Eton S350 DELUXE AM/FM/SW Radio

I recently purchased a "dream" radio down at my local Radio Shack store that takes advantage of many of the technological innovations and updates that have come in the early twenty-first century. It is marketed under two names; either the The Eton S350 Deluxe, or the Grundig S350DL. The radio is designed for listening both to local domestic broadcasts and also to shortwave broadcasts from around the world. You can use it as a portable to take with you on trips or simply use it at your home or office as an uncomplicated AM/FM radio and alarm clock- with great sound.

The design is elegant and professional-looking, and yet stylish enough to grace your living room. The dials and switches at first may seem a bit serious, or even military-looking, but after you begin using them you will appreciate the attention to detail. Grundig is a German company, so expect quality German engineering in both what is on the outside as well as the inside. The controls are placed well on the face and there is a solid response in every one. Think Mercedes Benz and BMW. In the right-center is the prominent tuning knob with concentric broad-range and fine-tuning dials. The dial-in process is keyed to a large, easy-to-see (and lighted, if you need it) monochrome LCD display that you can manipulate for frequency searches with extreme, pin-point accuracy.

The LCD display also, along with displaying the frequency numbers, shows you on a linear scale the signal strength of the stations. The FM mode also offers an Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) feature which picks out the strongest stations for you, which is nice in a place like an urban area with a plethora of FM stations. The AFC can be unswitched for tracking distant stations, especially useful in rural areas.

There is one, large, very beautiful-sounding speaker on the front of the radio which you can adjust for volume, bass, and treble. The speaker, of course, gives forth mono sound, but with headphones the headphone plug allows the stereophonic effect. Stereo sound can be had not only from stereo headphones, but the radio also conveniently has line-out jacks allowing connection to an amplifier for larger speakers.

On the lower right is a welcome RF gain dial, and AM tuning can be selected in both wide and narrow sensitivities which reduce interference. There is also a low pass filter switch for even more tweaking of static.

Shortwave aficionados will appreciate the long, 3-foot-plus telescoping antenna as well as a plug on the back of the unit for attaching an external antenna of suitable reception length. Another port allows for an external FM antenna as well. Most people may never use the radio with an external antenna, but for the purist, the shortwave enthusiast, or the listener who is far, far away from the desired station, these extras are a great benefit and speak volumes (no pun intended) about how the manufacturer cares for the purchaser.

Electricity comes to the radio from three sources, the last two which have a nice surprise. There is an adapter for AC power, which one would expect. But then- surprise!- you can actually use either "D" batteries (four) to power the radio or else "AA" batteries (four) as well. The "D" cells will presumably last longer, of course, but if you run out of "D" cells and have some "AA"s around, you will still have power. That is more than a novelty; I can envision some situations where that could be a lifesaver in an emergency. I've never seen that on any electronic device I can think of and it is nice to have if you are, like I am, a belt-and-suspenders person.

The radio has the modern touches of controls for clock, snooze, alarm, and sleep functions, and these are fairly easy to set up and use. When the radio is "off" the clock shows digitally on the LCD display.

Tuning, as noted, is pin-point. When those German engineers strive for perfection, they really take you to the limit. When tuning FM stations, you can trace them down to the hundredth decimal place. This really came in handy for me one night when I was driving home listening to a ball game on my car radio. After I went a sufficient distance I lost the signal on my car radio, but since I was not far from home, I remembered the approximate frequency, did a little hunting, and then easily tuned in the station and was able to hear the end of the game on the Eton/Grundig.

In shortwave tuning there is another nice plus: a shortwave/AM frequency locking circuit that reduces tuning drift. It is as if the makers knew precisely what frustrates listeners and tried alleviate the frustrations as much as possible. The user can tune in many international stations with a reasonable amount of instruction from the manual and experience.

The things I really like about the radio are: the sound, the accurate tuning, the static filtering, the Eton/Grundig reputation for quality, price/effectiveness, and the overall intuitive and professional feel of the controls.

If there are any quibbles, I suppose there are three. First, the red power button is a push-type, made so that you not only can turn the radio on and off, but also in the same operation choose the sleep function. Sometimes there seems to be a minor delay in the command that could have been avoided with a simple switch. Not a biggie, but still an annoyance. I had to instruct a family member to hold down the button for a second or so to turn on the radio. Second, I wish the radio had, say, four or five pre-sets. If you switch between local stations like I sometimes do that is a nice convenience. Third, and probably my largest quibble, is that I wish it had a simple weather-band button. NOAA weather stations are a really nice part of modern life in America, and instant access to weather conditions and forecasts is nice. I have a specialized weather radio which does that, but if you took this radio out on a trip, instant weather-band access would be helpful. These are all small things, though, in comparison to the huge advantages of a world-class radio of this type.

If you can afford the approximate $100.00 (US) price, and you want to get a very nice gift for someone special who appreciates fine electronic products, or if you simply need an excellent and reliable radio for yourself which can grab just about any station possible in its considerable range to grab, this is what you have been looking for.

Technical Details:

Width: 12.5 inches
Height: 7 inches
Depth: 3.5 inches
Weight: 3 pounds, 4 ounces
Color: Black
AM frequency range: 530 to 1710 kHz
FM frequency range: 88 to 108 MHz
Shortwave Range: Continuous coverage from 3 to 28 MHz, including 11-, 13-, 15-, 16-, 19-, 22-, 25-, 31-, 41-, 49-, 60-, 75-, and 90-meter international broadcast bands
Tuner: Analog
Display: Liquid Crystal Diode (LCD)
Clock: Digital, selectable 12/24-hour modes
Sleep Timer: Yes
Fine-tuning knob: Yes.
Variable RF gain control: Yes.
Volume control: Rotary
Adjustable bass and treble controls: Yes
Low-pass filter: Shortwave and FM reception
Headphone jack: Yes.
Antennae: Telescoping for FM and shortwave, ferrite bar built-in for AM; supplementary jacks for external antennae
Audio output: Stereo line level
Power sources: 4 D or AA batteries (not included) or AC adapter (included)
Warranty: One year
Price as purchased: $99.95

Five Stars/*****