{"id":28139,"date":"2017-09-08T10:09:20","date_gmt":"2017-09-08T14:09:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=28139"},"modified":"2017-09-08T21:07:41","modified_gmt":"2017-09-09T01:07:41","slug":"a-review-of-the-tecsun-s-8800-shortwavelwam-mwfm-portable-receiver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/a-review-of-the-tecsun-s-8800-shortwavelwam-mwfm-portable-receiver\/","title":{"rendered":"A review of the Tecsun S-8800 shortwave\/LW\/AM-MW\/FM portable receiver"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Earlier this year, Tecsun released its long-awaited newest large portable: the Tecsun S-8800 portable shortwave\/LW\/AM-MW\/FM receiver<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Though I fully intended to buy a Tecsun S-8800 for review, our friendly Hong Kong-based Tecsun retailer, Anon-Co, sent an S-8800 to me before I could. I\u2019ve worked with Anna at Anon-Co for at least a decade and have purchased numerous radios for review, not to mention as gifts for family and friends. \u00a0When she insisted to send it as a gift, I decided I would (gratefully) accept the unit.<\/p>\n

I received the S-8800 on February 1 and promptly\u00a0posted unboxing photos here on the SWLing Post<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

My new Tecsun S-8800 had a serious problem, though\u2013\u2013one that two early S-8800e adopters noticed as well\u2013\u2013internally generated noises, also known as birdies. And while most receivers will have a few minor birdies scattered across the bands, this S-8800 hosted a whole chorus of them, overwhelming the bands and making use of the radio difficult. \u00a0Read through this post threa<\/a>d for details.<\/a><\/p>\n

I contacted Anna at Anon-Co and she immediately notified Tecsun; as a result, they halted distribution of the S-8800.<\/p>\n

Tecsun took the S-8800 to their engineering team, and I\u2019m happy to report they\u2019ve now eliminated the horrible warbling DSP birdies of the initial unit I received.<\/p>\n

On the S-8800s since released, while there are still a few minor birdies across the bands (more on that later), they’re merely what one might expect to find on any receiver. In short, the S-8800 now in production is a functional receiver, and a contender in its class.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had the S-8800 for a few weeks now and have had time to put it through its paces. What I present now is a review of the re-engineered Tecsun S-8800.<\/p>\n

First impressions<\/h2>\n

\"Tecsun<\/a><\/p>\n

In the spirit of full disclosure, I must note that I\u2019m not as avid a user of large portables like the S-8800.\u00a0Personally, my preference is for smaller, full-featured travel-friendly portables, or else larger tabletop models. \u00a0I travel often and like to pack lightly, so I rarely reach for anything bigger than my trusty Sony ICF-SW7600GR,<\/a> or Tecsun PL-880<\/a>, and more often than not, I grab the ultra-compact Sony ICF-SW100<\/a> or C. Crane CC Skywave<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But to say that I never<\/em> reach for large portables would be inaccurate. In fact, I use a Grundig GS350DL daily; it\u2019s my analog kitchen radio. I rarely move the tuning dial (a good thing, since it unfortunately drifts) because it\u2019s locked onto my in-house SSTran AM transmitter on 1570 kHz<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What large format portables like the GS350DL and S-8800 can provide that a small portable cannot is broad, rich, room-filling audio.<\/em> In my world, good audio is an important factor in overall signal intelligibility.<\/p>\n

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The S-8800 chassis resembles several other receivers: the Grundig GS350DL, S450DLX, and more recently, the Field BT, just to name a few.<\/p>\n

The body is made of a hard plastic (not rubberized) and feels rugged enough. The knobs and buttons also feel tactile and of comparable quality to the previous similar models noted above. \u00a0With the rechargeable batteries inserted, it weighs about 3 pounds 4 ounces (1.5 KG).<\/p>\n

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The backlit display is large and viewable from almost any angle\u2013\u2013even at a distance.<\/p>\n

The main encoder (tuning knob) has appropriate amount of brake for most listeners. It wobbles very slightly, but functions amazingly well. I prefer it over its large portable predecessors, especially the 350GL. There is no soft mute while tuning, so band-scanning is a fluid, almost analog, process.<\/p>\n

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Both the \u201cBand Select\u201d and \u201cAM BW\u201d knobs have soft detents that mark steps in selection. In the field, I noticed that these can occasionally skip an increment when the detent only moves one position or the knob is turned very slowly. This doesn\u2019t really affect functionality in any way, but I thought it worth noting nonetheless.<\/p>\n

Like previous similar models, the S-8800 lacks a built-in keypad for direct frequency entry. That would be a major negative for a radio in this price class if the S-8800 didn\u2019t come with one invaluable accessory: \u00a0an infrared remote control.<\/p>\n

Infrared (IR) Remote Control<\/h2>\n

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The Tecsun S-8800 ships with a IR remote control, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s great.<\/p>\n

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The remote feels durable, fits well in the hand, and the back has a place for it to balance on your index finger when holding…<\/p>\n

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But more importantly, the remote works quite well. \u00a0The controls are intuitive and the labeled buttons are quite easy to read. They\u2019re also tactile and have a muted “click” response when pressed. Indeed, I wish my television’s remote was this well designed.<\/p>\n

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And the remote is quite useful, especially if you like listening from bed, from a porch, from the kitchen or dining room or den\u2013\u2013or, in fact, from any space where you might wish to control the receiver at a distance. I believe its possible that every<\/em> function of the S-8800 can be controlled with the remote\u2013\u2013even the sleep timer!<\/p>\n

Perhaps my dream remote for such a purpose would be backlit, but the S-8800\u2019s remote is so simple to use, I\u2019ve already nearly memorized where the buttons are located for nighttime use.<\/p>\n

Operation Manual<\/h3>\n

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The S-8800 ships with an informative operational manual, although this radio is intuitive enough that a seasoned radio listener will not need to reference it, save for advanced settings. Still, it\u2019s written in clear language\u2013\u2013with comparatively few English grammar errors\u2013\u2013and the diagrams for both the radio and the remote are exceptional.<\/p>\n

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I referenced the manual several times to sort out ATS operation, saving\/erasing memories, and to hunt down function shortcuts.<\/p>\n

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Features<\/h2>\n

The S-8800 is a feature-packed triple conversion receiver. \u00a0Here\u2019s an abridged list of its features, focusing on those most radio enthusiasts seek:<\/p>\n