Passport to World Band Radio 2009

No sooner than we had completed testing of the new Grundig G4 recordable portable than IBS was notified by the manufacturer that it had been discontinued.

Accordingly, the review was pulled from what was to go into Passport 2009. But as the G4 is still widely available, that writeup is being posted in full here. —David Zantow and the staff of Passport to World Band Radio

New, but Quickly Discontinued
**5/8
Grundig G4 World Recorder, Lextronix G4

Pricing (as available): Grundig: $199.95 in the United States. CAD$199.95 in Canada. Lextronix: €149.00 in Germany.

Pros: Built-in recorder/player with large LCD that’s “information central” for recorder and radio. Comes with 1 GB of memory to store much off-air and other recording time; if that’s not enough, accepts up to 2 GB of additional memory to bring the potential total to 3 GB. Seven equalization (EQ) settings for recorder playback; more yet in 3D SRS mode. Recorder has pause control during record and playback. Huge memory bank of a thousand presets within ten pages of 100 presets each; presets’ setup aided by station-tuning storage (ATS) that functions on all bands. Other handy tuning features are up/down slewing for world band in 5 kHz steps (see Cons), 9/10 kHz for mediumwave AM, 50 kHz for FM; effective signal-seek scanning; keypad in customary telephone format; and quick access to world band segments. Little chuffing during bandscanning, and muting rarely intrudes (see Cons). Two well-chosen bandwidths (see Cons). Very good sensitivity. Dual conversion provides superior image rejection. Generally pleasant audio (see Cons) with punch, decent bass, 27-step volume and virtually no hiss. Clock, in 12- or 24-hour/World Time format (see Cons), displays separately from frequency; also, displays seconds, day and month when radio off. Sleep timer, up to 99 minutes (see Cons). LCD (see Cons) has worthy 15-second timed illumination (see Cons). External antenna jack for world band and FM (see Cons). Mute button. Keys have good feel. Internal battery recharging with indicator and automatic shutoff. Telescopic antenna swivels and rotates. Presets non-volatile; other data retained for one minute after batteries removed. Recorder plays back MP3 and WAV files. Recorder playback has fast forward/reverse and repeat. Automatic record level functions well. Easy to transfer recording or “memory” text files to and from computer via USB 2.0. No driver needed for XP and, apparently, Vista (see Cons). Audio line input for recorder (see Cons). Travel power lock and separate tuning-knob lock. Hinged battery cover (see Cons). Two-level attenuator, plus off. Good FM sensitivity and selectivity. Superior mediumwave AM performance. Includes USB cable, line-input audio cable, indoor shortwave wire antenna, earbuds, AC adaptor and robust carrying pouch (see Cons). Can be powered by a PC’s USB port. Elevation panel (see Cons).

Cons: Not particularly user friendly. Does not record in important MP3 mode, just .wav files at 32 kbps, 4 bit, 8 kHz (IMA ADPCM format); result is disappointingly low-fidelity audio. No tuning knob. No single sideband. No signal strength indicator. Mediocre dynamic range limits use of accessory antennas. Substandard front-end selectivity, so strong local mediumwave and FM stations can bleed into shortwave spectrum. From typically 8-13 MHz, placing hand on radio occasionally generates spurious signals, buzzing and/or ghosting in of FM signals. Included AC adaptor causes minor hum with indoor antenna. Slewing tunes world in only 5 kHz steps, nothing finer. No audio line output. On/off timer, which can be used for unattended recording, is single-event only. Minor muting during mediumwave AM bandscanning. Limited skirt selectivity allows powerful world band signals to splatter widely. Presets don’t display tags or store bandwidth. Frequency readout uses nonstandard LCD XX.XXx MHz format. When radio turned on, volume sometimes blasts briefly until preset volume level recognized. Hinged battery cover slightly impedes battery insertion/removal. Omits little-used 2 MHz (120 meter) world band segment. Carrying case odoriferous until aired out for days. Firmware apparently can’t be upgraded. Does not function with Windows 98, as no driver available. Elevation panel flimsy. Doesn’t include three “AA” NiMH rechargeable batteries for portable operation. AC adaptor feeds radio via USB plug; unusual, although it works.

Verdict: The most exciting part of the quickly discontinued G4—manufactured for Grundig by Degen in China—is its recorder, which has up to 3 GB of memory to store countless hours of off-air and other recording. However, it suffers from pedestrian ergonomics, mediocre recording fidelity and so-so receiver performance. Too, it lacks a tuning knob and has no single-sideband capability.

Evaluation of New Model: The G4 combo radio-recorder was based on the Degen DE1121/Kaito KA1121 platform, so it is no surprise that its receiver is similar. However, there are enough differences, pro and con, to consider the G4 as distinct from the ‘1121.

