Interesting comparison. Reminds me of the differences between the XHDATA D-328 and D-219 off a 10 meter wire... The D-328 not only sounds fuller, but is better on SW than my D-219. The D-219 is better on MW. It may not have better MW sensitivity, but it's much easier to tune. Great vid, though. Very well done and a good representation of the two radios. I may end up getting a D-368, adding to my growing XHDATA collection because of it. :-) Thanks for posting this, and peace to you in South Africa from the NW USA.
Hi Chris, thanks for your comment. I should do a proper MW comparison between these two some time, and maybe add the D-220 also. The D-368 is actually a really nice little radio, it feels a bit more premium than the D-219 and the sound is quite a bit better, that's for sure.
Hi Joe, thanks for your comment. I do agree, the sound on the D-368 is better. Perhaps it is also a bit more stable. But they are very close in terms of reception, in my opinion.
Hello André, interesting comparison between these two close siblings. As far as I know, they share the same DSP and overall design for the radio part. They come up pretty close in your video, one doing marginally better than the other on one signal, and the contrary on another. Too close to call in terms of pure sensitivity/selectivity/noise IMHO. However the D-368 has a significantly larger bandwidth setting and this really shows in the audio it produces that has more depth and clarity. This has always been my main gripe against the D-219: its too narrow fixed bandwidth setting. And its poor loudspeaker makes things even worse. Surprisingly, the larger bandwidth on the D-368 doesn't bring in more noise here. (edited for typos)
I have bought a D-368 but gave it to our live-in maid, but I don't think she listens to the radio like I do. I'll borrow it from her sometime in the future to compare it with the D-219 as I've never checked their respective IF filter widths. 🙂 The funny thing is that, XHDATA introduced the D-368 in early 2022 but when they rolled out the D-219, they spent more on advertising the latter. What the D-368 and D-219 need is at least two bright LEDs to illuminate the tuning dial and band selector switch in the dark, but the company is too cheap to put them in. Only the Tecsun R-9700DX has a fully illuminated dial and band switch, but it's a premium analogue receiver costing 4 times as much as the D-219.
I believe both use different DSP chips. The D-219 uses Silicon labs Si4825 which is slightly inferior in functionality since it doesnt provide stereo FM but similar in performance to D-386 which uses a chip with stereo FM.
The audio difference you are hearing probably is not a greater bandwidth on the D-368, but a different AF chip that drives the headphones. Some reviews online state that it has higher audio output than other small XHDATA radios, which could also be a factor. My D219 has a wider bandwidth than either my D-328 or D-220, both of which sound fuller and bassier through headphones.
Most online retailers sell them, like Ali Express or Amazon. You will probably also be able to find them from vape shops and electronics stores. Just take your original one along so that you can compare the size, they are not all exactly the same length.
@@stefanozebralight518 Thanks for this Stefano. I actually did not know that the D-328 uses the cellphone-type batteries, my mistake here. I thought that it used the same 18650 as the D-368.
Life hack for XHDATA D-219 owners! 📻📣 The manufacturer was too cheap to provide a basic protective case for this radio - not even a cheap nylon pouch that it bundles with the more expensive D-808. I ordered an EVA clamshell zipper case for 2.5" USB external hard drives and the D-219 fits inside just nicely. Small pocket radios like the Sihuadon R-108 and Tecun R-909 will also fit into the same sized case, but the XHDATA D-368 and Tecsun PL-320/330 receivers won't. They require a wider case. Now you can protect your D-219 radio when not in use! 📻👍
@@swlistening Well, I guess the Qodosen SR-286 could sure use an EVA clam shell case, Andre. It has a zip that goes nearly all the way around and there are no Velcros to interfere with the lanyard! 😀 Additional space to carry spare batteries, earphones and if it's large enough the Tecsun reel antenna may also fit! These cases are inexpensive and their prices depend on the size (obviously) and the seller's pricing. They do however, take up additional space in your drawer or closet since the clam shell design is bulky.
