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Reviews For: Yaesu SP 8

Category: Speakers for communications

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Review Summary For : Yaesu SP 8
Reviews: 63MSRP: 173.00
Description:
External speaker with filter.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.yaesu.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
23633.8
G4TRA Rating: 2005-02-01
Stuff it! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Now we all know that external matching speakers from the big three are never good value for money and at £140, the SP8 is no difference. However they look good on the desk next to the matching radio and if they were to sound real good then we'd all be a lot happier. I have an SP6 for my FT990 and the frst thing I did was damp the cabinet resonances down by filling the inside with accoustic wadding. Do the same with the SP8 and you'll notice that the filters work and there is less colouration to the sound. Maybe Yaesu would like to tell us why they don't do this in the first place. Good Yaesu quality and style, but poor sound if not damped. Buy a centre channel 5.1 Monitor Audio speaker designed for voice at half the price of an SP8 if you are not worried about an equipment match and value the sound more.
W2RJL Rating: 2004-11-26
mine works great too!!!!! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have ONLY added the "acoustical filler" inside this roomy cabinet. It has taken care of any hallow-sounding audio issues that I did experience. Yes, it is something that Yaesu should have added when building these SP-8... Anyway, some people will say it works perfect for them and they did not need to do anything AND some will say differently (it sucks), but then again it depends on WHO's ears are listening to it, to the environment this SP-8 is being placed into. I will not condemn this speaker because maybe some OLD guy's ears do not hear the way they use to! - that's why they make BELL-TONE hearing aids for you OM's. You want HI-FI, full range and listening pleasures for hours on hours, then go buy yourself a good set of computer speakers with that nice sub-woofer or maybe just hook up your home stereo OR BETTER YET a home theater system with that 5.1 dolby surround sound would be your best bet. Or it's time for you to start wearing a good set of headphones and give up on a external speaker - lol !!! And if you are looking for the acoustic filler fiber or foam - try a music store that deals with recording gear and studio equipment (i.e. SamAshMusic.com) - forget about Radio Shack (they don't make it anylonger) and forget about those stereo places - most of them are incoherent to begin with. 73's
W0DKM Rating: 2004-11-04
Mine works Great Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just hooked up a SP8 to a new FT1000mp Mark-V. It sounds as good as any I have had. I just this week sold my TS870 and speaker. The SP8 is as good as Kenwoods best. I was worried, spending money on a poor speaker. But I was pleased as punch with it. It matches the radio perfectly. It may be that the new speakers are updated from when they first came out. Or it maybe, I like poor sound?
Very Happy With Yaesu!
KI4ECW Rating: 2004-09-03
Great Item / High Price Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I've had the Yaesu SP 8 for about 3 months and used it with a pair of Yaesu 897's. I've been really satisfied with the performance.

I've noticed a significant audio improvement when using the SSB and CW modes on the speaker. I can't tell much difference when using its "normal" or wide frequency mode for regular 2 meter FM.

I haven't had any problems with the "tinney" sound that others have described; but, I listen to bluegrass music and not classical. I may think "tinney" is normal! If this is a concern, you might want a demo before you make the investment.

The speaker is a quality item but it's really pricey for what you get. It's about a third of the cost of a decent multi-band transceiver!

If you're a Yaesu fan, like me, and want to part with some hard earned bucks, go for it. If you're more conservative with your cash, you can probably find something comparable and more reasonably priced by shopping.

Nevertheless, I'm very satisfied and I'll be keeping mine.
K9XK Rating: 2004-05-12
Acceptable Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Everyone whines about the tinny audio. The alternative is to put something on the operating table whose aesthetics ranges from goofy to total train wreck. I have seen people put those "Hear-It" things, with their big "cowboy-style" lettering on their desks, and others who will put a stereo speaker on the table. Basically, the degree to which you are willing to bugger up the looks of your station is strictly personal. I don't want to go that far.

