{"id":60265,"date":"2024-07-27T17:18:12","date_gmt":"2024-07-27T21:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=60265"},"modified":"2024-07-31T07:59:49","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T11:59:49","slug":"dan-robinson-reviews-the-new-tecsun-s-2200x-portable-receiver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/07\/dan-robinson-reviews-the-new-tecsun-s-2200x-portable-receiver\/","title":{"rendered":"Dan Robinson Reviews the New Tecsun S-2200X Portable Receiver"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Many thanks to\u00a0<em>SWLing Post<\/em> contributor and supporter, <a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/tag\/dan-robinson\/\">Dan Robinson<\/a>, who shares the following review:<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h1><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-Review-1.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-60266\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-Review-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"989\" height=\"510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-Review-1.jpeg 989w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-Review-1-300x155.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-Review-1-768x396.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-Review-1-624x322.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 989px) 100vw, 989px\" \/><\/a>Tecsun Delivers The S-2200X \u2013 New Life For A 16-Year-Old Cabinet Design<\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><strong>by Dan Robinson<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>Note:<\/strong> Please see an addendum of updates at the end of this post.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Some months ago, I learned <a href=\"https:\/\/www.anon-co.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">from Anon-co<\/a> that Tecsun planned to release an update to the S-2000 receiver, which for the past 16 years also sold under other names such as the Grundig Satellit 750 and later the Eton Satellit 750 and Eton Elite 750.<\/p>\n<p>To say that this radio was long in the tooth is an understatement.<\/p>\n<p>I remember seeing one when they first came out back in 2008 and I was never very impressed.\u00a0 To me, the radio looked like a toy, and the performance did not impress.\u00a0 The standout feature was the top-mounted rotatable antenna for MW\/LW reception.\u00a0 That was popular with those of us who own the Panasonic RF-2200 and it\u2019s a great tool for MW.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_29360\" style=\"width: 874px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Grundig-Satellit-750.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-29360\" class=\"size-full wp-image-29360\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Grundig-Satellit-750.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"864\" height=\"405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Grundig-Satellit-750.jpg 864w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Grundig-Satellit-750-300x141.jpg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Grundig-Satellit-750-768x360.jpg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Grundig-Satellit-750-624x293.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-29360\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grundig Satellit 750<\/p><\/div>\n<p>While popular with a certain segment of the listening hobby \u2013 beginners liked the 750 and even some veteran SWLs appreciated the retro design &#8212; the receiver was plagued by annoying issues, such as the famous wobbly tuning knob.\u00a0 It also had limited selectivity, no synchronous mode, and mediocre SSB.<\/p>\n<p>In 2013, The Monitoring Times (Larry Van Horn) took another look at the radio with the following memorable comments:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>[MONITORING TIMES 2013]<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b><i>\u201cNeedless to say some folks were not happy with our review of the 750 including Et\u00f3n. In retrospect, over four years later, I would not change one single word I wrote in that review.\u00a0 I believe we honestly gave a fair assessment of the unit that was shipped to us for review. If you read my previous review closely, you would see that most of my concerns back then had to do with quality control issues and most in our industry fully acknowledge that we were seeing some nasty stuff coming out of China back in 2008.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p>So, measuring from 2008 when the first Eton 750 came out we\u2019re now in 2024 and Tecsun has decided to preserve the cabinet design of the original radio while substantially upgrading the internals.<\/p>\n<h1>Enter the S-2200x<\/h1>\n<div id=\"attachment_60272\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-60272\" class=\"wp-image-60272 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"792\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1.jpeg 1600w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1-300x149.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1-1024x507.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1-768x380.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1-1536x760.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1-624x309.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-60272\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Anon-Co<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Reviewers have obtained units from the first production run.\u00a0 Tecsun has provided long-needed upgrades that put this radio on the same playing field as the very popular <a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/04\/dans-review-of-the-flagship-tecsun-h-501x-portable-shortwave-receiver\/\">H-501<\/a> and PL-990 portables.