Etón E1 to Be Rebranded, E1XM to Be Discontinued
● ETÓN E1XM TO BE SUPERCEDED ●
So it is that the top-rated Etón E1XM (Passport 2009, pp. 61-64) is being discontinued. The version sans XM, the E1, is being rebranded and will be sold before long under Etón’s Grundig banner. An official announcement will be forthcoming. —via Esmail Hozour, Etón CEO, with a tip o’ the hat to Lawrence Bulk
December 14th, 2008 at 8:39 PM
The E1 is a great radio with bad rep, maybe as a Grundig the radio will receive the respect which it deserves! I own one and it is indeed one of the best out there.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:43 PM
I hope this remains true and actually occurs. It seems to me that there have been enough of these sold to identify any and all problems. Simply refining the radio, based on past issues, is in order. There is no denying the E1XM was a stellar performer – problems aside. Perhaps the new version could include a ferrite bar antenna for AM. If not, so be it.
If the radio keeps its original basic design, display, battery leakage and other issues are solved, I gladly one (probably two.)
Craig Still
Ed.: Universal is showing an Etón mediumwave AM outboard antenna accessory, the AN200, as becoming available by month’s end. It appears to be manufactured by Degen.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:55 AM
Lets see how this develops. Last year we got information from Etón that the E1 or maybe the E1XM was going to be dropped, or both of them or neither of them, or…? Meanwhile over the last 12+ months neither model has been imported.
So now the E1XM is discontinued, but then again none have been made in over a year, and the E1 will “continue” but then again none have been produced in over a year. Additionally it will be made as a Grundig. Well I guess it’s just a label on a website change if you actually aren’t going to produce any or maybe they are….
December 15th, 2008 at 10:08 AM
Since XM was added with a module, perhaps it could be replaced with a module that receives HD radio.
Ed.: If this was in the works, likely they would be offering a version with and another without HD. Other digital modes are used in Europe and much of the rest of world outside the United States.
December 15th, 2008 at 10:52 PM
Is anyone surprised? The clues: a G1 ad surfaced early 2008 and was denounced/retracted by Etón’s CEO. Etón’s [Walter] Hess (I believe) quoted saying, “they have long range plans for *the platform*”. Add-in no new E1’s produced in a year. Add-in big retailers dumping remaining stock early this year (on advance notice of a new model pending perhaps? – timing coincided with leaked G1 ad) Add-in general shift of Etón Corps. SW products to the Grundig name. Add-in a somewhat embarrassing 1st/2nd production run QC record on E1. Don’t think Etón hasn’t learned from this experience. Although I’ve been a lucky E1 owner so far, I’d wager the new G1’s are going to be “new and improved” in subtle ways and significantly in the QC area. As I see it, this is all good for SW fans.
Ed.: Who knows, but this saga has had more twists and turns than an Inspector Clouseau mystery. We’ll see for certain only after the dust settles and real radios finally appear in users’ mitts. Nothing could be cause for more good cheer than to see this model resurface and with solid QA—regardless of what it’s called.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:12 PM
I am skeptical about the future of a G1 or E1. There seems to be a lack of collective wisdom from that company. One can suspect that there is more money made on the little crank radios and more mass market items like E10 than an item like the E1. Still, a product like this holds an important place in a product line because it is the flagship product. Having a flagship product demonstrates the company’s technological prowess, separating it from other offshore commodity producers.
So a having a product like the E1 is as much as a marketing initiative to enhance the competitive position of less exotic radios in the product line as it to promote and capitalize on sales of the E1 itself.
In the case of Etón the E1, QC and availability issues have been so poorly handled that there certainly has not been a constructive relationship between producing the E1 and the public’s perception of Etón products as being a cut above the competition. They have had many opportunities to address this, through public statements and policy. They have consistently missed these opportunities and in fact have made the situation worse by issuing contradictory statements about the future of the product. They have kept it in the product line for over a year without delivering product while making no definitive statements on the lack availability.
Had a statement been released that: “The E1 represents a quantum leap in portable technology designed by a leading American designer and manufacturer of short wave products (Drake). It is being produced off shore to enable it to be “affordable”. Unfortunately the Quality Control of the product has not lived up to Etóns very high expectations of delivering excellent serviceability to its valued customers. Etón is suspending production of the E1 until Etón’s stringent expectations for the quality and consistency components and assembly can be assured. Additionally Etón is committed to maintaining its leadership position throughout its product line in innovation, and quality. Etón will stand by its customers by offering a complementary extension of warrenty support for existing E1 and E1XM products sold through official Etón dealers for a period of three years.”
