To make a direct comparison BOTH receivers would need to have the same IF filter bandwidth. The Icom is set at 2.6 kHz and the Kenwood at 2.4 kHz. Assuming both have an LF cutoff of 200 Hz it's obvious that the Kenwood ought to reveal less high frequency noise as it will reject above 2.6 kHz whereas the Icom will reject above 2.8 kHz. They need to be set the same so far as is reasonably practicable.
Normally (at shift = 0) on SSB Icoms have aritmetic middle frequency 1500 Hz, so at BW = 2600 Hz we have 200 - 2800 Hz range. Shape factor is defined at 60/6 dB, in other words in range 60-6 dB. I suppose (in my IC7410 I measured) that Icoms have very low "acoustic" shape factors (in range 6-0 dB). Therefore it sounds clear, but sharp.
some times people judge by the looks of the radio, but i really think that tx audio on kenwood is much better, i have heard nothing but complements from kenwood owners in regards to their tx audio.
Icom ic-7800 is clearly the winner. There is very little Qrm if any with the main station transmitting and the Ic-7800 receiving. Both are good radios but who expects the Ts-990 to be better, you get what you pay for. Ts-990 is like a bargain basement Ic-7800; If you can't afford the price of the icom, kenwood would be my next choice?
I thought I saw the Kenwood TS 990 was using a 2.4 filter, and the Icom 7800 a 2.6 khz filter. Also I thought the Icom was at 7150.05, so it was off frequency. In my opinion this is not a fair comparison between the radios. I wish I had over 10K to buy both and compare, that would be nice.
Glad I read all the comments, then watched again. My hat is off to many with attention to detail and noticed what I and many others missed. This vid is more of a tribute to those people than a decent comparison.
I have a 7800 and it is a great rig but if I had to buy new again I'd buy the 990S. Have had a chance to play with both side by side and their performance was so close it would be IMHO difficult to spend $3 to $4 K more for a new 7800
La verdad yo me quedo con mi YAESU FT-80 que se aguanta el traqueteo en el hermoso camino destruido cuando voy a buscar carbon en el 1114 a Taco Pozo en el Chaco...Saludos y muy bueno el video.
In my opinion the 990's second display is total waste of space (and cost). Does one REALLY need a virtual dial and another display of the current frequency which you already have on the main screen?
I have asked a few friends around which is not HAMs to listen to the signals. This way I think it could be objective. 5 out of 5 says that one of the two sound much more clear (better than the other) and is less harsh on the ears. The independant audio vote goes to the Kenwood. For me, both are great rigs. 73 ZS6FDX
I have had all three Icom, (IC-7600, 7800 and now I own the IC-7700. For the mone you are better off with the 7700. First Kenwood screwed up by putting a better 2nd reciever in the radio then the main reciver. Now how stupid is that. They put the TS-590s recive in the 2nd reciver and it sounds better then the main. Come on Kenwood.. WHY??? I'll sick with my IC-7700. :0)
So strange how everyone has differeng ears and frequency response. If money was no object....and u could have 1 rig period....yaesu ft1000mark v.most pleasing to my ears..loaded with crystal filters very minimal dsp if any true dsp..i have a ft9000loaded with every filter units. and dmu..2nd rx and pep upgrade...stays covered and turned on 1/2 hour a week....backup grab n go rig the old problomatic kenwood ts850sat. Very pleasing to my old ears with nothing more than inrads..no intrest in any sdr....so my ears at 50 y. Old not feeling the older tube sound..and not much on the dsp sdr sound stuck right in the middle i guess like most i have a yaesu ft9000 ft1000markV....kenwood 850sat..and 450sat..icom 1 lonely 756 pro 111.i dont want or need anything older or newer..just a continuing search for improved antenna options in a. Virtual zero tolerance hoa..a challenge that never ends...on this one...990 pleases my ears more icom pleases the eyes..but i l8ke a actual meter ...hence i picked the yaesu ft9000..over the icom 7800 and even the ts990 when presented with all 3 at the time....for the same price....dont think the 9000 was ever top at anything but pleasing to my ears...period...also i currently do surprisingly well with a radioworks carolina windom 40 and 80..and a ground mounted 6btv with 32 radials all invisable to almost anyone but me...
