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Jay's Radio Reviews, Comparisons & Restorations

Sony ICF-2010/ICF-2001D – An All-

Time Classic
(https://radiojayallen.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/20180129_105514_001-large.jpg)Perhaps
one of the most iconic multi-band portable radios of its time, the ICF-2010/2001D enjoyed
one of the longest production runs of any radio, being manufactured from 1985 to 2002. I
will admit that I have a particular affection for this model as it was my reference portable
radio for many years. My first shortwave radio was an inexpensive Sangean analog
portable. Years later I bought a refurbished Grundig Yacht Boy 400 which was a real step
upwards, but after a few years of reading glowing reports about the Sony 2010 in Passport
To World Band Radio and elsewhere I finally took the plunge and never regretted it. I’ve
owned three samples of the 2010 over the years, all bought new, and have seen many others,
but I still own one of my original 2010’s and it still operates flawlessly, although now, with
so many radios at my disposal it doesn’t get as much use as it used to. Somehow, I never got
around to writing about it so I thought it was time to write a modern day (2018) look and
see how it compares with some of the best multi-band portables being produced today. My
2010 has had no modifications whatsoever…it is completely stock. I did align it many years
ago…it was very close as received but I wanted to be sure it was as good as it could be. It
appears to have held its alignment perfectly.

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The US version was called the ICF-2010 while ICF-2001D was the model number used in the
rest of the world. According to the service manual there were 6 versions sold in different
areas. In some countries SSB was deleted and some versions lacked Air Band or parts of the
LW/SW/FM spectrum. (You are out of luck if your unit lacks Air Band or SSB, but the
deleted frequency ranges can be restored by changing internal jumper patterns). Also, it is
easy to confuse this radio with the very different ICF-2001 which was an earlier, completely
different radio.

(https://radiojayallen.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/alt-picture-box-large.jpg)
(https://radiojayallen.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/alt-picture-1-large.jpg)What Made The
‘2010 So Special? At the time of its release (1985) the Sony was no less than a breakthrough
performer by portable standards in several ways.

First, and most important, its AM and SW reception using its built-in antennas was
unmatched by any other radio anywhere near its size and price. Its outright sensitivity and
ability to capture faint signals which other radios could not hear put it in a class by itself,
especially in areas where signals were not as strong as they might be elsewhere. In fact,
when Sony eventually replaced the ICF-2010 with the much-updated SW-77 I found the new
model to be a bit of a step backwards in terms of raw AM/SW reception, although the SW77
was innovative in many ways, including being Sony’s first model to sport Page Tuning
which allowed alpha-numeric station labeling and groupings. (Interestingly, the SW77’s are
now developing problems due to failing surface mount components…a problem which the
2010 does not suffer from).

The Competition: To be sure, other radios had their devotees…two of the 2010’s biggest
competitors were the popular (and excellent) Grundig Satellit 500 introduced in 1989 and
Satellit 700 introduced in 1992. Even then, the Grundig’s sync circuitry, although of similar
design, was often problematical and not as effective as the Sony’s. In fact, a few Grundig
user’s groups published details of modifications that could be made to the Grundig’s sync
circuit to make it more closely approximate Sony’s. There was also a known issue with
rumbling noises with the Grundig’s sync if certain internal adjustments were not optimized.
Aside from that, the Grundigs seemed designed for stronger signal areas, where they
handled the extremely strong European SW signals somewhat better, but the flip side of this
is that the Grundigs were less sensitive for weaker SW and AM signals. The Grundigs did
offer fuller sounding audio, but at the same time they could not match the crispness and
clarity of the Sony. Additionally, the Grundig’s FM was more selective than the Sony’s. But
on AM the Grundigs sounded somewhat muffled even in the wide bandwidth mode and
the noise floor was poorer resulting in a hissy sound on medium to weak AM stations – the
Sony delivered AM reception with better clarity and a noticeably lower noise floor.

I should also note that the Sony 2010’s superiority was not absolute. I am describing it in the
context of lunchbox-sized portable radios of its day. There were and are larger and more
expensive radios that will outperform it, but in an apples-to-apples comparison the Sony
2010 was a strong performer.

