Tecsun PL-880 Portable Digital PLL World-Band Radio with SSB

Reviews

1. S Sebastian 3/5

   Nice set but some volume control glitches

   Plenty of functions and good sound, however my unit exhibits a stepped volume behavior where the control does nothing for a range and then jumps to loud. Occasionally the audio turns metallic or robotic. Otherwise reception and features are fine.

2. U User 5/5

   Best sounding portable in its family

   Owned since 2014, this model started a line of premium Tecsun portables. It remains my favorite for FM quality and balanced sound in a travel-sized chassis. AM is respectable, SW is strong, and it avoids aggressive soft-muting so faint stations are easier to find. SSB works for casual listening, though dedicated SSB rigs are still superior.

3. T Tim 5/5

   Excellent everyday radio with USB-C on recent units

   My PL-880 (bought July 2024) arrived with a USB-C charging port instead of older mini-USB—handy because I can use existing cables. It doesn’t fast-charge, but will top up the battery. I hadn’t owned a radio in years and wanted one that put reception first and could do shortwave. I live in suburban San Francisco on an upper floor and the internal speaker delivers clear, pleasant sound. FM stations come in crisply and AM reception is solid—great for background listening while I work.

4. D davpeg48 3/5

   Underwhelmed — AM not working for me

   I may have a region-specific unit, but mine fails to receive AM stations while FM works fine and SW performance is weak. If you need reliable AM reception in some markets, check compatibility first.

5. T T Rex 5/5

   What remains on the bands today?

   Returning to shortwave after decades I expected more international programming, but in my region English SW is scarce and much of what’s audible are regional religious outlets. Spanish-language stations expanded options for me, but an external antenna mainly increases volume rather than variety. Real outdoor antenna installation might yield more results, but it’s been a mixed experience so far.

6. J Jerry A. García 5/5

   Excelente rendimiento en onda corta y SSB

   Very good shortwave and sideband performance, unique two-digit fine tuning and smooth audio while changing frequency without annoying clicks. Battery life could be improved as it drains relatively fast, but overall a solid choice for DXers given its size and capabilities.

7. V Vivek 5/5

   Performs as expected

   Met expectations—solid performer with the features advertised.

8. D Dan Dunay 5/5

   Feature-rich receiver with very good sound and power options

   This radio is quite sensitive and handles AM, FM, LW and SW well. The sound benefits from a stronger amplifier and an improved speaker—highs are clear, mids detailed and bass present for its size. FM stereo is available via headphones. Power comes from a replaceable 18650 lithium cell and 5V USB charging; with heavy use and backlight on, a typical 2000mAh factory cell can last many days, and it’s convenient to swap or recharge.

9. D Devil Dan 1/5

   Missing AC adapter in the box frustrated me

   Good radio, but mine shipped without an AC wall charger—only a USB cable. I had no convenient way to charge or run the set from mains until I bought a separate USB wall adapter. It would be helpful if the manufacturer included a mains charger for users who don’t want to rely on computers or third-party adapters.

10. V Vfpcoder 5/5

    Great shortwave sensitivity — portable and capable

    After a week of use I’m very pleased. The auto-scan routinely finds dozens of SW stations, and signals copy well on modest wire or a small reel antenna. I’ve logged far-flung broadcasters like Radio China and Radio Australia with only a simple indoor antenna. It’s compact and more portable than some competitor tabletop sets, yet performs impressively on SW.

11. S Stand On Zanzibar 4/5

    Solid newcomer radio but misses a few modern extras

    As a new user I like the band coverage and removable Li-Ion battery, but I’d prefer RDS or HD-FM instead of longwave, and the lack of preset naming makes organizing many memories awkward. Bandwidth options exist for SW/SSB, yet finer continuous adjustment and the ability to store those settings in presets would improve usability. Charging uses USB (connector varies), which some find less convenient than a dedicated wall adapter.