Kaito Electronics Inc. KA1101 Digital AM/FM/SW World Receiver

by Kaito

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 3.2 x 1 inches ; 10.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B000669GA8
• Item model number: KA1101
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,463 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 1, 2004

Product Description

The Kaito KA1101 is a dual conversion portable radio covering AM/FM and Short Wave. The special designed PLL circuit has a very high sensitivity and low noise levels. Thanks to the dual conversion technology, the KA1101 has a super sensitive radio bands. AM coverage is from 522 - 1710 kHz. The AM reception is impressive. It is able to pick up weak signals very well. The FM band covers 70.0 - 108 MHz (including the Japanese FM band and Russian FM band, if traveling in these areas). The FM reception is overall quite good. The SW frequency covers from 3000 to 26100 kHz in two bands, SW1 and SW2. However, the short wave is what makes the KA1101 shines. The SW reception is exceptional due to the dual conversion circuitry. It is able to pick up weak signals with just the built-in antenna. Overall, you get an excellent world receiver and the price is right. Alarm / Sleep Functions Manual Tuning / Scan / Preset / Direct Entry Clock / Sleep / Lock Two Alarm Modes - Beeper and Radio Mono / Stereo Selectable Tone Select - Music and News Battery Power Indicator Battery Charge Auto Backlight Screen Local / DX Switch Line Out Jack External Antenna Jack Cases , External Antenna, Earphone Size - 5.4 x 3.3 x 1.0 inches (137 X 85 X 25 mm)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lot of Radio for the Size, November 28, 2004

By 

M. JEFFREY MCMAHON "herculodge" (Torrance, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kaito Electronics Inc. KA1101 Digital AM/FM/SW World Receiver (Electronics)

The Kaito 1101, since "replaced" by the Kaito 1102 and, even more recently, the Kaito 1103, differs only in small ways. The volume control is a spin dial, no buttons, but beyond that it's the same radio. In fact here in LA I can get the weak 103.1 FM on my Kaito 1101 but I can't get it in very well on my Kaito 1102, leading me to believe that quality control tends to bring variability. I've also heard from friends in the radio industry that the 1103, which gets stuck in certain frequency zones, is a pain in the [...] to use. So for a small PLL synthesized dual-conversion radio, you're getting top quality for half the price in the Kaito 1101. If size isn't a factor and you don't need presets, you'll get even greater reception with the Tecsun BLC 2000, which is a superior version of its more expensive, bug-plagued clone, the Grundig S350. But for portability and presets, the Kaito 1101 is the best of its kind, better, for example, than the more expensive Sangean 505 and 606, and just as good as the more expensive Sony 7600.

Post Script: I subsequently purchased the Kaito 1103, which has even more outstanding FM sensitivity than the very impressive 1101. However, the 1103 costs about 40 dollars more and is more difficult to operate.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great radio (but only if you don't mind reading through manual once), February 14, 2006

By 

Derek Hofmann "traal" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kaito Electronics Inc. KA1101 Digital AM/FM/SW World Receiver (Electronics)

I purchased this radio so I could get a hard-to-pull in FM station that I like to listen to. With the included FM/shortwave antenna, the reception was better than I had hoped (it's noticably better than with the telescoping antenna). The digital PLL tuning is nice because I don't have to fiddle with the tuning knob. I can just punch in the frequency I want, and then not worry about drift or tuning backlash or any of the other problems that plague analog tuners.

For power, this radio comes with an AC adapter (which adds no noise to the reception, unlike the GE Superadio III which has a built-in power supply) and rechargable NiMH batteries, and a built-in charging circuit. Or you can use regular AA batteries.

Also included are a carry strap, FM/shortwave wire radio, earbud headphones, and a leather-like carrying case. Unfortunately, the case only has room for the radio and not any of the included accessories.

The radio covers the AM band (520-1710 kHz), shortwave (3-26 MHz, but some frequencies are blocked), and FM and lower FM (70-108 MHz). Unfortunately, this means it only receives TV channels 5 and 6, but that's two more channels than this radio is advertised to receive.

