{"id":49589,"date":"2021-07-11T10:04:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-11T14:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=49589"},"modified":"2021-07-11T10:04:00","modified_gmt":"2021-07-11T14:04:00","slug":"dsp-technology-is-amazing-but-maybe-im-just-a-legacy-receiver-kind-of-guy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/07\/dsp-technology-is-amazing-but-maybe-im-just-a-legacy-receiver-kind-of-guy\/","title":{"rendered":"DSP technology is amazing, but maybe I&#8217;m just a legacy receiver kind of guy?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_3641\" style=\"width: 534px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/1-TecsunPL-380travel.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3641\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3641\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/1-TecsunPL-380travel.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"524\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/1-TecsunPL-380travel.jpg 524w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/1-TecsunPL-380travel-296x300.jpg 296w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/1-TecsunPL-380travel-98x100.jpg 98w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 524px) 100vw, 524px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3641\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The PL-380 was one of the first portable DSP radios I purchased. It was mind-blowing at time of introduction and I still have it in my radio arsenal.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Without a doubt, DSP (Digital Signal Processing) technology has forever changed the portable receiver market in so many positive ways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It&#8217;s made portable radios more affordable for consumers<\/li>\n<li>It&#8217;s increased the profit margin for manufacturers<\/li>\n<li>It&#8217;s made features like SSB mode and variable filter width affordable<\/li>\n<li>When properly implemented, DSP technology can provide DX-grade performance even in Ultralight receivers<\/li>\n<li>All-in-all, DSP technology has made portable receivers more accessible and has undeniably\u00a0 reinvigorated the shortwave radio market over the past decade<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All very good things!<\/p>\n<p>But I must admit, I do miss legacy receiver design&#8211;for example, dual-conversion frequency synthesized radios like the <strong>Sony ICF-SW7600GR<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Sony-ICF-SW7600GR-RA-CO.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10645\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Sony-ICF-SW7600GR-RA-CO.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Sony-ICF-SW7600GR-RA-CO.jpg 640w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Sony-ICF-SW7600GR-RA-CO-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Sony-ICF-SW7600GR-RA-CO-100x75.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Or the <strong>Panasonic RF-B65<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Quebec-Panasonic-RF-B65-and-St-Ambroise.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-33871\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Quebec-Panasonic-RF-B65-and-St-Ambroise.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"511\" height=\"681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Quebec-Panasonic-RF-B65-and-St-Ambroise.jpg 511w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Quebec-Panasonic-RF-B65-and-St-Ambroise-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 511px) 100vw, 511px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>For me? It&#8217;s all in the noise and static.<\/h1>\n<p>I think we&#8217;re probably all wired a little differently when it comes to <em>how<\/em> we listen.<\/p>\n<p>I know radio enthusiasts that can pull station IDs out of the noise with their AM or SSB filters set to very narrow widths. I have trouble doing this and tend to actually <em>widen<\/em> filters when doing weak signal work (assuming there are no adjacent stations). It&#8217;s as if the filter in my brain needs more information&#8211;more bandwidth&#8211;to increase intelligibility. I only engage narrow filters to block adjacent signals or (for narrow bandwidth modes like CW) to decrease the influence and effects of atmospheric\/natural noises (QRN).<a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Sony-ICF-SW100-PK-Loop-e1498131696366.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-26645\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Sony-ICF-SW100-PK-Loop-e1498131696366.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I find that many DSP portables add a &#8220;mushy&#8221; audio quality to the static found in the noise floor of the receiver. I hear DSP artifacts and that &#8220;watery&#8221; quality especially if using headphones. No doubt, it&#8217;s the DSP simply doing its thing: minimizing background noise and seeking to clarify voice and audio information. But this actually tinkers (or interferes) with my brain&#8217;s ability to pull out intelligible information to some degree.<\/p>\n<p>I find I prefer the audio quality of static in analog receivers.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, a bit of this might also be tied to a receiver&#8217;s dynamic range and AGC; qualities I also tend to prefer in my benchmark legacy portables.<\/p>\n<h1>Does this make any sense?<\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Sony-ICF-SW55-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19371\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Sony-ICF-SW55-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Sony-ICF-SW55-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Sony-ICF-SW55-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Sony-ICF-SW55-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Sony-ICF-SW55-2-624x351.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In truth, this is difficult to explain and, dear reader, I may very well have lost you here. If not, I&#8217;m curious what you think.<\/p>\n<p>Do you prefer the audio characteristics of DSP receivers, or legacy receiver architecture? Are there aspects you like of both? Please comment!