Crosley Milton and Crosley Tribute: These tiny radios have an aesthetically pleasing design and multiple input options. But both rely on a USB power cord that extends only 21 inches, with no power base included, and neither performed well during our reception testing. Additionally, the Milton’s Micro-USB charging port is positioned close enough to the telescopic antenna that you have to lean the antenna out of the way while plugging in the radio. While these radios’ rechargeable batteries are more convenient than the four C batteries required for the similarly priced Studebaker SB2002, our pick sells for less, got much better reception, and had comparable sound quality.
Jensen MR-550 Portable Radio: This budget model didn’t pick up as many FM stations as the Studebaker, and the volume knob had so much resistance that it became fatiguing to fiddle with after a while. Plus, from a purely aesthetic standpoint, it doesn’t have as many retro color options.
Sangean HDR-14: True to its “pocket” form, the HDR-14 was the smallest radio we tested, measuring 3 by 5 by 1.25 inches (HWD). Its tiny, plastic form didn’t affect its reception as it picked up 25 of the 45 available FM stations and, more impressively, 12 out of 12 AM stations. It uses push buttons in lieu of a dial, and all of its options appear on a tiny LCD screen affixed to its front. It worked well enough, but the above-$80 price tag doesn’t match the features it offers. Its HD reception was subpar, and some of our picks offered better sound quality for the same price.
Sangean HDR-18: Our previous HD Radio pick is still a great radio, but it was hard to pass up on all the features offered by the newer HDR-19 for the extra $50. The HDR-18 represents a step down in a lot of ways: It’s not Bluetooth-compatible, its user interface is more complex, its metal faceplate isn’t as aesthetically pleasing, and its sound is thinner and more muted. That said, its HD Radio reception was marginally better in our test, picking up 10 HD stations to the HDR-19’s eight.
Sangean WR-2: Although the WR-2 represents a functional upgrade over the WR-11SE (in its digital tuner, station presets, and front-panel headphone jack, just to name a few features), we preferred the WR-50P if you’re shopping for a model with a digital tuner and station presets.
Sangean WR-12: The WR-12 is simply a larger WR-11SE with stereo speakers. Two speakers packed into a cabinet that small can’t give you much sonic impact or channel separation, though, so if you’re looking for stereo, you’d be better served by the WR-50P.
Studebaker SB2000: This previous pick hasn’t held up as well over the years. Its plastic housing is noticeably flimsy, and music sounds like it’s coming out of a tin can. When we made it a pick, we made no bones about the fact that its biggest selling point was its performance against other radios only within its price range. The newer SB2002 offers slightly better sound and build quality, and the same reception results for only about $10 more.
Tivoli Model One: Although there’s a lot to love about the Tivoli Model One, particularly its iconic design, the Sangean radios offer better build quality and features. We also found the Model One’s imprecise radial tuning dial a bit frustrating. Tuning to 95.1 FM, a popular classic-rock station in our previous test location, required us to situate the dial between 94 and 95. Likewise, 95.5 FM, another local classic-rock station, was located at precisely 95 on this Tivoli model’s dial. The Sangean radios were more precise and cost less.
Tivoli Model One BT: We experienced the same tuning issues on the Bluetooth version of the Model One. Its indicator light was constantly flickering, highlighting its own tuning difficulties. It also performed the worst in all of our reception testing.
Victrola Willow: This radio, surprisingly, performed the best in previous rounds of FM testing, thanks to its attached external antenna. However, its tuning dial was extremely imprecise and seemed to get worse as we continued up the dial. For instance, 89.5 FM, NPR’s San Diego station, was closer to 89 on the dial, while 100.7 FM, a popular music station, landed on nearly 102.
This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser. Nena Farrell and Dennis Burger wrote earlier versions of this article.
