Join me for a step back in time and experience the joy of analogue radio. This is my unboxing of the Tecsun PL-680, one of the last of its kind. This is one of the few true analogue DXing portable radios that you can still get. I finally managed to save up enough to get this, and pay the extremely high import duties that we have here in South Africa!

This radio is really good on shortwave and FM. MW is fine, although I have better radios for MW DXing, like the Qodosen DX-286. The sound on the PL-680 is good, it has a low noise floor, great analogue tuning with no soft muting and it ships with a range of free accessories. These include a wire antenna and a protective leather-like case, and batteries. It really feels like opening something very special when you unbox this one.

The radio covers all SW bands, air band, FM, MW, LW and has SSB mode.

Why do I think the PL-680 is special? The sound is good, the performance is great, it has big buttons and a big screen and it can recharge NiMH batteries. It is becoming scarce, so now is a good time to get one. The difference between this true analogue radio and DSP-based radios is clear: the lack of soft muting! A real old-fashioned tuning experience, you can hear the signals becoming stronger and fading away again as you tune. I think it is a must-have for any serious SW listener.

You can buy the PL-680 from anon-co for $101: https://www.anon-co.com/product/tecsu... (I do not get commission on sales through this link, I just share it for the convenience of viewers).

00:00 Tecsun PL-680, a much-anticipated unboxing
02:03 A look at the box
03:31 Opening the box
03:59 Leatherette carry case, antenna and batteries included
05:02 A look at the radio and size comparison
06:12 Functions and buttons
07:46 Long whip antenna, 87 cm (34 inches)
08:09 FM test
09:53 SW scan, very many signals!
16:13 MW scan, including 1300 km catch
17:40 My first impressions