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Reviews For: MFJ - 385 Deluxe Communications Station Speaker

Category: Speakers for communications

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Review Summary For : MFJ - 385 Deluxe Communications Station Speaker
Reviews: 9MSRP: $39.95
Description:
MFJ-385 Deluxe Communication Station Speaker
This is a good speaker it sound good with the Icom 746 Pro. I com pair it up agents my Icom sp-21. The mfj-385 is a great sounding speaker. For $39.95 with a 30 day money back & Protected by MFJ's famous No Matter What one year limited warranty. MFJ will repair or replace the speaker no matter what for a full year. Mfj -385 sound great with the Icom 746 pro. I like the speaker. IT sound great.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-385
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0093.1
KC2O Rating: 2016-03-16
Very unhappy Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I purchased this speaker to go with my Yaesu radio. The internal speaker sounded better, I was very unhappy with this product. I replaced it with a Palstar SP30B speaker - this is a much better product although twice the price.
WM7C Rating: 2015-09-13
Horrible sounding speaker Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a 100 watt two-way speaker. It sounds horrible connected to my TS-590sg. I am researching 4" full range speakers to replace the 4" woofer. It may be a waste of time. I might just toss it and keep using a bookshelf speaker I've been using.
W3PAL Rating: 2014-12-20
Poor audio quality Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just bought this speaker thinking I could have a good communications grade speaker.
Well, it sounds a bit better than a cheap $5 CB grade speaker but I'm very disappointed with it's overall audio quality.
I'm using it with a Yaesu FTDX3000D. These rigs are known for their great receivers and excellent RX audio. I have a hard time hearing stations on this MFJ speaker. It seems ok at very low power level but audio gets noticeably distorted at normal or high audio level. To be honest, the radio's internal speaker sounds much better than this MFJ speaker.
I'm back to using my good ole Yaesu SP-8. The Yaesu speaker sounds superb when compared to this MFJ miracle.
Don't waste your money on this product.
W8STU Rating: 2011-03-24
SOUNDS GREAT TO ME FOR THE MONEY Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Greetings,

I just received this speaker today. I was kinda skeptical at first. I read the reviews after I ordered the speaker and was worried if I made a mistake. I was surprised it did not come with a cord. Thank goodness I had one from an old speaker and just cut it off and used it. Once I hooked it up to my Yaesu FT-950 I was pleasantly surprised. I think it sounds great on AM/SSB/CW. I have no complaints since it only costs $36.00 from www.gigaparts.com... It sounds all most as good as my Yaesu SP-8 speaker. I have no complaints at all. If you are on a budget and would like a nice looking speaker and performs great, the MFJ-385B speaker is for you. If you have a big wallet buy an expensive speaker. I would highly recommend the MFJ-398B speaker. Thanks in advance. 73, STU de W8STU
former_WN5T Rating: 2005-05-08
Orignal:GREAT; B rev.: not so good Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have two of the MFJ-385 (original version) speakers. One of them I have had since they came to market. The original version is a really nice unit in a faux-dark wood enclosure with a black grill. I love to listen to just about anything on it. It has been used with a TS-830, an FT-920, an IC-746Pro, and now an IC-746. The response is quite clear and, to my ears, well-balanced between high and low frequencies. I know, it is not one of the JBL Studio Monitors I got used to using in a production studio, but for communication work, I think it is great...and a great value. I would rather use the original version than a Sound Sweet. (Yes, I have used them... One of my friends has three and I am a frequent visitor to his shack.) So, for CW, SSB, AM, FM it's as close to a 5/5 as possible for MFJ, especially considering its $40 price point. (For those who eschew dollar value comparisons, my vote for the MFJ-385 (original version) is based on what I hear, not what I might pay for another speaker. And, no, I won't pay $100 for a speaker for the ham shack. For the HI-FI or for a studio, hey, I'll be sooooo happy to break the bank.)

Now, the reason for the 2/5 rating. Just last week I was introduced to the MFJ-385B. The B revision was quite a disspointment. Yes, it is black to match most of the newer rigs, but I like the faux-wood finish on the old one. The kicker is that in comparing it to my Radio Shack 4" communication speaker, I'll take my $15 speaker over MFJ's new and improved $40 one any day. The B revision is awful for AM, so-so for FM, and only good for SSB, IMHO, when all one wishes to hear is a very restricted passband. Okay, for a speaker to use in a contest, perhaps. Hey, I use headphones in that situation anyway. For CW, it really doesn't matter. In fact, I will liken its response to a Midland or Motorola mobile speaker...but requiring much higher drive.

In summary, I find the B revision to be poor sounding (with respect to the audio frequency range I want to hear from a speaker used for HF), inefficient (see note in earlier review about required drive level), and aesthetically displeasing. I considered the original unit to be the bright spot in MFJ's catalog. Now, the B revision just blends in.

BTW, if anyone decides to get rid of an MFJ-385 (original version only), I've got a buyer.

73 es gud DX,
Michael
WN5T
KC5LVW Rating: 2005-05-08
A Sad Tale Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Once again, MFJ can take a GREAT product & amke it substandard. Anyone purchasing a MFJ-385 today might be surpised when they get the MFJ-385B. Evidently MFJ could no-longer get the above pictured speaker form whoever makes it and have made a substittion which is not like-for-like. This speaker is smaller, is black with silver trim and has a removable grill. I put it up against the original and a SounSweet and is horrible. Bass response low end has been raised considerably to a higher roll-off and the efficiency has been reduced resulting in a lot higher drive level. It is still selling for the same price as the previous but customers are going to be disappointed.
AA5CH Rating: 2005-02-27
A good value Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased one of these a couple of years ago and have been very impressed with it. I have used it with several different radios on SSB, FM, AM, and CW. The performance has been good in all circumstances.

W9CSL Rating: 2005-02-27
Great Sounding Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a really nice sounding speaker - I use it with a Kenwood TS-570SG & am very pleased with the quality of the audio sound.

I run mostly cw & find this one very pleasant to listen to, have had two or three of the Kenwood speakers, but prefer this one, think will pickup another one to use with my two meter fm rig.

Terry W9CSL
KA3VVV Rating: 2004-03-31
Great speaker Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Description: MFJ-385 Deluxe Communication Station Speaker
This is a good speaker it sound good with the Icom 746 Pro. I com pair it up agents my Icom sp-21. The mfj-385 is a great sounding speaker. For $39.95 with a 30 day money back & Protected by MFJ's famous No Matter What one year limited warranty. MFJ will repair or replace the speaker no matter what for a full year. Mfj -385 sound great with the Icom 746 pro. I like the speaker. IT sound great.