EXCELLENT VIDEO!! This is the type of Comparison and Review that I personally enjoy to see and hear. It is particularly helpfull when a Ham Hobbyist is considering making an " Investment or Purchase" of a New Radio.
One major difference is power consumption, the ftdx10 uses 30% more power over the Ft710. Very important consideration when operating portable. It appears a lot of power is lost around the screen area it gets warm when you’re just listening
Nicely done. Great camera work and editing. One reason you didn’t hear as much high frequency audio with the FTdx10 is that you had the 3kHz roofing filter selected. The 3kHz roofing filter will limit the high frequency response. Being a direct sampling receiver, the FT-710 AESS has no roofing filters, to perform some heavy lifting ahead of the FPGA and DSP stages. The FT-710 must rely completely on DSP to narrow the passband. Maybe they were equal, or at factory default, with both radios, but the 3-band RX EQ could also factor in where comparing RX audio. I like using the multi-function DSP knob on the FT-710 AESS for changing frequency in 5kHz increments. With the FTdx10, you can change frequency in 1kHz increments by tapping the kHz portion of the frequency readout and rotating the VFO knob. The radios also allow you to use an onscreen keypad for direct entry of frequency. Tap the rightmost area of the frequency readout to get the keypad to pop up. My experience is also that the FT-710 AESS RX audio sounds better than the FTdx10 with the FTdx10 using only its internal speaker. But, add the SP-30 to the FTdx10 and it wins the audio comparison hands down. 73, de N4HNH
I just bought the FT-710 today. Haven't even opened the box yet. I saved a few bucs and bought a couple of goodies with that money. Desk mic, antenna tuner, a power supply, and some PL-259 connectors. I can't wait to open this stuff tomorrow morning. I just got my General upgrade and have a borrowed Kenwood 570 D. This thing has been giving me fits so I'm hoping something MUCH newer will solve all the issues I've been having - like bad audio reports. Thanks for a great comparison video.
T- You'll need to set the AMC at 100 to start. Then use headphones on the 570 and listen to yourself on the 710 transmitting in SSB. (set power level to 10 watts or so for the next stages) .There are two sets of TX audio EQ's. One for compressor on and one for off. Each of the three frequency settings (bass to treble) has a center frequency, level and bandwidth. Set the freqs at 200, 800 and 2100. The BW settings- leave where they are (non-critical). Then adjust the level on each frequency are while listening to yourself. You'll know when it sounds best. With compressor on, set the compressor level low... not a lot. Then do your low to high EQ level settings (the ones for compressor ON). Adjust to full power out and then check your ALC meter and adjust the mic level so that the ALC is right in it's correct range on peaks. Done
Thank you! I'm not the first guy ripping open the box. I try to do a detailed and fair comparison. I have to buy these radios too- and then sell them at a loss. I do it because I own Ham radio so much. Let's keep this thing going folks!
This is the best review I’ve seen between these 2 radios. I’m really torn because they’re so close in features. I’ve seen the 7610 mentioned quite a bit in the comments and there’s no comparison as it’s twice the price of the 10 & 3 times the price of the 710 at todays prices, HRO is giving some deep discounts right now. POTA is my main reason for this purchase. The 710 seems to have a slight edge over the 10 for this purpose. For me it really boils down to which is going to sound better with a headset as I would probably use it 95% of the time.
I bought the "Field" version of the 710 (I mainly use headphones) as it was on sale from HRO at Pacificon this year (2023) - and you can always add a speaker (Yaesu's or some other) later for the aess effect, if you want. I'm thinking about rigging some way to send aess audio to headphones, just to hear if it helps in some way. Maybe later...
The two radios each occupy a different niche and are Yaesu's effort to refresh the technology in their HF line. The FTdx-101 replaced the FTdx-5000. The FTdx-10 is the replacement for the FTdx-3000. The FTdx-710 replaced the FTdx-1200. All three older radios were based on technology more than a decade old.
Good comparison. Thanks for the video. I have both radios. I've had my FTdx-10 for several years as my shack radio and sold my portable FT-891 and bought an FT-710 to replace it since I am very familiar with the controls. I am very happy with both radios. The only complaint I have for either is I wish Yaesu had put the AF gain knob on the left of the VFO knob like the dx-10 instead of on the right with the FT-710. Not a big complaint but I've grabbed the wrong knob on the 710 dozens of times.
Another great, insightful review, Bob! Glad you are back on your TH-cam channel. Note that there is some controversy over the dvi to hdmi port adapters. Some hdmi ports in monitors (and TVs) feed a voltage back to the dvi port which has apparently damaged the dvi circuit on the Ftdx10. Caveat emptor.
Incredibly insightful review. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and knowledge. I am on the fence about purchasing the FTDX101MP and FTDX10. I’d love an unbiased side by side comparison.
Interesting comparison - I had the 10 and it lead to the 101. Unless I wanted a smaller radio for some reason, I’d spend a couple more tanks of gas for the dx10. The dx10 is only one tick away from ftdx101 / ftdx5000 performance.
Bob does the best of the best comparisons. I have had both and strongly prefer the 710 due to control layout and the speaker arrangement. The 710 also has 1 kc tuning adjust by tapping the frequency on the screen kind of like the icom 7300.
I have to say I did not notice a difference but I never had them side by side, the 710 is for sure sharp. Also you can tap the freq. on the screen to activate 1 kc tuning so that is a game changer vs dual rings. I do not have the 10 any longer so not sure but I do not believe it does this...@@shonniebhida
I changed the func button on the FTDX10 by a button smaller in diameter and somewhat shorter, that solved the problem. Easy and cheap solution. Thank you for the nice shootout, I have the 10 in the shack and the 710 in the car
After watching Roberts's review I bought the FT 170. I liked it so much that I bought another for a backup or portable use, even though Yaesu has a $200 rebate on the FTdx 10 now. Thank you for the excellent review.
Thank you so very much for this video! Lotta people definitely recommend the 710 and it is an incredible radio with some slim and trim on it. That certainly makes it attractive. I do appreciate getting a better understanding for the 10 and some of the features and characteristics of it that make it a little different and still a solid choice. Much appreciated, 73.
Nice review. Initially, I complained about the FTDX10 buttons. However, after a few months of operating my fingers find their way around without issue. For me it was bit of a knee jerk reaction to complain about the smaller buttons and where they were located. I've had my 10 a bit over a year now, and have to say it is a fine radio not unlike many on the market today. IDK, but the 710 is in a strange spot IMHO, and will be interesting to see where it finds its place over the next year or two.
The FTDX-10 is a lot more radio for a few $100 more. The receiver in the FT-dx10 is far better than the FT-710 And that just the receiver. The DX models are the way to go.