The ICOM had NR on and even more worth NB as well. The NB can cause some serious dergradation in audio quality. Even with that "unfavorable" setting i think they are very close.
Come on. Now the TS-990 is the king. BUT IC-7800 is a awesome machine too. Saying that the IC-7800 is better than the TS-990 is equal to say that the Core2Duo is better than the Core i5.73 for all.
Clearly the Kenwood wins. The bandscope is so slow on the Icom making it just a fancy meter enhancement. The Kenwood scope is useful (although also slow). For a real scope, I'll go with FlexRadio.
Much more spatter on the Icom. Kenwood apparently has superior close in rejection. Dynamic range 2 kHz space 80 dB for the 7800 according to Sherwood Engineering. The 990 is not on their chart yet. I like the 7800's display!
Obvious that you did not look at the settings on BOTH radios? Hopefully you will learn what you are talking about in the future because it's obvious that here you did not have a clue. LOL
great vid and some of you think the icon 7800 /ic 770 is better think gain the ic 7800 have 13 years old dap the ts 990 is much better as well the price better look solid radio no PA issue as the ic 7800 or the ic 7700 have till the day . big win kenwood .
I have to say that the audio on the 990 really sucks, sounds off frequency, my 7800 doesnt sound this bad that i do know, nice radio but prefer my 7800 any day. could be the video and bad tuning etc I think the 7800 looks alot nicer but thats just my own opinion of course. just my 5 cents.. James G0SEC
Hi James, I picked up a new TS-990 recently. I have owned an IC-7700 and FTdx9000MP, both are very fine rigs. The TS-990 sounds in person just as good as those rigs. IMO, it's actually more versatile, because you can set up the audio to your preference using the built in 18 band EQ, only offered on the Kenwood. I've also found that the TS-990s' DSP works much better for weak signal SSB than the DSP in the Icom and Yaesu. I've viewed some of your videos, I enjoyed them as well as the ones by IV3YER. 73 de AB4D
I have to say going by this very bad side by side comparison in my opinion, the icom 7800 wins hands down on the RX, the ts990 in this video sounds dreadful and the 7800 sounds alot more natural sounding.. I have the 7800 and wouldnt part with it.. This video has totally put me off the ts990 but i will see other videos.. not that keen on how the 990 looks either or is it just me.. looks abit ugly compared to the beautiful 7800.. who ever designed the ts990 i guess was left handed! James G0SEC
I've Owned an ICOM 7800 for the last four years and it really is a remarkable piece of engineering. Side-by-side, I do think that the ICOM pips the Kenwood to the post when it comes to Looks. ICOM in my opinion Are the best looking amateur radios on the market. I don't know whether you can change the signal meter on the 990, I don't like the signal meter on the radio in this video, it's not aesthetically pleasing to the eye at all. In fact, it's quite difficult to see the video, unlike the ICOM signal meter. I recently purchased a TS 590 & am very impressed with the receiver, it really is extremely good.However, would it make me choose a Kenwood over the ICOM, probably not.
for you the ic 7800 is the best you never test the ts990 so you don't know keep you mind open to all manufacture ,don't think you have it and since you do not have them don't give advise it look funny to me take care enjoy the hobby and get good antenna first before spending 10 k on radio
Actually, I use an 11 element OB 11-5 at 60 feet. The 7800 is still going like a train, can't honestly ever see me replacing it until it completely packs up.
yes it is nice radio for sure but you didnt try the ts990 so my point is why to give an opinion on something you didnt have and trush it i have 2 990 of them as well pt8000a i never trush any radio every company do it different as they should all i say enjoy life to short vy 73 for now
remember one thing there is no poor radio in today technology it is a fact after using ever top notch radio even mil spec radio out there it is one of my hobby we taking over 15k or even over so i know well that there is no bad radio out there just some work different then there like car tv and woman take care enjoy it it is great hobby i am close to 50 years in the hobby never been off the air on this time vy 73
To make a direct comparison BOTH receivers would need to have the same IF filter bandwidth.
