C. Crane CCRadio - EP PRO AM FM Battery Operated Portable Analog Radio with DSP Black

I received this radio for my birthday in 2022 and I do believe it is the latest iteration of this model.I've been looking for a "GE Superadio" replacement for the last few years. Since this radio is fairly pricey, doesn't receive the best reviews, and has DSP tuning I've held off. However, I finally gave in last year. After 7 months of use, I would say that I'm very satisfied with its performance. The audio is clear, has great fidelity and can be adjusted as desired. It is also pretty loud. I'm not sure if it's quite as loud as my GE Superadio III, but it's sufficient for my needs.I've had DSP tuned radios on and off for the last several years and have never cared for them. This radio is different. This radio does DSP well. Sure, I miss scanning thru the AM band with a true analog radio and fine tuning the stations for optimal reception but I've come to appreciate the precise tuning of this radio. You're either on frequency or you're not. The cheaper DSP tuned radios will have 2 or 3 channels that pull in the same station. This radio does not do that. It tunes 520, then 530, then 540, then 550, etc without any "in-betweens". I think that the cheaper radios tune at both 9 and 10kHz increments through the band and that causes the off-freq reception. This radio solves that problem with a dedicated switch on the back. So I'd say that CCrane successfully implemented DSP tuning on this model. The ONLY thing I don't like about it is the "soft muting" that occurs when quickly scanning thru the band. You will not hear when you come across a strong signal. If they can solve this problem, I will officially run out of reasons to not like DSP tuning.The radio a number of controls for tweaking the signal and audio, which I greatly appreciate. The AM bandwidth control is a nice touch, even though I generally leave it on narrow band. Wide band just brings in a little too much noise unless you have a solid signal. The fine tuning knob on the side does get a big more use from me and makes a difference with the weaker stations. I don't use it so much for tuning in the station as I do for tuning out noise.Lastly, let's talk about battery life. I'm very impressed with the battery life on this radio. I'd say it's probably the best of all my radios. I don't think I've ever changed the batteries in this radio since I installed them 7 months ago. That said, for the sake of this review, I just checked all the batteries (Energizer Max) my tester and all are showing well into the green. I attribute this to a very simple and efficient design, as well as a power switch that completely cuts power off to the radio when not in use. With digital radios, there is always the slighted drain on the batteries for the "soft" power switch.In conclusion, if you're looking for a good but simple radio that replaces the GE Superadio III from 20 years ago, or an emergency radio for your preparedness, or just another quality radio for your collection (like me), look no further. I think, in most cases, any enthusiast would be more than satisfied with the purchase of this model.

I'm an old school radio guy but I do have a few completely digital radios and I like them a lot and enjoy using/listening to them. However, I enjoy my analog radios too. The CCrane EP PRO is, to me, the best of both worlds. It has an analog dial and controls and has a DSP tuner. When tuning in a station it locks right in. You are either on the station or you're not. That is the digital part. The radio has great sensitivity and selectivity when stations are near each other. One weak and one strong. The sound is great for the spoken word, but the radio does have bass and treble controls for music listening. The internal AM rod antenna gets the weak stations quite well and I found little or no improvement using my Terk AM Advantage loop antenna with it. The FM antenna gets all the stations in my area that I can get in my car. The antenna is 36 inches long and that makes all the difference. I have the original GE Super Radio, the 1st one, from the 1980's and the EP PRO is at least comparable if not an improvement over it. If you're looking for an old school super radio, this is it. I'm very happy with this radio and highly recommend it if you want an uncomplicated, easy to operate radio.

First one I ordered had problem where power kept cutting out. Decided to replace rather than return. Second one has been working fine. The radio does a very good job picking up distant FM stations (probably too good! - More on that in a minute). Sound quality is good for spoken word (what it is made for according to C. Crane). I have found with adjusting the bass and treble, that sound quality on music is fine for a portable radio (which this is, remember). Yes, there are tabletop radios with better sound quality (like the Sangean WR-55, which I own). But, the Sangean doesn't run on batteries and the EP-Pro will. Plus, the EP-Pro pulls in more FM stations than the Sangean.The only issue with the EP-Pro is that it is, actually, too good in pulling in the FM stations. I bought this radio to pull in a station about 60 miles away that is the closest one broadcasting the sports teams I follow: the EP-Pro does pick up the station (In case anyone is wondering, the EP-Pro has a 36 inch antenna). Unfortunately, there is another station about 75 miles south of me (and which Radio-Locator.com says I am out of its broadcast range) that broadcasts on the same frequency as the one I want to receive at a much-greater wattage, so I sometimes end up getting that other station instead!So, other than the fact that the EP-Pro does a too good a job bringing in FM stations, it has been the radio that I was looking for. Batteries seem to last (I've probably run it 50 hours now on just 1 set of batteries), has the treble and bass adjustments that allow for a more nuanced tone, runs also on electricity so that I don't run down batteries needlessly, and is simple to use (you can look at each knob or button and know what it does without consulting the manual)Regarding what some people have said about batteries. It is true that C. Crane does not recommend using lithium ion batteries (says so right in the manual), but the manual is silent on the use of other recargeable batteries like NiMH, so I contacted C. Crane via e-mail. Their response was that it is okay to use NiMH batteries in the EP-Pro. If you are thinking of getting this radio and am going the route of using rechargeable batteries like the NiMH, I'd contact C. Crane to double check that it's okay (just for peace of mind).