<\/p>\n<p>The 2200x adds a dedicated SYNC mode with its own front panel button.\u00a0 AIR band is retained, though sadly coverage doesn\u2019t extend up to give us the NOAA WEATHER frequencies.<\/p>\n<p>My initial testing of the S-2200x shows that performance is excellent on SW, AM, and FM.\u00a0 In contrast with portables from other manufacturers, SSB performance is excellent \u2013 in USB and LSB, tuning is smooth with no \u201cwarbling\u201d and using the fine tuning control is a pleasure. <!--more--><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_60268\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-5.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-60268\" class=\"wp-image-60268 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-5.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1703\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-5.jpeg 1600w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-5-282x300.jpeg 282w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-5-962x1024.jpeg 962w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-5-768x817.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-5-1443x1536.jpeg 1443w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-5-624x664.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-60268\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Anon-Co<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The receiver has the usual ATS scanning capabilities, and an amazing 9150 station memories!\u00a0 Bandwidths are similar to the H-501\/PL-990:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>LW\/MW bandwidth selection: 1.0, 2.3, 3.5, 5.0 and 9.0 kHz<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>SW\/AIR bandwidth selection: 1.0. 2.3, 3.5, 5.0 and 6.0 kHz<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>SSB bandwidth selection: 0.5, 1.2, 2.3, 3.0 and 4.0 kHz<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The LCD backlight is fully controllable.\u00a0 As for signal levels, the radio displays signal strength and S\/NR.\u00a0 There are also the usual TIMER and SLEEP control functions.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_60271\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-2.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-60271\" class=\"wp-image-60271 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1398\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-2.jpeg 1600w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-2-300x262.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-2-1024x895.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-2-768x671.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-2-1536x1342.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-2-624x545.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-60271\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Anon-Co<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Connections include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>SW external antenna socket: 50? (BNC type), 500? (black\/red spring terminals)<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>FM\/AIR external antenna socket: 50? (BNC type)<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>MW\/LW external antenna socket: ? 3.5mm (1\/8in)<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Headphone socket: 32-300?, ? 3.5mm (1\/8in)<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>FM-stereo via headphones<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Audio input (line in) socket: use as an active speaker (? 3.5mm, 1\/8in)<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Audio output (L\/R RCA) sockets: use as a radio tuner for your home audio system<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Battery selection switch: choose D-type (R20\/UM1) or 18650 batteries<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>DC 5V \/ 2A charging socket (USB-C)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When I first used the 2200x I was disappointed to find that SSB was off the displayed tuned frequency by as much as 120 hz.\u00a0 Having not read through the manual (duh) I was ready to enter this on the CONS column until I decided to try the well-known re-calibrating procedure found on the Tecsun H-501, Pl-990, PL-368, and PL-330.\u00a0 And I was pleased to find that <b>RECALIBRATION is indeed a feature on the 2200x!<\/b>\u00a0 For those of us who are obsessive about radios being exactly on or near the frequency being displayed, that is huge news!<\/p>\n<p>Add to this the superb rotatable antenna for MW\/LW (the mini jack port on the rotatable antenna for connection of a separate external MW antenna is retained), fantastic sound from the front-firing speaker with adjustable BASS and TREBLE, and dual battery type power from D cells <strong><em>or<\/em> <\/strong>18650s and we have another great addition to the world of receivers in 2024.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_60270\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-3.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-60270\" class=\"wp-image-60270 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-3.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"914\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-3.jpeg 1600w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-3-300x171.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-3-1024x585.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-3-768x439.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-3-1536x877.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-3-624x356.