The Icom is set at 2.6 kHz and the Kenwood at 2.4 kHz. Assuming both have an LF cutoff of 200 Hz it's obvious that the Kenwood ought to reveal less high frequency noise as it will reject above 2.6 kHz whereas the Icom will reject above 2.8 kHz.
They need to be set the same so far as is reasonably practicable.
Indded!
+ icom NR off регулятор ручка, а на 990 nr1 max стоит. Разные установки.
Normally (at shift = 0) on SSB Icoms have aritmetic middle frequency 1500 Hz, so at BW = 2600 Hz we have 200 - 2800 Hz range. Shape factor is defined at 60/6 dB, in other words in range 60-6 dB. I suppose (in my IC7410 I measured) that Icoms have very low "acoustic" shape factors (in range 6-0 dB). Therefore it sounds clear, but sharp.
Did I see a Band Width of 2.6 on the 7800 and 2.4 on the Kenwood TS990?
some times people judge by the looks of the radio, but i really think that tx audio on kenwood is much better, i have heard nothing but complements from kenwood owners in regards to their tx audio.
Icom ic-7800 is clearly the winner. There is very little Qrm if any with the main station transmitting and the Ic-7800 receiving. Both are good radios but who expects the Ts-990 to be better, you get what you pay for. Ts-990 is like a bargain basement Ic-7800; If you can't afford the price of the icom, kenwood would be my next choice?
I thought I saw the Kenwood TS 990 was using a 2.4 filter, and the Icom 7800 a 2.6 khz filter. Also I thought the Icom was at 7150.05, so it was off frequency. In my opinion this is not a fair comparison between the radios. I wish I had over 10K to buy both and compare, that would be nice.
You can tune to 1 Hz, why don't you tune correctly????
Glad I read all the comments, then watched again. My hat is off to many with attention to detail and noticed what I and many others missed. This vid is more of a tribute to those people than a decent comparison.
I have a 7800 and it is a great rig but if I had to buy new again I'd buy the 990S. Have had a chance to play with both side by side and their performance was so close it would be IMHO difficult to spend $3 to $4 K more for a new 7800
one more comment some one said about the sound well this guy didn't try set them on wide since the 990 have top audio if you set the filter right .
Tune the kenwood in........ gggeeezzzzz
Paul
what italian ham does not use a linear amplifier :-(
The ICOM IC-7800 is STILL the KING !!!! ;)
The Display and RX/TX is over 10 Years older and still mutch mutch better !
THX for the nice Video :)
73´s
Actually, the ICOM 7850/7851 is the New KING! {:>)
La verdad yo me quedo con mi YAESU FT-80 que se aguanta el traqueteo en el hermoso camino destruido cuando voy a buscar carbon en el 1114 a Taco Pozo en el Chaco...Saludos y muy bueno el video.
In my opinion the 990's second display is total waste of space (and cost). Does one REALLY need a virtual dial and another display of the current frequency which you already have on the main screen?
+Cone Head The second display is for the sub-receiver for simultaneous reception on different bands.
@@harleybowie LOL,it's Obvious that you don't understand the controls on the ICOM 7800 but Thanks much for the Laughter. {:>)
I have asked a few friends around which is not HAMs to listen to the signals. This way I think it could be objective. 5 out of 5 says that one of the two sound much more clear (better than the other) and is less harsh on the ears. The independant audio vote goes to the Kenwood. For me, both are great rigs. 73 ZS6FDX
Secondo il mio parere di gran lunga superiore il 7800 della Icom!
Complimenti per il video!
