Kaito Electronics Inc. KA1101 Digital AM/FM/SW World Receiver

• Dual Conversion Technology
• FM - 70.0 - 108.0 MHz ( Low FM Frequency )
• MW - 522 - 1710 MHz ( AM Narrow/Wide )
• SW - 3.00 - 26.10 MHz ( 9/10 KHz Step )
• 50 Memory Presets ( 10 on each band)

The Kaito 1101, since "replaced" by the Kaito 1102 and, even more recently, the Kaito 1103, differs only in small ways. The volume control is a spin dial, no buttons, but beyond that it's the same radio. In fact here in LA I can get the weak 103.1 FM on my Kaito 1101 but I can't get it in very well on my Kaito 1102, leading me to believe that quality control tends to bring variability. I've also heard from friends in the radio industry that the 1103, which gets stuck in certain frequency zones, is a pain in the to use. So for a small PLL synthesized dual-conversion radio, you're getting top quality for half the price in the Kaito 1101. If size isn't a factor and you don't need presets, you'll get even greater reception with the Tecsun BLC 2000, which is a superior version of its more expensive, bug-plagued clone, the Grundig S350. But for portability and presets, the Kaito 1101 is the best of its kind, better, for example, than the more expensive Sangean 505 and 606, and just as good as the more expensive Sony 7600.

Post Script: I subsequently purchased the Kaito 1103, which has even more outstanding FM sensitivity than the very impressive 1101. However, the 1103 costs about 40 dollars more and is more difficult to operate.

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The Kaito KA1101 is worth taking time to recommend. I was specifically in the market for the smallest available AM/FM/SW receiver with quality performance especially in the SW bands. The consensus of user reviews articulated favorable ratings of this unit, even as superior to its siblings---the more expensive KA1102 and KA1103 (when comparing capabilities note that the KA1101 does not cover SSB while its stablemates do). The Amazon purchase price (April 2008) for the KA1101 was $59.95. The order was processed within 24 hours and the package arrived three days ahead of its scheduled delivery date with free super-saver shipping from the distributor in NV.

The carton contained the receiver, AC adaptor, three rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) AA batteries, stereo earbuds, a 15-foot external wire antenna, protective soft case and instructions in English. My first impression was consistent with other reviewers who found the dark-gray receiver to be very compact and solidly built with a satisfying heft. The battery compartment door is attached to the case so it won't fall off and get lost. Not visible in the Amazon product marketing photos are the 29-inch/73cm collapsable mast antenna that pivots and folds off the top left of the unit and a permanently-mounted wrist strap attached to the top right corner.

I live in an area where radio reception is quirky. The KA1101's performance was a quantum improvement over an Eton S350DL on all bands and sensitivity is adjusted by a two-position sliding switch (Local/DX). The 2.5-inch (66mm) speaker was a great sounding room-filler considering its size. The Kaito earbuds were adequate but a pair of Bose TriPort IEs gave full and pure sound without hums, creaks, squeaks or whistles that are symptomatic of less-well-designed receiver and power supply circuitry. Audio tone is controlled by a two-position sliding switch (Music/News). Nice surprises were a button/keypad lock function and an ambient light sensor that moderates the display illumination.

The battery charging system appeared to function as designed and is switched on by a couple of button pushes. One potentially disastrous error for a strict literalist is the user's manual's directive to plug the 120 VAC power converter into a 220VAC outlet. There has been criticism that the battery meter does not show a full charge when rechargeable batteries are installed. This is addressed in the manual which states that the meter will only show 2/3 when the rechargeable cells are topped off. This makes sense as the NiMH AA cells are rated at 1.2VDC, not 1.5VDC as in disposable cells; on a scale where 4.5VDC is analogous to 100%, the voltmeter reflects the total available voltage, 3.6VDC with fully-charged NiMH rechargeables vs. 4.5VDC with disposables.

To me, the bottom line of a radio is its ability to receive broadcast signals and provide quality audio output. Ergonomics and programming functions are relative to individual preference and experience. I found the KA1101 uncluttered and simple to operate. The clock is 24-hour only but as I set mine on GMT that is not a liability. The wrist strap that some find annoying can easily be removed with a snip of some scissors. The black vinyl carrying case is simply that: a simple cover solely to protect the radio from damage during transport or storage, not designed for use while the unit is playing.

I was looking for a compact, multi-band unit and the KA1101 is terrific in this regard. For someone seeking an outstanding receiver in this category I'd definitely recommend it.

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I purchased this radio so I could get a hard-to-pull in FM station that I like to listen to. With the included FM/shortwave antenna, the reception was better than I had hoped (it's noticably better than with the telescoping antenna). The digital PLL tuning is nice because I don't have to fiddle with the tuning knob. I can just punch in the frequency I want, and then not worry about drift or tuning backlash or any of the other problems that plague analog tuners.

For power, this radio comes with an AC adapter (which adds no noise to the reception, unlike the GE Superadio III which has a built-in power supply) and rechargable NiMH batteries, and a built-in charging circuit. Or you can use regular AA batteries.

Also included are a carry strap, FM/shortwave wire radio, earbud headphones, and a leather-like carrying case. Unfortunately, the case only has room for the radio and not any of the included accessories.

The radio covers the AM band (520-1710 kHz), shortwave (3-26 MHz, but some frequencies are blocked), and FM and lower FM (70-108 MHz). Unfortunately, this means it only receives TV channels 5 and 6, but that's two more channels than this radio is advertised to receive.

There's a Local/DX switch and a Music/Talk tone switch. In FM you can switch between Stereo and Mono, and in AM between Narrow and Wideband reception.

