Etón E1XM AM/FM Shortwave XM-Ready Radio

Average customer rating:

A mixture of good and bad

Good design, but has quality problems.

Truly AWESOME radio, but display screen is inferior

Watch Out for the Display Failures!

While there is no `perfect' shortwave radio, the Eton E1 offers a potent package.

Etón E1XM AM/FM Shortwave XM-Ready Radio

Manufacturer: Eton
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

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Product Features:

First radio ever to combine AM, FM, shortwave, and XM Satellite Radio technology

Digitally synthesized PLL tuner with synchronous detector, passband tuning, and selectable bandwidth filters

Massive 240 x 320 pixel, dot matrix display

Programmable memory features 500 frequency entries, as well as 1200 user-definable country memories

Ready to accept an optional XM Connect and Play antenna for satellite radio reception

ASIN: B0009IIE56

Product Description

Eton's popular E1 portable shortwave radio now lets you tune into XM signals in this new version! The E1XM is the world's first radio to combine AM, FM, Shortwave, and XM Satellite Radio technology into one ultra-high-performance unit. The finest port-a-top in the world, the E1XM offers powerful reception through its digitally synthesized PLL tuner with synchronous detector, passband tuning, and selectable bandwidth filters. Offering rich sound, the latest in radio technology, (up to) 1700 station presets, and memory scan function, the E1XM is designed without compromise, giving you direct access to news, sports, and music from around the world. Dual Conversion Superheterodyne Circuit - results in minimized interference through superior selectivity. High Dynamic Range - allowing for detection of weak signals in the presence of strong signals. Superior Audio Quality via a bridged type audio amplifier, providing high output power with battery operation Calibrated LCD signal strength meter Separate, continuous bass and treble tone controls Headphone Jack Stereo Line-Level Input - allows listening to other devices such as a CD or MP3 player through the E1XM Stereo Line-Level Output to another device such as a home stereo Dual-Event Programmable ON/OFF Timers - can be used for recording or alarm clock function Variable-rate tuning knob, direct keypad frequency entry, up/down pushbuttons and auto-tuning Power Source - 4 D Batteries (not included); AC Adapter (included) Unit Dimensions - 13?W x 7-1/2?H x 2-1/2?D (333 x 188 x 66 mm); Weight - 4 lb 3 oz. (1.9 Kg)

Amazon.com Review

If you're a shortwave radio enthusiast, you've probably heard of the E1XM from Etón. You've heard all the hype about how it's the first radio to combine AM, FM, shortwave, and XM satellite radio reception into one device. You've heard it's a major step up from the Satellit 800, the E1XM's worthy, but behemoth predecessor. Well, it's all true. The ten years of development that went into producing this tabletop radio was worth it; for a radio this size, the E1XM currently wears the crown when it comes to tuning accuracy, quality of reception, and features.

The numeric keypad allows for direct frequency entry, while a row of soft keys below the screen provide contextual controls depending on radio mode. View larger.

While subtle ghosting is present, the screen is bright, with a logical layout. View larger.

A trapdoor conceals the reset button, screen brightness control, and battery compartment.

The all-important manual tuning dial has a smooth, progressive feel. View larger.

In addition to a dramatically smaller cabinet than the Satellit 800, the E1XM's addition of XM radio compatibility, an effective squelch control, direct digital synthesis tuning, and more make this a must have for the serious radio listener. In fact, the E1XM is so well designed that even less-experienced listeners will quickly understand and master many of the radio's impressive capabilities.

Design and Controls
While the E1XM couldn't be called compact, it is perfectly portable. Dimensions of 13.1 x 7.1 x 2.3 inches and a weight of four pounds, three ounces make it perfect for taking along. The entire case is coated in a durable, slightly rubberized finish that offers good grip and scuff resistance. Indeed, there's nothing cheap or chintzy about the E1XM; construction is solid throughout.

The front of the radio is dominated by the speaker and the 5.7-inch LCD display. Although it offers only mono sound-- which is all you need for shortwave and AM -- the four-inch speaker offers rich, full sound, even at high volume levels. Fortunately, there's a stereo line-out jack for delivering audio to your home stereo or other amplified speaker system.

