Customer Reviews

Kaito PLL Synthesized Dual Conversion AM/FM Shortwave Radio, KA2100

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Frankly, I was wary of buying this Kaito radio. A previous experience with a defective-out-of-the box Kaito 1103 turned me off to this made-in-China brand. That radio also seemed cheaply made, low in quality. Also, I've owned a Grundig S350 for several years (which I know was also made in China), which has dominated the 100-dollar AM/FM/SW radio class for as long. Until now. This could be a Grundig-killer.

The KA2100 out the box appeared to have a defect: the backlight on the LCD display was dead on the right side: the left side of the display window was bright orange, the right side was obviously dark. A helpful tech at Kaito confirmed that it was *deliberately* made that way, with 2 orange LEDs illuminating only the left side of the display (!?!). Seems strange, given that Kaito went to the trouble of illuminating *all* the pushbuttons with LEDs (a useful feature the Grundig 350 doesn't have). But the Grundig has a nicely lit-up display, and so does just about every other radio in this price range, and lower, that I'm familiar with, ie, the little Grundig "Porsche" model. Well, I guess I can live with this, since it doesn't affect performance.

OK, second problem: the digital tuning sytem--while rock-stable and accurate--produces annoying tuning "BIPS!" while tuning the AM broadcast band...some call it digital synthesizer tuning noise. I call it nasty...and it's totally absent in the Grundig 350.
Next, some won't like the preset sytem: it's just one button that you press repeatedly (and you really have to press these Kaito buttons HARD)to step sequentially (can't go backwards) through each preset, from number 1 through 10...you can't delete any of the 10 presets--you must sequence through ALL 10 to get back to number 1! Still, it's better than nothing, ie, the Grundig's lack of presets. (Also the Kaito betters the Grundig in that it "remembers" where you were when you switch bands and return, yay!)
It's overall reception sensitivity etc., seemed quite similar to the Grundig S350. The Kaito is more stable, no drift, and really has a better automatic level control. It has less noise on strong signals. Of concern to shortwave listeners like me, I found a strong local AM station bled through into various spots on the 3 SW bands...may not be a problem if you live away from strong stations. On the plus side, the Kaito's RF Gain dial actually works well... It operates over its entire rotation, not just at the extreme counterclockwise position as my Grundig does. There is also a LOCAL/DX switch to cut AM RF gain further, if necessary.

I must admit it sounds great. I still think the Grundig also sounds great, though the Kaito may have a sonic edge because of how much more you can adjust the bass and treble (Quirkily, the TREBLE knob is to the *left* of the BASS knob. Huh.) And you hear FM *stereo* on the headphone output, not mono like in earlier Grundigs.
I also must note it doesn't look as sleek as the Grundig, it's still retro-clunky--but fit and finish are very good. The carrying handle---nice to have one, and it folds back like a GE SuperRadio's does, seems a bit insubstantial...when this baby is packed with 4 "D" cells, it's heavy, and a quick yank might snap this handle. Kaito's Parts Dept better stock up on handles.
I'll have to report later on battery life, but it would seem to be less than the Grundig's. The Grundig's batteries lasted forever...this Kaito has more LEDs which light up whenever you tune it (nice) and the buttons are illuminated (switch-defeatable). It does allow you to charge batteries inside the set. Weirdly, it gives you the choice of using D or AA batteries. (And you can run it on AC without a wall-wart. But you can, if you want to! Can't say Kaito doesn't give you powering options!)
There are a lot more good features I could describe, like the 2 clocks, the timers/alarms, etc. But bottom line, if you've had a Grundig for several years you may want to give this not-perfect but feature-rich Kaito a listen.

I really love this radio. The sound quality is incredible. The 5 inch speaker is clearly superior to any portable on the market. If you enjoy listening to AM and SW you will indeed be pleased. When I first received it, I put it side by side with my Sangean ATS909, which is a top of the line portable. They both pulled in stations equally on all bands, but due to the quality of the speaker on the Kaito, AM talk stations and SW stations I found difficult to listen to on my Sangean, were easy to listen to on the Kaito. And when stations are strong the Kaito just sounds so much better. The best way to explain it is you actually feel like you are listening to real people, not people coming through the radio. Obviously the bass and treble controls are very helpful in this regard. Also the volume this radio can play at with clarity is 2 to 3x any other portable, especially on AM and SW.