@@xjohn1970 But is isn't "far better" at all though is it? Read the Sherwood report. DX10 comes in only 1 place above the 710. Hardly "far better". And as Robert says, the audio sounds better on the 710.
@@xjohn1970 The 101D is a lot more radio, the dx10 is a bit more radio in some ways and a bit less in others. I own all three. The dx10 is the one that gets the least amount of use. Not as good as the 710 for mobile, and nowhere near as good as the 101 for base. However, if I could only have one rig it would be the dx10 because it can cover both situations. They all have their strengths and weaknesses.
Great comparison, Robert. I bought the FTDX-10 in September specifically because of the superhet front end. We live in an area with high RF from a couple of 10kw daytime MW stations which play havoc on the front ends of my 2 SDR receivers (SDR-IQ/RSPdx) and my Xiegu G90. Such is not the case with the FTDX-10. After a few months of understanding and using the buttons and controls, I have no problem with crowding or inadvertantly bumping the VFO. And I agree with you regarding the inner ring. Ergonomically, it is a real winner for tuning and secondary functions. I couldn't be more pleased with the DX-10 and I'm happy that I got in at the discounted price.
I’m about 4km from a large transmitter and have a neighbourhood underground power transformer about 25metres away… any thoughts about whether or not RF interference might be an issue here? Newbie. Out of town just wondering roughly at what point RF issues might creep in. Otherwise my area is low density residential.
Great video. I realy like my FTDX10. The only thing bothering me is that it has quieter receive than my Icom 7610 which was a lot more money. . Some how better signal to noise ratio. Well done Yaesu. VE3WF
I have the 7610 too and use it as my main rig. Why? I have a three-way PC speaker on it with sub-woofer and it sounds fantastic because the Icom does not filter out audio under 150hz and over 3khz like the Yaesu. They wanted to hit the Sherwood numbers - and they did.
I just bought a new FT-DX10 as well and it is a amazing rig, got it's matching SP-30 speaker with it. I tried the FT-710 and wasn't as impressed . Preferred the controls & receiver on the FT-dx10. The FT-710 is a striped down entry level model like the old IC-7300 that I just sold. had that since 2016. had a 7610 , got it when it came out back in 2017. I sold the 7610 because I never used the other tuner so it sat wail I used the 7300. has Icom put out a new tech radio since then? 2016?
I think that if your main activity is digital then you should opt for the 710 precisely because it has no roofing filter and thus the higher part of the passband is not impaired by an analog filter. As you may have noticed in FT8 on crowded bands more and more people use frequencies above 3000 Hz. Also an analog filter may introduce phase and amplitude variations that may be fine for the ears but detrimental for digital.
Interesting video as I am considering an FTDX10. The 710 SDR might swing me in that direction. Here in the UK the 710 also has the 4m band (70 MHz). I rarely buy amateur radio gear but I am falling out of love with the audio from my FT450D. DE GM4SVM
Great comparison of the two models. Concerning the I/O differences. The 10 has a RS 232 and 710 doesn’t. I use a Rigpi to externally control my 10. When using the RS232 port the screen saver function is active. When using the USB port with the Rigpi the screen saver doesn’t activate and the TFT display stays on. I wonder if the 710 USB and screen saver behaves the same way.
I bought a 710 and sold the DX10. For me the 710 is more enjoyable to use in the shack, and better for portable too. RX current draw is almost half! 710's RX sounds clearer too. If like me you cannot live with the DX10's front panel - give the 710 a look.
@@shonniebhida The DX10's screen is quite a lot better than the 710's screen. It's sharper, brighter and has more colour saturation. Blacks are true black, not gray like on the 710. It is also 15% bigger. I also own a 101D and while the screen is 40% bigger than the DX10 screen, it's not actually as bright or as nice to look at. 7" is much bigger though!
Really nice video! I like the extra buttons on the face. I'd have to say I bought the ft991a and bought the ftdx10 when i wasn't quite happy with the 991a. For the money today I think it's a tough choice between the 710 and the dx10. i do like the included external speaker and the audio options the 710 enables.
The FTDX-10 is a lot more radio for a few $100 more. The receiver in the FT-dx10 is far better than the FT-710 And that just the receiver. The DX models are the way to go. the SP-30 is the matching speaker for the FTDX10 and it's better. FT-is made to compete with the old IC-730
I prefer the 10's audio over the 710 for my older ears and the damage done to them in the years spent working at power plants.Thanks for the review, I was wondering which I should be looking at, I think the 10 is the way to go for me.
Anthony- If you decide the 710 would fit the bill (as there is little difference in these radios), shoot me an email. I'm selling both (so I can buy the next review radio). The 10 has a sale pending. The 710 was only out of the box to do the review. All system checked and working. No tax and the lowest price on a new one you'll ever find. I'm good on QRZ.
When I chose the FT-710 last September, I was looking for portability, for which I found to be moderately superior to the FTdx-10. Performance specs were close for both, with a slight edge to the FTdx-10 on CW. As I do almost no CW when portable/camping, this was a very minor consideration. The price difference of a few hundred dollars was a factor as well. When traveling, I carry the FT-710 in a hard case, and bring an Astron SS-30M-AP and a Bioenno 15 aH battery. If I want QRP, I just reduce the power from the menu, which is generally simple and effective. I have used the 710 when camping just once, but also used it at home on the deck with portable antennas;in both situations, I am impressed. While not as portable as my IC-705 (which I really enjoy) and not as capable as my Flex 6700, this is a great "in between" radio and is a keeper. The only thing I am missing is (memory/settings) software... will likely order the RT Systems software as Yaesu does not offer ADMS-___ for this (nor for the FTdx-10). If I did not have the Flex at home, the FT-710 would likely serve and meet my needs and most of my desires as a "home" radio.
At 14 mins 45 secs in, you question why on the FTdx10 when you open up the bandwidth to 4K on receive you are not hearing the high frequency hiss like on the ft710. Please note that the roofing filter on the dx10 is still at 3K. If you do this on an FTdx3000 the roofing filter automatically switched from 3 to 6K however looks like the FTdx10 doesn't do that.
Correct, but even when you widen out the roofing filter to 12 khz, it still doesn't add much top-end. To hit those amazing Sherwood numbers, they have to leave the receiver tight. The 710 has more high freq audio when widened out- as the direct-sampling design provides a flatter passband.
Great review thanks. Not many of us can sit with the radios we intend to buy before we actually do. You mention your old ears and I'm in the same boat. The FTDX10 interest me in part due to its internal equalizer features that will hopefully make up for my hearing deficit. Wonder if you've had an opportunity to work with it? Thanks again.