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-60270\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Anon-Co<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Another very handy feature is the addition of <b>battery check LEDs in the 18650 compartment. <\/b>The manual states that if the 18650\u2019s are drained, the LEDs will be dimmed.\u00a0 It appears that the 2200x cannot automatically switch between its D cells and the two 18650s \u2013 that would have been a super feature.\u00a0 The Tecsun H-501 has an external switch that enables use of either of two 18650s in that radio.\u00a0 It would have been nice for Tecsun to use bar graph level LEDs rather than single LEDs, but then we do have a battery indicator on the front LCD display.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_60269\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-60269\" class=\"wp-image-60269 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-4.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1045\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-4.jpeg 1600w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-4-300x196.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-4-1024x669.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-4-768x502.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-4-1536x1003.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-4-624x408.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-60269\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Anon-Co<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The late Dave Zantow provided a long list of CONS for the old Grundig\/Eton Satellit 750\/Tecsun S-2000\/ Eton Elite 750 (see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qsl.net\/n9ewo\/s750.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.qsl.net\/n9ewo\/s750.html<\/a>).\u00a0 Reading his observations and comparing them to the new S-2200x numerous points simply don\u2019t apply anymore.\u00a0 One criticism of the S-2000\/750 still does apply:\u00a0 many people don\u2019t like the placement of the VOLUME knob on the left side of the radio \u2013 but this is a minor point that most people won\u2019t notice.<\/p>\n<h1><b>Hidden Features<\/b><\/h1>\n<p>With the test unit sent to me by Anon-co is a sheet listing HIDDEN FEATURES. \u00a0 And at least so far, there are only four:\u00a0 MAX VOLUME LEVEL, CALIBRATE MW\/SW, CALIBRATE USB\/LSB, and SWITCH BETWEEN INTERNAL FERRITE ROD TO WHIP ON AM (MW &amp; LW).\u00a0 It is interesting that there are separate recalibration procedures for MW\/SW and USB\/LSB.<\/p>\n<p>I should add that the cosmetics of the test unit I received are excellent.\u00a0 Paint finish is superb.\u00a0 The telescopic antenna is robust with a thick base, and swivels 360 degrees \u2013 thinking back on the problems Eton had trying to get the antenna right in the short-lived Elite Satellit, one wonders why this is such a challenge.\u00a0 The 2200x comes with the usual excellent instruction manual, and something else we\u2019re familiar with from Tecsun, the extra large fold out Quick Start guide with a world amateur radio map on the back.\u00a0 It also comes with a dual USB-A charging plug, a USB-C cable, and with my unit at least, two antenna connectors.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.anon-co.com\/product\/tecsun-s2200x-radio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">On the Anon-co website<\/a>, the 2200x is shown as an expected September release so obviously Tecsun will be ramping up production. The radio is described as \u201cTriple Conversion IF\u201d.\u00a0 That puts it in the same league as the S-8800 which, according to the Tecsun description, is \u201cequipped with an analog High-IF circuit and DSP triple conversion decoding technology.\u201d\u00a0 The PL-990 and H-501 are also described as triple conversion.<\/p>\n<p>Another headline, though predictable based on Tecsun\u2019s other models, is that <b>there is\u00a0<\/b><b>NO SOFT MUTING on this receiver!<\/b>\u00a0 This makes a real difference for those of us who value the ability to hear continuous audio when tuning around the bands and is in stark contrast to some other manufacturers who still don\u2019t seem to be able to produce radios without muting.<\/p>\n<p>As my testing of the S-2200x continues, I have identified a few things in the CON column:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Though there is now a dedicated SYNC mode with its own button, actual implementation of synchronous remains a bit challenging, losing lock in some instances depending on signal level.\u00a0 But I have to observe that even in comparison with a H-501\/PL-990, the SYNC on the 2200x appears to be very, very good.\u00a0 It will be interesting to hear from Tecsun whether anything was done to improve SYNC in the 2200x<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>AGC options (FAST, SLOW, etc) are missing on this receiver \u2013 it seems this could have been an easy addition even though there is a RF manual control.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>An issue that was seen on Eton\u2019s ill-fated Elite Satellit \u2013 on my test unit turning SQUELCH completely clockwise does not fully zero out sound from the speaker.\u00a0 This should be an easy issue for Tecsun to resolve.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>On my sample of the 2200x the right side of the top rotating antenna is a bit raised.\u00a0 One of the criticisms of the old S2000\/750 was that the rotating antenna was also not perfectly horizontal and ended up scraping the top of the radio cabinet (we see a similar issue with the <a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/05\/dans-in-depth-review-of-the-new-raddy-rf-919-shortwave-portable-radio\/\">Raddy RF919<\/a>, with the provided loop stick not completely clearing the left top of that radio\u2019s cabinet).