Technically, sensitivity is excellent, and selectivity is great. I live in New York City, so you know selectivity is extremely important. When the sun goes down I have no problem pulling in Coast to Coast AM on 1110 or 1100 AM, which I believe are in Detroit and Cleveland.

You can use the AC or Charger, but I prefer using D batteries, and you can actually use AA! I've had the radio for 2 months and have not had to change the batteries yet! I'm well over 150 hours of listening! Clearly fast battery drain is not a problem.

Now with batteries this baby weighs about 5-6 lbs, which is pretty heavy duty. The handle is sturdy and the telescopic antenna is built to last.

Even though memory is limited to 10 stations per band, which by today's standards is low, in real life usage this is quite acceptable.

I encourage you to by this radio. The sound quality will blow you away. And with headphones, using the adjustable bass and treble, FM is fantastic. Much better than my Sangean ATS909.

I picked up a selection of SW radios about 2 years ago (no expert) and haven't really been following what new models have come to market since--then recently noticed the Kaito KA-2100, a retro-looking, larger-sized portable radio together with various reviews describing a good speaker and excellent sensitivity to AM, FM and SW. The SW radios I have include an old Panasonic RF2200 (best of the bunch), a Panasonic RF2800, a few smaller modern ones (a Tecsun PL-550 & a Kaito KA-1101) and a new Grundig Satellit 800 (acquired just as this model went out of production). Also have the last model of the AM/FM GE Superadio. So I have a small group of good radios against which to compare a new Kaito KA-2100 radio picked up on Ebay two weeks ago.

Even without batteries inside, the KA-2100 is hefty. As far as I can tell, the build quality is very good for the price. With one exception (the upper 4 stop AM/FM switch is very loose--an esthetic irritant), all the knobs and switches are tight and turn smoothly and firmly. The big tuning dial is very sensitivite--and adjustable between a faster and slower progression through the band ranges (.10 or .01 increments--amount also depends on the band). The radio body is a moderately thick, two piece plastic shell with a metal speaker screen and an old style metal front plate. The plastic handle is OK--adequate but short of satisfyingly stout. The telescoping antenna is long for the radio size and firm--it stays where you put it.

The treble and bass controls work very well and seemingly across the entire knob travel. The speaker produces a very good sound for its size, though the deepest bass sounds crack some when playing (music) at above moderate volumes (my copy, anyway). Nice FM radio reception from my XM system with FM transmitter. The radio produces fine stereo sound to my Sennheiser head phones--the headphone sound nicely adjustable with the radio's controls. It is questionable if I can really hear a better sound from my old Panasonic RF2200, though I'd vote for the old Panasonic.

The radio is more stoutly built than the GE Superadio III, but less stout than the classic Panasonic RF2200--and smaller than both these radios. The KA-2100 AM and FM reception is excellent--easily as good as the RF2200 and the GE Superadio--this brief, non-professional assessment made just using the telescoping antenna. I was also able to enhance the AM reception with a Terk Advantage passive loop antenna placed next to the radio. SW reception also appears as good (meaning very good) as the RF2200 without any noticed drifting. The KA-2100 has a big digital window, big frequency numbers and a digital signal strength indicator (which works well for finding the strongest signal, though not as satisfying to use as the old Panasonic's analog meter). The KA-2100 tuning can be done with the nice dial or by small buttons alone (the latter progressing much faster through the bands).

All in all, a very nice radio. The first real concern I noticed is the ease with which the radio might tip over backwards, as there are no additional base supports extending beyond its 2.75" width. Also, the small instruction manual's binding is just glued paper and pages were shedding with first use. Setting the time seemed the most difficult thing to do. May make a padded case and take this on car trips.

