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Reviews For: Kenwood TS-950SDX

Category: Transceivers: HF Amateur HF+6M+VHF+UHF models - non QRP <5W

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Review Summary For : Kenwood TS-950SDX
Reviews: 66MSRP: 4599.95
Description:
Rough Diamond
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.kenwood.net/products/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00664.9
KD4QFT Rating: 2023-12-13
WAITED YEARS FOR THIS Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Waited for many years to try this model not enough money like most hams when new.
Now have one looks almost new in and out.
Fantastic radio on receive filtering great and 150 watts on transmit only one problem it weighs a ton.
I have recently at 80 dislocated my shoulder and a badly torn muscle so not able to even move it.
I have had a offer of $1000 plus a very nice ts-830 so although I do not need another radio sounds good unless I advertise for sale cash only see what santa brings.
But will probably keep oldies are goddies
VA3VS Rating: 2023-11-25
great radio, even today Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
im a yaesu fanboy, but had to pick up this pristine sdx from a semi local ham, downsizing.
i had been running another beauty, the ts 940, 10million series, and that was a truly great radio.
i had to let the 940 go, and that was tough, but in its place, sits the 950sdx. it took me a couple days to figure out, the menu settings for me. previous owners settings were not right for me.
now its configured correctly, it works like a charm. i try to run 50/50 with my ft 1000mp, but the first radio i switch on, is the sdx.
the sub rx is great but in band only. not like the mp, where you can go up or down a band with sub rx.
the rx audio is superb, as is the tx audio. im tempted to put a studio, condenser mic on it, but i dont have an "announcers" voice, so not much point.
i run a heil dual 10, with #5 element on it, just like my mp and ts 2000. not full blown audio, but nice, crisp and clear audio. it gets noticed.
im not biased when i say my 1000mp is better at handling nearby strong signals. it has the inrad roofing filter, and cascaded 10 pole inrad xtal filers in it. if it was standard, yes, the sdx would be head and shoulders above it.
sensitivity. both are pretty much the same. some signals better on one, sometimes better on the other, but always very close. for a 20 something year old radio, im very impressed with its performance. and, it looks great too.
its always a risk, buying older equipment, but in this case, kenwood built it right! and thats from a yaesu fan-boy!
vy 73 de bob.
va3vs
VE8AP Rating: 2023-10-23
Best radio I have owned Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This past summer had to evacuate Yellowknife NT due to wild fire for three weeks. I didn't bring any of my radio's during evacuation. I was in Alberta in Grande Prairie and found a ad selling ham radio gear so I looked and in the lot was a TS 950SDX I said wow can't be. I called and drove two hours to see it and a 570D and both mint shape and made the purchase for a song. I am smiling every time I turn on the Ts950SDX reports I get feels like I am using a Cadillac of radios. I think my summary should be that Cadillac of radio's.
I will be keeping this one for as long as possible thanks Kenwood.
YO3FXF Rating: 2023-06-23
The best radio in my collection ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I wanted a KENWOOD TS 950SDX transceiver from the day I got my radio amateur license...I have many transceivers in the shack, but for me, the KENWOOD TS 950SDX is the holy grail!
Now, after 25 years of waiting, I count myself among the happy owners of KENWOOD TS 950SDX!
It was worth the wait!
I found a KENWOOD TS 950SDX, new! It was properly in a warehouse, in its original box, waiting for me!
I am the happiest radio amateur in the world!
73 by YO3LY op.Tony (ex: YO3FXF)
LU7BSE Rating: 2022-08-17
It has no rival, it is UNIQUE, THE BEST Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Build quality, audio quality, unsurpassed receiver, ESSB ready frequency stability, and so I could write a book talking about this Kenwood engineered machine, I had 2 of these and I have among others the ts 990, just this it has its place and only those who had or have a 950sdx know what they have, be careful not to get confused, the SDX is the best, not S not SD. many think of older equipment or even earlier models 940 or 930, but it has nothing to do with it... the 950SDX is on par with any 2022 range equipment, if you find one you won't regret it, the machine is simply the better.
RA4RT Rating: 2022-05-21
Best Time Owned: more than 12 months.
In 2004 I bought it for the first time. Then there were FT2000 9000D, IC7700 7610 7300, TS 890.
Now I have 1000D 775DSP 950SDX. They have the best receivers. DSP filtering instead of kfartz filters is a big evil.
The 950sdx is the best of the three for weak cw signals at 160m. Changed all the capacitors in the audio circuits of both receivers.

Audio line input via 4.7 microfarads. The sound is stunning!
KE4AMQ Rating: 2022-05-19
A great rig for its day Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned several of these radio's in my ham life. I just bought another one a few days ago. well my main rig is a yaesu ftdx 9000d and there is no comparison. But as far as a 40 year old flagship radio----I LOVE IT. Every once in a while when I power it on I do get the DOT display, turn it off and back on and its normal. I think this one will be with me for the rest of my Life.
PD2AHQ Rating: 2022-02-07
The Best of the Kenwood at all times Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Kenwood TS-950SDX was launched in 1992 and remained in production till 2000. I had the opportunity to test extensively all of his features even I have made a reception Comparison with Icom IC-775DSP, which can be seen on my channel;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXttPirbiFg&t=79s&ab_channel=SpacetimeEngineering

This will help all of those who are considering buying either Icom IC-775DSP or Kenwood TS-950SDX as both are excellent transceivers from almost the same generation with more or less the same features.
Personally, I like the receiving audio quality of Kenwood more lively than Icom and its dual-frequency receive feature is also outstanding. The AIP (Advanced Intercept Point) is an exclusive circuit design that provides a superior dynamic range when AIP is selected. The use of two selective RF amplifiers results in a significantly reduced noise floor level thus very quiet receiver free from background noises the best feature Kenwood ever introduced. It also outperforms other transceivers of the same era with high-performance CW functions such as Full break-in and semi break-in reverse mode. In reverse mode the pitch of interference competing with the CW signal is reversed, so the operator can approach the target from either side & variable pitch controls the CW pitch frequency varied between 400 Hz and 1000 Hz in 20 Hz steps. Kenwood’s trademark feature SSB IF slope tuning is very effective for LSB and USB modes, independent high-cut and low-cut controls will let you select the ideal IF passband width quick and easy & a high-precision IF notch filter will provide you an approximately 45 dB of attenuation in a very narrow frequency range in the crowded band condition and you will this feature during contesting. I received excellent audio reports at all the times I have used this best of the Kenwood with my Fritzel GPA-30 a vertical antenna. All in all best radio Kenwood ever made.
KE2SD Rating: 2021-12-17
Great radio! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Purchased from an estate and love it. Had an issue using rig control software. The transmit on ssb and cw would stutter. Like a machine gun. Installed a new eprom chip with the last and latest firmware and the problem was fixed. I can't compare this to any newer rigs since I don't own any, but I am very happy with this radio. When compared side by side with my TS-940 it receives a bit better. Not a lot, but a bit better. The noise reduction is effective on weak signals. Of course the TS-940 is no slouch.
W2UOY Rating: 2020-12-23
One of the best! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have been a ham since 1974 and have owned a few rigs considered to be very good: Kenwood TS-830s, Ten-Tec Omni VI Plus and Yaesu FT-102. The Kenwood TS-950sdx is just plain the best!!