 "Absolutely terrific, no frills, portable am/fm/sw receiver" | 2008-09-06 |
| - Reviewed By 123infinity |
Kaito/Degen has done it again! I needed a small AM/FM/SW radio for travel and have compared several including the Kaito KA11, the new Grundig G6, the older Grundig YB-550PE, the Sangean ATS-606, etc. I am still not done with all my evaluations, but I definitely think that the Ka1101 is a great small and very inexpensive ($ 55-60 depending on the vendor) and a very excellent receiver! It apparently comes in silver, gray and black as well, but mine arrived in gray from Amazon, but the cooler looking black color is available for the same price at other vendors too. I am extremely impressed right out of the box how well it performs even for quite weak signals and with the antenna on sw not even extended.
PROS:
1) Comes with rechargeable batteries, slip case, earbuds, long antenna wire, adapter/charger and very readable manual. Batteries are designed to be easily recharged inside the radio.
2) Excellent weak signal reception on ALL bands including Low frequency FM or FML (starting at 70 MHz). It really performs very well!
3) Wide/narrow tone switch (Music/news), Mono/Stereo switch as well as Local/DX switch
4) Lock switch and external antenna jack
5) Back light controlled by available ambient lighting with an on-board light sensor system
6) Numerous tuning methods available
7) Very high quality and very readable display with numerous icons for charging, battery life, Mono/stereo settings, wide/narrow filter setting, etc.
8) Very long battery life
9) Simple direct system for changing the 5 individual bands in direct order only (no reversing of the band change direction is possible).
10) Finally, it has a nice and very easy to use reset button on the front panel just in case the system acts irregularly (which I have not observed at all)
CONS: These are all very small and of no great significance whatsoever!
1) Only a total of 50 presets are available (10 on each of the 5 bands)
2) Smallish speaker (after all, I wanted the radio to be small and portable so this has to be the case!)
3) No signal strength meter available on-screen or otherwise
4) It uses 3 AA batteries instead of a pair of batteries. Also, when rechargeable AA's are used, the full battery charge will not register on the screen (only 3 of 4 of the battery indicator icons are visible under these conditions).
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 "Very nice, full-featured portable radio" | 2008-08-19 |
| - Reviewed By wondertrev |
Bought this radio last month in order to listen to music and talk radio in my office. I needed something that could pick up signals through several thick interior walls, and still take to the beach and on ski trips.
When I got the radio, I was surprised at how small it is (about the size of 2 cassette tapes or decks of cards), but was pleased by the heft. Directions were a bit confusing at first, but not the worst I've seen.
AM/FM Reception is quite good. It's better than the Eton 300 I picked up at LLBean (and lost), bettern than the $10 Jwin I bought at Walmart, and almost as good as the much, much larger Emerson MBR1 I have at home. SW reception is better than the Eton, but I haven't used that feature much. Signal doesn't seem to drift. I unplugged the radio yesterday at noon, left it on overnight, and it's still running on the same charge 20+ hours later.
All in all, this is a very good, very portable radio. |
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| "Great little radio!!" | 2008-07-07 |
| - Reviewed By kenkozoro |
| I bought this radio based on the reviews. Especially the ones saying it gets good reception. I work in an office near the middle of the building so there are no windows nearby. I was told by the IT manager not to use the internet for radio streaming. Well this radio is my God send. No radio works in my office. But this radio with its extended FM/shortwave antenna brings in the stations I wanted. Awesome! |
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| "Finally: Something Worth Reviewing!" | 2008-04-18 |
| - Reviewed By sugim25 |
The Kaito KA1101 is worth taking time to recommend. I was specifically in the market for the smallest available AM/FM/SW receiver with quality performance especially in the SW bands. The consensus of user reviews articulated favorable ratings of this unit, even as superior to its siblings---the more expensive KA1102 and KA1103 (when comparing capabilities note that the KA1101 does not cover SSB while its stablemates do). The Amazon purchase price (April 2008) for the KA1101 was $59.95. The order was processed within 24 hours and the package arrived three days ahead of its scheduled delivery date with free super-saver shipping from the distributor in NV.
The carton contained the receiver, AC adaptor, three rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) AA batteries, stereo earbuds, a 15-foot external wire antenna, protective soft case and instructions in English. My first impression was consistent with other reviewers who found the dark-gray receiver to be very compact and solidly built with a satisfying heft. The battery compartment door is attached to the case so it won't fall off and get lost. Not visible in the Amazon product marketing photos are the 29-inch/73cm collapsable mast antenna that pivots and folds off the top left of the unit and a permanently-mounted wrist strap attached to the top right corner.
I live in an area where radio reception is quirky. The KA1101's performance was a quantum improvement over an Eton S350DL on all bands and sensitivity is adjusted by a two-position sliding switch (Local/DX). The 2.5-inch (66mm) speaker was a great sounding room-filler considering its size. The Kaito earbuds were adequate but a pair of Bose TriPort IEs gave full and pure sound without hums, creaks, squeaks or whistles that are symptomatic of less-well-designed receiver and power supply circuitry. Audio tone is controlled by a two-position sliding switch (Music/News). Nice surprises were a button/keypad lock function and an ambient light sensor that moderates the display illumination.
