Customer Reviews

Grundig® S350 AM / FM / Shortwave Radio

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This radio is of excellent quality and the receive on AM, FM and shortwave is very good. Being a ham radio operator I really appreciate the rotary tuning knob that has a fine tuning adjustment knob built in. I just can't see myself buying an expensive shortwave radio with no tuning knob. Half the fun of radio is being able to play with a VFO!
I also own the GE superadio that other reviewers have commented on. The Grundig does not feel and look cheap like the GE superadio but the GE superadio will outperform the Grundig in a side by side comparison. The superadio has two speakers that are designed for better fidelity and louder audio than the smaller Grundigs single speaker can achieve. When listening to weak stations in heavy static on the AM band the superadio did a better job of pulling out the audio.
The shortwave reception is the best part of the radio however and this radio is a real jewel for shortwave use! The selectivity is great, no overlapping of stations that is found on cheaper shortwave radios like the Sangean SG 622. The radios sensitivity is excellent also, I could not ask for better performane from a shortwave radio. I know I made the correct decision passing up some of the more expensive Sony and Grundig shortwave radios that look so tempting to buy but lack a knob to tune with.

As a radio freak with no tolerance for even the slightest glitches in reception, I own three premium radios: a portable Sony ICF-SW35, a Tivoli PAL, and, most recently, the Grundig S350. If I had to choose one, I'd go in a heart beat with the big military style retro Grundig. First, its reception beats the Tivoli PAL (second place) and the Sony (third place). It's tied with the Tivoli for ease of use. But it beats the Tivoli in sound and is thirty to fifty dollars cheaper. I would have saved twenty dollars had I bought the Grundig on Amazon with free shipping and no tax. But I got impatient and bought it at a so-called discount outlet. I learned my lesson. Back to the Grundig. Its owner's manual is the best and easy to understand. The radio produces clear, big sound. I get KGO 810 radio from San Francisco in my Los Angeles home with the Grundig. I get weak stations loud and clear. Try getting the jazz station or an NPR station at the left of the dial any clearer. You won't. The telescopic antenna is huge and says it means serious business. In short, the Grundig radio indulges those who, like me, must have confidence in their reception. Finally, let me tell you I compared the Grundig S350 to smaller, more portable Grundig models and I'm sorry but those models were cheap and tinny compared to the big Grundig S350. In fact, one Grundig model , a tiny piece of tin with inferior sound and reception, cost almost twice as much. No way. For every day use, stick with the Grundig S350.

I love this radio. I fell in love with it because of the unique retro-military analog design - all of those analog dials! The sound is big and full. Am reception is strong - I could detect no difference between this and the GE Superadio. Shortwave: I only bother with BBC and Voice of America (VOA), and Radio Canada and they all come in great. If you are a shortwave fanatic who tries to get third world countries in, I have no idea how it will do as I have no interest in that. FM is very good. It has a sleep timer, alarm, clock, BIG numeric LCD display and bright back light.. The handle is comfortable. I also have a Yacht Boy from Grundig but that is only because this is too big to slip into my briefcase. If I could, I would take this with me everywhere! My favorite radio!

Some time back, I posted a review to Amazon saying that the GE Superadio III was the best radio I ever owned. Now, I find myself using only this radio. The main reason is the digital frequency display. You always know exactly where you're tuned. It's such a major difference. I like analog tuning; I like twisting the dial to go from one station to the next. With the S350, I don't have to guess where I am on the dial. The FM section is great; very little overloading in my very difficult reception area, with great weak signal pickup. The AM section is superb; there are Wide and Narrow bandwidth choices that are usable on both local and distant stations (a bandwidth switch lets you choose the best tradeoff between interference rejection and audio fidelity; on the S350, both choices are well designed--with the Superadio, the Wide setting is so wide that you can only use it on very strong, local stations). I find myself listening to a station 500 miles away in the Wide bandwidth mode most nights. The Shortwave section is a joy to listen to. The S350 is light, even with batteries, and produces a nice sound--not quite the same bass response as the Superadio, but very pleasant. If you like a slightly retro design (no station memories, no slewing buttons, but it does have a nice big tuning knob PLUS a fine tuning knob) and appreciate knowing exactly to what station your radio is tuned, this is what you want. There is no better radio, overall, anywhere near this price.

