Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike, who writes:
I’ve recently picked up an XHDATA D-808 and I’ve noticed a rather bothersome problem with it. When I have headphones plugged in and I switch bands, such as from SW to FM, a rather loud “pop” is emitted through my headphones during the band switching. This happens with every band change and happens even with the volume all the way down. I was wondering if you had noticed this sort of behaviour on your unit.
PS: Your review of the C Crane Skywave SSB is very well written. Great job!
Glad you liked the Skywave SSB review, Mike!
Yes, I do hear a small audio pop when I change bands on the XHDATA D-808. As you suggest, changing the volume seems to have no effect in the pop intensity. On my set, it’s not particularly loud, but if I use my in-ear earphones, it is annoying. I’m curious if perhaps the pop in your unit, Mike, is louder than mine.
Please comment if you’ve noticed this same audio pop in the D-808.
I got my XHDATA D-808 in 2020 and it also has that annoying “pop” sound when changing bands.
I can hear it both on the internal speaker and headphones.
I hope someone posts a mod how to suppress this annoyance.
I just got XHDATA D-808 and yes, there is that annoying pop when changing bands. On my radio it exists even when changing from one station to another on the same band. Ironically, this radio uses audio chip HWD4863 which “features an externally controlled, low-power consumption shutdown mode, a stereo headphone amplifier mode, and thermal shutdown protection. It also utilizes cir-cuitry to reduce clicks and pops during device turn-on.”
Right, the pop is reduced when you turn the radio on, but it is very noticeable otherwise 🙁
Hello, first thank you so much for this deep review. Finally decided to buy one of these, now I have serious doubts between two strong contenders:
-HXdataD808 and this ATS405.
My intention is primary for FM ( so for me RDS is a must), and then play around with rest of features, bands, MW, SS.
Have read that HX presets selection may be a bit difficult, but……rest of features are amazing. ATS, also has pros and cons; both are quite similar in price.
……so , the winner is……?
Thx for advice.
P.S: wonder why Tecsun does not provide RDS in any of theyr models! arrggg…..
Compared ATS 909X, PL 808’s debug quiet! OK
My D – 808 noise !!!
To is wrong! !! !! !! !
Well, I get the pop also, on my new 3 days old D808.
I can here the pop on my srw710(V-115) when I set it to empty MW spot and only from FM to other mode. No pop from other modes or to FM. Only from FM to any other.
Yes I get the pop noise as well
I also get the pop when switching modes, and there is a bit of a kick to it on my Sony earphones.
I had a Tecsun PL-310ET next to the D-808, but didn’t hear a pop noise when operating the buttons.
As an addition to my reply above I believe that variances in the amplitude that people here may come down to the low frequency response of the headphones used with the radio. As mentioned before, since the internal speaker does not reproduce low end very well, which is to be expected given its size, the pop is barely heard.
The same would apply to whichever headphones are being used to listen to the radio. I would guess that the better (or perhaps even to the point of exaggeration) the headphones used are able to reproduce the low frequency spectrum the louder the amplitude of the pop. Granted, headphones impedance would have a play in this as well.
Hello Thomas,
Thank you for posting my query. On my unit, when using Sony MDR-V6 headphones that have an impedance of 63 ohms, the pop is loud enough that I find it objectionable.
I’ve noticed a few other things as well.
1) If you rapid switch between modes (FM to AM to SW) by pressing the mode buttons as quickly as you can the pop becomes lower in volume. However, if you wait a second or two between switching modes after doing this the pop rises back up to its original level. This would sound like a capacitor somewhere that is discharging.
2) If you place another radio near the D-808, turn the second radio on and then switch bands on the D-808 the other radio picks up the same “pop” noise that you hear when you have the headphones connected to the D-808.
I initially thought this problem came from an implementation issue of the output electrolytic capacitors for the LM4863 audio amplifier chip which are placed after the speaker output but before the headphone output but after putting my ear very close to the speaker of the D-808 and switching bands I can very faintly hear the pop so it must be further upstream. Given how this pop may be a DC offset issue of some sort somewhere in the circuitry the frequency is quite low and so the internal speaker is more than likely not capable of passing a “note” this low.
The fact that I can actually hear this noise on another radio leads me to believe that it is more likely an issue with the digital switching/logic circuitry and therefore might be harder to correct.
A zener diode on the output of the audio amplifier would help but only if the level of the pop is louder than the level one normally listens to the radio at.
Either way, it’s a bit bothersome and its disappointing that something like this was not caught either in design or QC. I have a few radios that have a quiet “thump” upon being turned or off but none rise to the objectionable level that exists in this radio.
Yes, mine does the same thru headphones. It’s pretty noticeable but I wouldn’t say it blows your ears off, at least in my case 🙂 Still, I still love this radio, great little radio with superb sensitivity, very happy I’ve bought it.