Face Off! Sangean PR-D4W vs C.Crane CC Radio-EP Pro AM Specialists

[@todderbert]

▶ The Sangean PR-D4W at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2BrUwI9 ▶ The CC Radio-EP Pro at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2KsEVeq (paid links) As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. There are no additional costs to you.

[@billhennessy5118]

I just ordered the Sangean PR-D4W from Wal-Mart I wanted to get the CC but C Crain does not have any. I really like the weather band on the Sangean and from all the reviews I have read the CC does not outperform the Sangein by much if at all on AM. I don't care about FM. I really like the external antenna on the CC. So everything seems to be a trade off. So I think I'll get both. After all you can love more than one person. Then why can't you love more than one radio.

[@bnmdad]

I have both of these radios. I've had the PRD4W for abt 3 years, recently got the EP Pro. I have to say that in almost every way the Crane is a better radio. I love FM - and the crane is super sensitive compared to the Sangean. AM they are closer, but I can still get more out of the Crane. Sound on the Crane is fantastic! I do like the digital convenience of the Sangean, but I after getting used to the EP Pro dial i can find just about everything I want pretty easily.

[@alexlawler9515]

Totally agree. The Pro is almost neck and neck with the 2e on AM and slightly better than the D4W as well. On FM it is more sensitive than the D4W and 2e.

[@hdofu]

Having experience with both Radios, I’d say the PR-D4W is the radio to go to when you just want to go to a hard to reach station at night whereas the EP Pro is the radio you get out when you find a station that you are having trouble locking onto.

[@MalcolmArmstrong]

14:25: One Hand and Two Radios.

[@nigelwalton4769]

I have just purchased this beauty from Amazon. The big brother to my CC Pocket, which i love and use every day. I Love the look of the EP Pro. The AM experience looks awesome. The sound seems powerful. Kudos to you for the great reviews and Band scans. (NZ Fan)

[@todderbert]

I love my EP-Pros..yep, I have two :)

[@erikbetancourt7194]

I love sangean, but the cc crane wins it for me. I like how i can take out my rechargeable batteries and do not have to re set up stations and time. Sangean are almost all digital and have to put batteries back in fast. You said it, i want to hook up FM & AM bigger antennas.

[@baneverything5580]

If you get the Sangean PR-D4W and the Raddy RF-L3 Multifunction Radio the large 6v solar panel on a long cord that comes with the Raddy can be plugged into the Sangean and it powers it perfectly. Just tested it.

[@FlashSilverEagle]

The DSP tuner combined with the built in twin coil Ferrite Antenna..tunable@that. I love AM Dxing. The Sangean serves it’s purpose as well.

[@anthonymccarthy4164]

What an enjoyable review video. And I learned that if I'm going to use a radio as a murder weapon to use the Crane or wear gloves.

[@richardmerriam7044]

Just got a bag for the EP Pro. It's the bag that is made for the Eton Field Radio. Room to spare. $29.95 0nline. Google 'eton field radio carry bag'. You can even order one from Lowe's or Home Depot!

[@baneverything5580]

Ordered this Sangean. Love AM. Can`t wait to test it. Hurricane is about to knock out power here for awhile so it should shine without AC in the power lines.

[@baneverything5580]

I ordered the CCrane EP PRO. Got the SANGEAN recently and love it. My collection is growing because of you todderbert. I love AM radio so I`m getting the best radios I can afford.

[@todderbert]

You are going to have an awesome lineup.

[@Mygraciously]

I want the best in am radio when I'm out and about. You've had yours for over 3 years now. Which have you found better for AM?

[@baneverything5580]

@@Mygraciously The Crane because of the ferrite bar fine tuner and superior FM reception. The fine tune can often clear up those wavering AM signals and boost some weak ones. Very useful feature. Both are excellent though.

[@hdofu]

The people in the comments don’t seem to actually have experience with Sangean if they are calling the plastic cheap and flimsy as they make their cases anything but.... save for the kick stands... they aren’t always the sturdiest (granted my basis for this was going by a realistic dx-398 I had as a kid which was the clone of the ATS-909, the kickstand having broke on that... otherwise that thing was a tank and had it not been struck by lightning i think it still would be around)... as for the finger print issues... all I can say is my hdr-14 has the same black gloss, it doesn’t really pick up fingerprints as much as I’d think it would and it wipes easily, it also feels like a little brick.