W- Well, "you can't get there from here"- as they say in the South. The tight receiver design and having one stage of superhet before the SDR results in an audio passband that is not flat. The top and bottom are tapered off. There IS no audio information there to EQ. The pure Direct-Sampling SDR of the 710 and IC-7300 result in a flat audio passband. It's blatantly obvious when comparing them. High end is critical for us at this point... but I also like some bottom end just for ear comfort. I use three-way PC speakers with the sub-woofer on all my HF radios. Logitech makes great ones. Tune down to AM radio and it's awesome. Put the sub in the corner of the room for max effect. Unless you are a multi-op contester, you won't need the selectivity of the 10. The 710 is tighter than the 7300, but the 7300 is better in some critical ways. TX audio is top-shelf on the 7300 and the display has averaging- which is a kill-shot for me on the Yaesu. It's like a strobe light show. So go try the radios if you can... you really can't go wrong these days.
I have both of these radios, I buy my own Christmas presents each year. I could not choose one over the other. I tend to do POTA more with the 710 because of the size. Then again, the DX10 does POTA really well too.
Dave- Thank You! I'm not the first guy opening the box, but I try to be very complete in my analysis. If it's good, I'll tell you....and if not, I'll tell you. Best 73's
A great comparison of the 2 radios Bob. I live in suburbia in the UK and suffer high levels of localised noise. I found I couldn’t eliminate this on my IC7300 and ended using a an external QRM eliminator to help with this. I swapped the 7300 for a ftdx101 and find it is possible to eliminate more of the noise. I think pure SDR radios do pull in more noise than the hybrid type.
I would agree. I too suffer from high suburban noise levels. The only radio that can really deal with them is the Anan brand. Check out my review of the 7000 DLE II. The noise mitigation actually works. No side-effects either. Sure, it's an SDR "Box"- but the engineering results in the best Ham radio made.
By far the best radio comparison video I have seen, I am torn because my older eyes want the bigger screen but my older ears want the better audio. I think because I will be doing POTA/SOTA the 710 is the winner for me. This will be my first radio.
Thank you! I try not to waste anyone's time. Information-dense... The 710 is a direct-sampler like the 7300 but has newer chips in it. Try to find one mint condx. used. It really is better on our old ears.
Currently studying for my general -- really considering the FT-710 because it's smaller and I could take it out for things like POTA. When I'm at the house, I'd probably use a mouse and external display.
I bought a 710 & it arrived yesterday. I've got it set up to how I want it. Now just waiting for good conditions to test it out. The antenna is a Hy-Gain VA-6160. I'm going to modify the way the balun connects to the antenna. The worm clamps are not good.
Thanks again for another great review. I own the FTDX-10 as backup rig to my Flex 6400, but if I had to make a purchase today the FT-710 would be my value choice.
@@xjohn1970I paid $1400 .00 for the FTDX-10 ten months ago as my backup rig and if I were buying today, the Yaesu FT-710 provides much more value for money. Main Trading Company has a end of year sale and is offering the FT-710 for $995.00 (12/17/22). That is a fantastic deal for those looking for a SDR HF rig.
With a direct-sampling SDR, all filtering is done in software. It does trim down to very narrow in CW- and the quality of that DSP filtering is excellent. With the older technology Mixer SDR (dx10/101D) Yaesu can sell you front-end filters- because the radios are part superheterodyne.
Great video Bob I watch all your shootout videos by the way did you notice any Extreme fan noise from the FT710 ? Because one of the other guys who did a review on TH-cam and his was the only 1 I saw said the fan noise was bothesome even when just receiving on the FT710
Roy- No, I did notice any objectionable fan noise. Maybe I never got it to maximum heat though. It is a smaller than the 10- so it is likely that it would have more fan noise- as the case and chassis won't dissipate the final Amp's heat as well.
I would be interested to know how each of these radios performs on a “field day” right next to other people transmitting on HF on the same or other bands. I know my IC-705 RX was totally wiped out in that situation. I haven’t had a chance to try the FTDX-10 yet.
Sir, that is the exact type of reply I was looking for, I can't thank you enough, I had only images and You Tube clips to go by, I have very sharp eyes, and I had come to the same conclution without seeing any in real life, am located in Stornoway Outer Hebrides so no Ham stores near me. Am not interested in Sounds or filters or Technical stuff, Display is more important to me, strange I came to think the same thing as you, the Rig is for house use, so I am going to Order the 10, its possible that software upgrades could improve the Display of the smaller 1, but am not going to Gamble on that, so going to play the Safety Card. Many thanks indeed from Scotland
The way the buttons are built around the VFO on FT-DX10 is perfect. Its made for the right hand to move the VFO and use the thumb on left side buttons and fingers on the right side buttons. They are ever curved for this purpose. its made for ease and speed. I don't understand why some people use there index finger to push buttons on the the left side of the FT-DX10s VFO. anyways the FT-DX10 is a step up from the FT-710. The FT-710 is to compete with the IC-730 at a lower price. The the 3 Yaesu FT-DX models are tops.
Thanks for this fine video & interesting comparison 👍With Yaesu`s new firmware update (March 2023) they improved improved DNR characteristics.With both transceivers Yaesu has achieved a great success, whereby the price of the FT-710 is really hot if you can live with a lower BDR of approx.128 dB. 73 George - DO5DGH
At its current price point, just over $1k, the 710 (DX10 is almost $400 more at present, it was more until recently), overall, is the best value for money.
I am currently seeing a $350 price difference. While there are pros and cons to both I am not seeing the price difference for my needs. Only thing that does attract (stilly as it seems) is the larger screen on the 10.
Hello, it is possible to set the speed of movement of the waterfall and the green spectrogram, I am thinking of buying the FTDX10, however, the rapidly oscillating spectrogram would probably give me a headache, watching the display for a long time. Thank you for the info, hello Jakub 73!!
It is Dan.. but just a bit. The observation still holds. The 710 just delivers more top end in the audio because of the design difference. In the 101D and 10, they use un-defeatable high and low-pass filters in the audio too so as to push those selectivity numbers as high as possible. There is also a RX audio quality difference in a direct-samplng SDR like the 710. It is more articulated...more visceral. It is one whole step closer to the true fidelity of the original signal. Sort of like digital Windex. There isn't a bench test for that type of effect yet.
