Tecsun Pl-990x VS Pl-680 VS Degen De-1103 on SSB 

You're welcome, thanks for watching ! Yes it is a nice sounding radio, a good antenna like the Bonito MA305 FT, good H155 coax and a good ground and you're have a really fantastic receiving setup.

Hi Stephen and thanks for watching. DSP radios are good until you want to listen to Hams or use ECSS on a commercial SW station, then they fall apart. I'd never sell the PL-680, Pure analogue design, you just can't beat the audio quality, the 680 might be lacking in filters for Ham use but the DSP radios sound so bad that it almost makes the filters useless anyway. The PL-330 and the H501x are the First DSP radios I've heard that actually don't sound really muddy, + their 4 Khz filters work which helps but they cut a lot of the lows from the audio and that can make the audio harsh, then there's the distortion. DSP is a flawed design when it comes to SSB and it's a disgrace that after all this time radio manufacturers still sell them at a high price especially with SSB. Some even advertise "SYNC" function, which sounds really bad and doesn't work most of the time. What would be good is if These radio manufactures could contact the designer of the Belka DX and Malahit and request to use some of the tech in their radio designs and apply it to their own and make traditional radio designs that people like with knobs, buttons and are a decent design. At the very least they could improve on their analogue designs, but because the radio is on a chip and includes filters etc it saves on component cost and most important, they can stick a "DSP" sticker on the radio and sell it as something modern that's wonderful. Even if they just went SDR, they don't have to use a big screen and waterfall but they could do so much more. I still love using the PL-680, it's just a shame external antenna doesn't work with LW/MW but it's a joy to listen to ECSS, it's a true DX'ers delight, that and a Bonito MA305 with good quality coax, grounded and the optional longer whip, it makes for a really good DX setup.

@@o00scorpion00o its funny that you mentioned the pl-330 & H501x. I totally agree. So much so, I bought them. Very pleased with improving the performance of a dsp chip working a triple conversion H501x radio.

@@stephenoconnor8257 Yes, the 330 and H501x are improved but far from perfect.

I use a tecsun 380 mostly for F.M. or F.M. Sterio but not for bandscanning with D.S.P. tuning!

Yes, absolutely, the PL-680 is by far the best sounding on SSB than any DSP radio. I'd recommend the PL-680 over any Tecsun DSP radio or many other DSP radios. The Sangean ATS 909x2 sounds great too, not sure if this is DSP but it sounds a lot better on SSB and ECSS sounds great like the PL-680, Basically proper sounding SSB is essential for the real radio enthusiast.

For the money the DSP version of the DE-1103 is very good value for money, it's got some of the distortion also but not quite as bad as the Tecsuns but the wider filter on the DE-1103 gives it a more tolerable sound. Remember, the PL-880, 990 and S-8800 4 Khz filters don't work which certainly doesn't do them any favours. The DE-1103 isn't as easy to use as the 880/990x that's true but the fine tuning is worthless on the 880/990 because the audio is so bad on SSB. I'd like to be able to try the Analogue version of the DE-1103. I've actually not noticed any overload on my DSP 1103 with the Antenna switch in Local and using the Bonito MA-305 mounted outside in a tree, in DX yes absolutely, but not in Local which is pretty amazing considering it's 54 USD on anon-co.com in fact I've noticed more overload on the 990x which can find RTTY and CW coming into the commercial SW bands. I hope to have the new Sangean ATS-902 X2 by next weekend, stay tuned :-)

@@o00scorpion00o Thanks for the good news about the DSP DE1103 version! If it works that well it's indeed a high value at only 54 USD. I sure hope that ATS-909X2 proves to be a winner! The pros and cons of the 909X are well known, and I hope the new model is a step forward. I'll be watching your channel closely for updates :^)

@@4nradio782 Yeah I have high hopes for the ATS x2 but it worries me when I read the specs, it has "Automatic bandwidth" meaning Sangean decide the bandwidth instead of me so I'm interested to see how that works out :-). THe DE-1103, while far from perfect, in my opinion sounds better than the PL-880/990x simply due to the wider filter and slightly less distortion, this distortion still should not be present regardless of price. But impressive that it does not overload with the antenna switch in Local with the Bonito Ma-305, with a ham radio style long wire I am not so sure, I never hooked it upo to my EFHW but these antennas are not really suitable for portable radios as the gain is much too high, the MA-305 is just right for the portable radios and it's got a very low SNR, in the right location and install of course.