[@gregorycaspers1101]

I have this Sangean but I am disappointed with its FM reception ability. Not that its bad but I also have the Sangean MMR-88 and it does just as good at receiving FM and it's a smaller radio.

[@baneverything5580]

The Sangean has trouble locking on to FM stereo. On AM these radios are basically equal but the CCrane blows the Sangean away on FM. It`s the best portable FM radio I`ve ever seen. I`m in the middle of nowhere in a very rural location and get nearly 70 FM stations using the EP PRO and about 35-40 with the Sangean, and only a handful will come in as stereo using the Sangean.

[@rabbitruck]

Not a fan of the glossy black finish on the Sangean. Fingerprint City.

[@tedgreenwood2645]

I have the Sangean, great little radio, really good on AM, but for dxing on Am I prefer My old Grundig S350 it can tune 1 step at a time, plus a huge ferrite bar antenna, by the way it really drifts on SW! I'd like to own the ccrane, maybe someday!

[@eighteenin78]

If the C Crane is an analog radio with respect to tuning, why would it lose points for not having an FM 50/100 Khz tuning step function switch. BTW, IMHO the Sangean does not have an appealing case design, and I agree that as a fingerprint magnet - that it would always look fingered, that would be worth a lot to me. The EP Pro has a few things to fix but it is desirable package especially with separate bass and treble controls.

[@todderbert]

The C.Crane is a DSP radio with an analog dial, and it will not tune in 50kHz increments on the FM band. This may be important in foreign markets, like the 9K/10K MW switch on the back.

[@skinnyblinddude]

Fun video, thanks! I prefer the original CC Radio EP with its analog tuning, but its build quality is less than stellar. I wish C. Crane would design and manufacture a set with the performance of the original EP, but built of high quality parts and aligned with precision. I do not like the EP Pro's DSP tuning. I got to audition one, and I passed on buying one. I love the Sangean PR-D40 for its features and value. Its bandwidth selector is very cool, and I wish all radios included it. I wish there was a protective carrying case available for it.

[@vahanyazarian3705]

Thanks for expert comparison . Do they mute while tuning A.M. ?

[@vahanyazarian3705]

D,S,P. is not my " new normal".

[@MrUnix-cu9yy]

I love listening to Coast To Coast am. Had my old Sony radio for a long time. Got a new C Crane EP-Pro and I can't believe how awesome it is!!! The sound is so clear and I even get stations I could not get before when I go fishing. I can even hook it up to my external antenna in my trailer when I go camping and it's simply amazing!!! Thank you C Crane.., I'm a happy duck!!! :-)

[@kilowatt3618]

The audible pop on the Crane would drive me nuts. Having to use another digital radio like you did to verify what frequency one is listening to on the Crane would likewise drive me nuts. I noticed the Sangean received a station which was inaudible on the Crane, which you attributed to the fact the radios were located closely together, um I don't think so. In any event the comparison was very subjective and based on subjective weighting of point value for certain features. I would pick the Sangean in a heartbeat but that is likewise subjective.

[@todderbert]

Thank you for your comment. Always good to hear what other people think. Merry Christmas.

[@kilowatt3618]

@@todderbert Merry Christmas to you and a happy radio new year. :-)

[@baneverything5580]

The fine tuning knob on the CCrane will often clean up a signal and bring the voice up out of the static. But on certain signals either radio can beat the other I`ve noticed. They`re a great pair of radios to have.

[@SaxOMatic374]

I just received a PR-D4W a few days ago and it's struggling to get AM stations about 140 miles away. Do you think the CC Radio-EP Pro is better at bringing in weak, further away stations?

[@baneverything5580]

Could be interference from power lines. These radios are almost equal.

[@alexlawler9515]

@@baneverything5580 D4W is more selective than the Pro and 2e on AM. After saying that I much prefer the Pro and 2e as radio's. The 2e is my go to AM and the Pro for FM.

[@Berghiker]

I can't get my radio to switch to 64MHz to 86 MHz. Could it be locked? I bought it in Germany on Amazon.