Bob..really enjoy your videos.. I know the FTDX10 is a hybrid SDR..The FT 710 is a true SDR..but I have a question. Correct me if I'm wrong..but As I understand the FDX 10 shares much of the 101D/MPs internals. I'm told the 101s employ separate sdrs..1 for the band scope another for the receiver thus the audio. Is this true..and is this trait shared by the 10 and or the 710? Respectfully Darrell L Wilson ETC(SS)USN Ret K04DRJ
Well, all these radios require a second digital pathway to feed the spectrum monitor. The FTdx-10 does share a LOT of circuitry with the FTdx-101D series. In fact, Yaesu corrected many issues with the 101D series in the 10. They didn't advertise this because it is admitting there were problems with the 101D/MP. I'm talking hardware problems. They did not correct the two main issues in my mind: No averaging on the spectrum display- and the AMC mic audio limiting circuitry (and resulting ALC meter problems). The 10 IS a better radio than the 710. The only thing that I like about the 710 better is that with direct sampling, you get a flat RX audio passband top to bottom. The 10 and 101D trim off top and bottom end RX audio frequencies- and you cannot recover them. I sold the 710 and kept the 10 after the review. If I were in the market for a new radio in the mid-class area- I'd buy a clean used IC-7610. If I had more $$, I'd wait till later this month and see what the Icom X-60 radio is going to be. Newer ADC chips have come out and if it is a 18 bit or more direct sampler... it will be the top dawg.
Great and useful comparison Robert. I would love to see you compare the FTDX10 to the IC-7610 to see if that extra $$$ spent is worth it, especially for CW work.
Bill- I have both here side by side. The 7610 isn't going anywhere. The 10 on the other hand will go bye bye. OK, if you are mostly on CW, the 10's receiver is tighter. It is basically bullet-proof. the 7610 is fine for a mixed mode operator. It does everything very well... and is a joy to operate. The 10 is less of a joy to operate but has the performance edge slightly. I've had ALL the top radios from the big three here for extended use and the 7610 is the best over-all radio for me. (IC-7851, FTdx-101D, TS-990s) If i wear it out, I'm buying another one.
Could it be that 710 has more trebble and hiss because of SSB RX tone control settings? Also I notice people compare RIGs with different size and make internal speaker, which of course will produce different audio, whereas other RX parameters might be independently better in the smaller speaker RIG.
I set the RX EQ settings identically. One thing is that the external speaker does provide more high end, but primarily, it is that Yaesu wanted so bad to hit the Sherwood numbers in the 101D and 10 that they trim the bottom and top end out of the audio- and you just can't get it back with the EQ. On the Icom SDR's and the 710, the full passband of audio is fed through fairly linearly. Put a set of PC three-way speakers on these radios and the sound is fantastic.
Well, the demo is never on identical grounds. I wanted to use their native speakers to show the difference you'll actually hear. The FTdx-10 and 101d/mp have really tight audio filtering that results in much less audio over 3khz getting to the speaker- no matter what the setting.
Wow… Just not easy. These are the two radios I’m strongly considering buying imminently. A couple of things I have going on. I’m trying to buy a radio that I will not outgrow. Or at least not for a long, long time. Much ofhat they talk about is waaay over my head. I’m a General with less than two years in. Prior to that the only radio experience I had was talking. Talking into them and listening. In a military and police setting. This helped me feel comfortable talking into a mic., but I had no technical skill. I am learning.My G-90 radio has relatively no audio crafting. So, both of these radios go deep into things I am unlearned in. A drawback I have is that my hearing is not so good. I’m “supposed” to wear hearing aids. So,I’d probably draw a blank as far as many of these super-fine audio adjustments. Finally, I don’t look forward to a frustrating setup and learning process. I recently went through a few weeks of severe grief setting up my G-90 and laptop to work together for digital modes. I am blessed with two very involved and under-their-wings, Elmers. Even they had much grief, as did I. But, what I know is neither of them have either of these radios. They are handy with a IC-7300, IC-7610, and FT-991. A lot of my hand club guys have 7300’s. But it is daunting, having been through what I have when none of my guys don’t know either of my current radios; Xiegu G-90, or TYT TH9800. I do not envy a steep learning curve. My brain is tired. Weary. But, I am anxious for a better, more “User Friendly??????” HF experience.
For what it's worth, I believe the FTDX-10 is actually a dual conversion receiver, IF# 1-9 mhz, and IF #2 at 24 khz. The lower 24 khz IF does allow DSP at much lower sampling frequency.
Nice review Robert. Would be interesting to see how the perception of very different RX audio response might be changed if a common external speaker was used.
Well, The truth is that the direct-sampling approach in the 710 results in a flatter frequency response AF output...period (as it also does in the Icom IC-7300/7610 radios). On the FTdx-10 and 101 series, Yaesu was trying to top the Sherwood charts and the resulting "tightness" of the receivers restricts the upper audio frequencies from getting to the AF. Even with the 12 khz roofing filter, these radios still do not deliver as much upper freq. audio. This might not be an issue, but the Ham radio demographic includes a lot of people with moderate to severe hearing loss and human voice intelligibility is increased with these upper frequencies. I am one of them!
Exellent video. Congrats.. Concerning my preference for the sound, the winner is th ftdx10 as i dont like the hissss from the 710: but thats a personal preference. Maby good quality loudspeakers with filters can do the job for less hissss, an btw i am 64……😀
Thank, i ordered yesterday my first transceiver, i am actually learning for the licence and like swl with my belka dx receiver. The choice wasn't easy at all, the winner is the ft710 for the price, the receiver quality, it's a yaesu and it's not multiband like 991. I'll purchase a vhfuhfshf later i want listen iss and sat too. In the big brand, there is no really bad transceivers?? No?? (icom yaesu elekraft.... . Excepted cheap chineses). Thanks for this video.
Joe they are both great radios, you will not notice much difference in what you hear. It’s more based on what you see on the screen (Icom wins easily but on a slightly smaller screen) and the way the radio is laid out for use. The trouble is people get used to a brands way of doing things and then of course the next model out suits them better so they say it is better. You will love either, choose the one you like, if you want a big computer monitor display you will have to go Yaesu as the Icom 7300 doesn’t do that but you will likely look at the radio and not the screen anyway….
I own an Icom TCVR and when I had a DX10 on my desk. I struggled a lot with the signal being terribly low down and containing so many low frequencies that I could barely understand even the SSB modulation, even though the DX10 has a more powerful RX than my Icom radios, the modulation from the Icom speaker is punchier and far more understandable . I tried to solve it with the Low and hicut setting in Yaesu, but it didn't seem very effective, the signal was still very low. I see the only solution in connecting a high-quality center speaker, let's say 8Ohm and 20Watt max RM-S, then I assume - since I didn't have this option, intelligibility would improve considerably. For sure, if I ever owned this radio, I would also replace the internal speaker with another one, with a different frequency characteristic to suit the output signal from the RX DX10. The use of a quality desktop speaker (not the factory Yaesu), I consider more necessary with the DX10 than with any other TCVR. 73!
