[Elecraft] K3 & FTDX5000 you tube

[Don Wilhelm]

  Barry,

I agree.  I have a good background in engineering level testing, and one 
of the pre-requisites is to establish a level playing field for such 
comparisons.  Just plugging in two radios and listening to them with no 
other information about the similarity of the settings would be thrown 
out of any decent "test" environment.  The evaluation is entirely 
subjective unless it is supported by data substantiating the differences 
and the equalities.

Take a look at the ARRL Lab test setup requirements as an example - they 
would never compare a 500 Hz bandpass to a 2.7 khz bandpass and expect 
the same results.  I do not see any information about the setup 
parameters in that video.  Yes, there were some comments by YO3GIC 
"after the fact" that "said" they were the "same", but the "if I 
remember correctly" does not speak to any recorded data.

At one point, I saw the K3 HI CUT knob turned, but did not see any 
comparable adjustment on the FT, at least there was no information about 
what was being done and for what reason.
In all cases, my ears told me that the K3 provided more intelligibility, 
and the only "advantage" of the FT was an extended bass response.  Maybe 
my ears are different than others, but I would judge the audio from the 
K3 to be more clear than the FT in this video.

I wonder where the Lo Cut was set on the K3 for this video?  If bass 
response was to be the "evaluating parameter", did the K3 have the new 
DSP board installed, or was this a K3 prior to the DSP upgrade?   Too 
many questions with no answers for my blood.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 11/21/2010 7:21 PM, Barry N1EU wrote:
> For two radios that both feature an audio passband that is SOOOO adjustable
> in so many ways and likewise so affected by button/menu switches, it's
> almost criminal to put up a soundclip like that and call it a comparison.
> The obvious (duh) protocol should be to first adjust the rigs and equalize
> the passbands as closely as possible while observing the audio spectra, use
> similar gain/agc settings, and then finally let 'er rip.
>
> Arggggh, Barry N1EU
>