Yesterday, while comparing the new Tecsun S-8800 with the PL-880 and ICF-SW7600GR (on the tail gate of my truck) I tuned to Radio Guinea and was instantly reminded why I love music over shortwave.
Here’s a clip I kept rather short for fear that YouTube might note the off-air music and pull the video for copyright infringement (happens all the time). I shot this with my mobile phone, so you can’t hear the bass notes:
Click here to view on YouTube.
Some of my favorite stations for music over the shortwaves are the Voice of Greece, Radio Guinea, Radio Havana Cuba, All India Radio, Radio Romania International, Medi 1 and Zanzibar Broadcasting Corp. Not to mention all of the private broadcasters like WRMI, The Mighty KBC and Bill Tilford’s productions!
Of course, there are so many more stations that play wonderful music! I keep a copy of Alan Roe’s music guide handy!
Though it’s still early days with the S-8800, I can say that it does a fine job reproducing music in full fidelity. Receiver-wise, it mops the floor with my S350DL.
how much dinero for it?
Thomas, can you please check if there are many birdies when tuning in SSB?
I assume it has a DSP chip. My S350 isn’t that good. It’s FM is inconsistent. I’m glad this new Tecsun offering is “mopping the floor.” So far you’ve kept the suspense on this Tecsun model. Good job. I keep tuning in, as it were, waiting for the definitive review.
I have yet to see a radio that decodes DRM. Does that one?
Nope. The Titus II is the only upcoming portable I know of that ecodes DRM (save models from the past like the Newstar).
I’ve heard the ‘D’ in “DRM” stands for “Dead horse”. 🙂 No really, AIR has not so much programming to my taste and neither does RRI (which I can hear when I stick a wet finger into my ear, sole root of all overloading problems here), then there’s an hour (a half?) of Radio France and I think that’s already the end of the list to justify money spent for DRM functionality. No hope for any future improvement either – broadcasters are withdrawing shortwave funds, not investing more in “new” technology that was a bit ill-conceived in first place.