The battery charging system appeared to function as designed and is switched on by a couple of button pushes. One potentially disastrous error for a strict literalist is the user's manual's directive to plug the 120 VAC power converter into a 220VAC outlet. There has been criticism that the battery meter does not show a full charge when rechargeable batteries are installed. This is addressed in the manual which states that the meter will only show 2/3 when the rechargeable cells are topped off. This makes sense as the NiMH AA cells are rated at 1.2VDC, not 1.5VDC as in disposable cells; on a scale where 4.5VDC is analogous to 100%, the voltmeter reflects the total available voltage, 3.6VDC with fully-charged NiMH rechargeables vs. 4.5VDC with disposables.
To me, the bottom line of a radio is its ability to receive broadcast signals and provide quality audio output. Ergonomics and programming functions are relative to individual preference and experience. I found the KA1101 uncluttered and simple to operate. The clock is 24-hour only but as I set mine on GMT that is not a liability. The wrist strap that some find annoying can easily be removed with a snip of some scissors. The black vinyl carrying case is simply that: a simple cover solely to protect the radio from damage during transport or storage, not designed for use while the unit is playing.
I was looking for a compact, multi-band unit and the KA1101 is terrific in this regard. For someone seeking an outstanding receiver in this category I'd definitely recommend it. |
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| "Excellent Performer in a Petite Package" | 2008-03-29 |
| - Reviewed By shepardb |
Quality and sensitivity of this radio are exceptional. I also have the GE Superradio III, touted for it's abilities in areas where signals are marginal. That radio does well but is hardly portable, more luggable. I was surprised to find that the petite KA1101 out-performs the much, much larger and heavier (and almost three times as expensive) Superradio.
As others have noted, instruction booklet is amusingly creative in its use of the English language. But, a little trial-and-error and one learns how to make the most of the many capabilities built into this small package.
Better instructions would not mitigate the fact that this is a complicated radio to operate. Not for those who prefer to depend upon their children when it comes to recording TV shows on their DVR or VHS recorder.
Nice touch: when plugged into AC source, radio recharges the three rechargeable AA batteries (included) it requires to operate (although you have to remember to push the "recharge" button for this to happen). Also, cannot operate the radio for the 5 hours it takes for a full recharge.
Mildly annoying: cannot set mode of time display. 24-hour display (e.g., 1:00 p.m. is 1300) is the only choice for time of day and alarm time. And, "sleep mode" is the default mode; that is, turn it on and it will turn itself off in 99 minutes. If you want to be in control of when it turns off, have to remember to take it out of sleep mode after turning it on.
This radio does exactly what I wanted: excellent reception in a small package I can toss in the carry-on as I travel. And, I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to get more complicated gadgets to dance. Your mileage may vary. |
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| "Solid, Simple, Straightforward, A Lot in a Little Box" | 2008-02-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3B8FRWV1HKQE6 |
Kaito KA1101 - Worldband radio
Bottom lines first: I am neither audiophile nor shortwaver/DXer, rather someone who wanted a decent-sounding, easy-to-operate, small-as-possible radio for FM and AM news and music broadcasts, albeit with an eye toward dabbling in shortwave and see if there was enough there do develop a semi-serious interest in. I did a lot of research, including reading around extensively in Passport to World Band Radio, the bible of this activity, and other online sites. Based on what I read, the KA1101 delivered the best performance for the buck, and it offered excellent reception in all bands, including world band. So I figured that even if the shortwave thing didn't pan out that I would still have a solid FM/AM radio.
After a month of use, I can say that the KA1101 is a superb little package, one that lived up to, or exceeded, every expectation. FM reception is outstanding, ditto AM reception. Every station, even the hard to get local all-classical station, come in clear and clean and crisp. As for sound, well it's not Bose, but for such a tiny speaker it's really pretty impressive, and the stereo sound through the earpieces that come with the radio is not bad at all.
As for shortwave, I've played around with it just using the built-in retractable antenna and managed to get quite a few broadcasts, mainly in the evening and mainly on the 49 meter (5800-6200 or so) range: Radio Netherlands, Radio Habana, some odd music, a UFO government conspiracy station, 10 minutes of Bob Dylan, a reading from Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World", a discussion of a "colon-cleansing Holy tea", assorted news/culture/music bits. It's kinda fun, though from what I understand, we on the west coast are at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to shortwave reception. Outside the 49 meter band, the pickings have been slim, but I do latch onto something worth a few minutes of listening time now and then. Keep in mind, I have no expertise here and am just flipping around to see what I come up with. I'm sure that SW reception would improve, perhaps significantly, with an external antenna, but I'm not quite there yet. In the interim, shortwaving in the evening using just the built-in has so far been an enjoyable little adventure. And I can carry the radio around with me in the morning and evening, then put it down wherever I end up by using the flip-down stand on the backside.