Great vid Bob. I was confused and I could not decide. Now I have a clear picture of it. I will run for the 10. Tnx. so much. 73 de Daniel IK3SGL, OA9DVK
Shame you didn't demo RF gain in action ? I find RF gain control is invaluable on low bands . My ic7300 rf control is very poor . Every other radio i have is better , i know the dx10 RF works well as opposed to my ic7300 .how dose the ft710 compare with the dx10 ? Any info would be great . Tks .
Rob- Well,, I certainly should have shown the 710's RF gain in action. Why? Because Yaesu made an engineering mistake and the RF gain control sounds like a scratchy analog control. It jumps around and causes popping in the speaker. It IS hard to make an RF gain control that feels like an analog control in an SDR. It is actually an AGC time constant control. Icom nailed it in the 7300 and 7610. Even the FTdx-101D series suffers from this bad implementation of RF gain. The FTdx-10 does not have this issue. It's RF gain is smooth.
Bought the 710 a week ago - seems to be operating OK, but noticing an annoying quirk: with the IF gain full up, the AF gain has a huge jump in volume at about the "9 o'clock" position. Didn't notice it at first, as I like to run the AF full up and use the IF gain to control volume. An old habit for living in a noisy urban area. I did a full reset (twice) and the volume jump is still there. Also, noticed that the FT-710's manual seems to assume certain knowledge on the part of the user - and also feels like it may have recycled things from some other manual, maybe the FTdx-10's. Finally, is there any issue (such as damage to the radio) to using a DVI to HDMI converter cable? Any chance of some king of voltage issue that could damage the FT-710's circuitry?
UPDATE: I just talked with someone at HRO about the volume "glitch" - he said that perhaps a future software update might fix it, but it isn't a defect, it's just the way it works. All the 710s do this. Also, he said that using a passive converter from DVI to HDMI is perfectly safe to use - anything that uses active circuitry might fry a surface mount fuse that is in the radio to protect the video chip in the radio - or else manage to damage that chip.
Seems obvious that the FT710 would sound better since you have it setting right on top the FTDX-10's internal speaker while the 710 has a separate speaker blasting into the mic. Gee, it seems like an unfair comparison in that regard. Everything else was good though and thanks for the video.
I'm aware of that, but the simple fact remains that the 710's direct sampling design results in a flatter audio pass band. Even one stage of superhet mixing results in lower system fidelity. Sure, great selectivity, but you can "hear" that you are one step further from the original RF. The ic-7300 also displays the more visceral and immediate sound quality. This is not a matter of speakers.
Most of the Top HF/50MHz SDR Radios use a Mixer . All Yaesu's Top FTdx10, , FTdx101D, FTdx 101MP , Icom's Top SDR 7851 & Elecraft Model K4HD & Kenwood TS-990S, TS-890S, TS-590SG All use Mixers in there top HF radios!
Jay - All of the radios you mentioned are Superhet radios. Of course they have mixers. Those radios with spectrum displays use digital sampling and FFT to display the spectrum. They also have plenty of DSP. The IC-7300 and IC-7610 are Direct Sampling SDR radios just like the Flex and Anan radios. Like the Internal Combustion engine, Superhet is slated for the history bin. Lower cost, better performance and simpler design (less failure modes) pull us forward.
Robert- maybe you can comment on the distortion while using the DNF & NB. On the FTdx10 I had, I found they both added more distortion than my Icom & Kenwood on SSB. Even Sherwood noted this on the FTdx10. Hopefully, the 710 has improved both as I find the need to use both at my QTH. Great review as always. 👍
We are all battling local noise these days. Lots of cheap imported electronics re-radiates in the HF bands. My security lights do that. The only DNR and NB that actually work like they are supposed to is with the the Anan 7000 radio. Plus the Anan has dual-sync receivers and a local noise phase cancelling utility that nulls out your local noise. MFJ also sells a box that does this. I think you are going to have to implement phase cancellation of noise- if you need to use the DNR and NB regularly. The Icom DSP features are just maybe slightly better than the Yaesu, but not enough to do what you are really needing (do it perfectly).
I use a MFJ1026 also. Works very well. But it doesn't handle DNF (ANL) notch issues nor does it handle ignition ticks. Hard to understand why the major Mfgs can't do what volunteers can do for the Anan.
@@Homer19521 Well, the Anan has a Cyclone 7 Chip in it that offers tremendous processing power. Plus, with open-sourcing it, the guys who are the best at each of those features- actually designed them. They get to pull engineering from the world at large. Check out my review of the Anan 7000 II.
You'll be a very happy camper! There is very little difference in these radios. The one place the 710 beats the "10" is better fidelity RX audio. Get a set of three-way PC speakers with a sub-woofer and it will sound magnificent.
I have both a DX10 and a 710. I can't tell any difference in the receive, they hear the same. The DX10 just has more filters to pull out distant stations.
Reading all the comments I glad you all have the money to buy at a higher price and get less good job happy for you. Not shitting on the FT-710 but why pay more for less ? FTdx-10 VS FT-710 the real winner is the FTdx-10. But hey if you want to pay more and get less god bless.
Absolutely brilliant comparison. I have the 710 and was looking at the 10 for an upgrade. But, after this I'm keeping the 710 for many of the reasons you described. When I bought the 710, it was purely on ergonomics ... not disappointed after having it a year in the shack. 73, Dennis - WU6X
EXCELLENT VIDEO!! This is the type of Comparison and Review that I personally enjoy to see and hear. It is particularly helpfull when a Ham Hobbyist is considering making an " Investment or Purchase" of a New Radio.
Thanks Carey. I'm not out there to be the first to review a radio. I want to do a in-depth and honest evaluation from a Hams prospective.
One major difference is power consumption, the ftdx10 uses 30% more power over the Ft710. Very important consideration when operating portable. It appears a lot of power is lost around the screen area it gets warm when you’re just listening
60% more RX current draw according to my meters!
Nicely done. Great camera work and editing.
One reason you didn’t hear as much high frequency audio with the FTdx10 is that you had the 3kHz roofing filter selected. The 3kHz roofing filter will limit the high frequency response. Being a direct sampling receiver, the FT-710 AESS has no roofing filters, to perform some heavy lifting ahead of the FPGA and DSP stages. The FT-710 must rely completely on DSP to narrow the passband.
Maybe they were equal, or at factory default, with both radios, but the 3-band RX EQ could also factor in where comparing RX audio.
I like using the multi-function DSP knob on the FT-710 AESS for changing frequency in 5kHz increments. With the FTdx10, you can change frequency in 1kHz increments by tapping the kHz portion of the frequency readout and rotating the VFO knob. The radios also allow you to use an onscreen keypad for direct entry of frequency. Tap the rightmost area of the frequency readout to get the keypad to pop up.
My experience is also that the FT-710 AESS RX audio sounds better than the FTdx10 with the FTdx10 using only its internal speaker. But, add the SP-30 to the FTdx10 and it wins the audio comparison hands down.
