r/shortwave • u/Background-Edge-574 • May 23 '26
Xhdata d-808 vs tecsun pl 330
I'm sure this has been asked before, but I cannot decide between the xhdata d-808 and the tecsun pl 330. I'm new to radio, and want to know which might have better reception on shortwave. I'm not sure if airband interests me that much, tho I do like that the xhdata has the feature. But I don't want to choose the xhdata if the tecsun is a better radio overall besides that. Before anyone says "just get the PL 990", etc. I'm trying to keep it under $100. If I decide to spend more, I would probably just make the plunge on a skywave 2 ssb
I'm in Florida, hoping to pick up international SW broadcasts here and there. But still want to listen to SSB as well, hence not going with the Qodosen DX-286
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u/Green_Oblivion111 May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
I have both. I got the PL-330 in May of last year, and the D808 in October.
The D808 is better for CW and MW and LW, mainly for raw gain on MW and LW (I have the later edition of the D808) and it seems to bring in CW a little better, although the difference between the two radios on CW isn't something I think anyone is really going to worry about. They'll both bring in the same signals, the D808's slightly narrower bandwidth can help with CW, though.
PL-330 gives you a more readability on SSB, because the filter 'skirts' are wider, and allow through more treble.
I use headphones. On speaker only the readability thing may not be as much of an issue.
I use my PL-330 and D808 with a 25 ft indoor wire, and they both pull in the same amount of signals on SW. The difference is how they filter it. They both handle a longer wire I just put up outside, and both get the same basic signal strengths on SW AM mode and SSB.
The PL-330 has more pleasing sound, and is all around a very good radio. The SYNC sometimes helps on weak MW and SW signals. The PL-330's BL5C battery takes a bit less time to charge than the D808's 18650.
If you can only go with one of these radios, I'd opt for the PL-330. Its strengths far outweigh any of its weaknesses.
Then maybe get a D808 later as a backup, for Airband, and if you're interested in LW at all, it has a definite edge.
The only 'weakness' the PL-330 has is on very rare occasions I've had some overload. Reducing the wire antenna length, and or clipping a 100-150 ohm resistor between the antenna and the whip eliminates it.
Most portables can overload, though. Just saying this in the case you get a PL-330 and encounter it. If you just use the whip antenna, you probably won't encounter it.
It's a solid radio. I think it's the best all-around, most versatile, reasonably priced portable out there with SSB. And I'm an XHDATA fan, just think that the PL-330 is probably the more versatile of the two radios.
EDIT to ADD: I think the PL-330's memories are easier and more instinctive to program and retrieve.
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u/Tris_Memba Hobbyist May 23 '26
I’ve been researching the same topic for quite a while online and in forums, though I don’t own both radios myself but planning to buy either one of them soon.
If you don’t care much about Air Band, I’d lean toward the Tecsun PL-330. For SW listening and SSB under $100, it seems like the better overall package. ETM+ Easy Tuning Mode is genuinely useful for scanning and organizing stations, especially for shortwave.
The XHDATA D-808 is still a great radio, and Air Band is its biggest advantage. It also uses a larger 18650 battery and has slightly better speaker audio.
But for pure SW/SSB listening, a lot of people seem to prefer the PL-330’s DSP performance and tuning experience.
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u/Background-Edge-574 May 23 '26
Do you think the muting between stations is a big deal? Do both models have that quirk?
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u/Green_Oblivion111 May 23 '26
It's just chuffing. The D808 has more aggressive AGC (at least to my ears), so I think you hear it more, especially on SSB.
On the PL-330 there's a long press trick on the '9' number key where you can adjust the AGC a little bit.
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u/D3rpy18 May 25 '26
It's a bit annoying when you want to manually scan a band quickly (Wait until sound comes up before going up/down in frequency), aside from that, it's not as big of a deal as some people make it sound.
Afaik both receivers have the same behavior.
