[Elecraft] K3S audio could be its biggest selling point

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

Unless a radio sounds nice, however good the RF performance I think we ultimately shy away from using it. 

If Wayne and Eric have substantially improved the K3 audio quality with the new K3S version, IMHO this is a major step forward and a big sales aid.

As a K3 user since 2008 and mostly CW operator, the main reason it finally got displaced from the ‘go-to’ spot on the operating desk here was the tonal quality of the audio, which tired me during long periods of operation. I should add my K3 is fitted with the ‘first generation’ DSP board and I never got around to acquiring the replacement version.

The K3’s superb RF performance, in particular under contest conditions and for weak signal DXing on 160m had deservedly kept it welded in place there for almost seven years, but the supporting acts of the old analogue Ten Tec Corsair and Icom IC-751A were easier on the ears and got used for general listening/operating. I finally changed to another modern radio for main duties a month or ago, which sounded better to my ears than my K3 and has a similar RF performance.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ



>I had a debate a while back (about a year ago) with a friend of mine who got an Icom 7600 and he thought it was far superior to the K3.  His evaluation though was listening to the audio of the K3 versus the audio of the Icom 7600.  Since the >7600 sounded more like what he thought a good radio should sound like, he chose the 7600.  I had been trying to sell him on getting a K3.

>So, I am wondering ? is audio quality and tone the big measure of the performance of a radio.  

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com