73, de N4HNH
Thank you for this excellent info!
I just bought the FT-710 today. Haven't even opened the box yet. I saved a few bucs and bought a couple of goodies with that money. Desk mic, antenna tuner, a power supply, and some PL-259 connectors. I can't wait to open this stuff tomorrow morning. I just got my General upgrade and have a borrowed Kenwood 570 D. This thing has been giving me fits so I'm hoping something MUCH newer will solve all the issues I've been having - like bad audio reports. Thanks for a great comparison video.
T- You'll need to set the AMC at 100 to start. Then use headphones on the 570 and listen to yourself on the 710 transmitting in SSB. (set power level to 10 watts or so for the next stages) .There are two sets of TX audio EQ's. One for compressor on and one for off. Each of the three frequency settings (bass to treble) has a center frequency, level and bandwidth. Set the freqs at 200, 800 and 2100. The BW settings- leave where they are (non-critical). Then adjust the level on each frequency are while listening to yourself. You'll know when it sounds best. With compressor on, set the compressor level low... not a lot. Then do your low to high EQ level settings (the ones for compressor ON). Adjust to full power out and then check your ALC meter and adjust the mic level so that the ALC is right in it's correct range on peaks. Done
This man makes fantastic comparisons and real tests. Congrats Bob
Thank you! I'm not the first guy ripping open the box. I try to do a detailed and fair comparison. I have to buy these radios too- and then sell them at a loss. I do it because I own Ham radio so much. Let's keep this thing going folks!
The best review I have seen on these two rigs. Thank you!
Thanks! I do try to make my video worth your time.
@@Yavor54 And they certainly are!!
This is the best review I’ve seen between these 2 radios. I’m really torn because they’re so close in features. I’ve seen the 7610 mentioned quite a bit in the comments and there’s no comparison as it’s twice the price of the 10 & 3 times the price of the 710 at todays prices, HRO is giving some deep discounts right now.
POTA is my main reason for this purchase. The 710 seems to have a slight edge over the 10 for this purpose. For me it really boils down to which is going to sound better with a headset as I would probably use it 95% of the time.
It's the 710 then....
I bought the "Field" version of the 710 (I mainly use headphones) as it was on sale from HRO at Pacificon this year (2023) - and you can always add a speaker (Yaesu's or some other) later for the aess effect, if you want. I'm thinking about rigging some way to send aess audio to headphones, just to hear if it helps in some way. Maybe later...
And which headset are you going to use?
Do one or both of these send and recieve CW AUTOMAGICALLY?! That would be huge while I’m learning to “hear it”.
The two radios each occupy a different niche and are Yaesu's effort to refresh the technology in their HF line. The FTdx-101 replaced the FTdx-5000. The FTdx-10 is the replacement for the FTdx-3000. The FTdx-710 replaced the FTdx-1200. All three older radios were based on technology more than a decade old.
Some would argue that the 710 is the new 450d given its size and weight.
I received my FTDX-10 a few weeks ago. It did not come with a carry handle. Not a big deal...very nice radio.
Good comparison. Thanks for the video. I have both radios. I've had my FTdx-10 for several years as my shack radio and sold my portable FT-891 and bought an FT-710 to replace it since I am very familiar with the controls. I am very happy with both radios. The only complaint I have for either is I wish Yaesu had put the AF gain knob on the left of the VFO knob like the dx-10 instead of on the right with the FT-710. Not a big complaint but I've grabbed the wrong knob on the 710 dozens of times.
Another great, insightful review, Bob! Glad you are back on your TH-cam channel. Note that there is some controversy over the dvi to hdmi port adapters. Some hdmi ports in monitors (and TVs) feed a voltage back to the dvi port which has apparently damaged the dvi circuit on the Ftdx10. Caveat emptor.
Yes...indeed there doesn't seem to be clarification on which cables work. Luckily, most HDMI ports do not feed back voltage.
Just a suggestion is to buy a monitor with a DVI-D input. They can be found new or used. I was able to find a nice used one. Good luck. N3EDO.
Just picked up a 710. This is THE BEST video I’ve seen on the radios. Thank you so much. Subbed.
Audio on the 710 is significantly clearer. Looks more digital friendly too. I have a 991A and will be looking into the 710.
Incredibly insightful review. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and knowledge. I am on the fence about purchasing the FTDX101MP and FTDX10. I’d love an unbiased side by side comparison.
Interesting comparison - I had the 10 and it lead to the 101. Unless I wanted a smaller radio for some reason, I’d spend a couple more tanks of gas for the dx10. The dx10 is only one tick away from ftdx101 / ftdx5000 performance.
Depends what you want it for. I own the FTDX5000MP and am thinking about adding a FT710 to the shack purely for digital modes.
Great video, I wish you could do a current draw comparison between the two in receive and transmit
Bob does the best of the best comparisons. I have had both and strongly prefer the 710 due to control layout and the speaker arrangement. The 710 also has 1 kc tuning adjust by tapping the frequency on the screen kind of like the icom 7300.
Sir, you have had both, is it true what the man says that the 10 has a better sharper Display? Very strange
I have to say I did not notice a difference but I never had them side by side, the 710 is for sure sharp. Also you can tap the freq. on the screen to activate 1 kc tuning so that is a game changer vs dual rings. I do not have the 10 any longer so not sure but I do not believe it does this...@@shonniebhida
I've had the 10 and bought the 710 a few weeks ago. Sent the 710 back and ordering the FTDX10.
I changed the func button on the FTDX10 by a button smaller in diameter and somewhat shorter, that solved the problem. Easy and cheap solution. Thank you for the nice shootout, I have the 10 in the shack and the 710 in the car
After watching Roberts's review I bought the FT 170. I liked it so much that I bought another for a backup or portable use, even though Yaesu has a $200 rebate on the FTdx 10 now. Thank you for the excellent review.
Thank you! I like the TX and RX audio better on the 710...good choice.
Great video; needed to see this and make the decision: I just bought the FTDX-10. Thank you Robert!
Very useful and balanced review. And I admire your nice backyard.
Thank you so very much for this video! Lotta people definitely recommend the 710 and it is an incredible radio with some slim and trim on it. That certainly makes it attractive.
I do appreciate getting a better understanding for the 10 and some of the features and characteristics of it that make it a little different and still a solid choice.
Much appreciated, 73.
Nice review. Initially, I complained about the FTDX10 buttons. However, after a few months of operating my fingers find their way around without issue. For me it was bit of a knee jerk reaction to complain about the smaller buttons and where they were located. I've had my 10 a bit over a year now, and have to say it is a fine radio not unlike many on the market today. IDK, but the 710 is in a strange spot IMHO, and will be interesting to see where it finds its place over the next year or two.