@@o00scorpion00o I owned a Bonito BoniWhip at one time... I think it is an older version of the MA305. I reviewed it on the SWLing Post, with comparisons to a Wellbrook loop. I currently have a MD300DX awaiting installation, and comparison to Wellbrook loops. I really love the options we have these days with active antennas. Many are excellent performers as alternatives to passive designs.

Check out my kiwi sdr with md300 dx megadipol here emeraldsdr.proxy.kiwisdr.com:8073/ The ma305 is fantastic for its size and you can even connect a larger whip for more gain. Indeed great time to have all these wonderful antennas but sadly bad for many people plagued by Rfi from modern electronic junk.

Thanks for watching,

No I haven't adjusted the offset. I did on the 880, it didn't really interest me at the time because I could just fine tune it. Adjusting the frequency offset is not going to improve the audio, using fine tune is the same thing except it just shows the frequency spot on from an audio point of view it does not matter. Yes every one of those radios from any manufacturer that uses these SIxxx DSP chips has exactly the same issue except Tecsun were, to the best of my knowledge the ones that suffered from narrower or more muffled sounding filters and only fixed it recently on the PL-330 and H501x but, on the H501x you have to cycle the filters only through the AM/BW button or they sound all muffled again if you use the fine tune to cycle through the filters, I can't remember if the same exists on the 330. For example, on the PL-990x, 880 and S-8800 the 3 Khz filter sounds more like 2 Khz and the 4 Khz filters "do not work" on the 330 and H501x the 3 Khz filter sounds like 3 Khz and the 4 khz sounds like 4 and the 2 Khz sounds like 3 Khz on the 880,990x and S-8800. I do criticise Tecsun, yes, and any other manufacturer that thinks that in this day and age such expensive radios should have such issues of higher noise floor on SSB, muffled audio and also Distortion and it exists on every single DSP radio that I have heard and I won't apologise for it. If the radios have such issues then they should stick to a pure analogue design and improve SYNC detection which will work better than just having narrower filters. I'm not sure if the Sangean ATS-909 x2 has DSP chip or if it's pure analogue but it has 0 of these issues, it has other issues but mostly it's leaps and bounds better sounding on SSB than any tecsun radio except their analogue radios this is why I would never recommend any DSP radio over the Tecsun PL-680 or 660 especially for the cost or any other DSP radio for that matter including the ATS-25+ and the likes and why I will never, ever buy another DSP radio again. I use ECSS a lot also which can greatly improve selectivity than just using narrower filters alone and on these dsp radio it sounds rubbish, distortion and the cut a lot of the low frequencies, in fact I believe everything below 300 Hz. The PL-680 sounds vastly superior for those chasing DX on commercial SW stations and provides greater selectivity and also great for listening to Hams. DSP means cheaper to make radios but costing the consumer more because they market DSP as being some kind of revelation is SW radio design, it isn't when it comes to SSB. DSP = cheaper to make radios, less components and less or no alignment needed. It's a win win for radio manufacturers. Sorry if my tone sounds a bit aggressive as it's not meant to be directed at you at all and I welcome your opinion and thanks for watching my channel I always welcome difference in opinion. I just get a bit annoyed sometimes when the likes of Tecsun, Eaton, and the rest get to market DSP as some kind of revalation in radio design but it has destroyed SSB for many people and many people new to the hobby might not know any better and might think SSB is supposed to sound so bad.

@@o00scorpion00o I appreciate your detailed response. It helps me better understand your objections to the radio and I do really enjoy your videos.

Thanks for watching, and thanks for your kind words, it's good to know People actually like my videos. 😀 hopefully more videos to follow soon.

For the money the DE-1103 is a good radio, it sounds better than the pl-880/990x on SSB due to it having a wider filter but it suffers from the same distortion on SSB due to that dodgy DSP Chip. The PL-680 sounds excellent with a low noise floor due to it's pure analogue design, no DSP and SSB sounds great and you can use ECSS on a SW station when conditions are poor or use the SYNC which works pretty well until the signal drops very low. The DE-1103 has the soft muting when tuning which drives me nuts and it's just not that easy to use. The PL-680 is easy to use with no soft muting when tuning. The PL-680 is an excellent radio and you will be very happy with it, if you can I highly recommend the Bonito MA-305 antenna, mount it high and as far from any house if you can, use good coax with a good ground and you will have an excellent receiving setup with good sound too.

