First Look--the Panasonic RF-2200

(First posted August 16, 2008)

I got the chance to test a vintage mint-condition Panasonic RF-2200 for a week or so. The 2200 is a much coveted radio. Mint condition typically sells for about $225 on eBaby. Military in its bearing, heavy in a way that quietly says quality, offering a calm quiet background on AM and grabbing all FM stations with the ease of a jiu-jitsu master, the 2200 deserves its place as an Apex Predator Radio.

My test excluded the AC adaptor. I used 4 D batteries only. Not surprisingly, AM sounds like FM with no background noise. Even my weakest station, 710 ESPN, has no discernible hiss. The 2200 features a Gyro AM antenna on top that you rotate to fine-tune AM stations. This is much preferred to having to rotate the entire radio.

FM is just as sterling. I tuned in weak stations such as 88.9, 89.3, and 103.1 with ease. 

The 2200 is an analog radio, as opposed to digital, and you can fine-tune precisely to the "sweet spot." 

This fine-tuning is a strength and can be a source of frustration for impatient people who like to toggle quickly between stations. Forget the quick toggle with the 2200. You can go to fast-mode on the tuner, but eventually you may want to go to slow-mode when you're pin-pointing a station and with no digital read-out, you're going to want to carefully find the exact spot you want. This could be a challenge for an impatient person like myself, but nobody ever said quality can be rushed. 

I can't tell anyone to pay $225 plus shipping for any radio. While modern radios are cheaper, in look, feel, and too often performance, there are some modern radios that deliver enough good characteristics of the 2200 without the problems of old age and the logistics of buying from an eBay seller. Having said that, the 2200 is a vastly superior radio to the radios that I will mention shortly. 

I did a side by side comparison between the 2200 and my Eton S350DL and while the S350 remains an outstanding performer, I have to admit it seemed like a Minor Leaguer next to the Major League Hall of Famer, the 2200. The biggest difference is the warmth and fullness of the 2200's fidelity. While the S350 grabs hard-to-get stations with confidence and while I normally appreciate its speaker sound, I have to say the S350 sounded tinny in the presence of the effulgent 2200. 

On the other hand, the S350 costs less than half as much at $99 and does have a digital read-out so that you don't have to guess what station you're on.

Shortly after comparing the 2200 to the S350, I compared the 2200 to my C.Crane CSW and Sangean PR-D5. The CSW comes closer to the 2200 than did the S350, but still falls short because the fidelity is muffled and lacks the 2200's depth and effortlessness.

The PR-D5 cannot compete on FM in spite of its more than capable FM performance, but its 8-inch ferrite antenna delivers good AM. But again, its cheap 2.5 speakers don't deliver any fidelity depth to the degree that comparing the PR-D5 to the 2200 simply isn't fair. AM is clear on the PR-D5, but ultimately pedestrian. On the other hand, there is something insouciant and regal about the way the 2200 delivers AM. 

To give you an idea about FM performance, I'll take my weakest FM station 88.9 and tell you that all the radios I've mentioned here can get it clearly with one exception: The Sangean PR-D5. Having said that, the PR-D5 is my bedside radio because it meets all of my radio needs. Obviously I rarely or never listen to 88.9.  

If you're a radio newbie, you'd probably be better served getting the digital PR-D5 ($80), the S350 or the C.Crane CSW ($139 plus $60 for rechargeable batteries). But if you can get a mint 2200 and don't mind paying a good $250, then you will possess a radio that will never be matched by the current lot of cheap gizmos that are flying off the conveyor belts and which mock the glorious term radio. 

(First posted August 16, 2008)

I got the chance to test a vintage mint-condition Panasonic RF-2200 for a week or so. The 2200 is a much coveted radio. Mint condition typically sells for about $225 on eBaby. Military in its bearing, heavy in a way that quietly says quality, offering a calm quiet background on AM and grabbing all FM stations with the ease of a jiu-jitsu master, the 2200 deserves its place as an Apex Predator Radio.

My test excluded the AC adaptor. I used 4 D batteries only. Not surprisingly, AM sounds like FM with no background noise. Even my weakest station, 710 ESPN, has no discernible hiss. The 2200 features a Gyro AM antenna on top that you rotate to fine-tune AM stations. This is much preferred to having to rotate the entire radio.

FM is just as sterling. I tuned in weak stations such as 88.9, 89.3, and 103.1 with ease. 

The 2200 is an analog radio, as opposed to digital, and you can fine-tune precisely to the "sweet spot." 

This fine-tuning is a strength and can be a source of frustration for impatient people who like to toggle quickly between stations. Forget the quick toggle with the 2200. You can go to fast-mode on the tuner, but eventually you may want to go to slow-mode when you're pin-pointing a station and with no digital read-out, you're going to want to carefully find the exact spot you want. This could be a challenge for an impatient person like myself, but nobody ever said quality can be rushed. 

I can't tell anyone to pay $225 plus shipping for any radio. While modern radios are cheaper, in look, feel, and too often performance, there are some modern radios that deliver enough good characteristics of the 2200 without the problems of old age and the logistics of buying from an eBay seller. Having said that, the 2200 is a vastly superior radio to the radios that I will mention shortly. 

I did a side by side comparison between the 2200 and my Eton S350DL and while the S350 remains an outstanding performer, I have to admit it seemed like a Minor Leaguer next to the Major League Hall of Famer, the 2200. The biggest difference is the warmth and fullness of the 2200's fidelity. While the S350 grabs hard-to-get stations with confidence and while I normally appreciate its speaker sound, I have to say the S350 sounded tinny in the presence of the effulgent 2200. 

On the other hand, the S350 costs less than half as much at $99 and does have a digital read-out so that you don't have to guess what station you're on.

Shortly after comparing the 2200 to the S350, I compared the 2200 to my C.Crane CSW and Sangean PR-D5. The CSW comes closer to the 2200 than did the S350, but still falls short because the fidelity is muffled and lacks the 2200's depth and effortlessness.

The PR-D5 cannot compete on FM in spite of its more than capable FM performance, but its 8-inch ferrite antenna delivers good AM. But again, its cheap 2.5 speakers don't deliver any fidelity depth to the degree that comparing the PR-D5 to the 2200 simply isn't fair. AM is clear on the PR-D5, but ultimately pedestrian. On the other hand, there is something insouciant and regal about the way the 2200 delivers AM. 

To give you an idea about FM performance, I'll take my weakest FM station 88.9 and tell you that all the radios I've mentioned here can get it clearly with one exception: The Sangean PR-D5. Having said that, the PR-D5 is my bedside radio because it meets all of my radio needs. Obviously I rarely or never listen to 88.9.  

If you're a radio newbie, you'd probably be better served getting the digital PR-D5 ($80), the S350 or the C.Crane CSW ($139 plus $60 for rechargeable batteries). But if you can get a mint 2200 and don't mind paying a good $250, then you will possess a radio that will never be matched by the current lot of cheap gizmos that are flying off the conveyor belts and which mock the glorious term radio. 

Comments

[Tshersheridan]

Are you interested in selling your Panasonic RF2200 radio for $60? if you are, please e-mail me at jesuschrysler1@live.com. thank you