Tecsun PL990 Digital Worldband AM/FM Shortwave Longwave Radio with Single Side Band Reception & MP3 Player, Matte Black

As a licensed ham radio operator I find myself buying all sorts of radios and have 4 shortwave radios. 1) The radio arrives in a high quality box expertly packed. 2) includes an impressive leather case. 3) The speaker and sound this radio produces is a noticeable level above other radios of equal or lesser value. This is a fabulous sounding radio. 4) At this price you expect SSB, great sensitivity and selectivity and great reception. This radio checks those boxes. 5) At this price you expect package to include optional long wire antenna. Included. Of all these features the feature this radio provides over other models is the amazing sound quality. You won’t be disappointed.

This is a modern radio with modern features, but from its execution to documentation, is clearly a love letter to the past (watch some YouTube videos about it!) Bravo, Tecsun. I also own the Eton Field BT, but bought this because it can play MP3s (it was worth that much to me) and was money well spent. This a more premium product than any Eton I’ve owned. I was a Grundig guy back in the day, but will definitely look first at Tecsun in the future.

The price is a bit high, but the product quality is decent. If you're not too bothered by the cost, it’s worth considering.

Just received it, so I'm still playing with it. Biggest surprise: How *good* FM sounds on the speaker. Full, deep and rich. Biggest disappointment: The tuning knob is a bit tweaked and doesn't rotate freely. I've owned the Tecsun PL-360 and PL-880 (both of which I lost in a divorce). I'm thinking of returning the PL-990 for an exchange to one that doesn't have the funky tuning knob. The knob isn't a show-stopper, just irritating. Otherwise, It's a fine piece of equipment.

Still working well in reception and sound quality and battery life was considered long within my expectations.

This receiver supports it's specifications and, as an added bonus, has excellent audio fidelity. FM is excellent and tuning all bands is extremely is easy and precise. I highly recommend this receiver for anyone that needs a good, portable all-band receiver.

Dislikes This receiver has only one power source. I have the generic battery that came with the Tecsun PL-990, plus two brand name batteries I purchased. (50 bucks) Thank you to Scott, who kindly offered a fix, it didn't work (plus, I had already tried the reset 73). 1) Only one power source. 2) Very short lifespan 3) This Receiver has a history of charging failures. (My own fault, I didn't do my homework as thorough as I should have) 4) With my number of years getting shorter, I rushed into this purchase. 5) Stick with products I'm familiar with. An old dog can learn new tricks; never purchase a single power source electronic device again. The primary reason I purchased the Tecsun PL-990 was due to the fact I wake up, get out of bed & go to our laundry room and listen to the 76/80 meter Amateur Radio Operators chew on the rag. Soon my Wife began joining me in my nightly hobby; listening to the guys chew the rag reminded her of the daytime Soap Operas that once dominated daytime TV. We could go to the 'shak' & fire up one of my rigs, but at the age we are enjoying each other's company is more important in my eyes. But, purchasing an almost $300.00 Receiver and it fails in about 6 months is a sign this Tecsun PL-990 was defective before my purchase. I will say the speaker is clear & crisp. I was actually looking forward to Solar Cycle 25, with our Sun's recent CMEs my hopes are high. The $300.00 I spent on this little thing Tecsun calls a Receiver could have been spent on some Amateur Radio goodies. Oh well, as I stated I want to say Thank You to all the guys who offered fix-it suggestions.

I've been using this radio for about 7 weeks and am pleased with my purchase. It's been used primarily for Medium Wave (AM Broadcast) and FM reception. Audio quality is good for a portable radio. Expect to spend a bit of time familiarizing yourself with the features. The selectivity between AM stations 10 KHz apart is akin to a $500 or greater receiver. Tecsun must be using DSP to produce such selectivity. Sensitivity is very good as well. On the shortwave side, reception will benefit if using an external antenna. It's sad, but world-wide shortwave broadcasting has nearly gone "dark". What remains, that can be received in North America are marginal broadcasters, often with very narrow audiences. SSB reception of amateur radio is stable but again improved with the use of an external antenna. (albeit requiring nothing elaborate) I'm very pleased with this radio. I would rate it as one of the best full feature, general coverage portable radios available in 2021. As a kid growing up in the 1960's and 70's, coping with unstable analog equipment, such a radio would have been miraculous.