To the left of the speaker, you'll find knobs for controlling squelch, bass and treble, and volume. Meanwhile, a large tuning knob is placed on the opposite side of the radio, just above a smaller knob for controlling PBT (passband tuning). All the knobs on the E1XM offer a smooth, progressive feel with just the right amount of resistance, which is especially important for the tuning knob.

A nine-digit keypad is placed below the LCD screen for direct frequency entry, as well as menu selection. Other controls, including those for scan and seek tuning, up/down tuning, memory programming, and DX mode are arrayed to the right of the numeric keypad. The top of the radio features a big snooze button for sleepy hands, as well as a control for the LCD's backlight. The E1XM's very long telescoping antenna is housed in the top, too. It's worth noting here that the E1XM does not have an internal ferrite AM antenna, relying instead on the telescoping antenna.

Dials and connectivity options on the left side of the device. View larger.
LCD Display
The E1XM's big LCD is where all the magic happens. The dot matrix display is capable of displaying information for whatever mode the radio happens to be in. A row of buttons immediately to the right of the display controls the radio's tuning mode. A particular tuning mode triggers a row of contextual controls, or "soft keys," arranged at the bottom of the display. For instance, when shortwave mode is selected on the right side of the display, a row of soft key options appears, including an AGC (automatic gain control) selector, and selectors for bandwidth, passband tuning, AM mode, and SSB (single sideband) mode. Users will find that this control scheme works well and limits the total number of dials, buttons and switches that would otherwise be necessary to control such versatile tuning options. For the uninitiated, it also provides a simple and logical way to learn about the E1XM's capabilities.

The LCD also provides access to a menu system that controls alarm, timer, radio, XM, and audio settings. The menu system is deep and quite intricate, but a little practice will have you navigating them with ease. Fortunately, menus are set up very much like the on-screen menu of a television or a DVD player -- familiar territory for most folks.

We found the LCD's backlight to be very useful in low light situations, and it intelligently shuts itself off after a short time, thus saving power if you're running off batteries. A contrast control is provided for the LCD but, curiously, it's hidden behind a door on the front of the unit that covers the E1XM's battery compartment. Our only issue with the LCD was that it had a tendency to display slight ghosting -- we'd expect something a little crisper from a radio this advanced (and expensive).

Tuning Options
This is where things start to get interesting -- and a bit complicated for newcomers to advanced shortwave radio operation. First, it's important to note that the E1XM features a digitally synthesized tuner, which enables the E1XM to reach new heights of tuning accuracy. When turning the tuning knob, you get the "analog feel" of stepping through frequencies in a precise, controlled manner.

In addition to XM satellite radio, the E1XM tunes a wide array of signals, including FM, longwave, shortwave, medium wave (also known as AM), and single sideband (SSB). Of course, the E1XM tunes FM and AM broadcasts with aplomb, but having a radio like the E1XM just to tune those frequencies would be akin to delivering the mail with space shuttle -- this unit is capable of much more.

Of course, our main interest was in testing out the E1XM's shortwave capabilities. If the idea of listening to far-flung radio broadcasts intrigues you, this radio is the ticket to the best reception possible. Tuning is virtually effortless. After scanning the E1XM's manual, we were quickly able to select the appropriate meter bands for the time of day of our listening session. First, we manually tuned known broadcasts from China and the United States. We were delighted that the E1XM allows one to set the manual tuning knob to tune in 10 Hz steps, which lets you hone in on difficult-to-tune stations. 100 Hz and 1 kHz steps are selectable, too. Next up, we turned to the radio's seek function, which scans stations in 5 kHz steps. We soon made new discoveries, although our limited language skills made it difficult to always know exactly to whom or what we were listening! Seek tuning is further enhanced by the handy squelch knob, which will negate reception unless the received signal achieves a preset quality. This way, you don't have to listen to a bunch of static and other oddities while searching for a good signal.

