With the abundance of cheaper shortwave receivers on the market, audio has been compromised in favor of price. There are, by far, some receivers that sound better than others and, of course, high price doesn’t necessarily mean better audio quality. Take for instance the DX-440 and the Sony ICF-77. Both are great portables with bass and treble controls. However, the top-notch Sony, which perhaps performs just as good as any table top, cannot reproduce the rich low frequency audio than what the less expensive DX-440 is capable producing. And looking back even further when multi-band analog radios were popular in their heyday in the 1970s, their sound performance was exceptional but they were dreadful DX machines. In any case, here are a few tips that I think can help any listener who wants to improve the sound coming from abroad on any radio.
Put out the outboards
The speakers don’t have to be, and really shouldn’t be, expensive CD outboards such as Sony or Panasonic. These electrical speakers are geared for quality stereo sound and not for AM broadcasts. Here in Europe, I found an off-brand, not exactly known for its fine quality stereo products, at a local retail outlet, which set me back 20 euros or about US$24. But in places like Walgreens or Duane Reade drugstores, you’ll no doubt find a good pair that will do the trick. When I connect my mini Sangean 606 to the outboards, oh, what a difference a day makes. Don’t forget to adjust the volume level on your receiver to no more than medium notch and turn up instead the sound level on your speakers. Otherwise, your audio will turn to QRM.
Watch those ears!
Earphones or plugs are great but let's face it – they are unbearable. The older you get the less likely you will want anything that’s not flesh hugging your head. I remember using those massive head huggers listening to Grand Funk Railroad and Three Dog Night in the 1970s. Still, headphones and plugs offer incredible privacy and they are excellent for honing in on the DX. But they are impossible to use when you are sleeping or cumbersome when trying to listen to magnificant classical music from Moscow or fabulous folk tunes from Belarus, Greece or Indonesia. You do need them, though, because they come in handy. Remember that most that are sold nowadays are stereo headphones, which amplify all the squeals, cracks and pops on shortwave. So try to look for phones or plugs that reproduce “mono” sound. They are of course poor performers on the FM band, but remarkable for shortwave and AM transmissions.
Come inside
No doubt, unless you have a great shortwave boom box, k
nown better before the politically correct days of the 1980s as “a ghetto blaster,” your shortwave radio is no good outdoors. Some brands and models are better than others, but remember, you will always have fading and competing noises from the outdoors.
Put out the outboards
The speakers don’t have to be, and really shouldn’t be, expensive CD outboards such as Sony or Panasonic. These electrical speakers are geared for quality stereo sound and not for AM broadcasts. Here in Europe, I found an off-brand, not exactly known for its fine quality stereo products, at a local retail outlet, which set me back 20 euros or about US$24. But in places like Walgreens or Duane Reade drugstores, you’ll no doubt find a good pair that will do the trick. When I connect my mini Sangean 606 to the outboards, oh, what a difference a day makes. Don’t forget to adjust the volume level on your receiver to no more than medium notch and turn up instead the sound level on your speakers. Otherwise, your audio will turn to QRM.
Watch those ears!
Earphones or plugs are great but let's face it – they are unbearable. The older you get the less likely you will want anything that’s not flesh hugging your head. I remember using those massive head huggers listening to Grand Funk Railroad and Three Dog Night in the 1970s. Still, headphones and plugs offer incredible privacy and they are excellent for honing in on the DX. But they are impossible to use when you are sleeping or cumbersome when trying to listen to magnificant classical music from Moscow or fabulous folk tunes from Belarus, Greece or Indonesia. You do need them, though, because they come in handy. Remember that most that are sold nowadays are stereo headphones, which amplify all the squeals, cracks and pops on shortwave. So try to look for phones or plugs that reproduce “mono” sound. They are of course poor performers on the FM band, but remarkable for shortwave and AM transmissions.
Come inside
No doubt, unless you have a great shortwave boom box, k
nown better before the politically correct days of the 1980s as “a ghetto blaster,” your shortwave radio is no good outdoors. Some brands and models are better than others, but remember, you will always have fading and competing noises from the outdoors.
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