I have had all three Icom, (IC-7600, 7800 and now I own the IC-7700. For the mone you are better off with the 7700. First Kenwood screwed up by putting a better 2nd reciever in the radio then the main reciver. Now how stupid is that. They put the TS-590s recive in the 2nd reciver and it sounds better then the main. Come on Kenwood.. WHY??? I'll sick with my IC-7700. :0)
So strange how everyone has differeng ears and frequency response. If money was no object....and u could have 1 rig period....yaesu ft1000mark v.most pleasing to my ears..loaded with crystal filters very minimal dsp if any true dsp..i have a ft9000loaded with every filter units. and dmu..2nd rx and pep upgrade...stays covered and turned on 1/2 hour a week....backup grab n go rig the old problomatic kenwood ts850sat. Very pleasing to my old ears with nothing more than inrads..no intrest in any sdr....so my ears at 50 y. Old not feeling the older tube sound..and not much on the dsp sdr sound stuck right in the middle i guess like most i have a yaesu ft9000 ft1000markV....kenwood 850sat..and 450sat..icom 1 lonely 756 pro 111.i dont want or need anything older or newer..just a continuing search for improved antenna options in a. Virtual zero tolerance hoa..a challenge that never ends...on this one...990 pleases my ears more icom pleases the eyes..but i l8ke a actual meter ...hence i picked the yaesu ft9000..over the icom 7800 and even the ts990 when presented with all 3 at the time....for the same price....dont think the 9000 was ever top at anything but pleasing to my ears...period...also i currently do surprisingly well with a radioworks carolina windom 40 and 80..and a ground mounted 6btv with 32 radials all invisable to almost anyone but me...
The Icom clearly wins with the Kenwood more of a noise box.
ER4DX and IV3YER booth SK. R.I.P
The ICOM had NR on and even more worth NB as well. The NB can cause some serious dergradation in audio quality. Even with that "unfavorable" setting i think they are very close.
Come on. Now the TS-990 is the king. BUT IC-7800 is a awesome machine too.
Saying that the IC-7800 is better than the TS-990 is equal to say that the Core2Duo is better than the Core i5.73 for all.
In this video we can see the IMD performance of TS-990.
The Kenwood has more creativity touch but here Icom reception quality is unbeatable!
ahh if only i had 8000 kicking around, i think ill spend my money on my antennas instead, my ic-7000 is still serving me well
you speak my mind, pal.
madflyer1093 Snap, I couldn't agree more. I will keep my ts690s and buy antennas. It's pointless having a ts990 or ic7800 if you only have a g5rv lol
+M6EXH You need both monobanders and 7800
+M6EXH 4El Quad and 7800 and you are all ready to go.
HRO Discount Price: $6,579.95
The RXEQ is off. Kenwood for ever!
Both are great radios. I think it's a mater of personal preference. Nice video.The name of the intro track?
I would like to see the Icom 7700 with dual band, which in my option would be an equal comparison to the kenwood ts-990.
That is what a 7800 is? LOL
The IC-7800 RX has better signal to noise. It also sounds more natural. OTOH, listening to ANYTHING with a slow AGC is not a good test for comparison.
l'audio del kenwood sembra imbottigliato e quello dell'icom troppo stridente...un problema di setup?
Clearly the Kenwood wins. The bandscope is so slow on the Icom making it just a fancy meter enhancement. The Kenwood scope is useful (although also slow). For a real scope, I'll go with FlexRadio.
I own both of the radios and my 7800 has the firmware update 3.51 and hands down it beats the Kenwood ts-990
Bhe..... per non sbagliare credo che le comprerò tutte e due.... ;)
Much more spatter on the Icom. Kenwood apparently has superior close in rejection. Dynamic range 2 kHz space 80 dB for the 7800 according to Sherwood Engineering.
The 990 is not on their chart yet. I like the 7800's display!
Obvious that you did not look at the settings on BOTH radios? Hopefully you will learn what you are talking about in the future because it's obvious that here you did not have a clue. LOL
prefere the icom 7800
7800 is a better radio
ICOM is the KING of Amateur Radio so just swallow your pride & admit it.It's great being the KING. {:>)
I guess The Icom has better RX, I´m not sure if you tested with the 2.6 Khz Filter actvated.However, Congrats for the video. 73 de YV4MT
All that excessive use of DSP makes every radio sound like a pile of crap.
