Sony ICF-SW7600GR AM/FM Shortwave World Band Receiver with Single Side Band Reception, plus External Plug-in Antenna
by Sony
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sony ICF-SW7600GR AM/FM Shortwave World Band Receiver with Single Side Band Reception, plus External Plug-in Antenna
Customer Review: An excellent design... Still at the top after all these years
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using the 7600 (no suffix), the grand-daddy of the 7600GR since its debut in 1992. That's close to 14 years of faithful, problem-free service until it finally died on me recently. I was sad to see it go but was all prepared to look for a better alternative. After ploughing through numerous reviews both online and off, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that its direct descendant, the 7600GR, still rates among the top portable receivers today. They are practically identical aside from some pretty superficial changes. I did appreciate the 100 station presets. That's useful for someone who uses it for listening to shortwave stations which change frequencies a lot depending on the time of day and the season. Aside from that, little else has changed. Reception-wise they're close to identical. But far from a fault, it's an indication of how well designed the 7600 was in the first place. I've seldom seen electronic appliances staying practically the same after more than a decade in service and still retain close to top spot in consumer reviews. Sony deserves congratulations for that.
In terms of build quality, I can attest to their ruggedness. These babies were built to last. My trusty old 7600 has been on the open ocean, baked in the sun, drenched in rain (wrapped in plastic of course), subjected to leaky batteries, dropped several times, and given dutiful, uncomplaining service for over a decade. Where can you find electronic equipment built like that these days?
There has been a lot of unhappiness with regards to the absence of an adaptor/transformer for the 7600GR. The original accompanying adaptors in the American market, initially the AC-E90HG and then the AC-E60A were noted to be unshielded, giving rise to RF interference with MW/SW listening. After Sony recalled them, it seems Sony did not replace the adaptor as part of the standard package in America. After reading reviews about the adaptor I had quite decided against buying it. However I managed to get the 7600GR while in Singapore 2 months ago. It was a direct Japanese import and it came with a new AC-adaptor. I'm not sure if this version is properly shielded but I've not noticed any increased interference with SW listening viz. AC-power and batteries. Note that this package is not the one offered on Amazon. My only complaint is that my original 7600's adaptor/transformer came with a 12-foot long cable meaning I could place it anywhere in the room. The new adaptor for the 7600GR is barely 6-feet in length. Also, my original 7600 came with ear-phones for stereo listening on FM. The new 7600GR does not.
Reception, as far as I can tell, is no different from the old model despite the addition of the highly rated "synchronous detector" circuit. That's in part because after so many years, I know exactly which stations I want to listen to and no longer go searching for them. I listen to both SW and FM. Stations I tune to include the BBC, Radio Australia, Radio New Zealand and occasionally Deutsche Welle and Nederlands. They sound the same on both.
These days, with the internet, you no longer have to slowly scan for stations on SW. The easiest way is to go to their websites, download their frequency charts and just directly program them into the preset memory. Actually, many stations also broadcast online. So much easier than in the past. But with a certain loss of that old mystique, anticipation and sense of adventure.
I'd like to correct a statement made in one of the prior reviews. Removing the batteries for more than 60secs will not erase the station presets. The presets are stored in EEPROM which will not be erased with any power loss. What will be erased is the current time on the radio's clock but that's very easily reset.
The built-in "tin-can" speaker is the only part of the 7600 that I dislike. Unfortunately that has not improved. But with the proliferation of cheap, fairly good quality desktop speakers to connect to, you are spoilt for choice. I bought mine together with the $99 Klipsch 2.0 Ultra. The resultant sound is as good as you can hope to get from a world band receiver. For private listening at night, I prefer Sennheisers. They make a world of difference especially when listening to FM stereo.
Some appreciative words for Sony. I managed to get my trusty old 7600 repaired in Singapore at the local Sony outlet for the equivalent of about $40. Dirt cheap for what they replaced: the worn out crystal, DC transformer, over a dozen capacitors and an equal number of switches. What I appreciated most was the fact that they repaired it with no questions asked, despite the fact that it was over 10 years old, had no proof of purchase, no warranty and was no longer in production. If you want to know what makes a loyal customer, it is a company that stands by its product. Now I am the happy owner of 2 perfectly serviceable portable receivers, one for home and one for travel.