I've only had mine a short while, but I'm happy with it. It's quite portable. It has good sound and one or two, but far from all, of the more modern features people have learned to expect in this type of radio. Its raw performance as a radio on AM, FM, and shortwave is about what I'd expect from a good portable-- and I'm a collector of sorts. I have now and have owned in the past some blasted good portables.

$100 for a radio may seem like a lot, if you're not familiar with shortwave. But for a radio that has respectable performance and is fairly easy to operate it's a good deal.

This radio is built in China and is also available in some places as the Tecsun BCL-2000, for less money. I understand this set has the incorrect power supply for North America, but as the power supply is an external "brick on a cord" thing it's easy to replace. I've also heard the Tecsun doesn't cover AM to 1700 KHz as the Grundig version does.

Chinese-built radio quality is more consistant than it used to be, but I've still heard reports of spotty performance; when you get one, you want to check it thoroughly and be sure it works properly.

You must understand that this is an old-technology radio with a new-tech overlay. The tuner is an old-fashioned analog type. The digital display comes from a frequency counter, part of a computer control chip that also gives you a clock and alarm.

This combination of old and new tech gives the S350 its strengths and weaknesses. The weaknesses are:

1. Unlike sets with fully synthesized digital tuners, this radio is subject to frequency drift. Mine drifts badly when I first turn on the set, but settles down to minor or none after about ten minutes.

2. It lacks multiple timers, station memories, widgets, gadgets, bells and whistles.

On the other hand, its analog tuner is more pleasant to operate than a digital set. I think it provides better sound, although that might just be the larger cabinet and speaker. What it DOES provide is the ability to scan across a radio band to see what's there. Digitally synthisized receivers either make a chugging noise as you tune from one digital frequency to the next, or they mute for a fraction of a second to hide this chugging noise. This means you have to tune to the next frequency, wait for a second to see if there's anything there, tune to the next frequency, and so on. It's much less pleasant than the S350's analog system.

In short, if you know exactly what frequency you're going to, a digital portable with keyboard entry will work better for you. But if you want to tune around, this one will do better.

Granted the better synthesized radios get around this chugging problem, but we're talking my $600 desktop set here. And even that has a bit of synthesizer noise you can notice once in a while.

The analog tuner also means this radio is easy on batteries. Some synthesized sets are real battery monsters.

There are some things you have to watch out for.

This radio has an RF gain control at the lower right of the front panel. It's like a second volume control. It lets you damp down a signal if that signal is too powerful for your radio to handle, and is making it behave strangely. However, it's really easy to turn this down by accident. Then your radio won't be able to pick up any AM or shortwave signals to speak of. You won't know why. You'll figure the set is no good. Well, before you throw it out the window, tweak the RF gain and make sure it's turned full to the right.

Likewise, there's a filter switch on the right side of the radio at the top. If you have the filter kicked in it will weaken your AM and shortwave stations a bit. But if you're on top of a powerful FM station, this filter should theoretically help you prevent that station from overloading your radio and making it act strange.

Some reviews state that if you turn the radio on, it turns on for 90 minutes and then shuts down. They say there's no way to avoid this annoyance. I believe this was true on the early sets, but on mine, if you just tap the power switch the radio comes on for 90 minutes, then shuts off; if you hold the power button down for a second or two, the radio turns on and stays on until you turn it off. If you're planning to buy one of these, you might try turning it on and off both of these ways to make sure you've got a new one.

The dial light switch is similar. Tap it, the light comes on for a few seconds. Hold it down, and the light stays on until you turn it off. I suspect this would be hard on the batteries.

It's a decent set, with good performance and good sound for the money. Its technology is simple, but that makes it easy and pleasant to operate. If you can live without a keyboard and preset station memories, I think you'll like it.