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(https://radiojayallen.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/20171201_134114_004-large.jpg)
(https://radiojayallen.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/20180130_085517_003-large.jpg)Sony
ICF-2010 Design & Features: The 2010 has two signal attenuators: A DX/Local switch and
an RF Gain slider. Unfortunately, the DX/Local switch is located after the first gain stage so
it is not quite as effective as it might have been, although it still helps. The secondary RF
Gain slider is an added convenience and can also be used to bring signal level indications
into the most useful range, which can be helpful for example in orienting an antenna for
best signal or null.

Another area of superiority of the ‘2010 was how well-implemented the digital tuning was.
In those early digital days many portable radios tuned poorly, with muting while tuning
and/or chuffing noises which disturbed band-scanning.* But the Sony’s tuning knob
provided two-speed tuning that was as smooth as silk…virtually like an analog radio with
no muting, coarse stepping actions or noises. You could freely spin it using the finger
dimple and it had a great feel. In an era where digital memories were a new feature, Sony’s
use of 32 dedicated memory preset buttons was (and is) as easy as it gets with no menus to
dig through. Those 32 buttons were also labelled in blue with alternate functions which
could be invoked by hitting a shift key…an innovative way to expand their capabilities
while keeping the layout uncluttered and simple. Today’s radios may sport 1000 or more
memories which is great for those who care to figure them out…personally I’ve always
stuck to a handful of frequency presets and direct frequency entry methods of tuning which,
along with band scanning, seem easier to me than dealing with 1000 memories.

*In one way, many of today’s radios have taken a step backward in this regard – they tune
with muting which impedes band-scanning.

(https://radiojayallen.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/sony-2001d-an-1-system-1-large.jpg)
ICF-2001D Packaged With AN-1 Antenna

Synchronous Detection: The 2010 was the first consumer portable radio to offer
synchronous detection. Sony had already developed an IC to enable AM Stereo which they
realized they could also use to provide sync in the ‘2010. In fact, there were articles which
outlined how one could modify their 2010 to provide AM Stereo output. The 2010’s sync
performance is exemplary both in terms of sync width (the ability to maintain lock even if
somewhat off-tuned from the center of the signal), and sync depth (the ability to maintain
lock even when the signal fades down to very low levels). It also behaved well when signals
faded and dropped out of sync then faded back in… this is crucial to making sync actually
usable. Some radios howl and squeal when sync drops out then tries to re-lock as the signal
fades back in. If that is happening sync can be more of a frustration than an asset. This
excellent sync helped the 2010 despite the fact that its wide filter was considered too wide
by some people. Although this very wide filter allowed unusual crispness in the audio, with
closely spaced signals it sometimes resulted in hets and squeals as stations beat against each
other…but if one sideband was in the clear the excellent sync circuit allowed you to ignore
the offending sideband and enjoy clear reception from the other. Of course, one could
always go to the narrow bandwidth setting. Some users however wanted something in

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between those two options so a cottage industry sprang up exemplified by companies such
as KIWA (http://kiwa-electronics.com) to put better filters into the 2010 and these
improved filters were well-received by many. To this day some owners still replace the IF
filters in their 2010’s. Evidently I am not alone in my continued interest in this radio because
the largest Sony 2010 group with close to 3000 members remains very active today.
Incidentally the former Yahoo Group migrated to https://groups.io/ (https://groups.io/)
as of 2018.

https://groups.io/g/SonyICF20102001Dusergroup
(https://groups.io/g/SonyICF20102001Dusergroup)

A Few Negatives: I always like to remind people that no radio is perfect and of course, the
ICF-2010 was not without its quirks. Many one-sheets appeared to help users do simple
mods or fixes to keep their radios humming along. Some issues affected only early
production units and were soon remedied.

One problem area was the holder for the two AA memory batteries. It sometimes failed to
provide reliable contact which caused loss of memory and intermittent operation, especially
in early production units. I guess I’m lucky that I never experienced this defect in any of my
three 2010’s. The easiest fix was to try a different brand of AA battery which might fit more
snugly, or to use tape over the AA batteries to hold them in place. Some people also added a
memory capacitor across the terminals to allow changing the AA batteries without losing
the memories. Some users reported issues with the connections for the D cells as well.
Again, I never experienced that issue.

