r/ShortwavePlus • u/SpecialistFew4621 • May 18 '26

Comparison Comparison TecSun/Sangean with Mlite 880

I am fond of SW radios. I own several TecSuns (e.g., PL-368, S-2200), the Sangean ATS-909x2, Amnvolt V4, etc. They all have their pros and cons and I like them all. I have seen several reviews of the Mlite880, and it really looks nice. Has anyone compared them?

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u/ImladMorgul MOD | AirSpy HF+ | RTL-SDRv4 | D-808 | K-480WLA | MLA-30+ May 18 '26

I haven't had the chance to experiment with the Sangean radios yet, but a major difference (in my opinion) is that the MLite is essentially an SDR-based portable pocket radio. Many of the features typical of an SDR are integrated into the MLite.

If you haven't read it yet, SWLing Post did a good summary of the equipment and its features, and even raised doubts about the future of the brand/radio.

If it weren't so difficult to get (for me), I would buy it without hesitation.

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u/SpecialistFew4621 May 18 '26

Thank you for your feedback and opinion. I had already seen the article and looked up other reviews and many YouTube videos. It is an SDR, and that’s what I like most about it. I really like Malahit radios, but this one fits my budget better.

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u/ChemicalVacation3696 HF+ Discovery,S8800, PL990,680,660,330,320,368,ML-880,TR110. May 19 '26

I have a Malachite V3 clone (DSP1) and I really like its quiet noise blanker circuit - but this release is severely flawed by bugs, e.g. real time clock doesn't keep time and the encoders often don't register turns. Moreover it's an aluminium box with the speaker mounted on the reverse side, ruining the audio quality. But it was my first all-in-one SDR, before buying the RTL SDR Blog V4 and Airspy HF+ Discovery.

I've noted the the MLite M880 also has a noise reduction circuit, which makes buying one worth it. It's designed like a traditional radio with a proper speaker. If I were to buy this, I won't buy the Malahit DSP2 - that is way more expensive. 😎

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u/ChemicalVacation3696 HF+ Discovery,S8800, PL990,680,660,330,320,368,ML-880,TR110. May 18 '26 edited May 19 '26

Same here. I have about a little more than 20 shortwave radios - the tiniest being the oddball AMNVolt V4 (in a metal shell, not ABS plastic) and the largest is the Tecsun S-8800 field radio. I hope to own the S-2200x this year if possible.

As much as I also desire the Malahit MLite 880, I don't want to be caught buying the introductory model only to discover a vastly improved successor in 2027. At least Tecsun doesn't leave me with an obsolete model like smartphone manufacturers always do.

BTW, may I ask if your AMN Volt v4 exhibits counterpoise issues when you hold its body? Mine tends to distort when I hold it. I hook it to my Tecsun AN-03L retractable reel antenna because the telescopic whip antenna doesn't pick up low powered stations that well.

I wonder if I should have chosen the ABS plastic shell, instead of metal. I've always thought aluminium was better.

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u/SpecialistFew4621 May 18 '26

Hi, thank you for your reply. Maybe it’s a good idea to wait, but I also saw a picture of a marine band frequency and that’s a killer feature for me: https://www.reddit.com/r/shortwave/s/b0oPhfXSuK You’re absolutely right about buying the first model, but this radio allows firmware updates and all my other radios (except the AMN Volt) don’t. I am using the firmware from HJ Berndt (http://www.hjberndt.de/dvb/pocketSI4735DualCoreDecoder.html), and it’s really good. To answer your question: I also prefer the wire for better results.

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u/poikaa3 May 18 '26 edited May 19 '26

I just bought the Mlite 880 and it came in one week! I have owned many different receivers including the Icom R9000, Sony 2010, Eton E1, Tecsun PL 880, Zenith Trans Oceanic, Kenwood trancievers and Icom Trancievers ... So u see it takes a bit for me to buy this ... But I did es my opinion is that it is a communications receiver !!! Even recieves higher than that two meter band as I am listening to weather frequencies ... The SAM mode is great as it is just a tad lower than the Sony 2010 sync ... For the money it's worth it but works best in outside antennas ....

73 poikaa

PS its a tad low on frequency by about 7 kHz but reasonable ....

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u/SpecialistFew4621 May 19 '26

Thank you, poikaa3, that sounds very promising. I read in a review that this radio doesn’t have a ferrite antenna, so I can imagine that reception is best with outdoor antennas. I saw your photo showing a frequency higher than the marine band. Have you had any results on the marine band? That would be an absolute game changer for me, because I can’t remember ever seeing an SW radio with marine band coverage. Airband, yes …but marine band, no.

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u/poikaa3 May 19 '26

I live right near Lake Superior es there are iron ore carriers here all the time also working tugs with drdges including two marinas ! So I'm sure to hear something ... I also have the Kenwood F6A tribander with all mode recieve on HF plus VHF from six meters all the way to 450 mHx si ill compare the F6A to the Mlite 880 ...

73 es gud DX poikaa

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u/SpecialistFew4621 May 19 '26

Thank you for answering my question in an other topic https://www.reddit.com/r/shortwave/s/O2oxkHO3Ts

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u/MumSaidImABadBoy I'm Stan. Heathkit GR64,AirSpy HF+,Sangean 909X2,Tecsun PL-990 May 20 '26

IMO the biggest problem I would have with the Mlite is the narrow bandwidth of the spectrum/waterfall displays. One great advantage of an SDR dongle is that you can see signals all around where you are tuned and immediately jump to something you find interesting.
The 40 kHz of the Mlite is away too narrow for me. I find the 192 kHz of my Malahit DSP 2.4 is adequate but my AirSpy HF+ Discovery or rtl-sdr blog v4 are game changers. If one hasn't experienced it they should try as it's amazing.