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Sony's ICF-2001 was a milestone among travel shortwave receivers, the first microprocessor-controlled portable shortwave receiver that not only featured digital frequency display but also a direct frequency input keypad and could store 6 frequencies! This receiver was not only „portable“ by two handles, but with the dimensions of a larger pocketbook, it could also easily be carried in the handluggage. The sales argument „can be conveniently stowed under the aeroplane seat“ became obsolete. In terms of reception performance, this receiver was outperformed by many analogue sets, but the breakthrough was Sony's ICF-2001D. This next generation portable receiver with its frequency display resolution of 100 Hz and it's excellend synchronous detector with selectable sidebands is even in 2020 considered the travel receiver with the best performance on shortwaves. The successor ICF-SW77, which appeared later, had extended alphanumeric memory functions and world time clock functions, but could not keep up with the 2001D in terms of intelligibility of weak signals.

The Sony ICF-7600D was the first real SSB-capable travel radio with digital display & memory functions and was produced for years in the same format, with the same arrangement of controls & apart from the newly added sync detector, the same range of functions. However, Sony's model designation policy has always caused some troubles, the radios carry different type designations in the USA and in the rest of the world, and the combinations of 7600 & the letters D, A, W, G designate completely different radios with also different specifications (but at least similar dimensions).

In the nineties, Sony turned to extremely miniaturised travel radios, hardly bigger than an audio cassette, even though the ICF-SW1000T comes with an integrated cassette recorder. Sophisticated alphanumeric memory & world clock functions are designed to simplify shortwave listening even further. Sony continues to offer affordable travel radios that provide acceptable shortwave reception without disappointment.

Travel portables from Sony

Sony 7600 series travel radios

Miniature receivers by Sony

World receivers with cassette recorder by Sony