Hi Andre,both radios perform well,but D-368 little bit more sensitive & its sound also much better than D-219,Obviously The difference will be because both have different chips and the speakers are also different🙏
I'm pretty sure both models use the Skyworks Si4825-A10 DSP chip. This inexpensive tuner chip is designed for analogue multiband radios with a mechanical frequency tuning and I doubt XHDATA uses a different DSP model for the D-368. Audio wise, the D-368 has a higher wattage speaker and most probably a more powerful AF stage amp, which is why this model delivers a fuller sound than the D-219. 😀 Edit: I could have mistaken the D-368 for the less expensive D-328. I know I've seen disassembly videos of the D-219 and it does have the Si 4825-A10, just like the D-328. 🙏🏼
@radioenthusiastD368 Thank you for your comment! Your comment actually made me curious, so I looked around and found two posts about tear-downs of these two radios on the Hackaday site. The chips are, in fact, not exactly the same, thanks for pointing this out. Like the others who commented here, I had always thought that the D-219 and the D-368 used the same chip. But it seems like the D-219 uses the Si4825 chip, while the D-368 uses the Si4836A chip. The sound here was recorded via the earphone jack to a digital recorder, so any difference in sound that you can hear, is not due to the speakers. But there are some sound differences, probably due to the bandwidth settings, as @F4LDT-Alain pointed out in another comment here. I still think they are pretty close in terms of performance.
@@swlistening I believe the OP is right about the D-368 using a different Silicon Labs DSP chip. Guess I had confused the D-368 with the basic D-328 model, which has neither MP3 nor Bluetooth features. Note to self: A YT reader with "D368" as part of their user name is very likely to be an expert on XHDATA D-368 radios. 📻☺️
@@swlistening Thanks Ander for valuing my comment and for doing so much research, yes D-368 uses Si4836A chip,this chip has more features than Si4825-A10,it has tunning led, stereo Fm on headphones etc.but early D368 models had Tsc-3836B Chinese clone chip,then xhdata change it bcoz of performance isue🙏
Good Evening Andre.... As far as compact analog style radio is concerned, is there anything better than the D-386 currently? I'd like to have a choice of bandwidths to select from, but dont want the digital button input in this type. There's nothing like the experience of analog tuning - thast why I bought the fully analog Tecsun R-9700DX, which has great sound but is a magnet for RFI interference and my place has lots of it sadly. !!
If you already have the R-9700 DX then I don't actually know of anything else that would be better. If I were you, I would try to get rid of some of the RFI, if at all possible. Something I often do when I am DXing is to switch off the mains power to my house, it already makes a difference. Or try the D-368, don't know if you have one already? Mine does not seem to be very noisy.
@@swlistening the R9700dx has great audio and it should should far better than D368 but today morning I took it with me for a walk and all the RFI noise was gone and I got far more stations on FM and and ATC bad voice - perhaps an image from Air band. But it felt quite large and heavy to hold. The 368 should be lighter. Apart from this, being a DSP based radio it could perhaps catch more stations.
@@anulearntech I don't know if the D-368 will catch more stations than the R-9700DX, but it might be a bit less noisy at home. Good idea to take the R-9700DX for a walk!
Hi there Alexandre. The D-219 uses very little battery power, mine has been running for more than six months on the same batteries. The D-368 is still new to me, but I have only charged it once so far since I got it, about two months ago. I don't use it every day though. I think the battery will last a long time, because there is no digital display.
For the price you can't fault the 219. Imho it looks much better too. Only real difference is the built in speaker, on that the 219 could use an upgrade.
I really agree with you. What you get for the price is just beyond belief. The speaker is the only weak point, but it's easy to use headphones or just plug in an external speaker.
I suppose the XHDATA D-219 is a good radio for the money, especially when you can record a shortwave radio station unattended with good results. Just place the radio near a window.
Ah! Batteries bought at drug store. Easy to clean I use 2 meters of 16 gauge wire. W gator clip. That digital detector locks on and stays there. The 328 has a 9 Mhz setup the 328 has a flat pack that's hard to get at times here. The D-219 GETS IT For ME..Sri d -368. And d -328 😊😊😊😊
@@swlistening have 2 d - 219 in 9 and 2 in 10 modes 2 328 in 9 mode then a 368. I collect radios thought worthy I use one...the other goes to storage ..I have given seniors a d-219 one man's wife said that at 90 he carried his around...seems that his altshimer 's has lessened some what so his wife is happy ... radio for ever my man love your shows....
