Tecsun H-501
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| Frequency | LW: 50-522 kHz (9 kHz MW mode) / 100-519 kHz (10 kHz MW mode), MW (AM): 522-1620 kHz (9 kHz steps) / 520-1710 kHz (10 kHz steps), SW: 1621-29999 kHz (9 kHz mode) / 1711-29999 kHz (10 kHz mode), 5 kHz tuning / 1 kHz fine, FM: 64/76/87/87.5-108 MHz (region-selectable), stereo |
| Bands | LW, MW (AM), SW (general coverage), FM (stereo) |
| Power | Receiver only; no transmitter. Audio amplifier output is about 500 mW per channel (>=500 mW x 2 at 10% THD); the two full-range speakers are rated 6 ohm, 3 W each and are backed by two passive bass radiators. |
| Modes | AM, SSB (USB/LSB, 10 Hz fine-tuning), FM (stereo/mono), Synchronous detection (selectable LSB or USB sideband) |
| Weight | 1.1 kg (2.4 lb) |
| Year | 2021 |
| antenna fm | 3.5 mm external FM antenna jack |
| antenna am | 3.5 mm external AM antenna jack (LW/MW/SW); the internal whip and ferrite can be disconnected for external-antenna use on all bands |
| headphone | 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack (<300 ohm) |
| line in | 3.5 mm stereo line-in (use the radio as a powered speaker) |
| line out | 3.5 mm stereo line-out (volume/tone disabled on this jack) |
| charge | DC 5V/1A charging/power: micro-USB type-B on 2021-era units, USB-C on current production |
| digital audio | Separate digital-audio USB port (computer-speaker mode): micro-USB type-B on 2021-era units, USB-C on current production |
| microsd | MicroSD card slot on the bottom (up to 128 GB) |
| power req | One 18650 3.7 V Li-ion cell powers the radio, with a second cell in a separate bay and a rear A/B selector switch (so a charged spare is always ready); the selected cell is charged in-radio at DC 5V/1A. Can also run on external DC 5V (FM only, per Tecsun, due to charging interference). |
Tecsun's largest portable, and its strength is audio: two full-range drivers with passive bass radiators, a Class-AB amplifier and separate bass and treble knobs give it fuller, FM-stereo sound than a pocket set. It has selectable-sideband synchronous detection, SSB with 10 Hz fine-tuning and several bandwidths, 3150 memories, a DX/Normal/Local gain switch, separate FM and AM/SW antenna jacks with defeatable internal antennas, a built-in Bluetooth receiver and microSD player, and two switchable 18650 cells that give a built-in spare.
It is large and heavy (277 mm wide, about 1.1 kg) with no carry handle, so it is a desk or lap radio. Reviewers find the synchronous detector's audio so filtered that many use manual ECSS instead. Maximum SW bandwidth is 6 kHz, there is no RDS, memories have no alphanumeric labels, and at around $300 it is expensive. Bluetooth works but is undocumented, so owners often miss it, and loud bass-heavy playback drains the battery quickly.
The H-501 (sold internationally as the H-501x) is Tecsun's flagship portable receiver, covering LW, MW, SW and FM with SSB, selectable-sideband synchronous detection, triple conversion, a microSD player, Bluetooth and dual-speaker stereo audio. Its sound and feature set are among the best of any current portable, at the cost of size, weight and a roughly $300 price. For SWL hobbyists who want a top-end portable and do not need a pocket radio it is a leading choice; the lighter PL-880 trades audio and connectivity for portability, while the Sangean ATS-909X2 adds air band and RDS but lacks the dual-speaker audio.
The Tecsun H-501 (sold internationally as the H-501x) is the company's largest and most feature-laden portable - in effect a bigger, stereo-speaker version of its PL-990. It receives longwave, the AM band, shortwave to 30 MHz and FM, with full single-sideband and a synchronous detector, and it doubles as a Bluetooth speaker and a microSD music player. The current model is usually the H-501x, which widens longwave and shortwave coverage when set to 9 kHz channel spacing; both versions otherwise behave the same.
Its strength is audio. Two full-range drivers with passive bass radiators, a Class-AB amplifier rated about 500 mW per channel, and separate bass and treble knobs give it fuller, FM-stereo sound than a typical pocket set. It tunes SSB in 10 Hz steps with selectable bandwidths, stores 3150 stations, and uses PLL-plus-DSP triple conversion on the AM bands for good image rejection. Power comes from two 18650 cells in separate bays with a rear A/B switch, so a charged spare is always ready; early units charge over micro-USB and current production has moved to USB-C. Separate external antenna jacks serve FM and AM/LW/SW, and the internal antennas can be disconnected for external-antenna use on every band.
Two caveats temper the spec sheet. The synchronous detector, though present and sideband-selectable, is widely judged disappointing: reviewers find its audio so filtered that many simply use manual ECSS. And the radio is large and heavy - 277 mm wide and about 1.1 kg, with no carry handle - so it is a tabletop or lap radio rather than a coat-pocket set. Bluetooth is genuinely useful but is an undocumented 'hidden feature' that Tecsun does not list.
At around $300 it is among the most capable portables in current production, and the dual-speaker audio sets it apart. Against the much lighter PL-880 it wins on sound, battery capacity and connectivity; against the Sangean ATS-909X2 it trades the Sangean's air band and RDS for better audio and a working, if flawed, sync. For a listener who wants a flagship portable and does not mind the size, it is a leading choice.