Hey André, this was a comparison we hoped for indeed, that I haven't done myself yet. Thanks for this. These two are quite close indeed, but the D-368 is helped by its immensely superior loudspeaker, its more readable display and overall better build quality. I've recently seized an opportunity to buy a D-328 that missed from my collection of radios 😉and I like it a lot too. It has a very nice shiny black casing, USB C too and it's the same great performer for a very cheap price. Even the "Q" has a run for its money here, I would go as far as saying it was a little bit noisier!
Thanks for your comment Alain! I agree with your assessment, I think the D-368 is a bit better than the D-219, thanks to the better sound and, yes, better build quality. Both are really quite sensitive and seem to pick up the same signals, the D-368 just shows its slightly higher price in terms of a more quality experience. Is the D-328 similar to the D-368 in terms of reception? The Qodosen was, indeed, a bit noiser than the D-368 here, but it does capture the signal much better than the other two.
My first impression with the D-328 is excellent. It's not a D-368 with the Bluetooth and LED display removed as I first thought. Probably not even the same circuit board as e.g. the USB connector is not in the same place (more sensible place on the D-328 BTW). Its sound quality is not as deep as the D-368 but still way better than the D-219. I've done a small quick informal shootout yesterday evening (not recorded) with my D-328, PL-330, KK-9, Grundig Yacht Boy 10, KK-9803 and the D-328 came out in the top 3. Next time I'll do a D-328, D-368 and D-219 round. I got my D-328 for the same price I paid for the D-219 on Amazon here.
@@F4LDT-Alain Thanks Alain, sounds to me like the D-328 is quite a good radio. Both the D-328 and the D-368 have some very loyal fans. Over the years many people have commented on my channel that I should try these two radios. I must be honest, I never actually expected the D-368 to be as good as it is. But now, after having had mine for a few months, I realise just how good it is. It is good to hear that the D-328 is also a strong performer!
Interesting video. I think another RU-vidr has taken both radios apart, and he says they are very similar inside. If that’s the case, a tie is not surprising.
After you told me you had ordered radios from China, i finally bit the bullet and ordered the 368 yesterday. Hope it arrives ASAP..😅. Will compare it with my tecsun 9700DX
@@anulearntech OK, I understand. XHDATA usually ships quickly and reliably, I have bought from them many times in the past. I hope you will enjoy the D-368!
Andre's location in Johannesburg probably accounts for at about 40 percent of his amazing success rate in catching DX signals that most of us aren't able to. 🌍📻😎There are many variables that can affect the performance of a shortwave radio. Living on a high elevation above the sea level really helps, because you get a better line-of-sight with ground signals, reduced ground absorption plus the fact that the ionosphere is also closer to you. 😀 Other factors include how much of the radio's antenna is exposed to the sky and being away from local radio frequency interference. Living in a tall building surrounded by other buildings puts you at a disadvantage unless you have an outdoor patio with a clear, unobstructed view of the sky. The radio itself doesn't account for much of a difference unless its it is poorly designed from the beginning. The actual performance of a shortwave radio is the total sum of all these different parts. You can buy a Qodosen DX-286 that Andre has, but if you happen to be in a less ideal environment that DX-286 won't pull in the same stations with the same S/N ratio as he does. 📻☑
My location certainly helps a lot :-) I agree with you about most radios performing relatively similarly in good conditions and on strong signals, I have found that myself in various comparisons. I do think some radios are better at noise filtering, the Qodosen is a good example, so that helps quite a bit, even if you live in a noisy environment. And that helps with hearing weak signals.
@@swlistening Bru, I was just thinking that you ought to add a disclaimer to your radio shootouts: "Your results may vary, depending on your location and listening conditions". 😀 Case in point: The Tecsun AN-200 inductive loop which I bought is the same model as yours, but I can only get two faint, distant MW stations from northern Thailand. 😐
@@StratmanII You make a good pint here! I think most regular SW and MW listeners know that reception depends on location, time of day and a lot of other stuff, like the type of building you are in neighbours, RFI. But new listeners might not know these things yet. That is one of the reasons why I always add the time of day and my location to all my videos, to show that whatever I am hearing, is valid at a certain time, in a specific location. But I might as well remind new listeners sometimes that they should keep in mind that my results are not necessarily what they will experience.
Interesting to see the VOA did not cut anything of its programmes to Zimbabwe. I did check the HFCC schedule the other day, and indeed, some services have suffered drastic cuts. VOA & RFA combined Chinese programming had been reduced from 20h/day to just 5.5 (and 5 hours on weekends). But Radio Marti also saw zero cuts 🤔 As for VOA English, rather than 14:00-22:00 UTC, their schedule is now 15:30-20:30, so for example, this Monday I checked 15580 kHz to see the broadcast start in the middle of Border Crossings, in the middle of a song 🤡 Now André, can you confirm the same cuts to 909 kHz from Botswana? I'm also curious to see if 1431 Djibouti and 1530 Sao Tomé were affected - apparently 1530 does turn off @ 20:30 UTC now too, but I wonder about 1431. And also 1557 from Taiwan - RTI used to relay Radio Free Asia in Chinese here @ 19:00-22:00 UTC. But RFA no longer broadcasts on SW (in Chinese) @ 17-21 UTC, so I'm wondering whether the 1557 relay had been cut to a single hour at 21:00 UTC too? Unfortunately this frequency is blocked here, we have Nasha Lenta broadcasting to naZi ruZZia via Lithuania - an independent station so very welcome in fact.