\u00a0 This is an obvious QC issue that Tecsun needs to address.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Not technically a CON, when exiting AUTO RF GAIN (after the click) the RF level remains at maximum, then declines with full clockwise turning of the control.\u00a0 Some may be confused by this at first, since on some older portables maximum manual gain is achieved at full clockwise position.\u00a0 On the 2200x, maximum manual RF is just after the AUTO position.<\/p>\n<p>Also noted:\u00a0 the FINE TUNING knob contains a dark mark that indicates center \/ 12:00.\u00a0 But since the fine tuning control has no physical detent stops, when you\u2019re on a specific frequency (15,770 kHz for example) zero beat may not be achieved when the knob dark marker is at 12:00.\u00a0 So, a simple direct key re-entry of a frequency when the knob marker is placed back at 12:00 returns the control to a symmetrical representation when using fine tune (probably important only for obsessive folks like myself).<\/p>\n<p><b>SOME FEATURE MISSES<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Given that the S-2200x is larger and heavier than the S-8800, one would think that another good addition would have been to make the radio remote controllable, like the S-8800, which has a beautiful remote control.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>It would have been interesting to see Tecsun do what Raddy has done with its RF919 and add microSD support with recording capability.\u00a0 There may be reasons for not putting in Bluetooth for app control \u2013 perhaps the thinking was that too much new stuff would degrade reception capabilities of the S-2200x.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Tecsun has shown itself to be very capable in radio design.\u00a0 We learned earlier this year that Tecsun provided some assistance to Choyong on that company\u2019s LC90 Internet\/SW portable.\u00a0 Perhaps in coming years we will see Tecsun designing a portable with a spectrum display as seen on Russian\/Chinese Malahit\/Malachite receivers, though this would surely require engineering steps \u2013 including adequate shielding &#8212; to avoid interference from the screen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_60267\" style=\"width: 1014px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-6.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-60267\" class=\"wp-image-60267 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-6.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1004\" height=\"582\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-6.jpeg 1004w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-6-300x174.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-6-768x445.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-6-624x362.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1004px) 100vw, 1004px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-60267\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Dan Robinson<\/p><\/div>\n<p>What we have with the S-2200x is a radio that retains the retro styling of its predecessors while adding the excellent performance characteristics of Tecsun\u2019s other receivers.\u00a0 This is a receiver that both beginning and veteran SWLs and DX\u2019ers can finally be proud to own and use.<\/p>\n<p>Assuming Tecsun can maintain a high level of QC in production, and considering that the important RECAL feature has been retained with no muting, I would give the S-2200x a 4.8 out of 5.\u00a0 If Tecsun can address the top rotatable antenna issue \u2013 surely a simple thing to resolve, and the SQUELCH issue, this radio gets a 4.9 from me.<\/p>\n<h1>Video: Tuning Examples on the Tecsun S-2200x<\/h1>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"625\" height=\"352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Sm4IyLr6eDg?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Sm4IyLr6eDg?si=2E3Hp4q4GAMXflM3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here to view on YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Update 31 July 2024<\/h3>\n<h1>TECSUN S-2200x: UPDATES AND NEW ASSESSMENT<\/h1>\n<p>Since my original review (see above), I have run additional tests on the S-2200x and have the following observations, and responses to some comments. I continue to test this receiver, but conclude that really if one has to have just one radio \u2013 which I think is usually not the case \u2013 one cannot really go wrong with any of the Tecsun portables, whether the 2200x, or S-8800, H-501, or PL-990. With that said, here are my additional observations on the 2200x:<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERALL RATING:<\/strong> At the end of my original main review, I said that assuming Tecsun can maintain a high level of QC in production, and considering that the important RECAL feature has been retained, and that the radio has no muting, I would give the S-2200x a 4.8 out of 5. This would increase if Tecsun can address the slight alignment issue on the rotatable antenna, the issue in which SQUELCH does not completely silence audio.<\/p>\n<p>However, after extensive testing, I feel that the problem of SYNC losing lock and generally sounding unstable takes the 2200x down a few notches. At present, the receiver is an attractive package with its retro styling, really nice and smooth main tuning knob, no soft muting and recalibration. However, the fact that synchronous mode has still not improved over the H-501\/PL-990 means I would rate the 2200x at no more than a 4.5. Had Tecsun taken steps to improve SYNC \u2013 if it\u2019s at all possible using the current chips &#8212; the radio would easily be several rating points higher.