Modern radio with the best reception.
 

Which modern radio has the best am reception, and does anyone know of a good internet site with information. My dad's birthday!

Tom

I've been pleased with my Tivoli Model One in the bathroom. I may purchase another for the kitchen.

http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/

Second on the Tivoli. I don't listen to much radio, but a Model One pulls duty in my main rig as a tuner, when needed.

A good AM radio is problematical, as most tuners consider it a poor-relation afterthought, as do most hi-end SW receivers.

You do not define the term "best reception" so hard to answer. Does it mean best sounding, best to pull in far off stations, dx'er, or other? Also, portable or not and with or without external AM antenna connection?

As you do mention modern so discussing things like good am radios from the golden tube days that are 1st class receivers or later units. You also mention radio so tuners are out.

I found one that is sensitive, sounds good, and pulls well. Also, has a good FM section and output for stereo through the headphone jack and has stereo line outputs. Also, has SW. It is portable and can use either D or AA cell batteries and the batteries last a long time. Tuning is easy as it is an analog tuner so not lots of buttons to deal with while it does have a digital readout so easy to dial into a specific frequency. There were originally in the $200 range but now can be bought in the $60 range.as they've been out a few years and early on had some QC issues. It is the Eton S350DL also marketed as the Grudig S350DL.

I work in an office that is on the interior of a steel and cement facility with 12 floors of computer company and next to me 2 server rooms. Talk about a tough test for AM. It is the only radio I've tried that can pull in any AM stations and it doe so rather well. No, not noiseless but, good enough for listening while the others I've and others have tried will not even pick up a hint of an AM station. A number of others in the facility have likewise picked them up for their offices.

The unit has a decent sized speaker and separate bass and treble controls that are effective.

I've now got 2 of them with the other a bedside radio sitting on my Hallicrafters SW tube radio.

I guess I could have been more specific. I meant clear signal, not so much the best sounding. Thanks for the advice so far. I also should have said stand alone radio, not a tuner.

Tom

Tom, AM is not like FM in that a clear signal is more a function of the atmospheric conditions in addition to signal strength as AM like SW skips. Some days you'll find it difficult to get a station without noise of sufficient quality to listen to and another time or day it will be as good as a signal originating 10 miles away that would sound good on a crystal radio. I think I understand what you are asking and still suggest you look at the Eton. Also, check out the C.C. Crane, as they have both radios and antennas you may want to consider if he is looking to pick up stations quite distant. The Eton from Toronto picks up Boston, Chicago, LA, and Atlanta without an external antenna.

Unlike the old days, there are stations that at night own a frequency basically coast to coast where during the day local stations also will occupy the frequency, think that's how it works.

GE's Superradio series of a few years back were supposed to be The Business when it came to AM reception.....I had one, & really wasn't all THAT impressed w/it. But when you've got what I'VE got, most of the modern stuff looks pretty lame...

There apparently are several version of the GE Super Radio and it depends on the version from what I've read. I tried one not knowing anything about it and was not impressed but did not have it long enough to seriously put it through its paces. I do remember that it sounded like a typical portable radio. You could listen but the sonic quality was not a priority in its development.

Consider A Sony hd radio, Very nice tuner and it receives the HD service

Hi,

I would go with an old Zenith table radio for better long distance AM reception quality. Those old Zeniths were the business on AM. Their FM is good too.

The GE SupeRadio is excellent. I have several and use them often for listening to AM broadcast band DX. They are discontinued now so they may be a bit scarce but I suspect they are still available with a little hunting.

Here are a few helpful links for information about them and other related items:

GE Superadio info:
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze20h45/r.../gesr_faq.html
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze20h45/r...gesr_tech.html

Excellent source of radios and information about them:
http://www.ccrane.com/

One of the radio's I have is the c crane cc radio.

seems like a very nice radio to me

http://www.ccrane.com/radios/am-fm-radios/index.aspx

As one who loves radio and listens to AM and shortwave almost exclusively, I can say the best signal performance in a non tube radio i.e. transistor portable is definitely found in the shortwave portables. They have the RF performance characteristics not found in your typical Walmart portable radio. A notable exception would be the Tivoli units. I have the iPAL and it is very sensitive on AM. For serious listening I use either my 1937 Philco tombstone, Hallicrafters S-53A or one of my shortwave transistor portables. I have three, Sony 7600GR, Eton E-10 and Kaito 1102.