NOTE THAT THE ABOVE STATEMENT AND POLICY WAS NEVER ISSUED.
It is not rocket science to understand the need for this or write the press release. Apple does this sort of thing all the time. Apple has a strong following (whether deserved or not) because they make an innovative product and when they screw up on QC (which they do fairly often) they issue recalls and often extend product warrantees. The public perception of Apple products is that they are premium products. Apple products often cost 1/3 to 2x as much as competitive devices. Yet Apple’s consistent attention to the importance of marketing and public relations insures the public’s perception of the product line as premium one and a good value.
I have not seen this kind of wisdom coming from Etón. Yes, extending the warranty would have cost them some money, but what is your public reputation worth? If you want to sell your brand at a premium of Chinese commodity brands you have to have brand loyalty and sense of premium value.
Ed.: While Apple has heaps of competition, Etón pretty much rules the world band portable market in North America. Oligopoly status almost invariably impacts corporate behavior.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:14 PM
If you do not like Etón’s Oligopoly, then spend your money elsewhere. That is the only way to punish companies that do not perform. Take your business elsewhere. Buy a Redsun RP2100 if you want a decent sounding portable, or spend an extra $100 or so over the E1 and buy a tabletop model.
December 19th, 2008 at 4:59 PM
“Brand new in box” E1XM’s are $325 each at brandywineliquidatorsdotcom. If you want to take all 108 (!!) units, they are $225 each. Never heard of “Brandywine Liquidators” but maybe someone wants an E1 badly enough to risk the warranty not being honored. I have not seen them listed anywhere as an authorized Etón dealer. Good Luck if you make a purchase without the warranty.
Ed.: “Come into my web,” said the spider to the fly.
December 21st, 2008 at 1:06 PM
BTW: What kind of company only honors a warranty if it came from an “approved” retailer? That has no effect on the product and is unfair to small businesses, etc., which is why I won’t purchase an Etón/Grundig product.
Ed.: Sounds convincing, as limitations are inherently suspicious, but as always the devil is in the details.
World band radios are sometimes available through large retail or online outlets, but much activity takes place at small businesses. For example, although Universal Radio is the biggest world band specialty outlet, the only thing large about it is the number of formerly stray cats they’ve adopted that now make the place home and outnumber employees.
Positive reasons for a company wanting to limit who sells its new products include trying to ensure that the buying experience is credible and honest, and that retailers fulfill certain special conditions.
For example, Lextronix, Etón’s original corporate name, had and presumably as Etón still has effective incentives for its dealers to readily accept customer returns and to send those returned items back to Lextronix/Etón and not put them back on shelves. Lextronix/Etón then takes these returns and has them refurbished and sold as refurbs and not foisted off as “new.” Go to nearly any big box retailer or (at least at times in the past) Radio Shack and watch how fast most other returned items get put back on the shelf.
Similar considerations exist with other products and services. For example, when you buy a Saturn it is supposed to be a no-haggle experience, which certain types of customers like. And Lexus insists on a pampered buying experience. They couldn’t do these things, which greatly impact how their brand is perceived, without some degree of control over who retails their products and how.
Granted, some manufacturers and distributors legally use their leverage over retailers to effectively or explicitly set selling prices artificially high. However, we’ve only spotted this practice from some East Asian firms, notably excluding Lextronix/Etón/Grundig.
It would be helpful if Etón’s warranty policy were more visible during the purchasing experience, but as a practical matter that’s probably not feasible. Camera manufacturers have faced the same dilemma with gray market sales, and by now most folks know to watch for whether a camera is gray market, and if so to accept that there will be no domestic warranty coverage.
Ditto when you buy a Degen or Tecsun radio on eBay (we’ll be posting more on this before long).
December 22nd, 2008 at 8:33 AM
I have never really been enticed by the E1. I have used them and have been very impressed with the receiver and array of features. I think part of my problem is that the E1 is in the uncomfortable category of being a large portable—or, a portable tabletop—whatever. I tend to delineate those two categories.
Though the E1 announcement didn’t surprise me, I am quite excited about their new G3 Voyager with sync detection. Any info yet PB?