Customer Review: The Last Serious Radio
Summary: 5 Stars
It's unclear when it all began - somewhere in the last couple of decades, the quality worldband radio receiver slowly faded away. The great names on the shortwave units of yesteryear are now either slapping their badges on drugstore-discount South Asian made devices, or have stopped making radios altogether. The solid metal, the dials and switches, the detailed engineering, all drifted away and replaced with toy-grade plastic, fewer features, and "let's see how cheap we can build it" design. With the exception of one -
At first glance, you know right away that the made-in-Japan Sony ICF-SW7600GR is definitely not available at your corner shoppe, much less your local electronics store - the interface consists of 27 buttons, 5 switches, and 3 knobs. There are two clocks and two alarms. There's two output jacks (headphone, line out) right next to the antenna jack. The whip antenna is nearly a full yard in length. Serious, indeed. But as intimidating as it all seems at first, the flowchart-logical layout is very efficient, and anyone who's ever wished their radio had something more than just a Stereo-Mono switch to get a weak signal is accommodated in more ways than one.
The seriousness continues when you pick up the 7600GR. Though it's considered a "coat pocket" portable, it feels as though it's filled with concrete or perhaps lead shot. If weight is a sign of quality, the 7600GR makes itself unabashedly clear, weighing in at just over 15 iPod Nanos (1 and 1/3 pounds). The positive-click buttons would be at home in a luxury car, the knobs turn smoothly, and switches move confidently into position. Nothing is loose or rattles, everything is buttoned-down and solid. You could say it feels German, but they stopped making portable radios long ago...
Yet all the forethought and engineering that went into the exterior is just the prelude to what's on the inside. This would still be a top-tier portable just on it's receiver components alone, but Sony goes a step further, piling on the professional tuning features (one of which, the Synchronous Detector, is not found on portables from any other manufacturer). The 7600GR is a veritable box of solutions to the all-too-common radio reception problems; the "This weak station is being drowned out by a powerful station" problem, the "This station is almost clear except for a weak station in the background" problem, the "How can I get rid of this high-pitched interference" problem, etc. Without getting too technical, this is a very sensitive receiver on its own, and should reception fall short, there's a barrage of trick electronic tuning tools to try out.
Of course no radio is perfect, and the 7600GR isn't immune. There's no knob for tuning, which is all done by buttons. The case is too small for high-fidelity sound from the speaker. The backlight is for the display only, not the buttons. But this is all nitpicking in light of pure tuner power; You won't miss the tuning knob when you get that one near-impossible station that no other radio you've tried can get.
If you browse around the internet for 7600GR reviews from experienced radio technicians, you'll find that they essentially come in two categories: the first is "I kept having problem x with radio y, so I just went and got a 7600GR" and the second is "I spent more on my radio rig than I did my car, so when I needed a portable I got a 7600GR." There aren't any lengthy tirades about technical issues or design failures, just page after page of happy owners, sharing their techniques and experiences. Another Amazon reviewer noted that the Sony is the "Best shortwave radio under $200", but this is really selling it short - portable shortwave radios only go up to about $200, and (not counting used units) there aren't any more until you reach the very technical world of tabletop receivers starting at $500. So in reality, *This is the best shortwave radio under $500.*
The key to the 7600GR's success is time. The original ICF-SW7600 was introduced way back in 1977, and since then has gone through a miasma of subtle design changes and technical innovations. So as other manufacturers try to find cheaper ways to produce their all-new models, Sony has been slowly honing and refining this single design all along for over 25 years. You can be confident when you hold the 7600GR that it's the time-tested culmination of over a quarter century of engineering and design. Five stars for Sony's instant classic.
Customer Review: The Best, Period.
Summary: 5 Stars
The Sony 7600GR shines most brightly in the realm of true SW portable radios, top of the pyramid. Only the Eton/Grundig E5/G5, and perhaps the Kaito 1103 are close, but the latter has seriously flawed ergonomics.