There's a Local/DX switch and a Music/Talk tone switch. In FM you can switch between Stereo and Mono, and in AM between Narrow and Wideband reception.

Unfortunately, you have to read the instruction booklet to figure out how to turn off the sleep timer, set memories, set the frequency using the number pad, and check the time when the radio is on. In other words, it isn't as intuitive as it could be. The manual is easy enough to read, but the point is you shouldn't have to.

Another issue is the constant amplifier hiss through the headphone jack due to the cheap built-in headphone amplifier. It's most noticeable when you have the volume turned down. However, the audio through the line out jack is fine. I've read that the amplifier in the Sony 7600GR is better, but that radio isn't cheap.

Am I glad I bought this radio? Absolutely! The quality is above average and it has the features I was looking for, at a very good price. It isn't iPod or TiVo perfect, but you can't do better for a radio under $100.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally: Something Worth Reviewing!, April 18, 2008

By 

John Sugimoto (Loveland, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kaito Electronics Inc. KA1101 Digital AM/FM/SW World Receiver (Electronics)

The Kaito KA1101 is worth taking time to recommend. I was specifically in the market for the smallest available AM/FM/SW receiver with quality performance especially in the SW bands. The consensus of user reviews articulated favorable ratings of this unit, even as superior to its siblings---the more expensive KA1102 and KA1103 (when comparing capabilities note that the KA1101 does not cover SSB while its stablemates do). The Amazon purchase price (April 2008) for the KA1101 was $59.95. The order was processed within 24 hours and the package arrived three days ahead of its scheduled delivery date with free super-saver shipping from the distributor in NV.

The carton contained the receiver, AC adaptor, three rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) AA batteries, stereo earbuds, a 15-foot external wire antenna, protective soft case and instructions in English. My first impression was consistent with other reviewers who found the dark-gray receiver to be very compact and solidly built with a satisfying heft. The battery compartment door is attached to the case so it won't fall off and get lost. Not visible in the Amazon product marketing photos are the 29-inch/73cm collapsable mast antenna that pivots and folds off the top left of the unit and a permanently-mounted wrist strap attached to the top right corner.

I live in an area where radio reception is quirky. The KA1101's performance was a quantum improvement over an Eton S350DL on all bands and sensitivity is adjusted by a two-position sliding switch (Local/DX). The 2.5-inch (66mm) speaker was a great sounding room-filler considering its size. The Kaito earbuds were adequate but a pair of Bose TriPort IEs gave full and pure sound without hums, creaks, squeaks or whistles that are symptomatic of less-well-designed receiver and power supply circuitry. Audio tone is controlled by a two-position sliding switch (Music/News). Nice surprises were a button/keypad lock function and an ambient light sensor that moderates the display illumination.

The battery charging system appeared to function as designed and is switched on by a couple of button pushes. One potentially disastrous error for a strict literalist is the user's manual's directive to plug the 120 VAC power converter into a 220VAC outlet. There has been criticism that the battery meter does not show a full charge when rechargeable batteries are installed. This is addressed in the manual which states that the meter will only show 2/3 when the rechargeable cells are topped off. This makes sense as the NiMH AA cells are rated at 1.2VDC, not 1.5VDC as in disposable cells; on a scale where 4.5VDC is analogous to 100%, the voltmeter reflects the total available voltage, 3.6VDC with fully-charged NiMH rechargeables vs. 4.5VDC with disposables.

To me, the bottom line of a radio is its ability to receive broadcast signals and provide quality audio output. Ergonomics and programming functions are relative to individual preference and experience. I found the KA1101 uncluttered and simple to operate. The clock is 24-hour only but as I set mine on GMT that is not a liability. The wrist strap that some find annoying can easily be removed with a snip of some scissors. The black vinyl carrying case is simply that: a simple cover solely to protect the radio from damage during transport or storage, not designed for use while the unit is playing.

I was looking for a compact, multi-band unit and the KA1101 is terrific in this regard. For someone seeking an outstanding receiver in this category I'd definitely recommend it.