Much of the accuracy and precision of the E1XM's tuning in shortwave and other modes is owed to the unit's superior electronics and high dynamic range, which permits the detection of weak signals in the presence of strong signals. Other enhancements include a DX mode, which provides preamplification of distant or weak signals; a passband tuner and knob, which allow the E1XM to selectively reject interference from nearby signals; and selectable automatic gain control (AGC), which provides automatic leveling of volume and distortion across a wide range of signal types. Controlling these and other features of the E1XM fall into the advanced category, to be sure, but if you're a newcomer to shortwave and other types of reception, it's nice to know that this radio provides you with capabilities into which you can grow.

XM Radio
Once you've plugged in an XM Connect-and-Play antenna and switched the E1XM into XM mode, you're ready to go with satellite radio (of course, you'll also need an XM subscription). When in XM mode, the receiver suddenly becomes a conduit for truly incredible, commercial-free radio. The LCD acts as a complete XM digital readout, offering song and composer information, as well as a scrollable station seletion menu.

Connections
With the exception of the XM antenna, all of the E1XM's connections are made on the left side of the unit. A line-in jack allows you to connect an external device and listen to it through the E1XM's speaker. As mentioned, a line-out jack is provided, too. Most serious radio users will appreciate the inclusion of a KOK-type external antenna port for connecting more advanced AM, FM, and shortwave antennae. Meanwhile, in addition to a stereo headphone jack, there's a jack for connecting an additional speaker to the E1XM.

Pros

Incredible tuning accuracy
Easy to use; just read the manual!
Compact (for a unit with these capabilities)

Cons

No XM reception right out of the box
Slight LCD display ghosting

What's in the Box
E1XM radio, AC adapter, documentation CD, and user's manual.

Amazon.com Product Description

If you're ready for the ultimate in portable radio technology, the E1XM from Etón delivers. Part of Etón's Elite series of digital world radios, it's the first radio ever to combine AM, FM, shortwave, and XM Satellite Radio technology into one ultra-high-performance unit. A digitally synthesized PLL tuner with synchronous detector, passband tuning, and selectable bandwidth filters combine to offer peerless tuning accuracy and reception. If you're into exploring sports, news, music, weather and more from around the world, the E1XM makes it easy, thanks to 1700 station presets, and a memory scan function that helps you find your favorites fast. The sound is great, too, thanks to a large, full range speaker.

Design and Controls
Weighing in at just a hair over four pounds, the E1XM's sleek, modern cabinet is 13 inches across and just 2.5 inches deep. A built-in antenna on the top of the device handles AM, FM and shortwave reception. The front of the unit is dominated by a massive 240 x 320 pixel, dot matrix display that measures 5.7 inches across, and clearly shows all the radio's modes and selected functions. An evenly lit backlight enables display viewing under all lighting conditions, and the LCD's calibrated signal meter gives you a clear view of signal strength. A keypad below the screen allows illustrious shortwave listeners to directly enter their shortwave band of choice, allowing instant access to known broadcasts. Meanwhile, a selectable automatic gain control (AGC) offers fast and slow modes.

Tuning options abound; you can choose from a variable-rate tuning knob, the aforementioned direct keypad frequency entry method, up/down buttons, or automatic seek tuning. And when you have your station locked in, you can tweak the sound quality with separate, continuous bass and treble tone controls. A bridged type audio amplifier provides high output power, even when the radio is operating on battery.

Tuning and Bands
The E1XM is designed to receive a broad range of signals in the 100-30,000 KHz range, which includes shortwave, medium wave AM broadcast band and longwave. FM reception is robust, with tuning available in the 76-90, as well as the 87-108 MHz ranges. The unit can be set in one of four reception modes: AM, FM-stereo, single sideband (selectable USB/LSB) and CW. While you make your broadcast discoveries, you can add them to the E1XM's programmable memory, which features 500 frequency entries, as well as 1200 user-definable country memories. A memory scan function lets you quickly browse your programmed entries.

