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Reviews For: Yaesu SP-101 External Speaker

Category: Speakers for communications

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Review Summary For : Yaesu SP-101 External Speaker
Reviews: 6MSRP:
Description:
The SP-101 is the matching external loudspeaker for the Yaesu FTDX101D transceiver. It is supplied and a metal cabinet measuring 6.29" x 5.12" x 12.68" (160 x 130 x 322mm) and weighs approximately 4.4 lbs (2kg). The speaker diameter is 100mm, has an impedance of 8 ohms, and is rated at 7W with a frequency response from 200 - 18,000 Hz. The front legs are adjustable so that it can be tilted to match the transceiver. It is supplied with a 3.5mm mono to RCA phono plug connecting lead.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.yaesu.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
1161.2
F6EHJ Rating: 2024-07-19
Very bad audio. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Very disappointed with the SP-101 because the sound is horrible. The FTDX101's built-in speaker is better.
Except for the box matched to the transceiver, the purchase of this accessory is prohibitively expensive.
I replaced the original speaker with a JBL, added acoustic wool and the result is much better.

Anyway, there is enough room for a 12V/25A switching supply.
GW4DVB Rating: 2024-07-11
Don't waste your money !! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Absolutely Awful sound quality..

How a distinguished Ham Radio Manufacturer can put a £2.50 speaker in a £5 tin box and charge you £140 for begs belief.

A lot of the Ham Radio emporiums have the cheek (having sold you one of these) to offer a "Sound Modification Kit" (Phonema PHITS Acoustic Modification Kits Y101A for SP-101) for another £60. The same kit can be copied / constructed using 20 Eraser sponges and changing the speaker for a better spec'd one - Total cost £12.00
VK6IS Rating: 2022-10-30
Not So Good Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The SP-101 is the matching external loudspeaker for the Yaesu FTdx101D transceiver,
and is integrated into the PS-101, if you have the 200w FTdx101MP version of the radio.

the audio is more suited to an broadcast station,
and is less suited as an communications speaker.
DH3RD Rating: 2022-05-22
bad and expensive Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Add on speaker for the FTDX101 series.
The system inside is looking like a cheap chinese one. I change it to a Visaton FR10 8 ohm who fits perfect. Also i add damping material.
What a difference!!
N4EEB Rating: 2021-11-23
Substandard Time Owned: more than 12 months.
It's a good looking speaker, but it sounds awful. Way to0 expensive. No headphone jack, no second input.
5B4AIY Rating: 2021-04-06
An Expensive Accessory Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Most modern transceivers have internal speakers that simply do not do justice to the audio available. They are often fairly small, mounted on the top, and, with few exceptions, the designers have made little or no attempt at any sort of proper acoustic enclosure. As a result, they often sound harsh and tinny. The Yaesu FTDX101D is no exception, and I felt that its audio could be improved with a good external loudspeaker, and so I purchased the optional SP-101 matching unit.

This loudspeaker has a matching front panel, and the speaker unit is housed in a substantial metal cabinet with a RCA phono connector on the rear panel, and is supplied with a suitable 3.5mm mono to RCA phono connecting lead.

I could not resist taking the cover off to have a look inside and I was surprised at what I found. Screwed to the front panel was an inexpensive 100mm, 4", 8 ohm speaker and soldered across the phono connector was a 47uF bipolar capacitor. The frequency response is specified as being from 200Hz to 18kHz, with a power rating of 7W.

I decided to investigate the effect of this capacitor, so I unsoldered one lead and connected a pair of wires to an external switch. After conducting a number of listening tests on CW, SSB and AM transmissions I could not detect any difference whether the capacitor was in circuit or not. An examination of the schematics of the radio showed that the audio amplifier is a TDA2003 10W mono car-radio IC, and is a very rugged component. It is rated to survive a dead short on its output terminals indefinitely, as well as survive 40V transients and is also thermally protected. When operated from a nominal 13.8V supply the total maximum audio output into 8 ohms will be 2.1W. Yaesu specifies that the output will be 2.5W into 4 ohms, and calculations confirm this. The presence of this capacitor simply increases the reactive current that the amplifier has to supply, to no obvious purpose.

There is no acoustic wadding in the cabinet, nor any bracing or other attempt at minimising cabinet resonances. As a result, the actual 'improvement' in sound quality compared to the internal loudspeaker is mainly as a result of the forward facing speaker. I found the audio quality somewhat indifferent. Considering that this unit costs 145 Euro, I had expected somewhat better results.

I decided to try and improve the situation, and was able to obtain a car audio door loudspeaker that was an exact fit in place of the existing speaker unit. The part number is: JVC CS-J420X, and is a 2-way mica cone driver unit.

I removed and discarded the 47uF capacitor and filled the case with acoustic wadding to both damp cabinet resonances and provide some acoustic loading. The result was a significant improvement. There is more bass, which gives more 'body' to AM transmissions, as well as an extended mid-range response compared to the original unit giving improved readability to narrow-band SSB signals which previously sounded somewhat 'thin'. Previously, white noise sounded harsh and unpleasant, with this driver unit it now sounds smooth and balanced. CW signals no longer provoke cabinet resonances, making it much more pleasant to listen to. As the unit has a 4 ohm impedance, there was also a slight increase in audio output.

In my opinion, this speaker unit is grossly over-priced, and the kindest thing I can say about its audio quality is that it is mediocre. If you do purchase it, remove the capacitor, and fill the case with acoustic wadding as a minimum. Better yet, purchase a 100m automobile door speaker to replace the cheap speaker provided.

This JVC driver unit will also precisely replace the one in the speaker/power unit of the FTDX101MP.

Summary: Indifferent audio and poor value for money.

Adrian, 5B4AIY