Hey Arnie, yes, those RFA cuts are quite severe. I wonder why they are doing it. Surely they know how strong China is on shortwave... About 909, I checked it tonight and it ended at 20:30 UTC, same as 1530, I checked 1530 also. 909 was never on until 22:00 though, they always ended transmission at 21:00. So now it ends 30 minutes earlier. I do recall hearing 1530 until 22:00 before, so the cut there is more severe. 909 is also mainly aimed at Zimbabwe, so I guess, like with the other Zimbabwe transmissions on shortwave, the MW one remained more or less the same as before. I'm not sure about the start time though, will have to check that. I have noticed, however, over the past few weeks already that sign-on was later than usual. I seem to recall 909 used to start transmissions when it was still light here, late afternoon, around 14:00 UTC or so. Now it seems to start at 15:00 UTC. But I will check it. 1431 is, unfortunately, always a hard catch here for me. I did not hear it tonight. Will keep checking.
The D-219, D-608WB and D-109 are the only three radios which I bought after watching the SWL King's channel. Sadly, I have been unsuccessful in trying to influence him to buy the PL-330, PL-660 or the really awesome ATS-25 AMP. 😥 I've already purchased the Tecsun PL-368, XHDATA D-368 and the Retekess V-110 long before discovering this channel, so they don't count!😀
You have succeeded in influencing me 😀 My current to-buy list, in no specific order, includes the PL-680, PL-330, a Gospell DRM radio and an SDR. I'm still thinking about the ATS.
@@swlistening Trade secret: The ATS-25 AMP is one of those industrial looking, and project receivers that many people dismiss because it doesn't resemble anything like a conventional looking D-808, PL-330 or a SR-286. It took me almost three months to master all of its features and I was discovering something new about it every night, for the first 30 days! Price wise, it costs less than a Qodosen TEF 6686. If you're able to look past its biggest flaw - the detachable whip aerial and plug in a good external antenna (MLA-30+ or long wire stretched outdoors) the ATS-25 will make you smile each time you fire it up. I would describe this receiver like a modern day Kenwood desktop communications receiver that you can literally place on the palm of your hand but it's best hooked up to an external antenna. 📻☺️ The visual presentation of its color LCD display is outstanding and you can configure the display to show different color schemes and even a virtual Grundig-esque, retro analog frequency dial if you wish. As a presentation tool, you can display the ATS-25 tuned to Radio Ifrikya FM on 17600 kHz in different ways each time you upload a video. Your channel viewers won't get bored every time and it also makes a great conversation piece! 😄👍🏼 I would not travel with the ATS-25 unless I'm prepared to bring along an external antenna and set it up each time, unless I just want to listen to local FM stations. This is why I liken it to a desktop shortwave receiver. The only hi tech and more sophisticated looking receiver that is better than the ATS-25 is the Malahit DSP2 clone standalone SDR, but it costs about 4-5 times as much. The ATS-25 spoiled me for months because I started to neglect even my prized Tecsun PL-990. So, why is the ATS-25 not noticed by newbie DX'ers, you ask? It's because it doesn't look like a traditional D-808, for example. People are generally afraid to try something new that they're unfamiliar with. 😄
@@swlistening _"I'm still thinking about the ATS"_ Well, in case you don't like the ATS-25 AMP I'll gladly buy it from you at a fair price, my friend! I don't mind having a preowned but well cared for unit though, as long as it has a valid Harduino license. It's a really fun radio for the price. I hope you take PayPal!🙂
@@StratmanII I do take PayPal 😀 But I don't even have the ATS-25 yet, still thinking about whether I want to buy one or not. It's a possibility, one day. But I have other radios that I want now, quite specifically the PL-680. I feel I want to try out another true analogue radio.
Aside from reception you don't mention how they sound in comparison. So do they sound exactly the same or does one of them sound better than the other?
They don't sound the same, the D-368 sounds better than the D-219. It has a very nice sounding speaker, clearer than the D-219, with good highs and lows.
I own the 9700DX. It's got great sound and catches a lot of FM signals provided there is no RFI interference because it's a RFI magnet. Compared to my noizzybox retro XXL, the XXL with its DSP chip ends up catching more stations on SW than 9700dx, but then there's lots of RFI in my house, so your mileage may vary. Barring this it has a great analog experience and switches to fm stereo even on weak signals. It's MW is average. But out of all of tecsuns analog portables, like 9012, 9010, 909 it's the most capable, albeit a bit bulky.
I have a 9700DX also . Great sound. Long battery life. It's very sensitive. I am comparing to radios I have owned over the last 30 years. Radio Shack/Sangean dx440, dx394, early kaito models, and a lot of no name $10-$20 short waves. The recent models are astounding. The xhdata 219 at $11 delivered has better reception than the chugging DX440. Politics be damned. I'm going to buy some chinese radios.
Hi Andrey, they are very similar in terms of reception, yes. It seems to me that I get the same signals on the D-219 that I get on the D-368. The sound on the D-368 is better.