@@o00scorpion00o Thank you for the information. I want to buy a pl680, but there are doubts whether the 680 will be better than the degen... But it became clear to me that the 680 is a completely different receiver, with better performance and better features on the SW. I like this 680y, although I may not need it, but as a toy it is very entertaining))

@@o00scorpion00o Soft mute on the SW band works fine, but on LW and MW it is really bad, the sound is first very muffled, and then c increases very loudly with a delay, on SW there is no such thing and manual search for DSP chips is implemented in degen quite adequately, for example, much better than on pl310. Well, on LW and MW, you have to use autoscan.

@@o00scorpion00o can you tell me more about what antennae configuration and any speciality items for the 680? I think the coax HI55 cable goes with the Bonito 305 small little whip but what do you need to connect tha coax to your 680? And how is that grounded? Thanks

@@DNYS8N Hi there, yes, the cable and other things I got I will post in links below. The cable connects from the Bonito Bias-T to the radio, choose the length you want. hamradioshop.net/coaxial-cable/adaptor-cable/257/adapter-cable-bnc-to-3.5mm-jack-plug This is extremely useful to connect through windows without having to drill which you can't do for many modern windows. hamradioshop.net/coaxial-cable/adaptor-cable/172/through-window-connector-cable?c=22 The Ground clamp, you need to follow the instructions exactly. hamradioshop.net/coaxial-cable/coaxial-cable-accessoires/247/grounding-clamps-for-coax-cables-h-155-hyperflex-5-rg-58-airborn-5-kabel?c=22 And this is the ground spike but you can use copper pipe. hamradioshop.net/antennas/antenna-accessoires/246/grounding-spike

That's strange, perhaps you got a dud ?

Thanks for watching.

Hi and thanks for watching. This Shannon volmet station clearly highlights the difference between the dsp radios and the pl-680 which is not a dsp radio. The pl-680 is completely free of distortion that plagues all dsp radios which makes the pl-680 perfect for ECSS, the dsp radios sound quite bad using ECSS which is essential for the serious shortwave enthusiast.

Yes the PL-680 pure Analogue audio is the best. The Tecsun H501x has much improved SSB performance, much less distortion but still detectable but most of all the audio is much clearer.

If you don't listen to SSB, for instance, ham radio then it's a good but in my opinion too expensive. If you do listen to SSB then the sound quality is very bad so I would not buy this radio but even if you don't listen to ham radio also" radio amateurs" you can use SSB to filter out noise or a strong station close by if you're trying to listen to a station far away. The Tecsun radios and other DSP radios use a flawed DSP chip and have been for years, they were never meant for SSB. Personally I would get the Tecsun PL-680 because the sound quality on SSB is really great as it's a pure analogue design and you really can't beat the performance and sound quality for the price in a portable radio, even though it's an old design it's one still well worth producing. Then If you are not in a built up area I would get a good receiving antenna for the PL-680, the Bonito MA305 whip antenna is tiny buy provides really excellent reception. Spend more on the antenna, the Bonito antenna and PL-680 will make a really super receiving station. The antenna can be powered by a USB brick battery. Another excellent radio is the Malachit SDR from the original Russian designer, don't buy Chinese Clones. The features and performance go well beyond what your normal portable radio can achieve except for battery life then the Tecsun PL-680 for instance will last many times longer. Check it out here, it can only be got from him and anywhere else is a clone, this is the new version too not available anywhere except from the link below. malahiteam.com/ ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VQS43f3ynQQ.html

@@o00scorpion00o thank you for taking the time to reply. i have looked for the Bonito MA 305 Whip antenna but its sold out. have you seen Chirstopher cullins video on a cliff in the uk with the pl990x sounds good he is in top of a cliff.

You got to think what you want, the 990x is good listening to commercial radio but extremely poor listening to ham radio operators or air traffic that use SSB, SSB is a serious weak point with any DSP portable radio. The 990x is sensitive on the whip antenna more than the 680 but the PL-680 sounds much better on SSB. The 990x has better filtering for listening to commercial radio but because the sound is poor on SSB those filters are next to useless for SSB. The key difference here is that the 990x can not use SSB or ECSS on a commercial AM station because the sound is so poor and in my opinion being able to use ECSS on a commercial station if far more important. IF you have the means to install the Bonito MA305, outside then do, I highly recommend spending more money on the antenna before the radio and if you got the MA305 some H155 coax and Bonito also sell the earth rod kit which is essential to bleed off static. The radio is only as good as the antenna and the difference is night and day, the whip antenna should only be used when no other antenna can be used. I highly recommend you check out the malahit receiver from the Russian designer via the website in my last post, this is the future, there is no way I would spend money on the 990x when this receiver is available and offers so much but again, antenna first, I recommend starting out with the PL-680 and the Bonito MA305, you really won't need to upgrade after this except maybe to get a more desktop type receiver that's nicer to use. You will also have to eliminate sources of noise that come from the likes of laptop power supplies, mobile phone chargers, poor quality no brand led lights bulbs etc, you'd be surprised how much noise comes from your own home which can wipe out radio reception.