@@Steven-re7xt What a great idea to share the D-219 with seniors. Very nice story about the man with Alzheimer's, I believe the stimulation from the radio probably does help a little bit! I also have several D-219s. I use one, two are in storage. Nice to have back-ups.
@@swlistening Somewhat off-topic, but many radio sellers from China like to advertise "radios for the elderly" using stock photos of 80+ senior citizens. I get it if the radio itself is fairly basic (mainly analogue) but I can't help laughing at product pages that advertise a sophisticated shortwave receiver like the ATS-25 Max Decoder II as "a radio for old folks". 📻😂 Methinks by "elderly" they're referring to people from the "Silent generation" (born between1928 and 1945) and the early Baby Boomers. 😀
@@StratmanII I have seen those ads, they are quite funny sometimes. I guess there is a big market for radios among actual elderly people (I'm just thinking of my mother here, for example, who loves listening to the radio). But, yes, maybe these ads are not targeted quite at the right audience 🙂
Interesting comparison. Reminds me of the differences between the XHDATA D-328 and D-219 off a 10 meter wire... The D-328 not only sounds fuller, but is better on SW than my D-219. The D-219 is better on MW. It may not have better MW sensitivity, but it's much easier to tune. Great vid, though. Very well done and a good representation of the two radios. I may end up getting a D-368, adding to my growing XHDATA collection because of it. :-) Thanks for posting this, and peace to you in South Africa from the NW USA.
Hi Chris, thanks for your comment. I should do a proper MW comparison between these two some time, and maybe add the D-220 also. The D-368 is actually a really nice little radio, it feels a bit more premium than the D-219 and the sound is quite a bit better, that's for sure.
The Xhdata d-368 is a little sensitive, more stable reception and the sound is more pleasant to my ear than the other radio.
Hi Joe, thanks for your comment. I do agree, the sound on the D-368 is better. Perhaps it is also a bit more stable. But they are very close in terms of reception, in my opinion.
I have the XHDATA D-219 10K version for North American medium wave. It is an amazing receiver for under $10.
I agree, it is an incredibly good radio, and so inexpensive.
The XHDATA D 368 has a rich, deeper sound quality, more bass in it.
Hello André, interesting comparison between these two close siblings. As far as I know, they share the same DSP and overall design for the radio part.
They come up pretty close in your video, one doing marginally better than the other on one signal, and the contrary on another. Too close to call in terms of pure sensitivity/selectivity/noise IMHO.
However the D-368 has a significantly larger bandwidth setting and this really shows in the audio it produces that has more depth and clarity.
This has always been my main gripe against the D-219: its too narrow fixed bandwidth setting. And its poor loudspeaker makes things even worse.
Surprisingly, the larger bandwidth on the D-368 doesn't bring in more noise here. (edited for typos)
I have bought a D-368 but gave it to our live-in maid, but I don't think she listens to the radio like I do. I'll borrow it from her sometime in the future to compare it with the D-219 as I've never checked their respective IF filter widths. 🙂
The funny thing is that, XHDATA introduced the D-368 in early 2022 but when they rolled out the D-219, they spent more on advertising the latter.
What the D-368 and D-219 need is at least two bright LEDs to illuminate the tuning dial and band selector switch in the dark, but the company is too cheap to put them in. Only the Tecsun R-9700DX has a fully illuminated dial and band switch, but it's a premium analogue receiver costing 4 times as much as the D-219.
I believe both use different DSP chips. The D-219 uses Silicon labs Si4825 which is slightly inferior in functionality since it doesnt provide stereo FM but similar in performance to D-386 which uses a chip with stereo FM.
The audio difference you are hearing probably is not a greater bandwidth on the D-368, but a different AF chip that drives the headphones. Some reviews online state that it has higher audio output than other small XHDATA radios, which could also be a factor. My D219 has a wider bandwidth than either my D-328 or D-220, both of which sound fuller and bassier through headphones.
Where to buy spare battery for D328?
Most online retailers sell them, like Ali Express or Amazon. You will probably also be able to find them from vape shops and electronics stores. Just take your original one along so that you can compare the size, they are not all exactly the same length.