Precise tuning resolution and drift-free frequency stability is one of the E1XM's key advantages, thanks to technologies like digital phase lock loop (PLL) synthesized tuning with direct digital synthesis (DDS). Tuning is further enhanced by a dual conversion superheterodyne circuit that results in minimized interference and superior selectivity when tuning tightly-spaced frequencies. In fact, the unit offers selectable bandwidths (7.0, 4.0, and 2.5 kHz) for excellent selectivity. And to top it all off, the E1XM's high dynamic range tuner allows for detection of weak signals in the presence of strong signals.

For those who enjoy tuning into far-flung AM stations, the E1XM features a single sideband synchronous AM detector. The unit also offers the ability to select USB/LSB or double sideband, which minimizes adjacent frequency interference and fading distortion of AM signals.

XM Ready
And let's not forget that the E1XM is ready, right out of the box, to accept an optional XM Connect and Play antenna for satellite radio reception. By connecting the XM antenna and activating an XM Satellite Radio subscription (both sold separately), the receiver suddenly becomes a conduit for truly incredible, commercial-free radio. Featuring a full array of programming -- from talk shows, comedy programs, and live Major League Baseball broadcasts to just about every musical genre from bluegrass to jazz -- XM Radio is the fastest growing satellite radio network in the world. All XM metadata is displayed on the E1XM's front panel display, including full song title and artist name.

Connections and Power
The E1XM is packed with connectivity options, including a stereo line-level input that enables you to listen to other devices such as a CD player through the E1XM. A stereo line-level output is provided for recording or connecting the unit to a home stereo. There's also a headphone jack for private listening.

For the truly dedicated, the E1XM offers vital external antenna connections. Take your pick -- professionally engineered shortwave antennas, long-wire shortwave antennas, specialized AM broadcast band antennas, and FM broadcast band antennas can all be connected. The unit can be powered with the included AC adapter, or via four "D" batteries.

Extras
Etón thought of everything, so they've included dual programmable clocks that can auto-set themselves using the WWV time broadcast. You also get a dual-event programmable timer that can be used for timing a recording or as an alarm clock.

What's in the Box
E1XM radio, AC adapter, and user's manual.

Customer Reviews:

A mixture of good and bad.......2007-09-28

With nearly all portable SW radios made in China now, you can expect some quality control issues. But in a $500 portable radio? I bought mine to use during power outages in hurricane season. I didn't even take it out of the box until the first hurricane of the season, and the display was defective (a problem that is rampant in these radios). After spending another $250 to get a new display, I had a bad taste in my mouth. This radio is a combination of excellent engineering and design (with the help of Drake Radio) and absolutely horrid materials and quality control. The era of the high quality SW portable radio is fading faster than this radio's display screen. Grundig should have built it in the Western World for $200 more. It could be a marvelous $700 radio with high quality parts. Instead, it is a Rolls Royce built with Yugo parts. I would rather have a Yugo built with Rolls Royce parts.

Good design, but has quality problems........2007-09-15

As some reviewers have pointed out, these radios seem to have a higher than average failure rate of the LCD display, among other problems. I returned two for this very reason. The design is quite good and performance outstanding, but numerous complaints suggest that the build components may not be top quality.

Also, should the radio need repair, you may be unpleasantly surprised to find out the manufacturer will not honor their own factory warranty, -unless- the radio was purchased from an approved vendor. I'm not criticizing that policy, just stating a fact.

Non-warranty repairs are currently refered to the R.L. Drake company. Their quoted service fees are $20 per quarter-hour (1 hour average repair time), plus the cost of any parts. Getting a bad display fixed will run you $200-350 out of pocket depending on parts/time required.

Bottom line, I can't recommend the E1XM radio at this time. Perhaps in the future after Eton sorts out the quality issues. If you decide to get one, make sure it comes from an Eton-approved vendor so you get the factory warranty. Vendors are listed on the bottom of the E1XM product page at Eton's website. Spring for an extended warranty too, if available, because you may need it.

