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Tressy Rakowiecka photo
Japan, Tokyo
1 Level
480 Review
0 Karma

Review on πŸ“» Eton Grundig S450DLX Deluxe AM/FM/Shortwave Radio - Black: A High-quality and Versatile Radio Option by Tressy Rakowiecka

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Great radio for two hours. THEN DIED.

This was a great radio for about two hours. But after two hours of listening, the entire AM/SW side died out. This is bad. It's good. I like the size of the radio and the sound quality. AM sensitivity and selectivity were excellent. I got a clear signal every 10kHz over the full range in the middle of the day. Sensitivity and selectivity at short wavelengths were good, but not quite the quality of the communications receiver. However, I can say that once I get used to the digital setup attitude it will be very useful for what it is intended for - a large portable computer. and SW just died. Nothing but internal noise coming out of the speaker. I asked for a replacement and will give it another chance. But Eton/Grundig really need to work together. I bought this unit despite the bad reviews based on the amount of good reviews from happy owners and the fact that no one else makes a radio in this class for less than a hundred dollars. I thought I had a good shift, I got a good one and will give them another chance. But buying an Eton/Grundig product doesn't have to be bullshit and product shuffling until you get one that works. After this experience I will probably not buy an Eton/Grundig product again. Obviously they have serious quality control issues. Addendum: A replacement for a defective device arrived yesterday. You cannot blame Revain or the seller for their response to the situation. Absolutely flawless. The second block appears to be working well, but seems a little less sensitive than the first, which literally filled the AM/MW band with readable signals in the middle of the day. This device doesn't work, but it's still better than most portable devices in its price range. Works stable, sound quality is good. The sensitivity of the SW is mediocre, but it is compensated by the stability and bandwidth selector, which allows you to fix the signal. This morning, over a cup of coffee, I was listening to the news from China and pop music from Australia. This device might not be the best device for DX, but the price was right and it will be fine for normal listening. PS 2: The battery life of this device is excellent. I use it two to four hours a day and it looks like a set of Duracells could last over 30 days at this level of use. However, I'm still amazed at the difference in sensitivity between the two devices, the one that originally shipped and failed after two hours and the one I have now. The first block literally caught an AM station on almost every frequency assignment in the middle of the day. During that glorious two hours of it working, I effortlessly walked 500 miles through AM dx. Based on that, it would be amazing after sunset. But the new block is much less sensitive. Useful. Better than a typical tabletop radio, but still not what any other device could be. The quality control of these devices must be very lax. I want (1) it to be easy to disassemble and (2) to have access to the setup procedure because I suspect there is a very good radio hidden in there. PS 3 - Three months later the radio is still working with the Duracells kit I installed in January. This would be a great radio for people living off the grid. The battery life is amazing for a radio of this size and sound output. Sensitivity is so-so. But it's a workhorse for what it does. Stability, good sound quality, long battery life. It could be worse.

Pros
  • Long range
Cons
  • Security