I got this radio about 2 months ago and I am in love with it. I listen to the radio a lot more than I used to simply because it gets great AM/FM reception and shortwave bands aren't bad either. I came into shortwave with this radio as a novice. I found that the dial made it easier to use since I wasn't sure what everything did and I didn't know where any of the stations were located and I didn't really feel like looking for schedules of shows and such. With shortwave, I have been able to get a lot of broadcast stations. This radio is not meant for any other type of shortwave listening other than broadcast bands. Sometimes I'll hear a HAM operator but can't understand what they're saying because they always sound like they're talking with their hands over their mouths. The battery life on this radio is very very good. I played it almost everyday over the last 2 months for at least an hour and the battery indicator has not gone down one single notch (out of 6). Forget the AC adaptor. The construction of the radio itself is of good quality and I find the speaker to be quite good even on FM. The only reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 is because I had a problem with one of the shortwave switches causing FM signals to go from normal strength to very quiet. As long as you leave them alone the FM reception is good. AM reception is very good!! The farthest station I was able to pick up was in Texas all the way from Raleigh without an external antenna. Overall this radio is great for listening to broadcast stations local and foreign.
***New model note: Past radios have had a problem not being able to override the 90 min sleep timer. This can be bypassed in the newer model that I have by simply holding down the button until it turns on***

If you are looking at this Grundig radio, you have probably looked at the GE Super Radio III and the CC Radio also. Purchase this radio and you will be happy. The CC Radio does not really have any superior features or picks up stations any better and its about 149 bucks. The GE Super Radio III is a great radio but it's looks are outdated and it belongs in a garage more so then sitting in your office or in your home like the Grundig S350. You can pick up a GE Radio for about 50 bucks so thats a plus. But the Grundig looks great and does a great job pulling in AM and FM stations and it has more features then the GE Radio including a timer which is nice and digital tunning. I love the looks of the Grundig radio and I love the digital display. Very easy to find the stations you want and if there is a station you are having difficulties picking up, then you can use the external antenna jacks on the back of the radio. Alot of people complain about the Grundig missing this feature or missing that feature but no radio is perfect. Out of the big three radios (CC Radio, GE Super Radio and the Grundig S350) get the Grundig S350. It's the best buy and you will be happy. Remember, no radio is perfect. You think someday some manufacturer could get it right but this is about the best buy for the money and it will pick up that stations you want. A lof of people complain about the construction of the radio and dont like it because its mostly plastic. Well, tell me a radio out there that is not made of plastic anymore. This includes all electronics including cameras, boomboxes, etc. I spent a lot of time researching the different radios out there and almost went with the GE Super Radio because of its ability to pick up stations and because it is dirt cheap but I went with the Grundig because it looks better and it has a digital tunner, timer, alarm clock and other features. It will look great in any home. You can go to ccradio.com and research the CCRadio and all the electronics on that website if you want. Probably the GE SuperRadio's reception is a 10 and the Grundig and CCRadio's reception is about a 9. But with the added features the Grundig radio has like timer, digital tuner, alarm clock, etc, etc., you have to get the Grundig radio. Or you can have the best of both worlds and purchase the GE Radio and put it in your garage or make it your "work radio" or your "camping radio" and put the Grundig in your house or office! I wouldnt get the CC Radio but I would check out their website sometime because they have a lot of cool electronic stuff like radios and antennas, etc. Good luck!!

I bought this radio a couple of months ago to use on job sites. I'm often in areas where I find it difficult to receive my favortite FM (or AM) stations. The S350 is a terrific radio in this regard. It has great reception, very good sound and is easy on batteries -- I haven't had to change them in 3 months.

HOWEVER. This radio has a "sleep timer" function which seems to be impossible to override. When the radio is turned on, it will only STAY on for a maximum of 90 minutes. So, in the middle of an interesting interview, or when I am up on a ladder, it will turn itself off. There seems to be no way to keep this radio on until you want to turn it off. VERY annoying. What were the designers thinking?

**Update 4/27/04: Grundig Radio informs me that S350 models produced after serial #S35030415423 will bypass the sleep timer if the power button is held down for 3 seconds when turning the radio on.

** 9/1/04 Upgrade my rating to 5 STARS
I am going to revise my rating of the S350 from 4 stars to 5 stars. My original rating was based in the annoying (to me) sleep timer, which turned the radio off after a maximum playing time of 90 minutes, and could not be bypassed. I found the S350 to be excellent in all other aspects.

