Is the Eton E5 Worth $60 More Than the Kaito 1103?

Since the Eton E5 is a $150 clone of the $90 Kaito 1103,  many will ask if the Eton is worth the extra money. If money is an issue, then it's hard to justify the E5. However, the lame, annoying ergonomics of the 1103 make a compelling case to get the E5. Let's first look at the 1103 volume controls. No knob. You have to hit "Volume" followed by a volume number. Not just one number since 1-9 are too low for listening. You'll want about 15, which means you'll have to press two numbers. So let's count. That's 3 steps just to change volume control. Highly annoying and completely ridiculous. Now for changing stations. You have to get out of "volume mode" by clicking "Memory" followed by the preset number. The "Memory" and "Volume" buttons are at the radio's top left and the number buttons for volume and presets are at the bottom. Yes, you can get used to this misguided layout, but if you use your radio a lot and don't mind spending the extra money (especially if you can find an E5 for $112 as I often see on Amazon or eBay), get the Eton E5.

Final Thoughts: Now that the Grundig G4000, my favorite portable shortwave radio, has been discontinued, the Eton E5 is the best portable shortwave radio you can buy. If you still want to find a Grundig G4000, Amazon is still selling $89 Refurbished Models.

Comments

[Hugh]

I see your points about the less than friendly user interface and ergonomics on the Kaito KA1103 / Degen DE1103 but with the latter now being offered on eBay out of China for $49 + $24 shipping/insurance, it's becoming easier to consider getting used to the quirkier UI since otherwise it's the same RF performance at less than half the price. I guess it all depends on your breaking point of where you're willing to compromise convenience for value.

[jeffrey McMahon]

The FM on the 1103 is great, but I never liked the AM sound.

I've moved away from small portables as AM doesn't sound good enough and there's a general compromise on sound. For $75, I'd rather have a Sangean PR-D5 or slightly used Eton S350 DL.

But the 1103's FM is stunning, just remember it's sensitive around computer interference.