[@mickeybrumfield764]

There are no losers here.

[@omarperez170]

Y la prueba de sonido? Es lo más importante!

[@chuckpeters9644]

Thanks for your previous recommendations. But.. after further watching reviews, etc.. I am really liking the CCrane ep pro. Would a tecsun loop be recommended for use with this radio? Thanks again for all your information. Excited about listening for AM stations.. all new hobby for me.

[@todderbert]

I noticed I need a slightly larger loop to make a difference, that is the Select-A-Tenna, its old school but works excellent: bit.ly/Select_A_Tenna

[@hdofu]

Select a tenna or terk am advantage will be a better option then the tecsun as it’s not the easiest loop to tune

[@tedspang1945]

Yesssss! Thanks todd!

[@todderbert]

Your Welcome Ted.

[@tedspang1945]

@@todderbert I love using them both together when dxing with the old EP.

[@NSNorfolk]

The CC Radio sounds like the speaker is coming from a box. The Sangean has as equal audio quality and much better definition. A GE Super radio model 1 or 2 out performs both.

[@elbebe1000]

do you think that EP Pro will be updated soon? thanks, great review...

[@todderbert]

Your Welcome Elbebe1000. The EP Pro has three revisions now. First had false peaking and only 10K stepping on AM. Second had 9K/10K switch for AM an false peaking removed. The third revision added a LED tuning indicator on the right hand side of the dial. People have mentioned that the LED introduces noise on the AM circuit when trying to DX faint signals. C.Crane is aware of this and there will probably be a revision 3.1 . All in all I still like my first revision radio the best. I don't need 9K here in the States, and the false peaking sometimes helps me tune weaker stations better.

[@baneverything5580]

@@todderbert CCrane has fixed all the bugs in the latest EP PRO version, and even the pop when you turn it on is barely noticeable. It tunes really easy too.

[@chloecastleton6113]

@@todderbert Hope they do a revision 3.1 / 3.2. Removing the ability to disconnect the internal twin coil ferrite, when an external antenna is used, is a deal breaker for me. The older model had this ability, and C-Crane removed it. As per Jay Allen website, " Ext Antenna switch does not disconnect the internal antennas as on the original EP model". This is the one thing holding me back...

[@prudentjowe9948]

Which is more sensitive in terms of am and fm reception, Sangean, ep pro or the 2e ? Thanks.

[@todderbert]

FM = EP Pro, AM = 2E, best portability = Sangean.

[@todderbert]

@Dave Smith I explain that it comes down to size. It can be packed into a tighter space, but the handle does get a mention on the EP Pro. Again, it is what works best for you. I just point things out.

[@todderbert]

Have fun with the pro, and thanks for the heads up on that turntable.

[@makarov138]

I have not found a radio that out performs my SuperRadio 1 on AM at night!

[@vahanyazarian3705]

Ditto, bottom line Does it mute?

[@slybunda]

what offers best am reception for under $20?

[@baneverything5580]

The Sony ICF-P26 is really good.

[@baneverything5580]

The Tecsun R9012 is $22.00 and a good performer on AM plus it`s a great shortwave receiver.

[@slybunda]

@@baneverything5580 thanks will check into the availability of those.

[@vahanyazarian3705]

Owned five of these little guys and gave 4 away Great A.M. @@baneverything5580

[@baneverything5580]

@@vahanyazarian3705 I bought several of the Sony`s and Tecsun`s as gifts. I still have my originals though. They do well on AM at night with a loop. With a mono cable you can connect the AN-200 loop directly to the newer model Tecsun PL-330 for SUPER DXing at night. It outperforms my CCrane EP PRO and Sangean PR-D4W at night on AM connected to that loop. Seems to silence the noise floor somehow. I was very surprised by how well it works.

[@lakrfan4980]

To me the C Crane radio is a deal breaker simply because it does not have weather band. Otherwise I would choose it hands down.

[@jeffking4176]

Excellent ❗️ 📻👍🙂‼️

[@josephbarreira2551]

Hey Todderbert, between the Prd4w and the Prd15 which one do you think is more sensitive for faint, very weak signals? Thanks

[@todderbert]

D4W, because of its select-able bandwidth control.

