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Reviews For: SONY ICF-2010

Category: Receivers: General Coverage

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Review Summary For : SONY ICF-2010
Reviews: 70MSRP: 449.95
Description:
SW/AM/FM/AIR Portable Communications Receiver
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer/ss5/home/radiowalkmanrtm/w
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00704.7
K1XV Rating: 2007-03-29
20 years of great listening Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought one of these units almost 20 years ago. What a great portable! The only issue I have had is that the pivot on the whip has gotten rather tired. I usually connect a length of wire to it with an alligator clip.

This unit has great sensitivity. In thunderstorms, a preamp transistor can be overloaded and can burn out, rendering the unit rather deaf. I suspect that may have been the problem with the unit in the prior post.

This is one of the few units that you can listen to sideband with stability and clarity. The fact that folks still rate it highly 20 years after it first went on the market shows it has passed the test of time.
W7JJA Rating: 2007-03-29
Be Cautious Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I understand the ICF-2010 is a great receiver, just read the many glowing reports here and elsewhere. But, be careful! I recently purchased one on ebay. This particular ICF-2010 looked great, late serial number, great cosmetics, and the FM band worked well, but, the AM mode which includes LW, MW, SW, and AM broadcast band had very poor sensitivity.
To test it I checked its performance against 3 other AM radios. With no external antenna on my ICF-7600G, I was able to clearly hear at least 35 very strong AM stations. While the ICF-2010 with or without a good external antenna was able to only hear clearly 7 AM broadcast stations here in my semi-suburban setting.
Later, with 40 meters wide open, this ICF-2010 could not pick out CW stations that my Drake R-4C, and Sony 7600G had no problem with. Even an AM table model radio out performed the ICF-2010.
Thankfully, I was given a full refund from the ebayer-seller.
Be careful folks,
73s
WA7RAD
KD6JBF Rating: 2006-10-31
above avge receiver Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have has this receiver for about 10 years, and it has never given me any problems. The different scan functions work well, as does using the thumbwheel to scroll thru the frequencies. Battery life is OK, as I use rechargeable NimH batteries. Sensitivity seems good, but just wish the speaker had a greater dynamic range, esp for the low frequencies. Would be nice to have the keyboard lite up at nite, as well as the frequency display having an option to leave on longer or indefinitely, as long as the radio is being operated thru the AC adapter. Have ordered also the new Eton E1, as I have some merchandise certificates which I have used, to bring down the cost by more than 1/2! otherwise, I wouldn't be purchasing another general coverage receiver. All in all, satisfied with the Sony, and very reliable radio indeed.
EI3GSB Rating: 2006-07-05
Great radio! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had a Sony ICF-2001D for nearly 20 years and it never let me down! I sold it when I got my licence to fund an Icom IC-736 so I really didn't have any need to keep it. The only downside to this radio, and I haven't seen it mentioned in any of the other reviews, is it's poor performance on VHF airband. Otherwise, for HF reception, even with a modest antenna, I found it a very good set.
WA4053SWL Rating: 2006-06-16
I love this radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Sony ICF 2010 is still the one portable and tabletop radio to Medium Wave DX and sure to Shortwave with the "synchronous detector" it makes the difference, GREAT!!!
VE6AGE Rating: 2006-06-13
Great Receiver Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I like it.
Excellent clean reception.
Easy to operate and gives me hours of enjoyment.
I want to try it out with the external antennas and I cannot find them so now the only thing I need is the adapters and the external antennas.
If you have any spares, let me know.
Regards,
Denis
VE6AGE@shaw.ca
KB0XR Rating: 2006-06-12
Best Portable Ever Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Mine is 20 years old this year. Still works perfectly and has traveled the world with me. Holds its own with most current receivers.
G8KDL Rating: 2006-06-09
A great radio - now a classic! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is just a brief note to advise that the Radio Netherlands portfolio of reputable independent receiver reviews has been rescued and found a new home. In April '06 the Medium Wave Circle took over the material from Radio Netherlands.

Naturally the Sony ICF-2010 (aka ICF2001D, ICF2010, ICF-2001D) is among them. The new home for the RN Review is: www.mwcircle.org/page146.htm

I also noticed that the "More Info" link at the top of this page has been dead for some time. If you want more info about this wonderful radio can I recommend the 21st Anniversary Archive CD. I confess that I compiled it! But it is now distributed by the Medium Wave Circle, a UK radio club established for over 50 years. More details can be found here: www.mwcircle.org/mcd.htm#sony

I've had my 2001D for 20 years alongside my Collins R390, AOR AR7030 and Lowe HF225 Europe. It still remains highly competitive. I dont think any other portable shortwave radio comes close.
Steve
SLIDERULEX Rating: 2005-12-19
The Greatest Portable World-Band Radio...EVER! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It's too bad there isn't a 6 rating for the Greatest. At the risk of repeating all the other great reviews, let me say just this:

The Sony ICF-2010 is my BEST World-Band portable radio I have. And I have a LOT. I have the Sony 7600GR, the Sony ICF-7601, the Sony ICF-4920, the Grundig S350, the Grundig Mini 300PE, the miniscule but fun to use GP-4L, the Degen DE1103, and last but not least, the Panasonic RF 2200. The Sony ICF-2010 outperforms them all on SWling from just the whip antenna. I can't hardly believe how sensitive it is for SWling and how clear the audio is. I have it sitting right next to my computer and there's hardly any noise. No other radio is as quiet and as noise free as this Sony ICF-2010 is.

I was amazed at its SW performance, but when I listened to Art Bell and his merry band of men (and one woman--Trish) on 3.850 MHz, I couldn't believe how clear they came in and how easy it was to tune them in. Usually, I have to resort to using a long wire attached to the antenna of one of my other SSB-capable radios, like the DE1103 or Sony 7600GR or Panasonic RF 2200, to hear them as well as I do on the Sony ICF-2010 using just its whip antenna. I am now a believer! Sony ICF-2010/2001D is the GREATEST PORTABLE WORLD-BAND RADIO EVER!!
KE9K Rating: 2005-07-14
HARD TWO BEAT !! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I own TWO of these great receivers and they hear as much on the small antenna on the back of the receiver as my kenwood ts-850sat does on a long wire up at 60 feet. Joe ke9k