Customer Reviews

Sony ICFSW7600G Worldband Radio Receiver

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

 

 

This, along with the Grundig YB-400 are the best shortwave radios offered on Amazon at the moment. Both have their advantages and it is up to the user to decide which are more important. The advantage of the Sony is its synch. detector which helps you get rid of interference from adjacent stations. This can be very helpful when trying to listen to a station on the crowded bands at peak times. The Grundig doesn't have this feature but does have much better audio which makes listening more pleasant over the long haul. Both are great buys and will make great companions on those overseas trips. If you travel to Europe or eastern North America go with the Sony due the high number of strong stations, otherwise go for the Grundig and enjoy the best audio of any portable on the market.

I had the opportunity to compare a Chinese-made (German design) Grundig YB400PE side-by-side with a Japanese-made Sony ICF-SW7600G, both of which were purchased in December, 1999. I had heard lots of good about this Grundig and hadn't heard much about this particular Sony. I was expecting the Grundig to take the prize, but in my opinion, the Sony won hands down. The biggest plus that I'd heard about the Yacht Boy was the great sound. Although the sound wasn't bad for it's size, I can't honestly say that it was much better than the Sony. They both sounded acceptable and very similar to me. Keep in mind that these are not Hi-Fi radios, although you can get stereo sound from the FM band through use of stereo headphones on each unit.

Both units function similarly, but the glaring difference in features is that the Sony has the Synchronous Detection circuitry, which in my opinion makes this radio shine over the Grundig since tuning to faint or weak stations and even stronger ones was simplified and easier to hear. Once the Sony locked-on to a signal, you needn't fiddle with any of the fine-tuning settings, in contrast to the Grundig which I found needed semi-constant attention to keep a weaker signal tuned in.

Use of the keypad was more certain with the Sony as the slight click of the buttons let you know when you had selected a number. The Sony also only uses 4 AA batteries vs. 6 with the Grundig. The Grundig does include an AC adaptor, which the Sony does not (although $9 at your local Radio Shack will solve this problem). The Sony seemed to have the overall higher quality in materials and workmanship, but was slightly heavier although very solid-feeling. The Grundig felt to be constructed of a lighter-grade plastic which made it feel that it might also be less durable.

If your looking for something better than this Sony, be prepared to spend at least $400 and more.

Go to a war anywhere and every journalist carries this radio. Every hour on the hour tune in the BBC and find out where the story plays.

Incredible quality, perfect design. All it needs is a little crank to wind up a mini generator for those fun places where the guys at the checkpoint steal your AA batteries along with your Marlboros.

I collect portable shortwave radios and have ones from the 60's through those of today. The 7600G is one of the best I've ever used. It has it's drawbacks as do all radios, but the performance is top notch and the sync detection is a treat at this price level. The clock doesn't show when the radio is on and it only has 10 memories per band, but I see those as minor points. You will be happy with this radio for all your AM, FM and SW listining.

I purchased this reciever thru Amazon about two years ago. I take it when ever I travel. It gets great reception at the beach and thru the caribbean and Canada. I like all its features. I also use it as a clock radio when I travel for work.

I works well on alkaline and nicad batteries. I tried an off brand power supply, not so good. But between recharing the nicads, I use alkaline batteries, if I need too. This seem to work well.

I highly recommend it to anyone who travels, and likes to have a great radio at hand for news, and music.

I own one of these, and also one of the successor product, the 7600GR. Both are great radios, and ideal for travel. However, both have similar weaknesses. The fist is that telescopic antenna is fragile and prone to breakage. The second is a very flimsy power socket that is soldered directly to the circuit board. Movement of the plug in the socket can cause the solder joints to weaken, effectively depriving the unit of external power.

Having said that, the radio gives better performance on NiMH batteries and fully charged batteries will last quite a long time. For the size and the price, you can't beat it, particularly for sync-AM reception. Only the Sangean 909 comes close.

I believe this receiver to be the best one for the price. I have had two of these and will probably either buy another or get a replacement antenna for the one I currently own. The only drawback is that this receiver does not remember modes--such as sideband selection. I also collect some sw receivers but like the 7600G the best in this price radio.

It's small and light and has great reception.

The synch detector, on signals that are not weak, is wonderful, in reducing what's called selective fading (where the carrier fades but the sidebands do not, causing overmodulation and distortion, on shortwave and twilight AM broadcast band), and in rejecting a nearby strong station - you just pick the other sideband and listen in the clear.

The synch detector does not work on very weak signals however. You have to go up to the venerable and clunky Sony 2010 at $360 for that.

With the addition of a one foot diamater MW loop antenna, say Select-a-tenna, the Terk loop, or the new Radio Shack MW loop ($30), it's a formidible daytime distance AM radio.

The audio is not great but not awful.

It has a ``fast'' AGC, which means you can tune a MW loop easily.

The Grundig Yacht Boy YB400, for the same price, has better audio and equal sensitivity, but no synch detector, so it falls victim to interference more often. The YB400 has a ``slow'' AGC, which makes it almost impossible to use with a MW loop because you can't tune the loop, if AM daytime distance listening is important.

Either of these two radios is a fine choice.

1996 bought it
2001 still love it - very sensitive - solid as a rock except for the antenna that broke only a few months after I bought it.

Great for on holiday and beginning DX-in in style !

worth every penny (or eurocent :-} )

I am very disappointed. I could not get good reception in my area. I was trying this product and intended to use it as a Christmas gift for someone who wanted a transitor radio! I want my money back~