Picture of the Sangean WFR-20 Wi-Fi Internet Radio and Network Music Player, Front View.

Sangean WFR 20 Review of this WiFi Radio

This Sangean WFR-20 review discusses this once popular WiFi internet radio. It resembles a classic tabletop radio from the 1970s in terms of size.  However, it has fewer knobs than those old timers (only one knob, in fact). Plus it plays MP3 and AAC radio streams, and has the sound of a full-size hi-fi stereo music system.

Wide and robust stereo sound characterize this unit. Plus, it has thousands of internet stations programmed into it. It comes with a small yet full-function remote control.

This average size yet big sounding music system is stand alone, with an integrated audio amplifier and stereo speakers. The WiFi antenna is non removable, so you don’t lose it.   And this radio has an intuitive user interface (once you learn to access all functions on a single knob). It offers an easy-to-read, white-violet back lit liquid crystal display (LCD). The surprisingly high contrast screen approaches those 20th century LED displays many of us grew up reading.

This receiver has been around for nearly two decades now. So the no longer make this radio as of this writing. So we recommend that you not buy it if you find this on eBay or amazon for a good price. Why?  Because without modification, it will not work. But when active, we talked with the personnel that manage Reciva station lists. We have requested the addition of new stream URLs to their lists. We found them cordial, pleasant to deal with, and immediately responsive.  They added our suggestions within hours of asking.

Picture of the Sangean WFR 20 Wi-Fi internet radio front View.
The Sangean WFR 20 Wi-Fi internet radio front View.

Sangean WFR 20 Review: Benefits, Features, Advantages, and Pros

Usual size and weight for a clock radio.

The WFR-20 is about the average size for a clock radio.  It measures approximately 11.5 inches long, and 4.5 inches tall, including its scratch-free feet.  It weighs five pounds, one ounce.  Perhaps a bit heaver than typical radios. Probably due to the rugged plastic case and large magnets in the speakers.  But for this little extra weight, you get plenty of volume. And the sound you hear  easily qualifies as “high fidelity” stereo sound.

Multi-Function Control Knob

You can manage all radio functions with this front panel knob. Some of these are volume, bass, treble, sleep timer, snooze, and station search and selection.

Full-Function Remote

The remote is about the right size for comfortable fitting into most small to average sized hands. It features ten buttons as follows.

    1. Home.
    2. Sleep.
    3. On / Off.
    4. Add to Favorites.
    5. Up-down-left-right arrow keys.
    6. Volume up-down.
    7. Skip backward and forward.
    8. Play-Pause.

The Sangean WFR 20 Has an External Wi-Fi Antenna

The external antenna, though non removable, adjusts over a wide range of positions to ensure reliable wireless network connections.  The wireless radio inside seems reasonably sensitive and powerful. So if there’s a decently strong Wi-Fi network in range, this device will typically connect to it with ease.





Sangean WFR 20 Review: All Connections on Radio Back

Back panel ports and plugs include the power supply, Ethernet, line in, and sub woofer / earphone output plugs.  These include an Ethernet port, AUX in, line out, headphone out, and the 120-volt AC (35 watt) power connection.

Ported Stereo Speakers

Resembling a little boom box, the WFR-20 features two full-range dynamic speakers.  The tuned port hole we find on the back.

Local and Remote Control

The unit has a jog wheel menu system. Plus, there are several buttons on the remote. These let you navigate through settings from across the room.

However, most of the functions may also be controlled by the remote control, pictured below, and basic streaming functionality can be controlled also, from your Internet-connected computer on the Sangean Internet Portal Site (by Reciva)

Plenty of Volume from the Sangean WFR 20

Pretty full bass. But the WFR-20 lacks the really deep low-frequency response we  hear in other music centers. These include the Denon S-32 and the   Logitech Squeezebox Boom.