Good explanation of the differences. I'm seeing about a $250 difference between them right now. I don't think you can go wrong with either one.
The FTDX-10 is a lot more radio for a few $100 more. The receiver in the FT-dx10 is far better than the FT-710 And that just the receiver. The DX models are the way to go.
@@xjohn1970 But is isn't "far better" at all though is it? Read the Sherwood report. DX10 comes in only 1 place above the 710. Hardly "far better". And as Robert says, the audio sounds better on the 710.
@@Nick_G7IZR Agreed. Some people think it far better because it costs $300 more and just ignore the facts put out by Rob Sherwood.
@@xjohn1970 The 101D is a lot more radio, the dx10 is a bit more radio in some ways and a bit less in others. I own all three. The dx10 is the one that gets the least amount of use. Not as good as the 710 for mobile, and nowhere near as good as the 101 for base. However, if I could only have one rig it would be the dx10 because it can cover both situations. They all have their strengths and weaknesses.
Excellent job, Bob. What a professional video. Suspect we crossed paths back when at TI. 73, de AF5B Dave Austin
Great comparison, Robert. I bought the FTDX-10 in September specifically because of the superhet front end. We live in an area with high RF from a couple of 10kw daytime MW stations which play havoc on the front ends of my 2 SDR receivers (SDR-IQ/RSPdx) and my Xiegu G90. Such is not the case with the FTDX-10. After a few months of understanding and using the buttons and controls, I have no problem with crowding or inadvertantly bumping the VFO. And I agree with you regarding the inner ring. Ergonomically, it is a real winner for tuning and secondary functions. I couldn't be more pleased with the DX-10 and I'm happy that I got in at the discounted price.
I’m about 4km from a large transmitter and have a neighbourhood underground power transformer about 25metres away… any thoughts about whether or not RF interference might be an issue here? Newbie. Out of town just wondering roughly at what point RF issues might creep in. Otherwise my area is low density residential.
@@bradl2636 I don't envy you.
@@Bdub1952 😢😢😢
Someone who knows what they’re talking about! Great video and very smoothly presented. A pleasure to watch - and learn! Thank you
Thank you good sir! I try not to waste anyone's time...
Great video. I realy like my FTDX10. The only thing bothering me is that it has quieter receive than my Icom 7610 which was a lot more money. . Some how better signal to noise ratio. Well done Yaesu. VE3WF
I have the 7610 too and use it as my main rig. Why? I have a three-way PC speaker on it with sub-woofer and it sounds fantastic because the Icom does not filter out audio under 150hz and over 3khz like the Yaesu. They wanted to hit the Sherwood numbers - and they did.
I just bought a new FT-DX10 as well and it is a amazing rig, got it's matching SP-30 speaker with it. I tried the FT-710 and wasn't as impressed . Preferred the controls & receiver on the FT-dx10. The FT-710 is a striped down entry level model like the old IC-7300 that I just sold. had that since 2016. had a 7610 , got it when it came out back in 2017. I sold the 7610 because I never used the other tuner so it sat wail I used the 7300. has Icom put out a new tech radio since then? 2016?
@@xjohn1970 No. Icom is due for a few new rigs.
The difference between the FTDX-101MP vs FT-710 - who would win for CW contesting? I’m thinking the FTdx-101MP.
I think that if your main activity is digital then you should opt for the 710 precisely because it has no roofing filter and thus the higher part of the passband is not impaired by an analog filter. As you may have noticed in FT8 on crowded bands more and more people use frequencies above 3000 Hz. Also an analog filter may introduce phase and amplitude variations that may be fine for the ears but detrimental for digital.
I concur- good analysis.
Interesting video as I am considering an FTDX10. The 710 SDR might swing me in that direction. Here in the UK the 710 also has the 4m band (70 MHz). I rarely buy amateur radio gear but I am falling out of love with the audio from my FT450D. DE GM4SVM
the 10 has 70 mhz aswell....
Great comparison of the two models. Concerning the I/O differences. The 10 has a RS 232 and 710 doesn’t.
I use a Rigpi to externally control my 10. When using the RS232 port the screen saver function is active.
When using the USB port with the Rigpi the screen saver doesn’t activate and the TFT display stays on.
I wonder if the 710 USB and screen saver behaves the same way.
I bought a 710 and sold the DX10. For me the 710 is more enjoyable to use in the shack, and better for portable too. RX current draw is almost half! 710's RX sounds clearer too. If like me you cannot live with the DX10's front panel - give the 710 a look.
Sir is it true that the ft 10 Display is better, going by this review it seems so?
@@shonniebhida The DX10's screen is quite a lot better than the 710's screen. It's sharper, brighter and has more colour saturation. Blacks are true black, not gray like on the 710. It is also 15% bigger. I also own a 101D and while the screen is 40% bigger than the DX10 screen, it's not actually as bright or as nice to look at. 7" is much bigger though!
Really nice video! I like the extra buttons on the face. I'd have to say I bought the ft991a and bought the ftdx10 when i wasn't quite happy with the 991a. For the money today I think it's a tough choice between the 710 and the dx10. i do like the included external speaker and the audio options the 710 enables.
The FTDX-10 is a lot more radio for a few $100 more. The receiver in the FT-dx10 is far better than the FT-710 And that just the receiver. The DX models are the way to go. the SP-30 is the matching speaker for the FTDX10 and it's better. FT-is made to compete with the old IC-730
I prefer the 10's audio over the 710 for my older ears and the damage done to them in the years spent working at power plants.Thanks for the review, I was wondering which I should be looking at, I think the 10 is the way to go for me.
Anthony- If you decide the 710 would fit the bill (as there is little difference in these radios), shoot me an email. I'm selling both (so I can buy the next review radio). The 10 has a sale pending. The 710 was only out of the box to do the review. All system checked and working. No tax and the lowest price on a new one you'll ever find. I'm good on QRZ.
@@robertnagy2163 I appreciate the offer but can't swing it at this time. 73, Tony
@@robertnagy2163how much for the ftdx 10
When I chose the FT-710 last September, I was looking for portability, for which I found to be moderately superior to the FTdx-10. Performance specs were close for both, with a slight edge to the FTdx-10 on CW. As I do almost no CW when portable/camping, this was a very minor consideration. The price difference of a few hundred dollars was a factor as well. When traveling, I carry the FT-710 in a hard case, and bring an Astron SS-30M-AP and a Bioenno 15 aH battery. If I want QRP, I just reduce the power from the menu, which is generally simple and effective.
