REVIEW: SANGEAN REVERY R5

Review: Sangean Revery R5 is a radio with a power of 5 watts.A great system to place in a teenage room, bedroom, study or in a kitchen.

REVIEW: SANGEAN REVERY R5 – Table radios come in all colors and sizes and from very cheap knick-knacks to devices with serious hi-fi aspirations. The Sangean Revery R5 (WFR-70) highlighted in this short review certainly does not belong to the first category. A small all-rounder that has more to offer than you might think at first glance.

Sangean Revery R5

The Sangean Revery R5 is a fairly compact model table radio. It is basically a mono speaker with an easy-to-read display and all buttons on the front. It is a neatly finished speaker with rounded corners and an appearance that hangs between modern design and a little retro look.

However, the Revery R5 is more than just an FM or DAB + radio. You can also address internet radio and Spotify. In addition to the built-in Spotify option, you can use the WFR70 as a DLNA renderer. This makes it possible to use multiple streaming services from your phone with apps like mConnect (iOS) or BubbleUPnP (Android). In addition, you can connect an external device via the auxiliary input via a 3.5 mm jack plug. And with the Undok app you can connect the Revery R5 with multiple Sangean devices and set up a multiroom system. In short, it is quite a fully equipped device.

Mono to stereo

Another nice possibility with the Sangean Revery R5 is that you can easily expand from a mono system to a stereo setup. Sangean also offers a matching passive speaker (SP-40) that you can connect to an RCA speaker output on the back of the Revery R5. That way you get a 2 x 5 Watt music system. That may not sound very impressive, but this is a very capable system for a teenage room, kitchen or office. And there is even a subwoofer output. So if you want some extra support in the bass and if you still have an active subwoofer lying around that you don’t use, connect that bite.

Quality of display

With 5 Watts (or double with a connected passive speaker) of music power, you obviously don’t have enough available to create an enormous disco-like experience. But make no mistake, with the Sangean Revery R5 it is really a case of quality over quantity. There is a lot of control over the built-in full-range driver. On the back there is a small reflex port to support the bass reproduction.

Actually, the display is quite impressive for this format, but once at a higher volume you notice that there is a lot of loss in control and dynamics. That is inherent to the specifications and form factor. At a lower volume there is certainly detail in the sound and the bass reproduction does not sound cluttered or woolly. All in all, an excellent representation, matching the price and the physical possibilities. And for comparison; during the test period, the Revery R5 was right next to the IKEA Symphonic lamp speaker that is also in my study. The latter wins (of course) in terms of user-friendliness because it is simply a Sonos speaker, but the reproduction of the Sangean is more pleasant, more balanced and less tiring. And that is really a compliment to Sangean.

Conclusion

A radio with a power of 5 watts. That can’t be anything, can it? The opposite is true. The Sangean Revery R5 is the epitome of a device where you should not focus on those kinds of specifications. The reproduction is above average and the possibilities are extensive. A great system to place in a teenage room, bedroom, study or in a kitchen. Hours of listening pleasure guaranteed.