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Reviews For: Palstar SP30

Category: Speakers for communications

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Review Summary For : Palstar SP30
Reviews: 37MSRP: $59.95
Description:
Communications speaker
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.palstar.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00374.4
N5RFN Rating: 2010-09-25
Over-rated. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
The reviews on this site influenced me enought to try the Palstar SP30. I own a Palstar AT1KP Antenna Tuner which I think is great. However, this speaker just doesn't do the job. My internal speaker on my rig sounds better than the SP30. Sounds cheap and "tinny." I'm not sure if mine is a lemon or what, but I definately would not recommend this speaker to anyone for anything. I have an Icom SP3 that runs circles around the sound of the SP30.
W7IS Rating: 2009-07-05
Needs Wooden Case Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Its an OK SSB spkr but on CW, using the lower frequency pitch notes, I found weird resonances at certain frequencies. Peaks and Nulls below 1khz. I then opened the cabinet to see what in the world was going on inside. There is no sound dampening at all. Just a spkr in an otherwise empty aluminum shell. So I added foam sound dampening material to see if that was any improvement. It improved it marginally. So my plan is remove the spkr from the goofy aluminum cabinet and place it in a proper wooden enclosure. Then use the metal cabinet for a power supply or something appropriate for an aluminum cabinet. Its certainly no good as a spkr enclosure due to the resonances below 1khz.
KC5LDO Rating: 2009-02-14
Best Value Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I use the SP30 with my Yaesu FT-950. It matches the radio pretty good and sounds great. It sounds a little bassy at first and then you realize you're not hearing all those annoying noises that fatigue you. I used it for ten hours straight in the NA QSO party and never got tired of listening to the radio. Price was cheap to me so it's a super value. Small size is nice too. 73,James
W9JH Rating: 2008-12-25
Sounds Great! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This little SP30 speaker sounds very good, even compared to the more expensive ‘matching’ speakers offered by major rig manufactures. It's heavy for its size which I imagine is due to a relatively hefty speaker coil which contributes to the good sound.

It sounds much better than the small internal speakers on most rigs. It adds some bass and seems to get rid of some of the undesirable highs that result from atmospheric noise. Very pleasant to listen too – not fatiguing like the internal speakers can be.

A typical well built Palstar product. Not as ‘pretty’ as a ‘matching’ speaker but a better value and better sound. It matches the color of the Icom radios. I may have to get another SP30 for my other radio.

73, Jack W9JH
KE5SMH Rating: 2008-12-05
One heck of a value! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got the SP30 for my birthday after reading the reviews here.

I already had a Palstar AT2K tuner, so I was aware of the quality they put into their products.

I feel the speakers' intelligibility level is near my AKG K 240 monitor headphones. Very impressed.

The speaker manages to be a great communication speaker while still possessing a very warm and rich sound. It does not fatigue as much as the speaker built into my into my 706MKIIG or the AKG headphones.

If you need a quality communications speaker you can't beat this value.

W8HAS Rating: 2008-12-04
NICE CLEAN CLEAR AUDIO !!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
SP30 by PALSTAR finally no more listening fatigue after long hours of monitoring and working the bands with my ICOM 756 PRO III --- I was useing the IC SP-21 speaker NOT anymore! AHHH!!! The SP 30 What a pleasant speaker just the right audio responce for my ears. Just like my AT2K tuner QAULITY at its best ---ANOTHER HOME RUN PALSTAR THANKS W8HAS Harry 73,s
ELJAY Rating: 2008-02-11
Pleasure for SW broadcast & music listening Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Mellow audio response is excellent for shortwave programming, news and music. Whether punchy rhythmic pop on Radio Havana Cuba or classical on Radio UNAM from Mexico, the SP30 makes the most of the limited fidelity of shortwave radio. Maximizes important frequencies, minimizes hiss. Combined with the Palstar R30C I seldom miss having a noise blanker. Occasionally I switch to a Radio Shack Optimus XTS3 cube, a good speaker in its own right, run through a DSP to eliminate heterodynes, and miss the fuller response of the SP30.
W8SPM Rating: 2008-02-10
Great Product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is another Fine Product from Paul at Palstar! The tone quality is much better than the normal external speaker made by Icom-Kenwood-Yaesu! It has a small footprint and looks good with my Icom Pro3!
Nice thing about Palstar products is if you have a problem or question you can call Paul at Palstar !
His Tuners and Dummy Loads are Top Quality with Great Customer Service!
K4EQ Rating: 2007-11-12
Great Speaker Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've had my SP30 for five days now. It was ordered online on Saturday and arrived on Wednesday. Good service! At first I thought it had too much bass. But after a few days of listening, I love it. Guess I never realized how bad my other el cheapo speakers really were. And now, when I use the DSP on my radio, it really makes a difference. Before, I never liked to use the DSP. As a bonus, the speaker is very eye-pleasing and fits right in with the other equipment. A great buy! --Dale, K4EQ
WA8EBM Rating: 2007-11-06
Crisp and Clear Audio Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have 2 SP-30's. One on my PRO3 and the other on my FT-2000. They replace the SoundsSweet that I switched between the radios. It is all a matter of what kind of audio you like to hear. After 30 years in Public Safety Communications I found the SP-30 to have the type of audio response I find conducive to effective communications.