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AGC\/SYNC:<\/strong> SYNC mode on the 2200x struggles, especially with weaker signals and regardless of bandwidth. As an example, testing on 15,575 khz (South Korea) using the telescopic and an an external long wire showed that in synchronous, there was a good amount of \u201cpulling\u201d with the signal, which was only at a fair level. The question of whether Tecsun has made any changes to SYNC mode between the H-501\/Pl-990 and S-2200x remains, and we would hope to hear from them on this issue.<\/p>\n<p>Here is an additional video showing both the 2200x and a H-501x in SYNC mode on a strong signal. Both receivers exhibit some less than satisfactory SYNC performance, though the 2200x sounds a bit worse:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"625\" height=\"352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/37f5dLNJZx8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Reader comments always spark additional thinking. As one user observed, Tecsun could have added AGC FAST\/SLOW\/MEDIUM options in addition to providing AGC and adjustable manual gain. It is definitely a good thing that SYNC as well as LSB\/USB operate not only on SW, but also in AM and LW.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SSB:<\/strong> One reader asked if SSB performance on the 2200x has \u201cthe same woeful SSB audio quality issues caused by AGC and a low cut off frequency of around 300 hz making the audio sound thin, lacking bass while on SSB?\u201d The reader also notes that these are \u201cissues with every single Tecsun and most other DSP radios and due to the cost of these radios one should expect perfect performing and sounding SSB.\u201d To adapt a quote from one of my favorite Clint Eastwood movie lines (\u201cDeserves got nothing to do with it\u201d) in this case I will say that Perfect has nothing to do with it. We\u2019re all enjoying a mini-boom in the appearance of new receivers \u2013 to expect absolute perfection from a DSP-based receiver is sadly, unrealistic. SSB on the 2200x is probably about as good as it can get. The fact that fine tuning on the 2200x is so smooth is a very good thing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ANTENNA:<\/strong> I have tested the 2200x using telescopic versus external antennas, including a long wire, W6LVP, Wellbrook and Chameleon loops. Reception is further enhanced with external antennas. The three ATTENUATION positions on the 2200x help to keep any overloading down.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RDS:<\/strong> A number of users\/viewers have commented on the absence of RDS in the 2200x. This is indeed a good observation \u2013 seems that it would have been easy for Tecsun to include this, and one wonders if the company will consider adding this as a feature not only in the 2200x but H-501\/PL-990 as well. However, I believe that Tecsun has just chosen to not increase costs and thus, no RDS.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AC POWER:<\/strong> As everyone probably sees, there seems to be no way to run the receiver on AC power. There is a dual USB-A cube included in the package, but as we have found, running receivers while they are charging is not a good idea. The 2200x does appear to charge fairly quickly via the USB-C port. Anyone with radios using 18650 batteries should invest in at least one good quality charger \u2013 these are available at any of the well-known professional battery\/flashlight online sellers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TUNING KNOB:<\/strong> Yes, the main tuning knob still exhibits wobble. It&#8217;s a puzzle as to why this can\u2019t be resolved, especially years after the original Grundig 750 emerged and the old models continued to have this issue for years. But the action of the knob itself is really smooth and it\u2019s a pleasure to tune this radio, at least based on the sample I have here.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, our purchase decisions are driven by a number of factors \u2013 some potential 2200x buyers may not be as concerned with ongoing SYNC issues, while others might reject a new receiver outright based on this issue. The 2200x offers basically the same features as the H-501\/PL-990, but adds AIR band and an excellent mediumwave rotatable antenna, and these facts alone may be enough to justify a purchase of the new radio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post contributor and supporter, Dan Robinson, who shares the following review: Tecsun Delivers The S-2200X \u2013 New Life For A 16-Year-Old Cabinet Design by Dan Robinson Note: Please see an addendum of updates at the end of this post. Some months ago, I learned from Anon-co that Tecsun planned to release an [&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":[373,8,3781,3194,2436,433,836,3,3196,26,129,43,154],"tags":[4097,2635,1584,4321,4108,4085,10571,4086,10569,10570],"class_list":["post-60265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-am","category-articles","category-fm","category-guest-posts","category-longwave","category-mediumwave","category-new-products","category-news","category-portable-radio","category-radios","category-reviews","category-shortwave-radio","category-shortwave-radio-reviews","tag-am","tag-dan-robinson","tag-fm","tag-lw","tag-new-products","tag-reviews","tag-s-2200x","tag-shortwave-radio-reviews","tag-tecsun-s-2200x","tag-tecsun-s-2200x-review"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-fG1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":60296,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/07\/dan-updates-his-tecsun-s-2200x-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":60265,"position":0},"title":"Dan updates his Tecsun S-2200x Review","author":"Thomas","date":"July 31, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares this update to his original Tecsun S-2200x review: TECSUN S-2200x: Some Updates by Dan Robinson Since my original Tecsun S-2200x review, I have run additional tests on the S-2200x and have the following observations, and responses to some comments. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Review-Update-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Review-Update-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Review-Update-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Review-Update-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62550,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/04\/initial-impressions-of-the-tecsun-s-2200x\/","url_meta":{"origin":60265,"position":1},"title":"Initial Impressions of the Tecsun S-2200X","author":"Jock Elliott","date":"April 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Bob Colegrove inspired this, with his excellent post \"Pressing Buttons. Twirling Knobs and Throwing Switches.\"\u00a0If you haven\u2019t read it, go do so now. And it was our Maximum Leader, Thomas, who some time ago was asked \u201cWhat\u2019s the best shortwave radio?\u201d His response (if I recall\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AM&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/S-2200x-800X800dpi-Test-1-e1744196031585.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/S-2200x-800X800dpi-Test-1-e1744196031585.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/S-2200x-800X800dpi-Test-1-e1744196031585.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/S-2200x-800X800dpi-Test-1-e1744196031585.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62148,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/02\/tecsun-s-2200x-makes-appearance-in-zero-day-on-netflix\/","url_meta":{"origin":60265,"position":2},"title":"Familiar Tecsun Makes Appearance in Zero Day on Netflix","author":"Dan Robinson","date":"February 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Dan Robinson Zero Day, Robert DeNiro's first appearance in a TV series, is streaming on Netflilx, and in addition to De Niro who plays a former president brought back to head a commission investigating a devastating cyberattack, a radio that will be familiar to many also makes what seems\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/20250222_223131.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/20250222_223131.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/20250222_223131.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":60484,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/08\/tecsun-s2200x-now-available-via-anon-co\/","url_meta":{"origin":60265,"position":3},"title":"Tecsun S2200X now available via Anon-Co","author":"Thomas","date":"August 27, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Julian Stargardt, who writes: Hi Thomas, I thought SWLingers would like to know that the Tecsun S-2200X will be on sale from 27 August at Anon Co for US$372.00 See: https:\/\/www.anon-co.com\/product\/tecsun-s2200x-radio That\u2019s a lot of radio for a reasonable price. The Anon site has\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\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Tecsun-S-2200X-1.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":25079,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/04\/yet-another-favorable-review-of-the-grundig-executive-satellit\/","url_meta":{"origin":60265,"position":4},"title":"Yet another favorable review of the Grundig Executive Satellit","author":"Thomas","date":"April 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors, Troy, Ron and Steve, who note that Jay Allen has just posted a review of the Grundig Executive Satellit\u00a0on his website. The upshot? Jay found the\u00a0performance identical to the previous (non-Executive) version of the Satellit which is to say that it has excellent AM\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AM&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Eton-Satellit-Exec-1024x849.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Eton-Satellit-Exec-1024x849.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Eton-Satellit-Exec-1024x849.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48355,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/04\/dan-reviews-the-tecsun-pl-330-portable-shortwave-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":60265,"position":5},"title":"Dan reviews the Tecsun PL-330 portable shortwave radio","author":"Thomas","date":"April 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares the following guest post: Tecsun PL-330:\u00a0 The Powerful Mini With One Serious Design Issue by Dan Robinson As SWLing Post readers know, I have a huge radio collection \u2013 including premium receivers and portables, now nearly 100 in all. So,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Guest Posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Guest Posts","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/guest-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Belka-DX and Tecsun PL-330","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210203_141512-e1617274478610.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210203_141512-e1617274478610.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210203_141512-e1617274478610.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60265","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=60265"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60265\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60299,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60265\/revisions\/60299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}