What else? The build quality is quite good, the whole package having a well-made, solid feel to it. The buttons are sound and "clicky" (you never have to guess whether you've pushed one) and I like the positioning of the turning up and down buttons that are arranged in a little semi-circle in the lower right hand corner and, for me, seem perfectly positioned for using my thumb on when I am holding the radio. Plenty of presets with 10 per band (and totally easy to use), easy direct access, Wide and Narrow band switch to use for difficult to tune-in stations. Everything about operating this radio is intuitive and quickly mastered. The retractable antenna seems a bit fragile, and I did manage to break off the tip by apparently pushing back down when it wasn't perfectly straight (phoned KaitoUsa and for $10 they are sending me a replacement).
Last week, I bought a pair of Sennheiser 202 headphones and have to say that using these is a HUGE improvement in stereo sound quality, almost a concert hall sound when listening to classical music. Vastly superior to the ear buds that come with the radio.
No matter how long I charge the NiMH batteries, the logo always shows only 2/3 full, but from other reports I've read this is apparently the norm for this radio. Whatever, almost a month later and they are still running on the initial charge, this on 1+ hours of use per day.
All in all, this has to be the best AM/FM/SW package out there ($52.95 is what I paid through amazon which routed the sale directly through KaitoUSA in Monclair, CA). |
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| "Very pleased" | 2008-01-18 |
| - Reviewed By rbwjazz2 |
From the experiences I've had with this radio...from not having it very long, I'd say it ranks just as good as any portable Sangean I own...relative to size.
As other reviews have said, some of the buttons are NOT very intuative, and the instruction booklet is hilarious! I wish I COULD understand some of what it tries to explain.
What I like?
The sound; including the ability to switch from wide to narrow, and the music/news switch.
The eaze of programming and recalling favorite stations.
The sensor light (although it could be a tad less sensitive).
The reception; best on FM of any radio I've seen this small...with very few images from local blow-torches! AM selectivity & sensitivity is also impressive. I believe it surpasses many of the Sangean portables. Confession; I didn't buy this radio for shortwave, and have no comment.
The extension antenna, which can improve FM pickup even more.
The stereo/mono button for FM.
What I don't like?
The 24 hr clock is hard to get used to, especially since it puts a "0" before the hour up until 10 AM (even though I guess that's the way it's meant to be) ... and the fact that it's in the lower left corner of the display.
The displays indicating AM-FM-SW etc, are very small & hard to discern.
The inability to "fine tune" in 1 khz steps. That would be helpful. But the narrow button helps in that regard.
I'm not sure yet about battery consumption. Although it's true... when the chargeables are charged, they only appear to reach a 3/4 power plateau.
I guess I like alot more than I dislike! Hense the 4 stars!! |
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| "In response to the last review" | 2007-01-25 |
| - Reviewed By richard2003 |
Very impt. The 1101 does not have SSB receiving capability.
The 1102 does.
So in that regard it is a very different radio for those who want to hear Ham radio. |
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| "Good for the price!" | 2006-11-12 |
| - Reviewed By gumbomu |
I originally was a GE Super-radio freak (bought one over 20 years ago--sold it to my brother when GE Super-Radio III came out--it worked for him untill being destroyed by Katrina) and liked my Super-RadioIII EXCEPT for the dammed rotary tuning which WAS inaccurate and a painand disliked the weight being more like a home unit than a portable---wanted something smaller (something I can take hiking) with digital tuning and good reception and decided to try the Kaito 1101. Got it--yes, you have to read the manual, welcome to life----thought the FM/AM reception was equal to the GE ; although sound quality went to the GE (well it IS a much bigger unit with 2 speakers!) but loved the rechargable battery feature (although the first time I tried to recharge it--after letting the first charge run down as told--it only charged it 2/3 of a charge! Still it worked over a month on the first charge used daily)liked the Kaito so much (and I admit I was short for cash! Ha!)that I sold my Super-RadioIII
to my brother.Overall I'm happy with the Kaito--we'll see how it lasts. |
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 "An unmitigated disaster" | 2006-10-30 |
| - Reviewed By smcohen3 |
| I bought the Kaito 1101 in August 2005, and found that it played adequately, if unexceptionally. Sound and sensitivity were decent, but not better. The user interface is unintuitive and the manual nearly incomprehensible, although that didn't bother me much. My first problem was that the radio refused to charge up the rechargeable batteries that come with it. A call to Kaito yielded this advice: use a dedicated battery charger. The 1101 is able to keep batteries charged up once they have an initial charge, I was told, but is unable to charge batteries that have zero charge. So I used a separate charger, and this seemed to work, although I found it odd that they would sell a radio that is advertised to charge its batteries but is incapable of doing so. And even after they are charged the batteries run down very fast. After about ten months, the radio simply refused to play, even using AC current. Since it was still under warranty, I shipped it back and received a replacement radio. Three months later (just beyond the one-year warranty period) the replacement radio failed in exactly the same way -- it simply stopped producing any sound on any of its bands. I have now decided that it's junkyard time for this piece of junk, and time to get a radio that works. In 2006, how hard can it be to make a decent radio? |
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Expedited Available
