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Reviews For: ICOM SP 20

Category: Speakers for communications

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Review Summary For : ICOM SP 20
Reviews: 46MSRP: 310.95
Description:
External Speaker with 4 audio filters.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.icomamerica.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00464.4
NC2F Rating: 2007-02-10
High Quality Speaker Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I had other speakers in use in my shack, but none as good as the SP-20 is. This is probably the best addition I could have ever made to my shack. The SP-20 allows for 2 radios to be plugged into at once. I am currently using this speaker between my IC-736 and my IC-275H. Let me say the audio this speaker brings into my shack is nothing short of magnificent. The difference is day and night when listening to the internal speaker versus the external SP-20 speaker.

Operation of the SP-20 is a breeze. Simply connect the provided audio cable to between the speaker and your radio and you're in business - that's it. I haven't used the filtering in the speaker all that much, but there have been times when I have used them to make certain stations sound better - and they are quite effective.

Would I buy this speaker again? Absolutely. If you really want to bring out the full sound of your received signals, I would highly recommend you add the iCom SP-20 to your shack.
VE4MM Rating: 2007-01-21
VE4MM Time Owned: more than 12 months.
YES.....IT SHOULD BE UPDATED TO MATCH THE IC7800 BECAUSE I HAVE HAD A IC7800 FOR 2 YEARS NOW AND STILL HAVE THE SP-20 AND DO NOT USE IT. I STILL HAVE MY IC765 FOR WHICH I BOUGHT THE SP-20 FOR.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by VE4MM on 2002-09-07

Bought speaker in 1993 to match my IC-765 and love it! Clear audio and filters really work. A bit pricey!

73

Michael Mark, VE4MM
K6JPA Rating: 2007-01-21
Nice, But Needs Updates Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Don't get me wrong.. I have four of these and prefer their sound quality over their competition, but Icom needs to offer updated versions of this speaker. I would suggest that the speaker be offered in a matching color and surface texture for my IC-7800. Also, with the anticipated IC-R9500 due soon, in a matching cream colored case would be an appreciated offering. The IC-7800 has the Icom insignia stamped in the top cover, which would be a nice addition to the speaker. I have not seen a good photo of the anticipated IC-R9500's top cover, but I imagine it will have some form of the insignia as well.

Icom, you make excellent products; however, those of us that spend the money on your new offerings deserve to have the ability to purchase matching accessories. I don't think that's too much to ask...
KQ4KK Rating: 2007-01-09
A Standard Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought it in 1991 to match my ICOM 765. I sold the 765, but kept the SP 20. It now is being used with my 756PRO. It sounds great, flexible, has two inputs, and filters.
It looks great, if you are into full size boxes.

I'll keep the 5 rating, even tho it doesn't match the current radio sizing..

Works well with my KWM-2A also..

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KQ4KK on 2006-01-16

Ok, I bought it in 1991 to match my ICOM 765, and I don't remember paying an excessive amount for it.
It sounds great, flexible, has two inputs, and filters.
It looks great, if you are into full size boxes.
Would I pay full price for a new one today? Yea, because I know how nice they are. If I never had one, I would say, NO WAY!
W8ATT Rating: 2007-01-08
Good but doesn't match 756PIII Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Audio quality is grade A but DOES NOT match the 756 Pro III. Radio is Black & Speaker is grey. Speaker size is NOT proportional to radio. I know I'm anal but when you spend good money for a Pro III you want it to match. Was quite disappointed with match when it is shown as a optional speaker but will keep it because of its sound quality.
PA3HGT Rating: 2006-08-30
Good speaker Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
The SP20 is looking and sounds OK.I think that the filters in the low end are not doing much.The unit is overpriced and that's why i give it a 4.
KI4NHB Rating: 2006-06-17
Great Sound in a Bullet-Proof Package Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Based largely on the reviews here I ordered an SP-20 to go along w/ my new IC-746 PRO. I think it's an outstanding albeit expensive speaker. My first impression when I unpacked it was man, this is a lot bigger than I thought. Bigger as in length. It's about a foot long so make sure you have space for it. The cabinet is solidly built, looks almost like a Mil-Spec piece of gear. But of course the bottom line is sound, and to me it does really well. About the best sound for an AM/SSB/CW speaker in my experience. I don't find the filters all that useful though I use the LPF1, the wider of the 2 low pass filters on occasion. Yes it's overpriced, but if your looking for great sound in a bullet-proof cabinet check it out.
W5DAG Rating: 2006-04-30
Very good external speaker Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I connected my ICom SP-20 external speaker to my IC-746pro and IC-718 HF rigs. The sound on FM, SSB, and CW was much better than with the rigs' internal speakers and the audio filters worked well, especially when combined with each rig's DSP filters and noise reduction circuitry. I especially enjoy having the ability to select between the two radios with a simple push of a button, and the audio out jack passes rig audio directly to my Rigblaster Plus for digital operations, even when the speaker is off. The extra 1/4" headphone jack up front is nice, too. Finally, it matches all my ICom gear nicely. I'm very pleased with this item.
W7KPQ Rating: 2006-03-29
One Fine Speaker Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I've tried any number of speakers and the SP20 is the best one out there. The Sounds Sweet, sounds sweet for AM but has WAY too much base for SSB. The Icom SP23 doesn't hold a half-a-candle to the SP20. I have directly compared the SP20 and SP23, and the SP20 has a much fuller, richer sound without too much base that the Sounds Sweet has--too much base. And the audio filters are handy also. If you want the BEST speaker out there, it's the SP20.
MIKEAMIC Rating: 2005-12-22
Very Nice - Not Fantastic Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I wanted a unit with a large speaker so I focused on the ICOM SP-20 and the Yeasu SP-8. Both units look nice and I made my decision to buy the SP-20 based upon reviews presented here.

I was disappointed with the speaker size on the SP-20. It's advertised with a five inch speaker. The actual speaker diameter measures just a tad over four inches. Apparently, the industry measures diameter differently than I do.

It's a nice speaker system but as others have mentioned, the SP-20 is overpriced, used or new. I found used ones going for $180 + on e-bay and a new one for $200 on sale at gigaparts.com. So why take the risk -- I bought the new one with warranty, etc. You can buy a good inexpensive $30 bookshelf speaker that sounds about the same. The extra $170 gets you a sturdy metal cabinet, four audio filters, two selectable inputs, an on/off switch and an additional output. It's up to the individual to determine if these features are worth the extra money.

I found the sound tinny on my JRC NRD-545. Sound is deep, rich and full on my stock ICOM R75. A graphics equalizer helps out significantly on the NRD-545. But who wants to hook up additional equipment if you don't need too. Clearly, the source audio makes a big impact on sound quality - as expected with any speaker system.

I love the fact that an external power source isn't needed with the SP-20. Both the NRD-545 and the R75 have enough power to drive the SP-20 without problems. The filters work reasonably well - although, I'd like to cut a little more hiss out of the audio. But I'm still satisfied with the performance.

I'd like to give the SP-20 a 4.5 score because all in all, it's a good looking unit that's well built and performs well with a good audio source. Unfortunately, a 4.5 isn't an option. If you don't want or need the bells and whistles, then save some money and get a less expensive speaker.

Still curious about the SP-8 though.