{"id":33376,"date":"2018-08-28T07:21:52","date_gmt":"2018-08-28T11:21:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=33376"},"modified":"2018-08-28T07:24:04","modified_gmt":"2018-08-28T11:24:04","slug":"a-review-of-the-sangean-hdr-14-portable-am-fm-hd-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/a-review-of-the-sangean-hdr-14-portable-am-fm-hd-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"A review of the Sangean HDR-14 portable AM\/FM HD radio"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Late last year<\/a>, we learned that Sangean was planning to introduce a small portable HD radio to their product line: the Sangean HDR-14<\/strong>. Readers were excited about this release\u2013\u2013indeed, I’ve received more inquiries and comments from readers about this radio than about any other HD radio.<\/p>\n

While there have been numerous portable FM HD radios on the market over the years, there have been very few compact HD portables that can also pull AM HD signals from the ether. Shortly after Sangean made their announcement that the HDR-14 was forthcoming, I contacted them and requested a review unit. They sent me a review sample from the first production run in May.<\/p>\n

Due to my exceptionally busy schedule<\/a> this summer, it’s taken me longer than I’d like to\u00a0 be able to write up a complete review. On the plus side, while I’ve not had a chance to sit down and write, I have had time to listen; thus I’ve had more on-the-air time with the HDR-14, with the result that my review is built on nearly three months of use.<\/p>\n

Initial impressions<\/h2>\n
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Size comparison: Sangean HDR-14 (left) and the C. Crane CC Skywave SSB (right)<\/p><\/div>\n

The HDR-14 has a practical AM\/FM portable radio design: the front panel features a backlit display, speaker grill, power button, memory preset buttons and a few other buttons to control essential functions like tuning, HD mode\/channel selection, band, and information display toggle.<\/p>\n

Like most similar Sangean radios, the chassis is a hard gloss plastic finish, while the front panel is mostly matte. The buttons are raised and have a pleasing tactile response.<\/p>\n

On the left side of the radio you’ll find a coaxial power port (5VDC with a positive tip), volume wheel and headphones jack. I do wish Sangean had used a standard micro USB port, but their alternate choice might be be a result of the fact that USB power supplies are so RF noisy…? This is, however, mere speculation on my part.<\/p>\n

On the right side, the only feature is one mechanical key lock switch\u2013\u2013a bonus for me, as I prefer mechanical key locks over push buttons.<\/p>\n

On the back of the radio you’ll find the usual silk-screened product specifications and model information. You’ll also find the large battery compartment cover which easily slides open to reveal positions for three AA cells.<\/p>\n

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The telescopic antenna is sturdy and about twenty-five inches in length, fantastic for FM radio reception.<\/p>\n

One unique feature of the HDR-14 is that it doesn’t have a tilt-out stand on the back, rather a foot that swings out from the bottom\/base of the radio. The foot gives the HDR-14 excellent stability while standing up, say, on a night stand next to the bed. Brilliant addition, Sangean!<\/p>\n

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Features and specifications<\/h2>\n

For such a compact portable, the HDR-14 sports a compliment of features:<\/p>\n