Truly AWESOME radio, but display screen is inferior.......2007-07-18

The Eton E1 is the BEST SW receiver I've ever owned. After 15 years of enjoying the Radio Shack DX-380 and DX-398 (Sangean ATS-909) models and the Grundig Yacht Boy 400 PE (now sold as the G4000A,) I was unprepared for the huge leap in listening quality and quantity the E1 would offer. It's one amazing machine.

For starters, it's VERY sensitive even off the whip (which is beefy and extends about three and a half feet.) My 398 was and is quite hard of hearing, but the E1 excels and impresses. True, it uses the whip antenna for MW reception (since the display generated too much noise to include a traditional ferrite bar) but performance there is also impressive. When using even a 60-foot non-engineered do-it-yourself antenna, there's no overloading, and an external antenna improves both SW reception (as it should) and MW reception alike. The FM reception is also impressive. The external antenna jack is non-standard for the US, using a European PAL television cable jack. My E1 did NOT come with an adapter to get from PAL to standard coax, but I found an inexpensive one at Radio Shack. There are handy switches for choosing between the internal and your external antenna, one for SW/MW and another for FM. Further, there is a preamp available for SW/MW and FM, which also functions very well. It actually seems to increase the signal to noise ratio, rather than just increasing the noise floor along with the signal.

The sound through the speaker is very good, with continuous adjustment knobs for both treble and bass. Yes, just the one speaker as on most SW radios, so that's just mono for FM and XM (but there are stereo headphone and line-out jacks for stereo listening.) The speaker sound is a bit flat, however. It is certainly outclassed by the E1's analog brother, the S350DL. The E1 has a 'bigger' sound than a small portable, but not all the dynamic range you could hope for (but not bad, either.)

The synchronous detection is absolutely SUPERB, and is selectable for USB, LSB and DSB (dual sideband.) It's fantastically effective at eliminating or greatly reducing fading distortion and usually completely negates adjacent-channel interference as well. The feature really makes an unlistenably distorted SW station sound enjoyable, and as such, it greatly increases the number of stations you'll find you want to listen to. This 'AM Sync' also locks onto incredibly weak stations nearly totally buried in noise, and it holds the lock permanently in every case I've tried. EVERY SW listener should seek out synchronous detection (available much more cheaply in the Sony ICF-SW7600GR as well) as it's truly the difference between night and day.

The SSB reception is PERFECT. With 10 Hz tuning, you can zero-beat every SSB transmission you find, and the stability is also perfect. SSB also works perfectly for AM stations in SW and MW, if you want to use ECSS instead of AM Sync. Sometimes a 'scratchy' SW station will sound much cleaner in SSB than the AM Sync will give you, so there are numerous tuning options at your disposal. Tuning in general can be done at 10 Hz, which is very fine indeed (though the tuning knob is also a bit touchy; it's harder than it should be to land on the exact frequency you want - a little like trying to land on an exact-dollar amount without going over by a penny when the gas prices are too high - though the up/down slew button allows you to tune exactly in 5 kHz steps on SW.) Further, there's continuous Passband Tuning, so you can slew up and down within a sideband, to get away from interference and maximize the audio quality. The performance of this PBT is superb as well. There's also a selectable 30 dB boost for rejecting the unwanted sideband.

The station memories are MASSIVE and nicely laid out with 1700 memory slots for your use. 500 have the ability for individual 14-character labels and the other 1200 are in pages of 10 stations each (for 120 pages total) with page labels for each of up to 39 characters over three lines (good for subdividing the page for different stations.) These page labels are factory-set with 111 country names (the others being blank,) all of which can be changed to your liking. The 500 can include any band except XM and are accessible via a button called MEMORY, while the 1200 are only for SW and are accessed through a button called COUNTRY. Scanning is available for both banks, and for the bands in general. There's even a squelch knob, which you can set at the background noise level, so scanning will instantly find the next signal above the noise. This is a great help for band-scanning and using the memories, though for stronger stations of course. You can also 'tag' any of the 1700 memories and scan only through the tagged stations.