I have my Eton sitting on a Hallicrafters SW500 (S-120) tube radio and at night I listen to it on a set of magnetic headphones when listening to Theatre of the Mind, music from the 30s, 40s and 50s and SWL. I prefer tubes on AM, just brings me back closer to my childhood experiences. But the OP was asking about a modern radio. The thing I like about the Eton is that it is an analog radio though it has a digital readout. I've not ever really enjoyed the sound of any digital tuner nor like the control systems.

For Am Either Ccrane SW or one really good one sony ICF-SW7600GR ..This particular one has syc hronus detection which basically injects a crrier signal back into the am to prevent the annoying fading in and out you usually get.

My Grundig has an excellent AM section and has the provisions for connecting an external AM antenna.

My Cambridge Soundworks table radio fills the bill. It pulls in AM stations that both of my Sony table radios don't even know are there. It's similar to the Tivoli radios mentioned in a previous post.

C Crane Company has the best selection of quality AM receivers and antennae you will find anywhere.

The best civilian AM receiver I've ever seen was the classic combo of the McKay-Dynek AM receiver and matching antenna. It set a standard that few have even approached, much less matched. Good luck finding one of these!

If you want what may be the best wide-band AM receiver ever made, acquire a surplus AN-R390. It's a military-grade all-tube unit that was used from the 1950s until the early 1980s. With a suitable antenna it would put to shame any other receiver I have ever seen or heard. The chances of finding a working model are small but it remains the standard against which all others must be judged. It's as big as a large microwave oven and weighs 40 pounds and is full of hard-to-find parts. And, if you can find one in good shape it will sell for large $$. Of course.

Sangean 909.

I agree. I have A Grundig S350 in my work office. Good sound. Pulls in an astonishing amount of FM/AM stations. Easy to use (has knobs!)

Redsun RP2100 (Sold as the C. Crane SW in the USA) or any one of the clones of that radio sold in various parts of the world.

The FM tuner has 4 tuned circuts is vary sensitive.
The AM side is very good as well & SW is very sensitive off the whip alone.

You can't go wrong with a Tivoli Model One.

I have the Sony HD tuner and it does a nice job on AM. (I replaced the loop that came with it with a long piece of wire.)

A car radio might be the ticket for AM too, although I don't know how well the newer ones work. Certainly the old AM-only ones should do a great job, and I remember the AM/FM ones from the late '70s / early '80s had good AM reception too.

I've got the RP2100 also, and agree that it really grabs the stations, has great sound. It is perhaps the best overall radio I own... and it has RCA outputs for connection to my integrated amp; a nice touch. I bought the SSB external module and it works like a charm. Currently the radio is attached to a 60 foot horizontal wire.

AM and modern I believe was the original request so the Tivoli's and HD's are out. GE Superradio 2's were very good, sensitive and with a big speaker. Not modern. How much do you want to spend? Portable or tabletop? Most of the expensive 'communications' type radios have poor audio due small speakers. I agree with the Redsun, but see if you can find someone with a Kaito 1103 or better still a Tecsun PL450 or PL600. Google for 'tquchina' on EPay and you'll be surprised on what you get for your money.

Marty, by any chance are you 'tquchina'? Tecsun btw is the company that makes the Eton radios. So whether you buy Eton or Tecsun you are still getting Tecsun manufacturing and quality. You eliminate the Tivoli out of hand. Not sure why as they are in production and the quality is very good for an am/fm radio.

There is one cheap radio that Blows away any receiver I have including my collins it's the Sony XDRF1HD HD Radio Tuner . Can't be beat spec wise either unless you go over a few thousand.I was a naysayer but now I'm a believer.

-Mike

Hi Brian - no way am I tquchina! I think he's in Hong Kong and is the export agent for Tecsun/Degen/Kaito/Redsun and all those other factories in Guangchou who also rebadge them into the Eton/Grundig range. I eliminated the Tivoli as I assumed you wanted shortwave capability but if you just want BC then fine. It seems a little expensive here (New Zealand) for a two band radio. Have a great Christmas and hope you eventually find the 'right' radio!

Tivoli Model One and PAL are AM/FM. The AM reception is excellent.