TECSUN PL-680 RECEIVER - Your Thoughts?

TECSUN PL-680 RECEIVER

Your Thoughts?

I've got plenty of desktop radios to use at home. But I only have one portable unit. And I'm seriously considering purchasing the new Tecsun PL-680 to replace my old and ever-reliable Sangean ATS909 (1st generation vintage!). 

 That old Sangean has been subjected to water, bounced around over rough outback roads, and even the odd tumble to the ground. Despite all this, it still keeps working! It's useless on just the whip antenna (always has been....). But attach a random length of wire to it (anything longer than 5 metres) and it works just fine, displaying great sensitivity and reasonable selectivity. 

 So....should I keep the Sangean or look at the PL-680?

 I've chosen the 680 (rather than the 660 or the 880) because of its strong reviews. If you haven't seen these, check out the following:

 SWLing Post Review by Thomas Witherspoon:
http://swling.com/blog/2015/02/a-review-of-the-tecsun-pl-680-with-reader-survey-results/

Jay Allen's Review:
http://radiojayallen.com/tecsun-pl-680/

 Chris Freitas' Review:
https://chrisfreitas.wordpress.com/2015/07/09/tecsun-pl-680-review/

 Gilles Letourneau's YouTube Review: In this video, Gilles makes some comparisons between the PL-600 and the new PL-680:
https://youtu.be/-3fP2KNPVn8

 BUT........

 Gilles also mentioned in his review that some users have had problems with the digital frequency readout on the 680.

 And then I also came across this YouTube by a Japanese listener:
"THE TRUTH OF CHINESE RADIO" ~Frequency Display Defect of TECSUN PL-680~
https://youtu.be/PXf9-43VKZQ

Also, SWLing Post reader, Olli Turunen, wrote recently:
I thought you would like to know this. I bought PL-680 few days ago and I noticed that mine has the display about 1 khz off. I contact Anna on Anon-Co and got a quick reply:
“I have received a response from the supplier regarding the 1 kHz deviation issue of the PL-680 radio. Unfortunately they consider this to be within their tolerance standards for SW reception. Overall, their standard is set to be +/- 0.5 kHz, which translates to 1 kHz on the LCD display. They understand the effect it may especially have for SSB listening, which is why fine tuning has been added as a feature."
Hmmmm...... I believe that Tecsun should be able to get a better result from their circuitry than a +/- 0.5kHz tolerance. That’s actually quite a wide range for today’s radio electronics!

So, I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts on the PL-680. If you have one, how have you found its performance? Have you noticed any frequency readout discrepancy?

I should point out that I'm more of a DXer than a casual listener. So sensitivity, selectivity, SSB operation and good clear audio are important considerations when I purchase a new radio.

Let me know your opinions in the box below. Thanks everyone!!

Rob VK3BVW
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Comments

  1. RadiocollectorJanuary 1, 2017 at 9:17 PM

    G'day Bob
    Just picked one up myself. A couple of quirks, I've noticed a fair bit of audio pumping especially on weak signals, possibly a soft mute issue and my display is 1khz low when the wide filter is used. Sometimes it isn't evident so it's a mystery. Sensitivity and selectivity is good for a portable, nowhere near that of my Eton E1. Audio is good as well. Would be interested to hear your comments. Cheers from Bathurst. ...Phil vk2gjf

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rob WagnerJanuary 2, 2017 at 1:42 PM

      G'Day Phil. Thanks for the message, and Happy New Year! I ended up getting the PL680 and have used it extensively over the last seven months when out and about. Travelled with it to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation in July/August, and on other shorter trips in NSW etc. I have to say that I'm really pleased with the shortwave capabilities. No MW or FM DXing though, just used for listening to locals mainly. But it does benefit hugely from an external antenna.

      No signs of audio pumping or the 1 kHz fault. I know the 1kHz thing was reported by a few others when this model first came out, but I had hoped that had been fixed. But no problem for me. Strange!

      Based on how some people talk about the radio, I get the feeling that Tecsun may have some quality control issues in the 660, 680, and 880. If you are not happy with yours, maybe send it back to the distributor and get a replacement. The 1 kHz was a known fault, and should not be happening.

      Here are several other posts I've done on the 680 in the past few months:

      TECSUN PL680 BEATS EXPECTATIONS - Part 1
      Despite several shortcomings, the PL680 is a very impressive little performer.
      http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2016/09/tecsun-pl680-beats-expectations-part-1.html

      TECSUN PL-680 SENSITIVITY TESTS
      The portable Tecsun PL-680 receiver is a hot little radio! As these tests show, it appears to be very sensitive to weak signals.
      http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/tecsun-pl-680-sensitivity-tests.html

      DX QUICK TIPS - THE KANGAROO CORNER EDITION!
      Outdoor DXing with friends!
      http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2016/08/dx-quick-tips-kangaroo-corner-edition.html

      Cheers mate. Rob VK3BVW

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    2. Troy RiedelOctober 31, 2017 at 9:53 PM

      There is also a 5kHz deviation between Narrow & Wide Bandwidth of the PL-680.