ER4DX 🙏 goodbye friend of eternal flight on air 73
BUENA MAQUINA...
Ottima recensione Luigi, personalmente ho un debole per il 990, HI!
Complimenti.
IT9GUL
great vid and some of you think the icon 7800 /ic 770 is better think gain the ic 7800 have 13 years old dap the ts 990 is much better as well the price better look
solid radio no PA issue as the ic 7800 or the ic 7700 have till the day . big win
kenwood .
Yep...
Icom sounds much better
I have to say that the audio on the 990 really sucks, sounds off frequency, my 7800 doesnt sound this bad that i do know, nice radio but prefer my 7800 any day. could be the video and bad tuning etc I think the 7800 looks alot nicer but thats just my own opinion of course. just my 5 cents.. James G0SEC
Hi James, I picked up a new TS-990 recently. I have owned an IC-7700 and FTdx9000MP, both are very fine rigs. The TS-990 sounds in person just as good as those rigs. IMO, it's actually more versatile, because you can set up the audio to your preference using the built in 18 band EQ, only offered on the Kenwood. I've also found that the TS-990s' DSP works much better for weak signal SSB than the DSP in the Icom and Yaesu.
I've viewed some of your videos, I enjoyed them as well as the ones by IV3YER.
73 de AB4D
é stasta rilasciata la versione 1.05 per il ts990
I have to say going by this very bad side by side comparison in my opinion, the icom 7800 wins hands down on the RX, the ts990 in this video sounds dreadful and the 7800 sounds alot more natural sounding.. I have the 7800 and wouldnt part with it.. This video has totally put me off the ts990 but i will see other videos.. not that keen on how the 990 looks either or is it just me.. looks abit ugly compared to the beautiful 7800.. who ever designed the ts990 i guess was left handed! James G0SEC
thanks for your nice video, 73 pa3evy
TS 990 e bello, buona fortuna con il tuo radio. 73
NR + NB1 Y NB2? CUALQUIER COSA, ESTA COMPARACION NO SIRVE , POR DIOS NADIE SABE HACER UN BUEN VIDEO COMPARATIVO
I've Owned an ICOM 7800 for the last four years and it really is a remarkable piece of engineering. Side-by-side, I do think that the ICOM pips the Kenwood to the post when it comes to Looks. ICOM in my opinion Are the best looking amateur radios on the market. I don't know whether you can change the signal meter on the 990, I don't like the signal meter on the radio in this video, it's not aesthetically pleasing to the eye at all. In fact, it's quite difficult to see the video, unlike the ICOM signal meter. I recently purchased a TS 590 & am very impressed with the receiver, it really is extremely good.However, would it make me choose a Kenwood over the ICOM, probably not.
for you the ic 7800 is the best you never test the ts990 so you don't know keep you mind open to all manufacture ,don't think you have it
and since you do not have them don't give advise it look funny to me take care enjoy the hobby and get good antenna first before spending 10 k on radio
Actually, I use an 11 element OB 11-5 at 60 feet. The 7800 is still going like a train, can't honestly ever see me replacing it until it completely packs up.
yes it is nice radio for sure but you didnt try the ts990 so my point is why to give an opinion on something
you didnt have and trush it i have 2 990 of them as well pt8000a i never trush any radio every company do it different as they should all i say enjoy life to short
vy 73 for now
remember one thing there is no poor radio in today technology it is a fact after using ever top notch
radio even mil spec radio out there it is one of my hobby we taking over 15k or even over so
i know well that there is no bad radio out there just some work different then there like car tv and woman
take care enjoy it it is great hobby i am close to 50 years in the hobby never been off the air on this time
vy 73
btw nice Chanel you have i am sorry to hear you disable i look on your Chanel what is that driving paddle you using never seen one interesting tool
990 sounds talking in barrel
Not well tuned SSB?
The BC1 beat cancel filter on the 990 is on, this will affect the tone of the audio 🔉