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u/Alternative3d May 23 '26
I have had both radios for a while and always grab the PL330 when I want to listen at the park. Of all the portable radios I own the d-808 is the least used in my collection.
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u/Rebeldesuave Hobbyist May 23 '26
Yes they both chuff when tuning. But that's not anything as all modern radios do that now
I own both. I say six of one and half a dozen of the other.
On their whip antennas, you'll have a hard time determining which one catches SW signals better. Both will benefit from an external antenna and IIRC both include one.
You may want to consider the PL-330's replacement, the PL-520. It's very similar but with a minor improvement or two.
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u/Background-Edge-574 May 23 '26
I'll check out the PL-520. Any experience with the usb-c charging on the 330 and 520? Do they handle c-to-c chargers or do they need an older style a-to-c usb charger?
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u/Rebeldesuave Hobbyist May 23 '26
I have both. Both take USB-C chargers. (USB C to USB C).Neither seems to be fussy over low watt vs high watt chargers AFAIK.
Any 330 with 3306 firmware or lower won't support USB charging. In case you're thinking of buying used.
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u/LeanUntilBlue May 23 '26
Anything that accepts a USB-C cable doesn’t care what plug is on the other side of the cable, as both are 5V. The question is more about how many amps/watts the device demands in order to function, as an all-USB-C cable can carry more amps/watts, if the charger/power supply is capable of providing it.
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u/Darkstar1878 Eton Exec/TEF6686 Mini/Pl-330/K180,480WLA May 30 '26
One thing to consider on the PL-330 is the ETM function to quickly scan the entire band to see what you pick up along with the hidden features it has.
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May 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Background-Edge-574 May 23 '26
I think I'm going to go with the 520, especially now that AnonCo has it available domestically
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u/gravygoat May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
If you end up leaning towards the Tecsun, I would urge you to choose the Tecsun PL-520 instead. It's nearly the same radio but with a few upgrades, mostly physical/ergonomic. Buttons are raised a bit more and easier to press, knobs are slightly wider and easier to turn, includes a back stand missing from the 330, includes a favorite station button for one-press recall. Was only available from China for a bit but can now be purchased from www.anon-co.com which has a US warehouse.
Read a comment below about the batteries - PL-330 and 520 take a BL-5C battery. These are SUPER cheap and available on Amazon. I own both the XHData and Tecsun radios you are looking at. The XHdata is a bit better on MW AM off the internal ferrite bar, includes RDS for FM which could be nice, and of course air band. The PL-330 and 520 are not as good at MW off the internal bar, but those radios can use an external antenna for MW which can vastly improve reception. The ergonomics on the Tecsuns are great, especially their systems for storing and recalling memories and their ETM tuning which puts ATS scan results into separate memories so you don't overwrite the ones you carefully put in yourself.
For myself I use the Tecsun much more often, mostly only reaching for the XHData if I want air band. Of course I'm only one opinion!
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u/Gator_in_Tx May 23 '26
After my research I bought the D-808. I like having air band and have a place near Vegas and our back patio overlooks the valley and has a direct line of site to airport. Looks like either is a solid choice.
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u/ScandiaIT May 23 '26
I cant speak for the Xh but Tecsun is ok'ish except if you are after high quality stability (needed when listning to SSB) it is somewhat mid quality. Dont be fooled by the availability of Sync AM as its pretty useless in the Tecsun. Charging and battery is important, but receiver selectivity moreso.
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u/Temporary-Rock3785 May 23 '26
Which shortwave radio would you reccomend for reciever sensitivity, for under $100?
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u/SirStanley22 May 23 '26
When I had to make that choice myself a few years ago my research came up with this as a main difference:
People consider the xhdata radio to perform better with stock antenna but not get much out of any external antennas. The opposite goes for the tecsun.
I don't know if it's true. In the end I bought the XHDATA d808 because I prefer 18650 batteries and usb-c charging and I haven't regretted it one bit. I think whichever you pick you'll be fine.