@@stefanozebralight518 Thanks for this Stefano. I actually did not know that the D-328 uses the cellphone-type batteries, my mistake here. I thought that it used the same 18650 as the D-368.
Andre I don’t mind the fight between two brothers….”As long as they play on the same frequency….😂”.
73! Have a great day!
And make up afterwards 😂
Muito bom falta eu comprar o D368
Acho que é um rádio muito bom, vale a pena se você gosta de rádios baseados em DSP com esse tipo de display analógico.
Life hack for XHDATA D-219 owners! 📻📣
The manufacturer was too cheap to provide a basic protective case for this radio - not even a cheap nylon pouch that it bundles with the more expensive D-808.
I ordered an EVA clamshell zipper case for 2.5" USB external hard drives and the D-219 fits inside just nicely. Small pocket radios like the Sihuadon R-108 and Tecun R-909 will also fit into the same sized case, but the XHDATA D-368 and Tecsun PL-320/330 receivers won't. They require a wider case.
Now you can protect your D-219 radio when not in use! 📻👍
Nice idea, thanks! I keep my extra versions (I have three of them) in their original boxes. One is in use, two are still in the boxes.
@@swlistening Well, I guess the Qodosen SR-286 could sure use an EVA clam shell case, Andre. It has a zip that goes nearly all the way around and there are no Velcros to interfere with the lanyard! 😀 Additional space to carry spare batteries, earphones and if it's large enough the Tecsun reel antenna may also fit! These cases are inexpensive and their prices depend on the size (obviously) and the seller's pricing. They do however, take up additional space in your drawer or closet since the clam shell design is bulky.
@@StratmanII I'll look into these for sure, will make sense to add one to my next Ali Express order!
Hi
If wo don't use External Antenna which one's sw reception is better?
Hi Syed, I will have to do another direct comparison to check this, but in my experience so far, they seem about equal when using the whip antennas.
@@swlistening sure
Hi Andre,both radios perform well,but D-368 little bit more sensitive & its sound also much better than D-219,Obviously The difference will be because both have different chips and the speakers are also different🙏
Different DSP chips? are you sure? source please? I'm curious, I really thought that they were sharing the same chip for the radio reception part.
I'm pretty sure both models use the Skyworks Si4825-A10 DSP chip. This inexpensive tuner chip is designed for analogue multiband radios with a mechanical frequency tuning and I doubt XHDATA uses a different DSP model for the D-368.
Audio wise, the D-368 has a higher wattage speaker and most probably a more powerful AF stage amp, which is why this model delivers a fuller sound than the D-219. 😀
Edit: I could have mistaken the D-368 for the less expensive D-328. I know I've seen disassembly videos of the D-219 and it does have the Si 4825-A10, just like the D-328. 🙏🏼
@radioenthusiastD368 Thank you for your comment! Your comment actually made me curious, so I looked around and found two posts about tear-downs of these two radios on the Hackaday site. The chips are, in fact, not exactly the same, thanks for pointing this out. Like the others who commented here, I had always thought that the D-219 and the D-368 used the same chip. But it seems like the D-219 uses the Si4825 chip, while the D-368 uses the Si4836A chip.
The sound here was recorded via the earphone jack to a digital recorder, so any difference in sound that you can hear, is not due to the speakers. But there are some sound differences, probably due to the bandwidth settings, as @F4LDT-Alain pointed out in another comment here.
I still think they are pretty close in terms of performance.
@@swlistening I believe the OP is right about the D-368 using a different Silicon Labs DSP chip. Guess I had confused the D-368 with the basic D-328 model, which has neither MP3 nor Bluetooth features.
Note to self: A YT reader with "D368" as part of their user name is very likely to be an expert on XHDATA D-368 radios. 📻☺️
@@swlistening Thanks Ander for valuing my comment and for doing so much research, yes D-368 uses Si4836A chip,this chip has more features than Si4825-A10,it has tunning led, stereo Fm on headphones etc.but early D368 models had Tsc-3836B Chinese clone chip,then xhdata change it bcoz of performance isue🙏
Good Evening Andre.... As far as compact analog style radio is concerned, is there anything better than the D-386 currently? I'd like to have a choice of bandwidths to select from, but dont want the digital button input in this type. There's nothing like the experience of analog tuning - thast why I bought the fully analog Tecsun R-9700DX, which has great sound but is a magnet for RFI interference and my place has lots of it sadly. !!
