portable radio is because I expect this to last many years.
FM reception is very good. I live in an area that gets terrible reception, but the unit brought in the best stations clearly and the weaker stations moderately.
The speaker is weak in strength, but high in volume. I had it at about 3/4 up for maximum volume/ clarity. There's a toggle on the side for headphones/ speaker, so you can have your headphones plugged in for use of the antenna, but still listen to the speaker.
Downsides:
I couldn't find a way to delete presets. You can always change a preset slot to a different station, but you can't outright delete a slot so you can skip it as your flipping through your "My Favorites". It seems that only removing the battery's to reset the unit will do this.
The volume control dial is located at the top, I think it would be better on the side, so you could use your thumb for it as you hold it in one hand.
Conclusions:
Very good product, no regrets buying it.
Customer Review: Good all around radio
Summary: 5 Stars
I currently own the Sony SRF-T615 which, in my opinion,is superior mostly due to it's size. However, I purchased the Sangean because of many good reviews and I'm not disappointed. The Sony T615 can only be purchased in Japan or via websites that sell Japanese mainland products. It's about as portable as a credit card and co$tly!!!
I've read a number of reviews and I'd like to dispel a few comments.
Some folks have claimed that you can only go through the presets unidirectional. That's not true. There are up and down arrows on the front of this unit. To me, having presets is huge as I prefer to surf my favorite radio stations when commercials are run. You may think that the lack of preset buttons is inconvenient, however, I have radio controls on the steering wheel of my car and I can surf up or down. I never found this annoying. Perhaps if you actually used 19 presets then it could become painful.
Another person complained that it was difficult, at first, to program presets. If you try to deduce how to program this from trial and error he's probably correct. However, the directions are clear and if followed become intuitive. You won't have to refer back to the manual again once you learn it.
Someone else complained that the speaker was tinny. Hey, it's a pocket radio! I think the sound is decent for its size. You can easily listen to radio via the speaker. The Sony SRF-T615 has a speaker and in comparison it sounds like tin foil crinkling. The
The sound quality, the reception, the cost, the back-lighting are the best. Having owned the Sony for 3 years I'm kinda curious why Sangean can't make a smaller, thinner unit with the same great reception and sound. It takes AA batteries so that can account for it's depth. Having owned the Sony I can't really consider this a "pocket" radio. The DT-200X is over an inch thick.
Here's a website you can visit to see the Sony to which I'm comparing: audcubes2 dot com. Yes, the Sony is friggin' expensive.
This Sangean radio has made me a big fan of the company. If I were to purchase a radio in the future I'd probably buy a Sangean.
Customer Review: DT-200vX and DT-200v NOT the same radio.. 200vX review
Summary: 5 Stars
... they are NOT the same radio! More on that later.
This is a review for the DT-200vX:
This is by far the best pocket radio I've ever had, and I have had countless radios as I'm a collector. It's simply amazing.
It's very close to as sensitive and selective as the GE Superadios, the infamous CC Radio, and all of the better known MW dx portables. No it's not a Panasonic RF-2200 or Sony ICF-2010, but unlike those rigs this one fits in your pocket.
The sound quality is excellent. Through a good set of headphones this little radio really performs. Rich and full sound with good low bass response with the boost switch on. It also has enough output power to really crank out some serious volume though even less than efficient headphones (unlike most of today's wimpy Walkman types and Mp3 players). It really rocks! Even the built in speaker doesn't sound too harsh..and that's really saying something for a portable this small. It's comparable to the sound of the smaller Grundig/ Eton radios (G1000/1100 Mini 300/100 E100), if not a little more pleasant.
The 'phones that come with it leave a bit to be desired, but they are not quite as bad as the headphones that come with most portables. To fully enjoy it's quality sound you'll need better headphones, but that's kind of the way it is with anything really.
DT-200v and DT-200vX differences:
I noticed that a lot of the reviews posted here are for the older DT-200v...a great little radio, but it's not the same as the DT-200vX. They are two completely different radios.
The newer 200vX is MORE sensitive than the 200v on both AM and FM, has better sound, a backlight, bass boost, 90 min timer (not 60), up and down memory access (not just up), and better battery life.
Sangean took all we liked about the DT-200v and improved on it.
If you already own and love the DT-200v I'd highly recommend upgrading to the new and improved DT-200vX. It's well worth the price.
Customer Review: An awesome pocket radio
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this radio from Amazon in June 2007 to replace my aging Sony Sports Walkman radio. The DT200VX has, without a doubt, the best reception of any pocket radio I've owned. I've used it for AM and FM reception in a sports arena that was built below ground level and had lots of metal to interfere with the broadcast signal. No other radio I've tried was able to get any AM signal in that place. At night, you will be amazed at the number of good AM stations you can pick up. The audio quality of FM reception is very good for a radio of this size, especially if you use the Deep Bass Boost switch.
The controls are well laid-out and the construction is fairly sturdy. I've dropped this radio a few times and it is still like new, but it is plastic and would possibly break if I dropped it on concrete. Some reviewers have complained about the station presets being hard to go through, but that is not an issue with me. I like the I-Pod-like design of the presets. You can mix AM and FM stations in any order in the "playlist" and quickly go up or down through them.
I was hesitant to go with a radio that I couldn't conveniently strap on my arm like the Sony, but have found that this radio is very comfortable in my pants pocket. I usually lock the buttons when doing this so the channel can't be accidently changed. The lock doesn't affect the volume control. I've used the belt clip a few times and it seems sturdy, but I prefer to carry the radio in my pocket. The belt clip is easily removed and replaced.
Having 2 AA batteries makes this unit a bit heavy compared to my Sony Sports Walkman radio, but battery life is excellent. The battery life meter is accurate. I use rechargables with this radio and usually carry an extra set when I see that the meter is very low.
All in all, this is a well designed pocket radio. I've been very happy with it. If you want good AM/FM reception in a pocket radio, this is the one for you.