Unfortunately, you have to read the instruction booklet to figure out how to turn off the sleep timer, set memories, set the frequency using the number pad, and check the time when the radio is on. In other words, it isn't as intuitive as it could be. The manual is easy enough to read, but the point is you shouldn't have to.

Another issue is the constant amplifier hiss through the headphone jack due to the cheap built-in headphone amplifier. It's most noticeable when you have the volume turned down. However, the audio through the line out jack is fine. I've read that the amplifier in the Sony 7600GR is better, but that radio isn't cheap.

Am I glad I bought this radio? Absolutely! The quality is above average and it has the features I was looking for, at a very good price. It isn't iPod or TiVo perfect, but you can't do better for a radio under $100.

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After enjoying the superb reception on the Kaito 1103 but not enjoying the counter-intuitive control buttons, I decided to invest in the Kaito 1101 because of the excellent reviews. Here is my comparison:

Value: The 1101 is an incredible value. This is a lot of radio for the price. The 1103 is well worth its cost but the 1103 has more features.

Sound: The 1103 wins, hands down, with its larger speaker and fuller sound. The 1101 is good but inferior sounding to the 1103.

Ease of use: Yikes! How can Kaito get so much right with reception and so much wrong with ergonomics? The 1103 has the least intutive volume control of any radio I have ever seen. The 1101 has the dial volume control right under the carrying strap it is nearly impossible not to get caught up with one when using the other. The power button on the 1101 is near the middle of the front panel not on the far right where you would expect to find it. Try fiddling for it without looking. The carrying strap is on the top right bad choice. The ac input is on the right side should be on the left. These radios are so counter-intuitive to use. That is so sad because they have great reception:

Reception: This is where Kaito excels. Great FM, above average AM, Great Shortwave. These radios are hot receivers! The 1101 is very near to the 1103 as far as reception goes. I do detect a slight improvement in the 1103 but not enough to make much of a difference for the user.

Which one should you get? The 1101 is smaller and more compact and is about 40$ less than the 1103. The 1103 has better sound. Either way, you are going to have to deal with the bizarre but minor tuning. volume, preset, ergonomics issues. Well worth the price but may be frustrating to someone who just wants to turn it on and listen. The manual is in poor English that barely makes sense but you can figur eit all out in about 15 minutes if you are patient.

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Kaito KA1101 Worldband radio

Bottom lines first: I am neither audiophile nor shortwaver/DXer, rather someone who wanted a decent-sounding, easy-to-operate, small-as-possible radio for FM and AM news and music broadcasts, albeit with an eye toward dabbling in shortwave to see if there was enough there to develop a semi-serious interest in. I did a lot of research, including reading around extensively in Passport to World Band Radio, the bible of this activity, and other online sites. Based on what I read, the KA1101 delivered the best performance for the buck, and it offered excellent reception in all bands, including world band. So I figured that even if the shortwave thing didn't pan out that I would still have a solid FM/AM radio.

After a month of use, I can say that the KA1101 is a superb little package, one that lived up to, or exceeded, every expectation. FM reception is outstanding, ditto AM reception. Every station, even the hard to get local all-classical station, come in clear and clean and crisp. As for sound, well it's not Bose, but for such a tiny speaker it's really pretty impressive, and the stereo sound through the earpieces that come with the radio is not bad at all.

As for shortwave, I've played around with it just using the built-in retractable antenna and managed to get quite a few broadcasts, mainly in the evening and mainly on the 49 meter (5800-6200 or so) range: Radio Netherlands, Radio Habana, some odd music, a UFO government conspiracy station, 10 minutes of Bob Dylan, a reading from Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World", a discussion of a "colon-cleansing Holy tea", assorted news/culture/music bits. It's kinda fun, though from what I understand, we on the west coast are at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to shortwave reception. Outside the 49 meter band, the pickings have been slim, but I do latch onto something worth a few minutes of listening time now and then. Keep in mind, I have no expertise here and am just flipping around to see what I come up with. I'm sure that SW reception would improve, perhaps significantly, with an external antenna, but I'm not quite there yet. In the interim, shortwaving in the evening using just the built-in has so far been an enjoyable little adventure. And I can carry the radio around with me in the morning and evening, then put it down wherever I end up by using the flip-down stand on the backside.

What else? The build quality is quite good, the whole package having a well-made, solid feel to it. The buttons are sound and "clicky" (you never have to guess whether you've pushed one) and I like the positioning of the turning up and down buttons that are arranged in a little semi-circle in the lower right hand corner and, for me, seem perfectly positioned for using my thumb on when I am holding the radio. Plenty of presets with 10 per band (and totally easy to use), easy direct access, Wide and Narrow band switch to use for difficult to tune-in stations. Everything about operating this radio is intuitive and quickly mastered. The retractable antenna seems a bit fragile, and I did manage to break off the tip by apparently pushing back down when it wasn't perfectly straight (phoned KaitoUsa and for $10 they are sending me a replacement).

Last week, I bought a pair of Sennheiser 202 headphones and have to say that using these is a HUGE improvement in stereo sound quality, almost a concert hall sound when listening to classical music. Vastly superior to the ear buds that come with the radio.

No matter how long I charge the NiMH batteries, the logo always shows only 2/3 full, but from other reports I've read this is apparently the norm for this radio. Whatever, almost a month later and they are still running on the initial charge, this on 1+ hours of use per day.

All in all, this has to be the best AM/FM/SW package out there ($52.95 is what I paid through amazon which routed the sale directly through KaitoUSA in Monclair, CA).