If you already have the R-9700 DX then I don't actually know of anything else that would be better. If I were you, I would try to get rid of some of the RFI, if at all possible. Something I often do when I am DXing is to switch off the mains power to my house, it already makes a difference. Or try the D-368, don't know if you have one already? Mine does not seem to be very noisy.
@@swlistening the R9700dx has great audio and it should should far better than D368 but today morning I took it with me for a walk and all the RFI noise was gone and I got far more stations on FM and and ATC bad voice - perhaps an image from Air band. But it felt quite large and heavy to hold. The 368 should be lighter. Apart from this, being a DSP based radio it could perhaps catch more stations.
@@anulearntech I don't know if the D-368 will catch more stations than the R-9700DX, but it might be a bit less noisy at home. Good idea to take the R-9700DX for a walk!
They are similar.
Very similar indeed!
Mana yang terbaik menangkap gelombang fm
I think they catch similar signals on FM. But the sound on the D-368 is better, so I think it is a better radio for FM listening.
Does this radio consume a lot of battery? How long does the battery last?
Hi there Alexandre. The D-219 uses very little battery power, mine has been running for more than six months on the same batteries. The D-368 is still new to me, but I have only charged it once so far since I got it, about two months ago. I don't use it every day though. I think the battery will last a long time, because there is no digital display.
@@swlistening thanks
For the price you can't fault the 219. Imho it looks much better too. Only real difference is the built in speaker, on that the 219 could use an upgrade.
I really agree with you. What you get for the price is just beyond belief. The speaker is the only weak point, but it's easy to use headphones or just plug in an external speaker.
I suppose the XHDATA D-219 is a good radio for the money, especially when you can record a shortwave radio station unattended with good results. Just place the radio near a window.
True, it does seem to be quite stable once locked onto a frequency.
Ah! Batteries bought at drug store. Easy to clean I use 2 meters of 16 gauge wire. W gator clip. That digital detector locks on and stays there. The 328 has a 9 Mhz setup the 328 has a flat pack that's hard to get at times here. The D-219 GETS IT For ME..Sri d -368. And d -328 😊😊😊😊
Hi Steven, thanks for your comment. The digital detector is very good indeed! I wonder, is the D-328 very similar to the D-368? Do you have both?
@@swlistening have 2 d - 219 in 9 and 2 in 10 modes 2 328 in 9 mode then a 368. I collect radios thought worthy I use one...the other goes to storage ..I have given seniors a d-219 one man's wife said that at 90 he carried his around...seems that his altshimer 's has lessened some what so his wife is happy ... radio for ever my man love your shows....
@@Steven-re7xt What a great idea to share the D-219 with seniors. Very nice story about the man with Alzheimer's, I believe the stimulation from the radio probably does help a little bit!
I also have several D-219s. I use one, two are in storage. Nice to have back-ups.
@@swlistening Somewhat off-topic, but many radio sellers from China like to advertise "radios for the elderly" using stock photos of 80+ senior citizens. I get it if the radio itself is fairly basic (mainly analogue) but I can't help laughing at product pages that advertise a sophisticated shortwave receiver like the ATS-25 Max Decoder II as "a radio for old folks". 📻😂
Methinks by "elderly" they're referring to people from the "Silent generation" (born between1928 and 1945) and the early Baby Boomers. 😀
@@StratmanII I have seen those ads, they are quite funny sometimes.
I guess there is a big market for radios among actual elderly people (I'm just thinking of my mother here, for example, who loves listening to the radio). But, yes, maybe these ads are not targeted quite at the right audience 🙂
The 368 wins by far and the sound is incredibly good..
Hi Vinsu, indeed. A bit of a surprise.
Sensitivity is hard to compare. Pretty much a draw to my ears.
I see you found this video 😄 I will do another comparison soon, just to be sure. I agree that the sound on the D-368 is better than the D-219.
@@swlistening now that the D-219 is out of the battle, let’s see how the D-328 and 368 battle it out 😎
@@airwolf1987 That's an idea also!