Tag Archives: HDR-16

Sangean HDR-16: Benjamin pleased to see re-mapped front panel buttons

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Benjamin, who writes:

I recently started looking into smaller HD radios and most recently have been looking at the HDR 14 and 16. In the process of doing my homework it looks like there was a very recent change to the HDR 16 that is a major pro.

The new version now has the MENU and INFO keys sharing a single button and the former INFO button now being remapped as a PAGE button.

Just like the HDR 14, the new 16s have a total of 40 presets 20 on AM and 20 on FM. It looks like they may have also changed the back light but it is hard to tell on the video that I saw. It makes me wonder if there were any other changes made under the hood that could affect either positively or negatively the HD reception as well as analog.

Here is a link to the YouTube video that I found the change through.

Thank you as always for all of the wonderful information you provide on your blog. I will be curious to see if there are indeed any other differences to this radio and maybe somebody else already has one that can comment pro or con about it.

Thanks, Benjamin for sharing your findings. If you’ve recently purchased an HDR-16, please comment!

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The Sangean HDR-16: Dan takes notice

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HDR-16

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Hawkins, who comments in reply to our post about the Sangean HDR-18:

Darn. Just when you thought you read a review of the latest Sangean radio another one comes out. I have yet to find a review of the Sangean HDR-16.

[The] HDR-16 is a portable AM-FM HD radio with stereo speakers. Runs on household AC power or four C cells. At 10? long this is not exactly pocket sized but small enough for beach or nightstand duty. I wonder how fast it eats up the C batteries?

I don’t think HDR-16 will hit the shelves until mid-September.

Dan then followed up with pre-order prices:

That Adorama price is correct! I just noticed that Universal Radio also has a pre-order price of $99.99.

$100 US is not a terrible price for a quality portable AM/FM stereo analog/digital radio. Indeed, that may be the best price I’ve seen for that particular feature set. I bet four C cells will power it for quite a long time, too.

At second glance, the HDR-16 has an impressive feature list (via Sangean):

  • HD Radio digital and analog AM / FM-Stereo reception
  • 10 Memory Presets (5 FM, 5 AM)
  • PAD (Program Associated Data) Service
  • Support for Emergency Alerts Function
  • Automatic Multicast Re-Configuration
  • Automatic Simulcast Re-Configuration
  • Auto Ensemble Seek
  • Real Time Clock and Date with Alarm and Sleep Function
  • 2 Alarm Timer by Radio, Buzzer
  • HWS (Humane Wake System) Buzzer and Radio
  • Snooze Function
  • Tone & Bass Control
  • Information Display for Channel Frequency, Call Sign, Radio Text, Audio Mode, Service
  • Mode, Signal Quality and Clock Time
  • Easy to Read LCD Display with Backlight
  • Battery Low LED Indication
  • Auxiliary Input for Additional Audio Sources
  • Record Output for Connecting to Hi-Fi System or Recording from Audio Program
  • I/O Jacks: DC In, Line-Out (Rec-Out), Aux-In, Headphone and HD / FM Rod Antenna

The feature set sounds like something that would appeal to my buddy Jeff McMahon. He’s been looking for a bedside radio for quite a while. This one has a “Human Wake System”–perhaps meaning the alarm gradually increases the volume? Of course, I question if the HDR-16 will perform well on the AM broadcast band–I suppose it depends on how well the receiver is shielded from CPU noises, etc.

I might be tempted to grab one of these and test it. I like the price tag much better than that of the HDR-18, though I’m not sure its audio fidelity will be comparable. While I doubt I can receive an HD broadcast from my home, it might be fun trying.

Have any SWLing Post readers pre-ordered the HDR-16? Care to do a review?

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