I contacted Grundig technical support via email to ask (complain!) about the sleep timer. I was told that models with a serial number before #S35030415423 were unable to bypass the timer, but later models could bypass it by pressing and holding the power button for 3 seconds while turning the radio on. My S350 was an early model and it looked like I was out of luck.

But Grundig offered to replace my radio with a sleep timer bypass model. I explained that my radio had been riding in my truck, living on jobs, had some scratches, paint speckles and sawdust; and I didn't have the original box. No matter, I was emailed an RMA#, sent my S350 off, and in a couple of weeks received an S350 with the timer bypass. It's a "sample" or demo unit that could not be sold as new, but it looks new, and has the full warranty.

I think Grundig took a BIG step here to satisfy a customer. The 5 star rating applies to the S350 radio AND to Grundig's Technical Support/Customer Service team.

For the price this is one of the best - if not the best - AM/FM Portable Radios I have ever owned. Excellent sound quality. Will pull in weak stations very well. Very user friendly. Knobs well placed and easy to use. Digital tuning format is excellent.

I run it on batteries which allow me to move the radio to where I need to to get a better signal. Works very well. Long battery life.

"Million-Dollar Looks for $100" - Analog w/digital display receivers do not have the stability of digital phase-locked loop (PLL) receivers.

I opened up the back of the radio, before returning it to RadioShack - it was mostly hollow inside, very cheap, low-grade plastic, and with 1960s-grade electronics. The front filter and band switches and tuning knob are flimsy. When putting the radio back together, I was very careful not to over-tighten/cross-thread the screws, but as soon as, one of the screws started to tighten down, the plastic started to crack. Because of the very cheap quality construction, the radio is very light-out-of-the-box, until the 4 "D" size batteries are inserted.

The filters do a minimal job and only muffle the very good audio. The RF gain control can always be set on maximum, so it only acts like a DX/LOC switch. Even the newer model drifts off the tuned frequency, despite a kludged fix, that only causes ergonomic problems - once a frequency locks on, it still drifts, causing one to have to retune way past the desired frequency, to break the lock. The S350 has significant tuning backlash, which is partly responsible for the frequency drift. There are images all over the SW bands, being a cheap, single-conversion superhet. There are no station memories, so anytime the band selection changes, the radio has to be retuned to the desired frequency. The speaker grill is plastic, the digital readout is low-resolution, the antenna doesn't lock into place, and the carrying handle is cheap, smelly, imitation-leather.

Instead, I bought a Radio Shack AM/FM (for AM DXing) model 12-898 for $25; it has digital PLL tuning (prevents drifting), DX/LOC switch, hi/low tone switch, 3" speaker with metal speaker grill, internal ferrite-bar antenna, lock switch, 20 station memory, almost as sensitive as the S350, and much better quality - even the antenna locks into place.

Don't be fooled by the "Grundig" name - it used to be made in Germany, but is now made in China, by Tecsun/Eton. Check out the Tecsun/Eton brand of this radio on Amazon (same junk), and show, "lowest rating first", also, look at the reviews for Grundig G2000A. Tecsun/Eton is becoming known for marketing jazzy, pretty radios that are poor quality/performers; they bought the rights to market products, under the "Grundig" name, hoping consumers will think they are still made in Germany.

With all that being said, with the restructuring of the 50K watt clear-channel AM stations, in the 1980s, AM DXing is not what it used to be, in the 1960s and 1970s. For example, many stations out West now have to use directional antennas, that cannot be picked up on the East Coast. All the hype about the CCradio, Superadio III, and S350 being, "DX machines", is nonsense, and with the clear-channel situation, certainly not worth the extra expense. With the Radio Shack receiver, I can easily pick up WWL 870 New Orleans (1000 miles), WHO 1040 Des Moines(900 miles), WABC 770 New York, and my favorite, WLW 700 Cincinnati - same as the S350. These stations can easily be picked up with standard car radios.

For just, as little as $30 more, one could purchase the Sony ICF-SW7600GR instead, with digital PLL tuning, dual-conversion, SSB, and synchronous detection; or, for $45 + $20 S&H, off Ebay.com, one could purchase a new Degen 1103 with digital PLL tuning, dual-conversion, and SSB (the S350 has none of the above).