Another issue concerned the spring contact for the whip antenna which sometimes failed to
make positive contact with the PCB. The fix was to slightly bend the spring contacts to make
firmer contact…I did have that issue with one of mine but the fix was easy.

Another defect is failure of Q303 (which is a 2SK152-1)…the RF input FET, usually caused
by static discharge to an external antenna. Although the whip antenna always had static
protection diodes, early production units lacked protective diodes for the Aux Antenna
input. It is easy to add such diodes if needed.

One other weak area is the mini jacks used for external antennas. They are soldered directly
to the PC board and if abused can break loose causing intermittent connections. Sony
provided two small antenna adapters…small junction boxes which were designed to make
connecting antennas easier and to relieve strain on those mini jacks by letting you connect
your external antenna wire to the coupler which then connected to the radio via thin,
flexible cables. Even without them, careful users would never connect a heavy coax cable or
very large adapter/connector directly to a mini-jack…flexible adapters are widely available
through many sources. (You might be interested to know that mini jack breakage was
always one of the major failure modes for small portable devices…in the days of the
Walkman and competing devices, more units suffered broken jacks than any other failure).

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FM, LW and Air Band reception are not great…the 2010’s strengths definitely were on SW
and AM. FM selectivity can be improved by changing the FM IF filters.

The Record Output is not a standard line level output…it was designed to feed the mic
inputs of cassette recorders of the day and will provide a weak signal into a standard line
level input, although a mod does exist to remedy this if needed.

The LED display is small and dim compared with today’s radios…some users replace the
LED with newer ones for better illumination.

Since this radio was available for so many years and was so popular worldwide you can
find a ton of information about it on-line…you could spend many hours reading up on the
2010 if you care to do so. A British gentleman named Steve Whitt published two booklets
describing all sorts of interesting facts and mods you could do with your radio and later
compiled an Archive CD which contains both of his booklets and a ton of other collected
info on the 2010 – you can purchase his CD via this link:
(http://www.mwcircle.org/member_cds.htm)

So – How does the 2010 compare to Today’s Best Portable Multi-band Radios? To find out
I pitted the 2010 against several top current and recent models, including the Sangean ATS-
909X, Tecsun PL-880, PL-660, S-2000/Eton/Grundig Satellit 750, Tecsun S-8800, Eton Satellit
Executive, Eton E1, Grundig Satellit 800 and others.

As it turns out, the 2010 still holds its own with the best on SW.

On SW using built-in whip antennas the 2010 matches the raw sensitivity of the best of these
radios and beats several of them. I did daytime sensitivity tests scanning all of the SW
bands, tuning as many signals as I could find on all of the radios and I tabulated the results
(a daunting task that occurred over a period of weeks). In no case could I tune in a signal on
any of the radios and receive it better than on the 2010, yet the converse was sometimes the
case. The 2010 could receive any signal I could hear on any of the other radios. Its sync was
also excellent at locking onto and holding weak signals and improving their sound
quality…only the Satellit 800 and E1 matched or beat the sync performance of the 2010. The
Tecsun PL-660’s sync was very good but not in the same league…the sync in the Tecsun PL-
880 and Eton Satellit Executive sounded so bad I judged it unlistenable. I will say that a few
of today’s best radios are very similar to the 2010’s SW performance, plus many are smaller
and have many added features which can make them desirable, especially for travel where
size matters and one doesn’t want to risk damage to a vintage 2010.

At night with many stronger signals some of the modern radios fared better. Most of them
have numerous IF filter choices which were helpful in some cases. The 2010 still received
every signal the newer radios did but their narrower bandwidth options sometimes
sounded better. There were still enough faint signals where the 2010 showed its prowess,
and its sync was still a great tool to clean up many signals.