Also, each of the memories recalls several modes, calling up not just the exact tuning, but also the sideband, the AGC setting (which is available in Slow, Fast or Auto,) the Passband Tuning offset, and the filter size. There are three filter sizes (7 kHz, 4 kHz and 2.3 kHz) and all are excellent (sadly, there's no 12 kHz filter, which would enable DRM reception.) Being able to scan so many memories using the squelch means there's always something on you want to listen to, with no trouble finding it. The squelch can be set either to mute or not. I prefer hearing the noise to discern what might be lurking there.

Again, there's NO DRM RECEPTION, but at this time, only a few stations are even experimenting with digital shortwave, so you're not missing much (Deutsche Welle's European service is now DRM, but their African service is still analog.) It should be possible to mod the E1 to pick up the 455 kHz signal prior to the IF, feed it into a 455 to 12 kHz mixer (which you'll have to buy online separately,) and then run that signal into your computer's audio input jack (to decode with the appropriate software,) but that's only for those comfortable with fairly detailed soldering work. I haven't personally seen any mods for the E1 yet.

The display screen is the LOW POINT of the radio. Not only does it have an unattractive blue/grey glow that some have likened to an Etch-a-Sketch, but it is only visible from a few angles, and the dark graphics on the display tend to streak while tuning (apparently due to "state-change noise" as the microprocessor redraws the screen.) Sometimes, chunks of the graphics disappear and reappear even when not tuning. This is unacceptable in a radio at this price. I find the streaking to be very distracting and it continually gives me the impression of a junk component having been soldered on to an otherwise fabulous radio. Eton really dropped the ball on this aspect. Further, there are many reports of complete screen failures, both out-of-the box and after one year of use. The radio is nonfunctional after the display dies, and you'll have to mail it to a third party for repairs. Most units seem to have no display failures, but an unacceptable number do (about 20% in one unscientific sample from a Yahoo group.) However, for all its drawbacks, the display screen does offer an UNPRECEDENTED amount of useful information in a SW radio. Great idea - bad component construction.

**************************************************************************
Eton is finicky about their warranty policy. Check ahead of time that you are buying from an Eton Authorized Seller to make sure you get the one-year warranty.
**************************************************************************

All in all, the radio performance is absolutely fabulous. There's also XM for those of you wanting to buy the antenna and the XM subscription (which I haven't been inclined to do, being primarily interested in shortwave.) And for some reason LW is included as well (though no one uses that outside of Europe and Africa - it certainly isn't used in North America, which is the only place one can get XM.) There's also no RDS info for FM, but I never cared for that. My 398 gets RDS and most of the time the info wasn't too useful (just station ID which I knew anyway.) There are two clocks, with an auto Daylight Savings Time option, and the time sets itself atomic-clock style from the SW time beacons in Colorado when the E1 is turned off. Subsequently, it keeps very exact time.

The radio itself is quite large and HEAVY (especially after inserting four D batteries,) yet there's NO carrying handle (still, I consider this one a tabletop radio rather than a portable; I wouldn't want it bouncing around in the trunk of my car!) The buttons, switches, and knobs are nicely laid out and have a good feel (though my tuning knob had some slight off-center chafing upon first use, though that went away after a few minutes.) The brown color is pleasant (nice to have a radio that isn't silver or black) and the rubberized coating feels great (though it does tend to drink up dust and oil more than you'd want.) I found the overall ergonomics to be excellent and the radio easy to use, even with all the options. Also, I've noticed no ghosting of stations, either from strong stations within the SW bands or intruding from MW or FM (which happens all the time on my cheap analog radio.)

I live in the Midwest, and thanks to the superior sensitivity and synchronous detection of the E1 I can now regularly ENJOY music from Greece, Egypt, Tunisia, Israel, Kuwait, Ukraine, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, to name a few (and 'enjoy' isn't a word I could use to describe SW audio quality until now - for me, that's HUGE.)

If you're a serious SW listener who doesn't mind spending four or five bills on your hobby, this one's for you. I just wish the display quality was on par with the rest of the radio.

