ibamulNSW, 2484
- 15 reviews
- 1 like
- WFR-28C
- Verified purchase
Very useful in office buildings with no radio reception
I bought this device because my workplace has next to no radio reception. I connect it to my WiFi and get to have plenty of background music all day.
It works quite well and although it won't win any HiFi awards it sounds reasonably good. I would describe it as sounding a bit muddy out of the box, though choosing your own EQ settings can improve things. There is a line out socket to allow connection to an amplifier and speakers, etc. I haven't done this but have read only positive stories.
It comes with five preset buttons for your favourite...Read more
stations but more presets are available if you use the Undok app on your smartphone. You must be connected to the same WiFi network being used by the radio to use it. The app also controls many other aspects of the radio setup and operation. The radio makes use of a huge database of international stations and podcasts, maintained by Frontier Nuvola. They may be found by browsing the menus within the radio or by looking on the website. You can make yourself an account, add your radio (link to the website with an access code - similar to pairing Bluetooth devices) and attach any stations you like to your radio. Those stations will appear in the "My favourites" folder in the radio's menus. "My added stations" contains any stations you've added that are not in the database but that you have the stream's URLs for. You don’t have to use the website to make the radio work but it can be useful. Spotify is built in though I haven't used it.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
David KGreater Melbourne (Metropolitan), VIC
- 3 reviews
Excellent design and features.
Excellent radio - easy to set up. Just enter wi-fi details and choose stations. DAB works very well. Has line out so can be connected to an external amplifier. Wish there were more than 5 presets per band. Battery compartment is rather tight for the 4 size D batteries.
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Brian
- 3 reviews
Where to next
This might be a good product but only if it can be set up. Unfortunately, I'm not well versed in computer gobbledegook language, and after two days of trying to set it up I am about to return it to the buyer. This is a great disappointment, especially as I had no problem setting up a 'Cord' internet radio, which took only a few minutes.
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Find out how Sangean WFR-28 compares to other Digital Radios
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PumpyNSW, 2795
- 22 reviews
- 3 likes
- WFR-28C
- Verified purchase
Great product with one limitation
I live in country NSW with poor terrestrial radio reception, I rely on VAST for ABC Radio. All other radio services I stream from the internet. So when I had to replace my bedside internet radio I selected the Sangean WFR-28C that I could only purchase from JB HiFi. This is a great little unit with good sound out of the mono speaker. Excellent sound when coupled to a Bose MiniLink II speaker or HiFi Headphones. The radio is relatively easy to set up with an easy to understand menu system. Internet radio offers the choice of thousands of world...Read more
wide radio stations of many genres. Pre-recorded audio can be played using a USB memory stick. The FM seems to work well, I don't use the other features. My only complaint is that the batteries do not hold the clock settings if the radio is not turned on and the mains power is interrupted, so the alarms can not be relied on. The sleep timer goes up to 90 minutes in 15 minute increments. Overall a great little radio if you want to listen to the world, or just get reliable local "radio" reception via the internet.1 comment
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SteveVBMelbourne
- 12 reviews
Versatile radio but with a major design fault.
The Sangean WFR-28D is a well-built battery/mains radio suitable for desk or shelf use. It will play FM, DAB+ and Internet stations (the last only via wifi, not ethernet cable) with five button presets for each band. There are line-in and USB input sockets as well. The sound quality through its mono speaker is quite good while stereo from the line output to a hifi system it is excellent. Like several other Sangean digital radios it has a built-in charger to allow use of four D-cell NiMH rechargeable batteries, a great feature as digital radi...Read more
os chew up power, but remember to set the tiny switch inside the battery compartment to NiMH when using rechargeables. Response to switch-on is slow: 15 seconds for FM and DAB+, 30 seconds for internet with the connection time. The Internet chip is supplied by Frontier Silicon who control the internet station database accessed by the radio, enabling searching by categories. Many but not all internet stations are listed. You can request via a website a specific station that may not be listed, just for your radio. Streams in MP3, WMA, Real Player and AAC compression algorithms are supported but not the later AAC+, strange as this is the compression used for the Australian standard DAB+ digital radio, which the radio can play. This radio is great for quality playback in places where one may have a reliable broadband wifi but poor FM or DAB+ reception. The big drawback is that the two alarm functions cannot be relied upon as the internal clock setting is lost when the radio is only powered by batteries! The clock is backed up only by mains power connection, "for energy conservation" according to Sangean, which is absurd as clock back-up power can be negligible. Thus if you had the alarm set to wake you up with the power pack connected, a power outage during the night would wipe the clock and you would not get the alarm. Similarly, if you unplug the radio to move it and it is not switched on, the clock is lost. Setting the auto update function to DAB+ will restore the clock to local time when the radio is switched back on to a DAB+ station but that is too late for the alarm. Setting auto update to the internet will reset the clock to the time where the last internet station is broadcasting, e.g. UK! The whole clock thing is sloppy engineering. The first two of these WFR-28D radios that I tried were faulty, one had a bad speaker, the other would not initialise, so make sure you try it before leaving the shop. If you don't want internet radio or alarm functions the Sangean DPR26 with its two speakers can be recommended.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Questions & Answers
Eric S.asked
I'm really keen on buying one of these radios as I do have other Sangean products that are excellent, but one matter of concern is the fact that it appears to use vTuner. vTuner now requires an annual subscription, albeit at a currently low price. But I have four other Network Radios using vTuner and if each one requires an annual licence fee, it does become a concern - particularly if vTuner raises this fee at sometime in the future. Any comments on this will be appreciated.