For starters, one “pro” is that the Grundig G4 has no less than a thousand station presets nestled within ten pages of 100 each. However, a “con” is that the presets don’t store bandwidth or tags (alphanumeric station descriptors).

Another plus is the G4’s heavy-gauge carrying pouch, although it reeks of creosote until thoroughly aired. Also included are earbuds; an AC adaptor that connects to the radio with a computer USB plug; and a short cable with dual stereo plugs so audio devices can be fed through the radio. The G4’s USB port also allows it to obtain power from a PC’s 5V DC USB, a nice touch.

There is automatic battery recharging, but unlike with the ‘1121 rechargeable batteries aren’t included. The battery door, hinged to prevent loss, can get in the way when changing batteries.

Mixed Ergonomics

Even though keys are small, tactile response is excellent. To power up the G4, simply press the power key for a second—handier than the ‘1121. There are dual function keys and other user-unfriendlies, but overall the G4’s operation is less involved than that of the ‘1121.

The G4 has numerous tuning options, including station-tuning storage (ATS), to simplify entering presets data; ATS works on all bands. Nevertheless, the G4, unlike the ‘1121, lacks a tuning knob. For some this means little, but for others it can be a deal breaker.

An elevation panel helps angle controls for comfortable use. However, unlike that on the ‘1121 it’s not robust, so don’t press on the radio.

Computer Limitations

Transferring audio files using drag and drop is easy and straightforward. No drivers are required with Windows XP and, seemingly, Vista, but unlike the ‘1121 the G4 doesn’t work with Windows 98.

The ‘1121 allows presets to be programmed by a PC, but not so the G4. There also appears to be no way to upgrade firmware, although the ‘1121 allows for this.

Radio Performs Comparably

World band performance mimics that of the ‘1121, with superior sensitivity and image rejection. Dynamic range is mediocre, but bandwidths are well chosen even if they have only modest skirt selectivity. FM—which lacks Japanese frequencies—and mediumwave AM both perform commendably, and audio quality is pleasant for the radio’s size. Intrusive muting during bandscanning is minimal, as well. However, there’s no audio line-output jack or signal-strength indicator.

When our G4 tuned between 8 and 13 MHz and a hand is placed on the cabinet’s back, spurious signals occasionally appear that vary with hand movement. In actual use this has not been an issue. However, it may reflect mediocre front-end selectivity which even with the ‘1121 sometimes allows powerful FM and other signals to intrude within the world band spectrum. All this differs from mild digital buzz which sometimes appears when a hand rests on the LCD or keys.

Although the G4 and ‘1121 perform similarly as radios, there is one significant difference: The ‘1121 processes lower and upper sideband signals, the G4 doesn’t. For listeners to the American Forces Radio & Television Service, as well as hams and utility chasers, this capability tends to be meaningful. Otherwise, it’s rarely of concern.

Recording: ‘1121 Gets Cigar

Like the ‘1121, the G4 stands out because of its built-in recorder/timer. Indeed, the G4 includes much more memory—1 GB, upgradable to a whopping 3 GB—to squirrel away heaps of recordings. The G4 also includes a pause control during recording, another upgrade. As with the ‘1121, recording level is automatically controlled and works well.

Additional goodies include seven-position EQ for the MP3 player, along with 3D-SRS for added sound enhancement. For the radio proper, however, there are no audio-shaping tone controls.

All good news, but the kicker is that the G4’s recording quality seriously disappoints. The ‘1121 can record MP3 in commendable fidelity (selectable settings of 128, 80 and 32 kbps), as well as WAV in low fidelity (32 kbps, 4 bit, 8 kHz IMA ADPCM format). However, the G4 records only in that WAV format—passable for voice, but scarcely suitable for music.

The G4, like the ‘1121, can play back either MP3 or WAV files imported from external sources. However, audio-in recording and recording from the built-in mic are in the lone WAV format.

Further degrading the radio’s potential as a “world band TiVo®,” the ‘1121’s three-event timer has been winnowed down to one event in the G4. The ‘1121’s shuffle mode isn’t on the G4, either. Finally, the G4’s recorder can’t be removed from the radio for standalone use, as it lacks the ‘1121’s handy docking system.

The LCD can be distracting. First, it has a peculiarly “thin” layout. Second, displayed characters are a hodgepodge of sizes. Third, frequency shows as nonstandard XX.XXx MHz. Yet, the frequency readout and 24/12-hour clock are shown separately, and numeric seconds are displayed when the radio is off. Fifteen-second illumination is also a plus, but unlike on the ‘1121 it can’t also be switched on fulltime.

In our bakeoff, the G4’s pros vs. cons against the cheaper ‘1121 can seem like one gourmet croissant vs. two burnt muffins. Apparently Grundig thought so, too, as no sooner than it had been out for some weeks than they decided to discontinue it. Nevertheless, units are still widely available from dealers and direct from Etón’s “Past Collection.”