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On SW using External Antennas, two later and more expensive radios – the Satellit 800 and
Eton E1, clearly outperformed the 2010. Under crowded band conditions and in the
presence of many stronger signals, they were able to resolve some signals which were
suppressed on the 2010 because it didn’t match their ultimate rejection and blocking
performance…the ability to maintain maximum sensitivity in the presence of much stronger
signals. It was sometimes hard to isolate but nevertheless it showed the difference between
what more sophisticated, more expensive radios can accomplish. None of the other current
portables beat the 2010 in this reception test although some sounded much fuller and more
forgiving of poor reception. Most of the portables, the 2010 included, showed more overload
than the SAT 800 and E1. True, it could be mitigated by the use of a DX/Local switch or
knob but at the cost of reduced overall sensitivity. A good performer in this test was the
Sangean ATS-909X, which was no surprise as its admittedly lower sensitivity helps resist
overload and has always favored the use of external antennas, whereas radios like the 2010
and the other top portables are designed for maximum whip sensitivity. Anyone with a
serious outdoor antenna wanting to use it with any portable radio would do well to
consider an external attenuator or pre-selector.

Single Sideband (SSB): Here the 2010 turns in decent performance limited somewhat due
to its relatively coarse 100 Hz SSB tuning increments. The radio will do well bringing in the
SSB signals but you won’t always get as natural audio recovery as you will on a radio with
finer or continuous SSB tuning increments…some of today’s radios can present more
natural audio with SSB signals.

AM Performance: Here the story is bit different. Again, I know some will disagree with me
but the 2010 is not among the very top AM performers I have tested although it is close.
However, it’s AM reception is better than most other multi-band portables currently on the market.
It ranks as Four out of Five Stars in the AM Mega Shootout list which is still excellent and
the 2010 also has the advantage of being able to use an external AM antenna via a direct
connection…a feature lacking on many of today’s radios and that excellent synchronous
detector can sometimes help a fading AM station sound much better. The best of the
competitors is the Tecsun S-8800…its sensitivity and noise floor floor beat all the other
multi-band (SW capable) radios, although a few frequencies did have spurious birdies
which marred reception. It was interesting to me that the Tecsun S-8800 was slightly better
than any of the other Tecsuns on AM. In order to find a better performing AM radio on
today’s market you will have to forgo SW. As with many radios however be aware that
there is some attenuation of AM signals via the Aux Antenna input on the 2010, done to
decrease AM breakthrough into the SW bands. You can get full gain by partially inserting
the plug into the jack but this is a finicky proposition. (More accurately, there is an
additional RF Gain stage for the built-in AM ferrite rod antenna which is bypassed when the
Aux Antenna jack is used).

FM Performance: Not a strong point of the 2010, the Sony’s FM tuner is reasonably sensitive
but not very selective. In remote locations it does alright but with today’s extremely
crowded band conditions in most urban and suburban locations it simply is no match for

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many other radios which far outperform it in their ability to clearly separate closely spaced
signals. The best of today’s DSP-equipped (Digital Signal Processing) portable radios can
easily separate adjacent FM frequencies which the 2010 cannot due to its very wide FM IF
filtering. Some people have installed narrower FM filters in their 2010’s but for the average
user the simplest solution is to us a different radio for state-of-the-art FM reception.
Likewise, Air Band and LW are only so-so on the 2010.

A True Classic: The ICF-2010/2001D remains a classic from Sony’s heyday of cutting edge
innovation in the world of portable radios. While, like all radios, it certainly has its flaws, it
fits my definition of a classic in many ways.

*Arguably the longest production run of any multi-band radio ever made: 1985 – 2002.

*Synchronous Detection was ground-breaking in its day and still compares favorably today.

*SW whip sensitivity was and is tops in this category…the Sony will receive and make
intelligible weak signals as well as any other portable.

*AM sensitivity and noise floor are better than any multi-band shortwave radio made today.

*An early digital model whose tuning had no digital artifacts – tunes smoothly and
naturally with no muting or noises and the free-wheeling knob can be easily spun with a
fingertip.

*One of the most user-friendly designs ever conceived with 32 dedicated push-buttons to
store 32 stations and perform alternate functions with no menus.

*Excellent 10 segment LED signal strength meter.

*Most 2010’s still work as well as when they were new – unit does not contain failing
components such as in the newer (and less sensitive) ICF-SW77.

To be sure, the 2010 is not perfect…no radio is. But in some ways it was singularly excellent
in its day and is still a joy to use today. I will never part with mine.

Jay Allen (mailto:radiojayallen@gmail.com)

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