Watch Out for the Display Failures!.......2007-07-14

I've had the radio for exactly a year and the display just went south on me. It's completely unreadable and useless. In searching the archives on the E1XM Yahoo group, this seems to be a common problem. Some have had to return theirs for the display problem four times! Something tells me I have a $500 lemon now.

November 2007 update: Eton decided to repair the display in July (it actually went to RL Drake) and from the date I sent it out to the date I got it back was less than a week. I let the radio run non-stop, first on batteries until they died, then on the AC power for about 4 weeks total. The radio performed flawlessly and has since then. My advice, as others have stated, is to pay slightly more and buy it from an authorized dealer (make sure you check with Eton as to who is and who isn't an authorized dealer). Once you get it, use the heck out of it for the whole year. Any fault should present itself within the warranty time

While there is no `perfect' shortwave radio, the Eton E1 offers a potent package........2007-02-28

Physically this radio is fairly large, (13.1" x 7.1" x 2.3"), and at around 5lbs with batteries, surprisingly heavy for a portable. I tend to keep it on a Universal Radio plexiglas stand next to me rather than in my lap. It's an attractive, very modern looking receiver, yet very reminiscent of older Grudig Satellit portables. The radio features an interesting rubberized gray finish that seems to attract dust, but would probably be handy if you move your receiver around a lot and don't want to drop it. The monitor is cool blue in color, and quite large at 4 ½" x 3 ½". With three levels of illumination, it's easy to view in a darkened room, but not quite bright enough for my taste in moderate light. Similarly, the contrast is good, but fades dramatically when viewed from an angle. One thing that Eton did get 100% right in my opinion is the control layout. Unless you change your antenna source often, every function you need is right where you need it on the front of the radio, (including the battery compartment!). Sound quality is represented by four knobs on the left, (Squelch, Treble, Bass, and Volume), while major tuning functions are located on the right, (buttons for XM, FM, SW, MW/LW, VFO, two types of memory, customized and by country, tuning step, plus knobs for Tuning and Passband Tuning). Finer tuning function are accessed by more buttons located below the monitor from left to right and include AGC, 3 filters, PBT, Sync lock, and SSB/USB/LSB. All of this, plus a large step tune toggle button, make band scanning a breeze. You just choose your band, scan by whatever method your prefer, then drill down on any frequency you want to improve. To this affect it should be noted that the Passband Tuning function on the E1 works exceptionally well, as does the Sync Lock. All of the E1's tuning functions used in conjunction will yield useable frequencies that you might never hear on lesser enabled receivers. Once you've zeroed in on your frequency, you have an extensive memory system within which to store it. With a little creativity, the 14 character alpha tag lets you create your own classifications, or just enter them into the preinstalled memory organized by country. The only memory feature lacking is a program time setting that allows one to set the start and end time of individual broadcasts, paired up with the timer system, etc., as was beautifully implemented on the Sony ICF-SW77. This is not a problem if you happen to carry around a copy of Passport to World Band Radio, but I'd still like to see it on a $500 radio for those frequencies that carry multiple stations depending on the time of the day. Once your memories are programmed, operation of the E1 is VERY slick. The main tuning knob glides through memories with very little dead air and no chuffing. Scanning these same memories is as sensitive as your squelch setting. The speaker audio on the E1 is pleasant for a portable, but not outstanding. This is partially compensated for by the separate Bass and Treble controls, but not to the extent of filling the room with rich sound.

E1 distinguishes itself from other portables with it's arsenal of diverse and very effective fine tuning aids. The E1 is quite adept at flushing out weak signals. In this respect it performs more like a tabletop than a portable, at a fraction of the price. If you are considering a tabletop for DXing, the E1 is a tempting, relatively inexpensive option loaded with meaningful features. If you are considering a portable shortwave that also offers high performance, the E1 is light years ahead of anything currently in production and embodies best of some of the great receivers from the past. The E1 is not the best at everything, but in my opinion, it offers the best combination of function, features, and aesthetics of any portable we've seen so far. Hopefully it won't mark the end of an era.

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