@@o00scorpion00o great i have found a place in UK that will have the Bonito MA 305 whip antenna in 3 or 4 weeks. after talking to you i wont get the pl 990x thank you.

@@daz.r1994 a wise decision, you're welcome. There is an option for a longer whip for some extra gain, if you can get it do. Also try mount it outside as far from any house as you can and get good quality coax such as H155 and ground it well to help reduce static. And remove all noise sources from your home such as noisy laptop or phone chargers and stick to good quality branded led lights such as Philips and Osram, LED downlights can wipe out the LW/MW and SW bands entirely even a neighbours. If you are hearing a lot of noise get a portable battery radio and knock the power off to your house and if the noise is gone or greatly reduced you have some detective work to do. IF it's severe and coming from a neighbours then you might be able to get your local communications regulator and the likes to investigate, they can take action against such things as imported led lights from China via ebay, never buy led strip lights or any led lights or phone/laptop chargers on ebay from China or Alibaba. Also, do check out the malahit SDR direct from the Russian designer because this will allow you receive LW and MW from the Bonito MA 305 most portable radios do not work with external antenna on LW/MW or you can get an SDR such as the SDR play and this will work very well with the Bonito antenna but you will need a computer but start off with the PL-680 from Tecsun and it will work very well on Shortwave. Good luck and let me know when you get set up, I will be interested to know how it works for you.

A Pl-680, is, in my opinion, a far better radio.

I no longer have the 990x, I never noticed this before, very strange. I'm almost certain I would have listened to 11m SSB on it. But I don't remember.

Thanks for watching, if you see a comment I just deleted please ignore It I got my wires crossed as to what radios were shown in the video. Anyway, in my opinion of course, when it comes to DX the PL-680 is the absolute king, why? because of it's pure analogue audio not ruined by DSP related AGC issues causing distortion which is particularly bad on the PL-680, 990x and S-8800 on SSB, a little better on the H501x mind you but still far from perfect, the greatest difference with the 501 is that the 4 Khz filter works but as I said it's far from perfect, it does sound much less muffled though due to the improvement in the filters but the cut off to bass frequencies is far too high. Why does this matter for me ? well because when there is a close by station causing interference, the DSP radio filtering might not be enough to filter out this noise or stronger station on AM but if I press USB/LSB and tune the BFO until the audio is as natural as possible the 680 can reduce the noise or completely eliminate it. This method sounds pretty bad on the DSP radios ,but it's a little better on the PL-330 and H501x due to improvements in the filters and the 4 Khz filter works on the 330 and 501, it doesn't on the other DSP radios from Tecsun. For me the PL-680 is a ture DX king when using a proper external antenna. None of these radios though come close to the Malahit DSP 2 ( the original Russian version ) or the Belka DX 100Khz to 30 Mhz, the performance for the size of the Belka is amazing. But the audio on the Malahit is better for ECSS. I mostly use external antennas, so performance might vary depending on whether someone used the whip antennas or external. However, the PL-680 is still an amazing radio and I really enjoy using it, it's a shame Tecsun did not improve the analogue design, maybe better SYNC performance etc but I enjoy it far more than the DSP radios. Again, just my opinion based on many hours of use.

The S-8800 and PL-880 sound just as bad on SSB. On AM they all sound fine it's just SSB that really lets them down and I need SSB for proper DX'ing on commercial stations. + being able to use external antenna on LW/MW on the 990x and S-8800 is a great feature to have. The H501x is a lot better for SSB but the 660/680 are better.

@@o00scorpion00o I have the pl 660 pl 330 s-8800 s2000 the 330 I excellent except for the muting tuning love the 660 you would to be mad to buy the 909x or the 501 h

@@o00scorpion00o are you in lreland

@@martinryan5069 Yeah forgot about the 330, it's great having SSB in such a small radio and SSB sound quality has improved also but for home use it's too small. Yes the tuning muting is awful but the ETM mode is great for SWL but for Hams it's a pain.

@@martinryan5069 Yes I am in Ireland.