First off, the Sony is just the right size, that is small enough to carry with you anywhere, even during extended airline travel, but large enough that its controls are widely-spaced and easily accessible. I also own the G5, but find it too small to handle without accidentally pushing some control, and its buttons too small and tightly-packed. In terms of performance, I get consistently stronger signals with less hiss/noise on the Sony vis a viz the G5; also, the Sony enjoys superior signal strength boosts with the use of a modest external antenna (clearer, cleaner signal with less hiss than the G5). Moreover, the 7600 has synchronous detection to lock in weak signals (the G5 does not), though I have to say I haven't really noticed much of a difference when using it. The Sony divides the single sideband into USB and LSB while the G5 does not; hence, SSB reception was MUCH better on the Sony: many more pickups, clearer signals. However, I'd say that the G5 has a somewhat richer, fuller sound than does the Sony, though it's hardly a night-day difference, But it's there, the Sony having a slightly tinnier, sharper, more "glassy" sound, a drawback obviated by the use of headphones.
I find the Sony much easier to navigate than the G5 where you seem to be constantly pushing buttons to get around from band to band, freqeuncy to frequency, and the memory buttons are tiny (and require concentrated focus to hit) compared with the big, round, widely-spaced buttons on the 7600 where you can hold the right side and easily punch in changes with your thumb. However, the G5 does have a tuning wheel which is a semi-major flaw in the Sony, though with its 1Khz tuning buttons, you have the same measure of precise control. Still, the tuning knob is unquestionably the best band scanning device.
AM reception and FM reception, for me, are slightly better on the Sony, though the difference is slight. On the SW bands, I much prefer the signal strength and low background hiss/noise on the 7600 compared with the G5, especially enjoying noticably stronger signals when using an outdoor-mounted slinky (which seems to inject mainly hiss into the G5). If signal strength for a SW frequency is, say, 3 or 3+ (out of 5) on the Sony, it's generally 3- or so on the G5.
As for build quality, the 7600's heft, feel, general overall qualilty of solidity and sturdiness exceed those of the G5. That is, other than the whip antenna anchor which is really loose, almost flimsy. So far, it's held up, but I am always aware of its wobbly base when manipulating the antenna.
Now I live on the west coast, the worst place in the country for SW reception, so the experiences of listeners in more lively zones may be wholly different. But for me, after using both radios regularly and doing numerous head-to-head comparisons over about 6 weeks, the Sony is the hands-down winner. The G5 is a good, even very good, SW portable but the Sony is a near-great one.
One suggestion I have is this: If you buy a 7600GR (or even a G5, or some similar-sized portable), go to Universal Radio's Web site (www.universal-radio.com) and order one of their clear plastic radio stands which holds your radio firmly in place and at an ideal viewing angle. It's about 7" wide and costs about 7 bucks. Makes SWLing much easier. I have no connection to this company, but think this is a tip worth passing on.
Postscript 3/28. Just read the review below mine, re AM reception. Not my experience at all. My 7600GR picks up at least 20 AM stations with hiss-free clarity, "5" on a 1-5 scale. I even get KNBR in San Francisco, 600 miles to the South and some AM station in Calgary at level 4. AM reception is really powerful on mine.
Customer Review: I'm AMAZED
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this radio with some skepticism since I have owned 3 portable shortwave radios in the past (2 digital, 1 analog) and recall the frustration in receiving SW stations clearly. However, when I could tune one in, I enjoyed listening in on distance stations from other countries, hearing their news or sometimes hearing their perspective of U.S. news. It is often substantially different than that reported by our media. Well, I unpacked the Sony SW7600GR and was immediately impressed with it's build quality and somewhat surprised at it's size (smaller than I thought it would be). I turned it on, pulled up the antenna, started scanning and initially not much but static on the SW bands. I was a bit disappointed even though I was inside and knew that I would need an external antenna to clearly tune in SW stations, especially living in Montana, up against the Rockies to the West and far from the east coast. I then tried the AM and FM bands and was very satisfied. All stations I knew of came in clear and even tuned in some I have never heard before, especially in the AM band. The speaker is small and the sound is far from full (it does have a voice-music tone switch which helps a bit), but it is a small portable radio so I didn't expect much in this area. I got it for talk rather than music and the sound is good for this purpose.