Still though this player offers 5 watts of total audio power. 2.5  watts per channel. This is a typical power amount for a tabletop radio.  Exceptional sound for speech. Plus, you get accurate sound for well-recorded high fidelity music recordings and streams. Amazing considering this radio’s compact size.

Reliable Portal Site

In the near decade that we’ve owned this Wi-Fi media player, Internet radio stations have always played, on demand.  Or if they did not, it was a station problem, and not with the Reciva stream database portal.

Wi-Fi and Ethernet Support

You can connect to any 802-11 b/g wireless network, or via an Ethernet network cable, to any in-range access point.

Sangean WFR 20 Review: Bass and Treble Settings

You can adjust bass and treble levels via the control knob and on-screen menus system, or from the remote control.

4-Alarm Clock Radio

You can set up to four alarms. Furthermore, for each one, you can set not only the time of day it sounds.  But also what day(s) of the week it sounds. You can also pick what sound (buzzer, AUX input, or station stream) it plays. Finally, the display shows a small analog clock face when one or more alarms are in effect.  It appears in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Plus, the beep style buzzer starts off rather quietly, but gradually increases in volume until you hear it and respond.  No startling wake-ups here.





Sleep Timer on the Sangean WFR 20

Via the menu, you can set how long you’d like the radio to play. You set the sleep timer in 15 minute increments. Ant its range is from zero time to three hours and fifteen minutes.

Automatic Clock Setting

With a working internet connection, the built-in clock sets itself to internet time. This happens in seconds of pressing the power-on button.

Adjustable Display Format and Brightness

You can adjust display brightness, fonts, and time formats in the Settings menu.

Stations Play Without Logging Into Portal Site

You work the jogging control to move around through the previous, next, and play buttons. Plus, you can move around the internet station and podcast lists from the radio itself in the same way.  So you don’t need a computer to enjoy the bulk of the radio’s functionality.  But you do need a web browser to set up the radio prior to first play.

Sangean WFR 20 Review: Many Audio Stream Formats Supported

You can play MP3, WAV, WMA, and AAC formatted audio streams.  However, we haven’t been able to find any AAC+ streams that this receiver plays.

Cool to Lukewarm Operation

Only the area close to the knob on the front of the case becomes lukewarm.  The rest of the unit stays cool. It remains cool to the touch even after hours of music listening.  No doubt a testament to the high efficiency circuitry inside.

Plays Live365, Pandora, and Aupeo Content

Requires respective accounts on these services prior to playing.

Multiple Sangean WFR 20 Radios can Share the Same Station Playlists

All WFR-20s linked to the same Reciva account receive the same favorites, podcasts, and playlists from the portal.  You may also create separate Reciva accounts for each WFR-20 you own.  This allows your husband or children to configure their radio according to their own tastes.





Decent Price on the Sangean WFR 20 WiFi Internet Radio

New copies of the WFR-20 sell for around $230 on amazon.com, and this player is widely available around the Internet.

 

Picture of the rear view of the Sangean WFR-20 WiFi internet radio.
Sangean WFR 20 WiFi internet radio, back view.

Sangean WFR 20 Review: Disadvantages, Cons, and Problems

No Longer Made

This radio began its market rein in around 2008. But it no longer appears on Sangean’s web site.  And the Reciva platform upon which this radio depends is no longer in existence. But while the WFR-20 is missing some key features of today’s internet radios, it still sounds great. How so?  You can still use it as an an audio amp. In fact, we connect various Alexa speakers to it with an AUX cable.  Then this gives much of the internet radio features that the unit had before Reciva went away.

Remote Control Is Easy to Lose

The included remote is so thin that it often slips between couch cushions. So, you lose track of it easily.  This remote has no find-remote feature.

No Stream Preset Buttons

Unlike an antique car radio, the WFR-20 has no station select push buttons.  Instead, to play your favorites, you must be able to see the radio’s LCD screen. From there, choose each station from the scrolling three-line menu. This is a rather small window into the huge world of internet stations.