Just in case you want the bottom line first ... in my opinion this is one of the best portable radios ever made, and certainly one of the best currently available at this price point ($120 Oct.'07).
I've been a radio nut for years and have maybe a hundred with which to compare. The KA-2100 lacks some sophisticated features found on radios like the Sony ICF-2010 or the Eton E1XM (of course you'd pay MUCH more for them) but in it's price range is a fantastic value.
What's to like about this radio?
First and primarily .. reception is excellent. MW (AM) reception is excellent and FM reception is the best I've ever experienced. All you MW (or FM) DXers need to grab one of these. I don't listen to much FM, but the FM reception on this radio is as good as any radio I've ever owned. I haven't done it yet, but I intend to wire the line out from this unit into my HIFI system. Based on what I've heard through headphones, FM fidelity and channel separation are excellent. I haven't done a lot of SWL work with this radio yet, but based on limited use I would grade shortwave reception as very good.
Second ... this radio sounds great for a single speaker unit.
Third ... this radio feels good. It's feels substantial and well made. The tuning knob feels good and works well (it has two tuning speeds). The tone controls and volume have the appropriate resistance. The antenna is tight in it's socket and stays in place. The buttons have good resistance and provide a solid "click" when pressed.
Fourth ... this is a darn handsome radio and looks great on the desk or shelf. It's obviously designed in the mold of the some of the classic beauties of all time ie. Panasonic RF-2200, GE World Radio, and Panasonic RF-B300.
Is there anything that I don't like about this radio? Yes, the memory system is pretty lame. There are 10 memory slots for each band, but you have to "scroll" through them ... there is no direct access to each memory channel.
Just another note, this is not a "pocket" radio .. it's what I would call a "full size" portable (@11 x 7 inches).
The summary: It's a beauty (as traditional radios go), sounds great, seems well constructed and has excellent reception. If you ask me, thats the definition of a fine radio. I'm thrilled with mine.

Kaito PLL Synthesized Dual Conversion AM/FM Shortwave Radio, KA2100

This is one superb radio, and would be even at twice the price I paid ($99.95). A solidly built, substantial, hefty unit. I am neither audiophile nor shortwave enthusiast, though I plan to do some testing-of-the-waters in world band, hence my purchase of this radio. My main goal was to get a sort of portable/tabletop hybrid, that is one large enough to have many and accessible controls and a "big sound" speaker, but also not so large and cumbersome that it couldn't be easily moved from one room to another; for example, from the downstairs master bedroom which is its homebase up to the kitchen table next to a large picture window for maximum reception capability for shortwave trolling. The 2100 serves this hybrid role well: crisp, precise reception in all the AM and FM stations I listen to, even the local weak signal all-classical station. Thanks to individual treble and bass controls, the 5" speaker delivers clean, near room-filling sound. When I use my Sennheiser HD-202 headphones, it's a concert hall inside my head. The 2100 has 50 presets, 10 for each band (AM, FM, 3 SW) though you do have to go through them 1 through 10, no backtracking. The big central tuning knob has an amazingly solid, smooth feel, the feel of a piece of fine machinery. You can use the Fast setting to move quickly through the bands, then when you find what you want, hit the Slow knob for ultra-precise fine-tuning. There's a little logo in the upper right hand corner that shows signal strength. I've had a set of regular D batteries in mine for about 2 weeks with so far no sign of battery drain; when these go, I'll switch over to a set of rechargeables. All of the keys are backlit and have a solid, "clicky" feel, not mushy at all.

As for shortwave, as I said I am a total neophyte. But I've had a lot of fun scrolling my way through the bands, mainly the 49-meter 5800-6200 at night, but have also tuned in world programming both well below and well above 49 meters both day and night and I really don't know what the hell I'm doing yet. Still, I've picked up Radio Netherlands and its nonpariel news programming (story about an Iraqi heavy metal band that emigrated to Turkey for safety; an interview with 2004 5,000 and 10,000 meter Olympic champion Hailie Gabreselassie of Ethiopia, grim 2008 assessments from Euro leaders, re the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, words you will likely not hear in the U.S. media, even a program devoted to UFOs and alleged government cover-ups. Also, Radio Havana (or Habana), lots of strange music and way, way too much religious programming. All in all, it's a lot of fun radio-tripping around the globe and the 2100 seems to be an able vehicle, even though Western America is apparently the de facto Dead Zone for world band reception.

I bought the 2008 Passport to World Band Radio to get up to speed on shortwave/DXing and the KA2100 is a recommended "Passport Choice", mainly for the features alluded to above and Bang for the Buck. Hard for me to believe that there is a better, bigger-sounding AM/FM/SW unit out there for less than 100 bucks. Buy one, you won't be disappointed.

Addendum, 2/08/08: Couple of things to be aware of. The manual for this radio is primitive, at best, and fails to make a couple of things clear: 1) The "QT" key on the front panel stands for "Quick Time" and (in the absence of a direct entry keypad on this radio) allows you to quickly scroll through the bands. For example, each punch of the QT key in SW 1 takes you through 2250, 3100, 4750, 5800, 7100, and 9400; from any of these you use the tuning knob to get where you want to go. The QT key does the same thing for AM and FM and SW 2 and 3 bands. This really isn't made clear at all in the manual. 2) Keep the switch on MONO when you are using the built-in speaker, using STEREO only with headphones. For some reason, using STEREO w/out headphones brings only the right channel through the speaker (and not a mono mix of both channels), so you get a kinda denuded sound. But with MONO, you get an excellent, big sound from the speaker. No problem, just be aware of it.