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Without a doubt, DSP (Digital Signal Processing) technology has forever changed the portable receiver market in so many positive ways: It&#8217;s made portable radios more affordable for consumers It&#8217;s increased the profit margin for manufacturers It&#8217;s made features like SSB mode and variable filter width affordable When properly implemented, DSP technology can provide DX-grade performance [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,43],"tags":[680,9362,2476,6889],"class_list":["post-49589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","tag-analog-radio","tag-analog-vs-dsp-receivers","tag-dsp-chips","tag-dsp-radio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-cTP","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1227,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2011\/07\/silicon-labs-ships-one-billionth-dsp-radio-chip\/","url_meta":{"origin":49589,"position":0},"title":"Silicon Labs ships one billionth DSP radio chip","author":"Thomas","date":"July 3, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Silicon Labs, the chip manufacturer behind some of the best portable shortwave radios in the market (including Tecsun and Grundig) has sold its one billionth DSP radio chip. Silicon Labs has been one of the best things to happen to the portable shortwave market this century. Their DSP chips lower\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Manufacturers&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Manufacturers","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/manufacturers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/silabslogo.gif?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1420,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2011\/07\/silicon-labs-si4734-dsp-shortwave-radios\/","url_meta":{"origin":49589,"position":1},"title":"Silicon Labs Si4734 DSP-based shortwave radios","author":"Thomas","date":"July 23, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I have gone through our Shortwave Radio Index (SWRI) and tagged every portable radio that is based on the Silicon Labs Si4734 DSP chipset. The Si4734 has been one of the biggest innovations to happen to portable receivers in recent years. When implemented well into a receiver design, the Si4734\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Radios&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Radios","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/radios\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/SI4735-circuits-300x194.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":40548,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/the-new-malahit-dsp-a-portable-all-in-one-wideband-sdr-receiver\/","url_meta":{"origin":49589,"position":2},"title":"The new Malahit-DSP: A portable all-in-one wideband SDR receiver","author":"Thomas","date":"November 12, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, H. Garcia (PU3HAG), who writes: Hey Thomas, Some very exciting news on the topic of portable all-band receivers comes from Russia! A group of engineers have just released for ordering the new Malahit-dsp. And it's truly impressive! Picture an Icom IC-R8600 with the size\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;New Products&quot;","block_context":{"text":"New Products","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/new-products\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malahit-dsp-Board.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malahit-dsp-Board.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malahit-dsp-Board.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malahit-dsp-Board.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45988,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/10\/the-new-belka-dx-dsp-now-available-via-mobimax\/","url_meta":{"origin":49589,"position":3},"title":"The new Belka-DX DSP now available via Mobimax","author":"Thomas","date":"October 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, JMMHam, who comments: The new DX version of BELKA -DSP is now available in the Mobimax Store. The new Belka-DX receiver is about 5 euros more expensive but great. I bought it here:\u00a0https:\/\/www.mobimax.bg\/en\/BELKA-DX-shortwave-receiver Very fast delivery !!! Thank you for the tip! I've only\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;New Products&quot;","block_context":{"text":"New Products","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/new-products\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Icom-IC-R9500-v-PL-990x-1-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Icom-IC-R9500-v-PL-990x-1-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Icom-IC-R9500-v-PL-990x-1-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Icom-IC-R9500-v-PL-990x-1-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Icom-IC-R9500-v-PL-990x-1-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14182,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/07\/silicon-labs-dsp-chip-homebrew-receiver\/","url_meta":{"origin":49589,"position":4},"title":"Silicon Labs DSP chip homebrew receiver","author":"Thomas","date":"July 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The Silicon Labs Si4730 series DSP receiver chip powers many of the portable shortwave radios currently on the market. Manufacturers are not the only ones implementing the chip in receiver design, however; radio enthusiasts are too. I recently discovered this short video by a Japanese hobbyist who implemented the Si4734\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;How To&quot;","block_context":{"text":"How To","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/how-to\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"DSP-Homebrew","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/DSP-Homebrew.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/DSP-Homebrew.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/DSP-Homebrew.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/DSP-Homebrew.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41940,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/02\/the-malahit-dsp-a-potential-holy-grail-portable-sdr\/","url_meta":{"origin":49589,"position":5},"title":"The Malahit-DSP: A potential Holy Grail portable SDR?","author":"Thomas","date":"February 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who provides this update to his article on the Belka DSP receiver. Dan writes: One of the other DSP radios shown being demonstrated on YouTube is this one by Georgy Yatsuk, presumably from somewhere in Russia. In his comments posted on January\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;New Products&quot;","block_context":{"text":"New Products","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/new-products\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/edelstein-SDR-Feni.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/edelstein-SDR-Feni.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/edelstein-SDR-Feni.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49589"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49589\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}