      As was explained to me ...
      "... the wideband and narrowband feature is composed of 2 different circuits and 2 different filters. The supposed benefit of this is that the noise generated by the circuits will be less and the power consumption lower. However, nowadays for receivers with an analog IC, the downside is that there is some tolerance in the frequency as you mentioned. For receivers with a DSP IC (like the PL-880), this issue does not occur, because it uses a single module in which everything is combined. The upside of this is that the frequency display is more exact, but the downside is that this module creates more noise and uses more power".

      I own the PL-880, and for the most part I'm happy with it. I recently purchased an Eton Exec. Satellit and I need more time with it to decide/evaluate how it fares against the PL-880.

      Delete
  2. WillemMay 4, 2018 at 12:25 AM

    Hi. I've just received this radio a few days ago and have been able to play with it extensively. I have ordered it because my Sangean ATS 909 (the old version) does not have synchronous detection. And I was curious to find out how consistant the quality of this radio really is. Judging by all the comments written on this procuct, I got a clear idea of what I can expect. And I must say, my unit (it is not mine yet and it will not be either) shows the two main flaws mentioned by most owners. Yes, it has the 1kHz flaw and yes, it has the pumping effect when the signal drops below a certain level. I can live with the 1 kHz thing, but definately not with the pumping effect. What makes things even worse is that the sync detector often unlocks during a fade when the signal drops below that certain level. Usually as soon as the signal meter reads two segments or less. This makes for a totally useless sync detector. That is, it now only works if a adjacent station splatters on the station you want to hear. I remember the near perfect sync detection in my Sony ICF-2001D. That one locked so good having no fade distortion, it only unlocked if there was absolutely no signal at all. And it made very weak signals still listenable. I had it allways on. Sadly, the radio died, beyond repair. On with the PL-680. The overall feel is very good, the best I have held in my hands for years. Very good quality ABS plastic for starters. And the knobs, apart from the tuning knob that is, feel very solid as well for such a small radio. Very nice details like the two small anti slip rubbers. This is a radio that will last and last, mechanical wise. Sound from the built in speaker is also very good. Even a touch better than my Sangean ATS-909. As I said, the pumping effect also mentioned by others is the main reason why this radio has to go. Certainly if compared to my Sangean, the Tecsun PL-680 offers no real advantages or it must be the only mediocre sync detector and its smaller size.

    Conclusion: it is a nice travel companion for general listening. It is absolutely not a long distance receiver, not this unit I have here that is. Yes it is sensitive and it brings in all stations my Sangean does but the pumping flaw makes it totally useless for me. That is a big disappointment really. My Sangean ATS-909 is slightly more sensitive and the frequency readout is spot on. I guess I will get me another Sony ICF-2001D/2010. The best portable I owned so far. Greetings from Hekelingen, Holland. Bye, Willem.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 19, 2021 at 1:22 AM

      Willem -- You and i apparently have very similar consumer tastes: we have, over the decades, bought precisely the same (almost; i have a ICF-2010) three SW portables. i must say that i have been luckier with the PL-680 however; my November 2020 manufactured unit lacks both the pumping and the tuning deviation (although with my firmware i could calibrate that out).

      All three seem to perform roughly similarly on the same antenna chasing the same stations -- you may be right about the ATS909 but it is a hard call -- so no real sensitivity or selectivity issues. Actually the PL-680 seems the most selective. This spring i spent almost twice as much as the PL-680 to repair my 2010 but now i question doing so. "Yes" the sync -- particularly the audio using the sync -- is a bit better than the PL-680 but i find the 680 quite listenable. My sample's 680 loses lock at about the point that the 2010 does. Lord knows the 680 is more portable than the Sony and even a bit handier than the Sangean. Also the SSB is actually quite a bit better on the Tecsun than either of the other two in terms of stability and clarity of audio when zero-beat.

      Adjusting for inflation i could have bought *SEVEN* PL-680s for what i paid 32 years ago for ICF-2010 so i am hard pressed to complain. "No" i do not think it will last as long as the Sony, which put in about 15 years of almost daily use. But it is quite a reasonable purchase and a very practical radio for most uses, save maybe medium wave DX (where the 2010 isn't stellar either), but it matches well with an air-coil for that.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousMay 14, 2018 at 8:56 PM

    Hello everyone

    I received my PL-660 a few days ago and played extensively with it over the weekend. I cannot find much wrong with it and am satisfied with my PL-660.
    I read about all the issues of the PL-660 but I learned over the years you can never find exactly what you want. There is always something not 100% but thats how it is. I will just appreciate my PL-660 for what it is and enjoy it.

    This is my first world band receiver and it took me a while to decide on the PL-660. I wanted something with a lot of functions, a large backlit display which could show the frequency and time simultaneously, looked nice, had good sound, snooze and alarm function.

    I did not bother with the PL-680 since its AM reception is not as good as the PL-660 according to reviews, however I do like the look of the buttons more on the PL-680.

    Something I would have liked:
    -backlit buttons to enable use of the PL-660 at night
    -carry strap on top to make pickup and carry easy

    Overall the PL-660 is a nice radio and overall Im satisfied with it.
    How long it will last I do not know, I read a lot of bad reviews about reliability however this model have been on the market 5 years or longer and hopefully Tecsun have solved reliability / quality control issues.

    Jennifer
    Dutch outpost - South Africa (Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek)

    The PL-660 has so many buttons you always press a button when picking it up which is annoying.

    ReplyDelete

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