[@josephbarreira2551]

@@todderbert Thank you so much. I own the prd-15 so I’ll need to buy the prd4w. Thanks again.

[@FandCCD]

Now you’ve got me wondering if I should cancel my PR-D19 order for the CC EP.

[@todderbert]

Wow, they are completely different radios. The EP-Pro is going through some growing pains, so I would wait on it. They were trying to improve it more by adding a LED tuning light, it causes a popping sound on faint AM stations. Stick with the 19, and get the Pro towards the Summer or Fall.

[@FandCCD]

todderbert well it’s too late to cancel the PR-D19 now 🤪 I guess I’ll just wait on the EP. Is there a current production radio you could recommend as a replacement to the original GE Superadio III?

[@todderbert]

I'm not sure of the GE SR III, but I own a GE SR and SR II and can tell you the C.Crane CCRadio-2E is awesome kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWTaiqNont-lopY .

[@anthonycosta1776]

@@todderbert try to find yourself a ge super radio 3...one in pristine condition shouldn't cost more than 60.00. You will be very surprised. Its a tie between the two and three in my opinion.

[@patrickkerns2022]

I have the c crane twin ferrite antenna it's great but it takes up way to much space it stays in the box most of the time .that's a great thing about the ep pro it has it built in but again the ep is still a little to big for me to sleep with it.its a no win situation lol ..I use the tecsun loop is pretty good with smaller radios .I'm thinking about trying the Panasonic 2400 little smaller but maybe still a little big but oh well I like the Panasonic I also love Sony radios .hard to find compact radio that works on its own

[@michaelkraus4135]

BOY! Does he sound just like actor Steve Carel ??????????????????

[@mickeybrumfield764]

Do you think you can rig up an AM antenna that can outperform the 200mm twin coil ferrite antenna in the C Crane EP Pro?

[@todderbert]

An outside long wire or large mag loop would be ideal, but my condo HOA won't allow it. So I've thought about a larger passive loop feeding a 200mm Twin Coil antenna then that to the radio. C.Crane started selling the external 200mm Ferrite coils again. They are pricey but I would love to try one.

[@pottasium7117]

Yo mate, great videos. Could you review Panasonic RF-3500 or other panasonic radio products, there's a severe lack of reviews of them

[@todderbert]

I'm always on the look out for those, but they are not cheap. The RF-2200 is a golden goose I've been chasing awhile. I do have a 3100 that I may review in the future. That is a cool radio.

[@pottasium7117]

@@todderbert gotten mine shipped for 40eu today. RF-2200 is really rare here tho. Good look, and thanks for the quick response

[@terrywho22]

Looking for a portable, sub $100 AM DXer, so thanks for the shootout. About the only feature that doesn't relate to reception and audio I *have to have* is a sleep timer, so I clicked your link and ordered a shiny new PR-D4W... and a pack of microfiber cloths. 😝

[@todderbert]

Awesome terrywho22, have fun buffing that radio :)

[@terrywho22]

Thanks! Yeah, that's a competitive market segment. Looked hard at the EP Pro, Eton Field BT, and the Sangean D4W, D9W, D15, and HDR-16. All have their virtues... actually, kind of surprised that HD radio isn't a more common feature. In or near a large market, its fantastic, but I guess it alters selectivity a bit. A matte or white case option with a handle would have helped make the decision for the D4W as bit easier, but it seems like a pretty solid radio for a nice price. Keep making those great vids!

[@everettdube2080]

What really counts is am reception…

[@DIlic-iz9tx]

CC radio ep pro, je super radio i volio bi ga imati.

[@glynnetolar4423]

In the too zoomed in category. todderbert loses in this category.

[@nor4277]

PLL i like best stops ststion drift

[@todderbert]

I have a small DSP radio that has not drifted in three months of continuous 24/7 use. I keep my NIA RD-206SP bedside always playing a classical FM station. I'm surprised it never deviates. Not bad for a $5 radio.

[@KarlDahlquist]

A poor showing by the PR-D4W given all the hype videos from a couple years ago. #dontbelievethehype

[@baneverything5580]

I have both radios and they`re awesome and basically equal as AM receivers. Sangean includes the weather band. EP PRO has the best FM and speaker sound.