No iPod Docking 

We find no place on this music system to plug in, control, or charge your iPod devices.  No iPod docking or lightning connector.  However, you can play the iPod through the auxiliary input port.  This requires a 3.5mm male to 3.5mm male stereo patch cord.

No AAC+ Stream Support

This radio does not currently play AAC+ (Advanced Audio Coding Plus) audio streams. Unfortunate since a growing number of the popular Internet radio stations encode with this low-bandwidth yet high-fidelity codec.  However, this music system does play earlier versions of AAC streams. Thus, you can still enjoy among the best-sounding streams available today.

Sangean WFR 20 Review: No AM / FM Radio

The WFR-20 does not include a built in AM / FM radio.  It just plays internet streams. It also streams audio files from network enabled storage devices on your local network.  Furthermore, it can act as an integrated amplifier for AUX audio sources via the AUX input on the back.

No Bluetooth

You cannot pair your Bluetooth speakers with the WFR-20.  However, the radio does have an AUX out jack.  This way, you can plug a cable between the radio and Bluetooth speakers that have an AUX input.  So in this wired way, you can play the radio through a so-equipped BT speaker.





Entering Characters can Grow Cumbersome

The single-knob saves space on the radio front. Why? Because you need no other controls to access the radio’s every feature.  But entering a Wi-Fi network password can take lots of time.  Password entry  requires turning this knob to find the right letters and numbers in a data entry menu. Then you press it to select each character. And finally, you press it once more to commit the password to memory.

No Recent Firmware Updates

It’s been at least three years since we received any new firmware.  So it’s not clear if they’re still developing new functionality for this Wi-Fi radio.

Clock Does Not Sync to Internet Time Until you Turn the WFR-20 On

With the current firmware, just plugging in the radio does not set the clock.  The displayed clock time starts off at 1:00 AM.  However, the clock sets itself to correct time quickly upon radio activation.

No Dynamic App Support on the Sangean WFR 20

This radio does NOT run downloadable apps (like those found on smartphones). Such apps are useful as they provide access to even more audio sources besides internet radio stations. Sound effects, and players for many of the major media outlets do not fully play on the WFR 20.

Sangean WFR 20 Review: Suggested Improvements

Add AAC+ Stream Support

Many Internet stations have migrated to Advanced Audio Coding stream format.  This format has better audio frequency response at lower data rates.  Fortunately though, most bigger stations still broadcast in the older format MP3 and first generation AAC.  However, as this legacy support fades, this radio will grow less usable over time.

Add Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) Capability

This would reduce the need for manual network password entry. Handy because character entry with the single knob is a pain.

Picture of the Sangean remote control RC-P6. Front View. Controls the WFR-20 network media player.
Sangean remote control RC-P6. Front View. Controls the WFR-20 network media player.

Our Rating for the Sangean WFR 20

We’re happy with the huge aural sensations and stereo performance of the Sangean WFR-20.  Wo we suggest listening to it with your eyes closed.  Notice the speakers seem further apart than they actually are. So this gives a more immersive listening experience. Indeed, the instruments and voices seem to come from “phantom” speakers – places where no speakers exist.

Nice that Sangean and Reciva once upon a time, committed to long-term support of the WFR-20.  Why?  Because this radio sounds so good and seems built so well, that it’d be a shame to have give it up.

Sangean WFR 20 Review: Disclaimers

Firmware Version Tested

The comments in this review apply to the radios running the following firmware units:

    • Service Pack:  v257-a-865-a-289-a-003
    • Serial firmware: 02
    • Application: v600-a-311-a-416-003
    • Helix: v023
    • Kernel: v24090624+01
    • Bootloader: v017-c-002

Warning !

The WFR-20 no longer functions as an internet radio since the Reciva portal no longer exists.

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References for this Sangean WFR 20 Review

    1. Where to Buy the Sangean WFR 20