Here is a review of the 7600GR that I wrote in 2006:
Quote:
For several years Sony has been moving away from the Shortwave marketplace that they once dominated. One feature that Sony included on many of their more expensive radios was the Synchronous Detector circuit, which can make a big difference in the reception of signals that are suffering from selective fading and/or adjacent channel interference. Sony seemed to "get this right" more often than other other producers of SW sets (few even offered it).
But alas, the famous 2010 (one of my all time favorite SW radios) is gone, the SW-77 is gone, the SW-100 is gone and this year the highly innovative SW-07 has been deleted.
The 7600GR is the only remaining Sony with this feature... I would not wait too long, or it may be deleted as well!
Ok, but one feature does not define the radio. I must add that the 7600GR does very well when compared to more modern designs. On AM and Shortwave, reception is quite sensitive, and with the sync detector, the fact that only one bandwith is provided is not a large handicap (many sets have two bandwidths available).
FM reception is good but not up to the level provided by the Eton E-5, Kaito 1103 or even the Kaito 1102. LW reception on the 7600 is very sensitive, and it has better "image rejection" (fewer false signals) than the E-5 or Kaito 1103. The 7600 does not have a tuning knob, so "bandscanning" is not as convenient as on the E-5 0r 1103. Note: the Kaito 1102 does not have LW or tuning knob.
In Summary, this is a well-built high quality (still made in Japan) radio that stacks up well against its competition.
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Ten years later, the 7600GR is out performed by a number of cheaper imports. In my collection, it is relighted to "shelf queen" status, appreciated for what it represents, while my well worn Eton E-5 gets daily use. My E-5 is so beat up, I am hoping that the new Eton satelit will turn out to be an adequate replacement, should it fail.
jr