At least, in general. When I got my 756 Pro II I paired it with the SP-21. Big mistake, because the SP-21 is simply too small to reproduce a reasonable range. So into the shack comes the SP-20, the "big" speaker from Icom that they still market but which matches exactly zero radios that they have put out in the last 15 years.

I added a Mark V to the shack and now use the SP-8 with both the Icom and the Yaesu. It is a far better looking speaker than the SP-20. It also sounds good considering the size of the speaker. It does lack response on the low range as anyone might expect, but frankly, if you connect a good pair of headphones to the Mark V, you'll see that you're not getting a lot of lows out of the radio, so there isn't much to reproduce. The only solution if you are big fan of bass is to get a speaker designed to take whatever bass is there and enhance it, either by electronic helpers on the speaker (a la the Hear-It device), or by the speaker itself. And in the latter case, you're usually talking about something bigger.

The SP-8 is a great compromise. If Yaesu put a bunch of electronics in it to make it "appear" to be more full-range, people would be on here knocking it based on its high price.
K8EO Rating: 2004-02-13
At Least it Looks Good Time Owned: more than 12 months.
No one has commented on this jewel of a speaker in a while, so we are way over due....
It's all been said before; poor tinny audio from such an expensive speaker. I could not sell this thing to anybody, I would feel too guilty for ripping them off, so I will keep it.

I suppose they still make it, too bad.....
Seriously save your $
BRUCE Rating: 2003-06-27
High price, low quality Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Having the FT-920 I needed a foward facing speaker and thinking along the lines of a complimentary speaker bought the SP-8, even though advised not to in terms of the output audio not being of good quality, the same goes for the and the so-called filters - they're there just to enhance the selling image, doing absolutely nothing to enhance one's listening appeal. Do yourself justice and buy SOUNDS SWEET's speaker, it's cheaper, much better quality but does not match the radio. Personally I would rather be able to have a functional speaker & hear what's being said than to have a speaker that's there for good looks only.

73 Bruce
ZD7VC
KC2HZW Rating: 2003-06-11
Nice Looking, Sounds Good Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I first saw the SP-8 while working in the studio at W1AW. To be honest, I had a hard time understanding the stations on the air. Last year I purchased a Mark V Field and wanted a matching speaker....and the SP-8 was really the only option. I have to say, it is a nice looking unit and I was not expecting much after reading the reviews here. However, I was pleasantly suprised when I hooked my rig up and turned it on. It actually sounds pretty good! Now, I don't use the speaker to listen to faint dx; I use a good headset for that. But listening to a strong S7 to S9 signal, the audio sounds quite clear, with a pleasing timbre to it. I like the headphone plugs, they are much louder then the plugs on the rig itself. If there is any downside to this accessory, it is the price. At $160, it is an expensive piece of plastic. But it does match the FT-1000 series quite nicely.
W1LSO Rating: 2003-04-02
Good Looks / Terrible Sound Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Even after filling the box up with foam to remove the otherwise EXTREMELY TINNY SOUND, I still find this speaker a major disappointment!

It cannot be considered Full-Range!

How can a company so concerned with quality as they are in the RF chain produce such garbage!

Anyone spending $2K for a rig has the right to expect MUCH more from the speaker! After all, the MD-200 is such a gem for input its hard to beleive that Yaesu cannot do the output side right!
K6USN Rating: 2003-03-26
Looks Nice, but.... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I wondered why my radio (FT 1000MP MK V )sounded so tinny, but figured it was my over-50 ears. After reading eHam reviews I suddenly realized why. My SP8 is a dog!

I went to Radio Shack for some speaker baffle, and was told (March 03) that they no longer carry it. Not in catalog either. Three stereo installation shops in town were likewise unable to assist. I tried some attic insulation and that helps a lot. Even a piece carpet remnant stuffed in behind the speaker cone to dampen the echo.
Okay,now it is up to the quality of my $19 Sony Walkman. The nagging question is why did this speaker cost so much? It would have been so easy to do it right, the first time.