Ed.: Nary a peep—the first we heard of the G3 was when it was recently posted on Universal’s website. However, based on established industry odds and not specific feedback, it’s likely to incorporate selectable sideband but not double sideband, which is fine. In any event, it should be interesting, as the basic radio is apparently a variation of the Degen-made Grundig G5 (Passport 2009, pp. 73-74), not a Drake design made in China like the Satellit 800. So although another Chinese manufacturer briefly dabbled in sync circuitry once—it came and went so quickly we couldn’t lay hands on one—the result was reportedly a flop. So if the G4’s sync circuit succeeds, it will be a first for Chinese engineers and a sign that Chinese non-computer electronics is finally moving into a more advanced league.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:03 AM
The AN200 Mediumwave AM antenna is made by Tecsun, not Degen. There is also an AN100 which is functionally identical to AN200. Photo of AN100 here; AN200 here.
Ed.: Good digging, Owl — thanks!
January 30th, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Those “brandywineliquidatorsdotcom” E1XM are all gone now, I guess. They were sold for $250 (best offer) to £295 (buy it now) on eBay.
I bought one. It’s an earlier model (sn: 00420). Someone else who also bought one mentioned that there was remains of a Circuit City sticker on the box (so I assume we know where they come from).
Mine has the FM stereo lock problem which I can live with to an extent (it does lock on stereo after 1+ hour’s listening using an external AC/DC adapter). Sync detector works well. SSB is very hot.
January 31st, 2009 at 2:01 PM
I purchased one as well from brandywine and as of this moment, having no issues. They were all sold prior to the auction ending. Still some on eBay and they seem to be getting around $290.00. Getting excellent SW reception using no external antenna at the moment. My SN is in the 2300 range. Paid an extra $20.00 from Square Deal for a three year warranty just in case, but even with that, I’m out the door under $300.00.
April 4th, 2009 at 7:53 PM
The existing e1XM is the benchmark of Etón as a serious SW/DX world band radio manufacturer. However, the time has come for Etón to “step up to the plate” and create an “e1A,” (or whatever) incorporating all the well documented critical modifications reviewed in Passport and elsewhere, while maintaining the one tried and true consistent: the Drake engineering circuitry. You don’t need to fix what isn’t broken and the circuit design is classic. Etón needs to address such issues as an AM ferrite rod antenna; a redesigned solid whip antenna capable of staying in place; (that can’t be rocket science) beef up the tilt stand so it won’t collapse closed on itself (again, not rocket science either) and add a well designed and sturdy carrying handle that is befitting a portable of this size and shape. In addition, as a SWLer/DXer, I am not interested in the aspect of satellite radio add-ons. Let’s keep with the program and concentrate on the meat and potatoes issues.
What troubles me from the buyer’s perspective is customer relations and quality assurance. Both have shown themselves to be woefully missing at Etón. Successful manufacturing and consistent quailty depend upon an organization committed to Total Quality Systems. This is true whether the product is home grown (USA) or manufacured offshore. (Etón et al.) This encompasses all aspects of the manufacturing processes: customer feedback, keeping critical components in adequate supply to maintain manufacturing; performing root cause analysis to solve problems from a manufacturing and quality standpoint, (ensuring the issue has been resolved will not recur) and holding to the philosophy that customer satisfaction, quality assurance and continuous process improvement are all linked. The return for Etón is the knowledge that they will have successfully become a leader in the communications industry.
Etón needs to meet this challenge for their future e1 plans, and in so doing make a very good e1 into an excellent 5 star communications portable receiver.
The question I now pose to them: Are you up to the challenge?
May 31st, 2009 at 3:07 AM
We still have Etón E1s in Europe. In my opinion they’re the best portable shortwave radios around. If anyone’s having trouble getting one, drop me an email at services@hydroponicsgarden.info and I can forward you to the cheapest stockist, etc.
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:56 AM
I am wondering what the E1XM radio does for an external antenna? I have the Sony indoor antenna, the AN-LP1, but I cannot find an adapter to fit into their antenna wire. I now use a random wire, but find that not as good as the Sony indoor antenna. Otherwise, my radio is great.
I have not gone with the Sirius Satellite people, so I do not know if that would be worth the effort or not.
Ed.: For an adaptor, try Etón first, and if no joy contact Universal Radio. If all else fails, you can craft your own by soldering together two plugs of the right type with a short run of (preferably) coaxial cable connecting them.
October 26th, 2009 at 8:15 AM
What antenna would fit the Etón E1XM radio? I want an indoor antenna, and not an outside antenna.
Ed.: Choose from whichever model you prefer that’s tested and reported on in Passport 2009, pp. 168-192.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:56 PM
I may have to try that.
December 23rd, 2009 at 12:43 AM
Is Passport gone? I grieve if it is.