The now discontinued Grundig G4000, which is available refurbished for $89, is in my opinion a better radio to own than its close competitor the same-priced Kaito 1103. I've owned the 1103 for about 4 years and the G4000 for about 2 years and here are some similarities and differences:
Similarities:
1. Both are small digital AM/FM/SW radios with superior FM reception. Perhaps the 1103 is, to be subjective, about 2% better on FM than the G4000, but really this difference is insignificant.
2. Both feature more presets than the average listener will ever need.
3. Both radios, like most radios I've tried, suffer serious compromise when they're placed too close to a computer. You'll get interference noises from both of them.
Differences:
1. Toggling stations, that is, moving from one preset to another, is far easier on the G4000.
2. The volume dial on the G4000 is easy to use while inexplicably the 1103 forces you to press 3 buttons to change volume. You first must press the Volume button, then the number "1" followed by another number since "15" or so is the medium volume setting. This really strips the 1103 of its marketability as far as I'm concerned though I know its beloved by radio lovers because of its superior FM reception.
3. AM reception is better on the G4000. More specifically, the AM sound is not muffled the way it sounds on the 1103. To be blunt, I hate listening to AM on the 1103.
4. The speaker on the G4000 is slighter fuller than the 1103.
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