I've been a Ham Radio operator and shortwave radio enthusiast/listener (SWL) for 30 years, and have owned many radios over the years, both cheap and expensive. The Kaito KA2100 is an AMAZING radio and value for the price, that easily performs like an expensive tabletop receiver, especially with an external dedicated shortwave antenna (I recommend the 'PAR' SWL antenna... do a 'Google' search). It pulls in weaker stations with aplomb, has excellent adjacent station rejection and sensitivity, and sounds fantastic with the oversize quality speaker. In fact, compared to my 600 dollar YAESU FRG-100, performance is about equal! And it has separate bass and treble controls, an RF gain control, and a full-sized tuning dial too (just like the expensive table-top rigs). FM and AM band performance is great as well, and I can regularly DX the AM band and pick up stations thousands of miles away across the U.S. and Canada with no problems, propagation permitting. Build quality is very good, and I often have to remind myself that this is an inexpensive radio! My only minor quibble is that it doesn't have a BFO, so you can't receive CW or SSB, but many listeners don't tune in to Hams anyway. All in all, if you are looking for a well made, quality shortwave AM/FM band receiver, without spending big bucks, the KA2100 is an AMAZING VALUE. Get your hands on one before they decide to raise the price!

I've had several fancy and expensive radios (Bose, Tivoli, Proton), but none could get my local NPR AM station in my bathroom. I had given up hope when I saw this unit. The Kaito pulls it in perfectly. If you have trouble getting AM reception, I'd highly recommend it. I'd bet it works great for FM to.

The Kaito 2100 is a good sounding, sensitive, selective AM FM and shortwave radio. It DOES NOT have a BFO for reception of "Ham" SSB and CW signals. I believe that it is no longer being imported to the US under the Kaito brand, but only as the C.Crane Shortwave. Unless you are a radio collector and *must* have the Kaito version, save your bucks and get the C.Crane.

C Crane C CSW Clock Radio with Snooze Alarm

Looking for a radio that features the strongest FM/AM reception available? Look no further. The Kaito 2100, very similar to the analog Grundig/Eton S350, boasts similar great FM reception but even stronger AM. I say stronger AM because the 2100 has far less background noise.

The 2100 is by no means a perfect radio. The buttons are hard to press and you should pinch the radio, using your thumb to press the buttons and your other fingers should stabilize the back. The presets only move upward, not down, so you have to scroll through all 10 presets before you reach your desired station. There is no direct entry for tuning. The speaker is a bit harsh for music but sounds great for talk.

Update: After 3 weeks, the speaker sound got muffled, muted, muddy. I tested the radio with headphones and the same muddy sound was there. Apparently, I had a defective model. I had to exchange it. So save your receipt and packing materials.

If you're looking for similar reception but want more refined fidelity and you don't need short wave, you might take a look at the amazing 75-80 dollar Sangean PR-D5.

I try to have a high quality portable radio on hand in case of hurricanes (which are plentiful where I live). This was a nice, hefty, apparently high quality radio with nice sound and very good reception. Although I bought it strictly for emergencies, I started to bring it with me on the front porch when the weather was nice. Within a month, it died. Don't know why. It was the Kaito-labeled version of the radio, not the CCrane version. Had it been the latter, I probably would have gotten a replacement from CCrane. But this is yet another example of what has become a trend. There appears to be very little quality control in Chinese-made products. You, the buyer, are the quality control. When a unit is bad, the consumer discovers the problem and throws it away. I would be more than happy to buy a radio made elsewhere and would be willing to pay for the higher quality, but there appear to be very few electronics products made elsewhere.

I'm going to get another one of these, from CCrane this time. And I'm going to use the hell out of it for a month or two. I'll let you know how it works out. At least CCrane will stand behind its product, even if it isn't made within 5,000 miles of CCrane.

Until people start sharing their experiences with the shoddy products coming from the far east, we will continue getting them. This isn't a repeat of the cheap products coming out of Japan in the 1960's. These seem to be much, much worse.