{"id":24111,"date":"2017-02-12T10:09:04","date_gmt":"2017-02-12T14:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=24111"},"modified":"2017-09-08T10:32:48","modified_gmt":"2017-09-08T14:32:48","slug":"tecsun-s-8800-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/02\/tecsun-s-8800-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Tecsun S-8800 update"},"content":{"rendered":"

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UPDATE: Click here to read our full review of the re-engineered Tecsun S-8800.<\/a> Note that the post below refers to the first production run units only.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you’re considering purchasing the Tecsun S-8800, this is an important post.<\/p>\n

I’ve had the S-8800 for about two weeks and\u00a0had planned to have audio clip comparisons prepared and posted by now. My exceptionally busy schedule has made this difficult–and there a few other complicating factors.<\/p>\n

First off, the good news: in terms of sensitivity, selectivity and audio fidelity, I’m very happy with the S-8800. I’ve compared it a number of times with the Tecsun PL-880 and the Sony ICF-SW7600GR and it either holds its own or even has a leg-up on both radios in terms of overall performance. I find that the S-8800’s AGC is more stable than my 1st generation PL-880.<\/p>\n

Of course, what will be most telling is what you, dear reader, think of the performance when compared in a blind audio test.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned, though, there are complicating factors–It’s not just my schedule which has made the S-8800 review come to a halt.<\/p>\n

Birdies…<\/h2>\n

Yes, birdies. Lots<\/em> of them.<\/p>\n

At first, I thought the noises were due to the fact my mobile phone and Zoom H2N digital recorder were too close to the S-8800. \u00a0I dismissed this interference as it didn’t sound like the typical steady tone\/carrier birdies I’ve come to loath over the years.<\/p>\n

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As my testing continued, though, I quickly realized these variable heterodyne and digital hash noises must be internally-generated.<\/p>\n

Quite literally, as I was outdoors testing the S-8800 and making this discovery last week, I received a message from SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Bertrand Stehle (F6GYY). You might recall, Bertrand provided us with an initial review of his S-8800e (the European version of the S-8800)<\/a>. He\u00a0also started noticing the birdies and, like me, initially assumed they were due to an external source of RFI.<\/p>\n

Bertrand kindly mapped out the extensive<\/em> list of birdies he found on his S-8800e–he\u00a0noted a total of 81 birdie\/carrier locations:<\/p>\n