I take my dogs for a walk almost every night and decided to take the Sony along to see what it would do outside of the house, away from the typical household interference. WOW!!!! With only the built in roughly 3 foot antenna, I was able to tune in quite a few SW stations very clearly and many more with lesser signal to noise but still clear enough to listen to with ease. I started filling the presets with interesting channels and might have been able to fill most of the 100 presets if I programmed them with all of the different stations I could pick up. I honestly couldn't believe it. I do live on the outskirts of town, it was during winter and about 6:00-7pm, which is generally the optimum time to listen, but still very impressive. I can hardly wait to get a decent tuned external antenna set up outside of my house. I don't know if this was a fluke, (three different nights now, same results) or what, but so far, I am very pleased.
Again, I know that reception can vary considerably depending on seasons, time of day, atmospheric conditions, solar activity and location (inside/outside, type of building or environment, inner city, "out in the sticks", etc.) and I was probably receiving during the best of these conditions. But compared to the other portables I have used, it is clearly a winner, at least using the built in whip and at least so far. I hope it proves to be reliable.
UPDATE 2/15/2010
I strung a longwire antenna in my backyard between trees and connected to my 7600GR. I was able to get 75 feet of length, but I could only get it up about 12 feet high and it is pretty close to my house. I can get all of the stations I was able to get during my walks with good signal, but the longer bandwiths (lower frequencies) are noisier than during my walks. None the less, reception is great and I've been able to listen in on lot's of ham conversations, mostly around 3900kHz, on LSB. The SSB tuning is a bit touchy, but it works great.
Customer Review: Great little shortwave radio
Summary: 5 Stars
The Sony ICF-7600GR is a great little shortwave radio. Read the instruction manual- operation of this radio is easy but not intuitive. I it is much easier to operate than my Sony SW77 and it is easier to tune in SSB than the SW77.
Sony is the last of the giant manufacturers to offer a shortwave radio and it is still made in Japan not China, and I thank them for continuing to make a product that only appeals to a small niche of Customers.
That being said, first of all it is not a "boom box" designed for music listening. The FM reception is adequate+. It is a small radio with a tiny speaker that reproduces the vocal range (200hz-5000hz) with clarity without causing fatigue to the listener. The sound quality is ideal for shortwave listening (SWL). Headphones sound great and receive FM in stereo with high fidelity. AM(MW) reception is great. If you are looking to primarily listen to music, it is the wrong radio for you. This radio is primarily designed for SWL. I will not gripe about a couple of features that this radio is missing, since it does an outstanding job without them.
The 7600GR tunes SW in 5khz or 1khz steps, allowing for fine tuning. It has synchronous detection available to lock in weak stations that suffer from fading or interference from adjacent channels. It also comes with a wire antenna extension which greatly improves reception of distant signals. The 7600GR has a variable antenna attenuator that is far more useful than a DX/ local switch.
I have some hints for beginners. First of all when you scan frequencies by meter band, make use of the attenuator. Select a meter band and then manually find a dead channel (frequency). Then adjust the attenuator until you find the threshold of the "tune" icon in the upper left of the display. When the tune icon comes on from background static, back off until it disappears and then hit the scan (arrow) button. By doing this, it will bypass dead channels and only stop on channels with active broadcasting. Keep the radio and antenna extension wire near a window and away from flourescent lights, light dimmers,TV(s), computers and other electrical devices for best reception. For serous listening with an indoor antenna, buy an active loop antenna and hang it in the window. Kaito makes one. I am using the Sony AN-LP1 active loop which is excellent but discontinued and still available on the internet. The loop is a major improvement over the wire extension, it reduces background noise and static, and you will not get any better reception unless you use an outdoor antenna. SWL is better after dark, due to atmospheric conditions and the broadcaster scheduling for times that they know listeners are home. Most countries have at least an hour or two of english speaking broadcasts every day. When you listen to AM(MW), keep in mind that the built in ferrite core antenna is bi-directional, and rotating the radio position can improve reception and reduce background noise.
I would Highly recommend the ICF-7600GR to anyone that wants a highly effective receiver for shortwave. You can nit-pick when comparing to other SW portables, but you will not find any noticeable improvement unless you spend $500.00 for an Eton E1XM.
Regards, <<<JJ>>>