3 answers
I have not heard of a vTuner. My three internet radios connect wirelessly to my router. The cost of operating them via the internet is minimal. I presume you have a modem that connects you to the Internet.
Yes, the vTuner app is used by Sangean to decode the internet radio stations. Similar to TuneIn. But a couple of years ago the owners of vTuner decided to cancel all such servicesd to the various radio manufacturers unless they paid an annual licence fee to vTuner. Subsequently, most of the Network Radio manufacturers switched over to the TuneIn app for their products, which is (currently) free of charge.
FWIW, here is the message from Denon concerning this issue:
https://denon-uk.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7094
Further to this, I looked up the vTuner website. Sangean is listed as one of their partners and the WFR-28C specifications include the use of vTuner as their means of receiving Internet radio stations.
TUNER DAB / DAB+ Channel Block 5A - 13F
FM Frequency (MHz) 87.5 - 108
RDS / RBDS PS / PTY / CT / RT
WiFi IEEE 802.11 b / g (GHz) 2.4GHz / 5GHz
Ethernet Internet Radio (iRadio) vTuner
Media Player (mPlayer) UPnP
Winkasked
I’ve had this radio for nearly 2 years. In that time, it has never worked properly. The biggest issue is that every 2 days or so, it loses its internet connection. Rescanning will pick up all the networks in my neighborhood but mine. I even have a wifi booster 20’ away. Hardwire is not an option. Rebooting takes 4-7 tries before finding my network. Starting to reboot every day now. Ideas?
3 answers
I have had the same problem. I solve it by disconnecting the power for a few minutes and then re-connecting it, but it should not happen in the first place. I also have Cord internet radio that is much cheaper and never has a problem.
That doesn’t work. Rebooted at least 10 times. Factory reset twice. I really believe this is a pos. Spent a lot of money on this and it’s turning out to be a bad investment. Sangean tech support consists of telling users to reboot. I believe there is an inherent design flaw in their radios that they are aware of but will not fix. Seems odd that weak wifi signals register but high strength are unfounded. I have NO other issues with ANY of my other devices - 6 apple devices, 2 Samsung, nest, various other - and believe me, they are not all on at once. I know I have the bandwidth
So, I thought I’d give everyone an update because what I found out will certainly help someone out there. What really confused me was why my wifi networks ( router AND boosted wifi from router) disappeared from my scan, my very low signal from my neighbour 4 doors down shows up and my pvr network was always present. My phone app that scanned wifi networks showed all networks were working fine, and even on separate channels. Here is the problem. MY ROUTER. I power cycled it - 30 seconds. Rebooted my sangean, and now it works. Not sure which is at fault but it works now. No other wifi device connected showed any connection issues which is why I was confused. Any suggestions?
George E.asked
Can you please help me with my Sangean WFR-28 i/net radio which I have just purchased? Everything is set up but the display screen will not /does not remain illuminated to show what is being listened to. Any help or ideas will be very much appreciated. George
1 answer
G'day George,
The illumination of the display will depend on the backlight settings, press Menu, rotate knob to System settings, press knob, select Backlight, press knob, select On level, press knob, select medium or high, press knob, select Dim level, press knob, select low or medium, press knob, wait and the station selected should be displayed. You can also set the timeout before the display goes to the dull setting and can be left in the on position just select timeout and push the knob and select the time you want. If that has not helped, take it back to JB HIFI. If it was not purchased from them all I can say is good luck as they are the only authorized Australian retailers of the WFR-28C (the C means colour display the only ones officially on sale in Australia) and Canohm the Australian Sangean importers won't cover grey import warranties.
I hope this has been of help.
Cheers, Bob.
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Pumpy
This radio WFR-28C is the current model, available only via JB Hi-Fi.
The WRF-28D is no longer available in Australia except via grey imports.
The WRF-28D will not decode AAC+