I have used the 710 when camping just once, but also used it at home on the deck with portable antennas;in both situations, I am impressed. While not as portable as my IC-705 (which I really enjoy) and not as capable as my Flex 6700, this is a great "in between" radio and is a keeper. The only thing I am missing is (memory/settings) software... will likely order the RT Systems software as Yaesu does not offer ADMS-___ for this (nor for the FTdx-10).
If I did not have the Flex at home, the FT-710 would likely serve and meet my needs and most of my desires as a "home" radio.
At 14 mins 45 secs in, you question why on the FTdx10 when you open up the bandwidth to 4K on receive you are not hearing the high frequency hiss like on the ft710. Please note that the roofing filter on the dx10 is still at 3K. If you do this on an FTdx3000 the roofing filter automatically switched from 3 to 6K however looks like the FTdx10 doesn't do that.
Correct, but even when you widen out the roofing filter to 12 khz, it still doesn't add much top-end. To hit those amazing Sherwood numbers, they have to leave the receiver tight. The 710 has more high freq audio when widened out- as the direct-sampling design provides a flatter passband.
Great review, thanks.
Great review thanks. Not many of us can sit with the radios we intend to buy before we actually do.
You mention your old ears and I'm in the same boat. The FTDX10 interest me in part due to its internal equalizer features that will hopefully make up for my hearing deficit. Wonder if you've had an opportunity to work with it? Thanks again.
W- Well, "you can't get there from here"- as they say in the South. The tight receiver design and having one stage of superhet before the SDR results in an audio passband that is not flat. The top and bottom are tapered off. There IS no audio information there to EQ. The pure Direct-Sampling SDR of the 710 and IC-7300 result in a flat audio passband. It's blatantly obvious when comparing them. High end is critical for us at this point... but I also like some bottom end just for ear comfort. I use three-way PC speakers with the sub-woofer on all my HF radios. Logitech makes great ones. Tune down to AM radio and it's awesome. Put the sub in the corner of the room for max effect. Unless you are a multi-op contester, you won't need the selectivity of the 10. The 710 is tighter than the 7300, but the 7300 is better in some critical ways. TX audio is top-shelf on the 7300 and the display has averaging- which is a kill-shot for me on the Yaesu. It's like a strobe light show. So go try the radios if you can... you really can't go wrong these days.
I have both of these radios, I buy my own Christmas presents each year.
I could not choose one over the other. I tend to do POTA more with the 710 because of the size. Then again, the DX10 does POTA really well too.
Robert, this is one of the best radio comparison videos I have ever seen, please keep up the good work. 😀😀
Regards
Dave.
Dave- Thank You! I'm not the first guy opening the box, but I try to be very complete in my analysis. If it's good, I'll tell you....and if not, I'll tell you. Best 73's
Your video led me to placing an order for my new radio. It’s the FTDX10. Thank you for the video.
It is by far the better radio...
A great comparison of the 2 radios Bob. I live in suburbia in the UK and suffer high levels of localised noise. I found I couldn’t eliminate this on my IC7300 and ended using a an external QRM eliminator to help with this. I swapped the 7300 for a ftdx101 and find it is possible to eliminate more of the noise. I think pure SDR radios do pull in more noise than the hybrid type.
I would agree. I too suffer from high suburban noise levels. The only radio that can really deal with them is the Anan brand. Check out my review of the 7000 DLE II. The noise mitigation actually works. No side-effects either. Sure, it's an SDR "Box"- but the engineering results in the best Ham radio made.
By far the best radio comparison video I have seen, I am torn because my older eyes want the bigger screen but my older ears want the better audio. I think because I will be doing POTA/SOTA the 710 is the winner for me. This will be my first radio.
Thank you! I try not to waste anyone's time. Information-dense... The 710 is a direct-sampler like the 7300 but has newer chips in it. Try to find one mint condx. used. It really is better on our old ears.
Currently studying for my general -- really considering the FT-710 because it's smaller and I could take it out for things like POTA. When I'm at the house, I'd probably use a mouse and external display.
I bought a 710 & it arrived yesterday. I've got it set up to how I want it. Now just waiting for good conditions to test it out. The antenna is a Hy-Gain VA-6160. I'm going to modify the way the balun connects to the antenna. The worm clamps are not good.
Thank you for another wonderful comparison !!
Thanks again for another great review. I own the FTDX-10 as backup rig to my Flex 6400, but if I had to make a purchase today the FT-710 would be my value choice.
yeah if you want less radio
@@xjohn1970I paid $1400 .00 for the FTDX-10 ten months ago as my backup rig and if I were buying today, the Yaesu FT-710 provides much more value for money. Main Trading Company has a end of year sale and is offering the FT-710 for $995.00 (12/17/22). That is a fantastic deal for those looking for a SDR HF rig.
Does the FT710 have a narrow CW filter option? I'm guessing not.
With a direct-sampling SDR, all filtering is done in software. It does trim down to very narrow in CW- and the quality of that DSP filtering is excellent. With the older technology Mixer SDR (dx10/101D) Yaesu can sell you front-end filters- because the radios are part superheterodyne.
Thank you, I needed this.
73s from KD7CKT Flagstaff
That FTdx10 has my vote. I think I'll get me one some day. It'll be a MASSIVE jump from my Icom IC-706MKII....
Great video Bob I watch all your shootout videos by the way did you notice any Extreme fan noise from the FT710 ? Because one of the other guys who did a review on TH-cam and his was the only 1 I saw said the fan noise was bothesome even when just receiving on the FT710
Roy- No, I did notice any objectionable fan noise. Maybe I never got it to maximum heat though. It is a smaller than the 10- so it is likely that it would have more fan noise- as the case and chassis won't dissipate the final Amp's heat as well.
I would be interested to know how each of these radios performs on a “field day” right next to other people transmitting on HF on the same or other bands. I know my IC-705 RX was totally wiped out in that situation. I haven’t had a chance to try the FTDX-10 yet.
Sir, that is the exact type of reply I was looking for, I can't thank you enough, I had only images and You Tube clips to go by, I have very sharp eyes, and I had come to the same conclution without seeing any in real life, am located in Stornoway Outer Hebrides so no Ham stores near me. Am not interested in Sounds or filters or Technical stuff, Display is more important to me, strange I came to think the same thing as you, the Rig is for house use, so I am going to Order the 10, its possible that software upgrades could improve the Display of the smaller 1, but am not going to Gamble on that, so going to play the Safety Card. Many thanks indeed from Scotland
The way the buttons are built around the VFO on FT-DX10 is perfect. Its made for the right hand to move the VFO and use the thumb on left side buttons and fingers on the right side buttons. They are ever curved for this purpose. its made for ease and speed. I don't understand why some people use there index finger to push buttons on the the left side of the FT-DX10s VFO. anyways the FT-DX10 is a step up from the FT-710. The FT-710 is to compete with the IC-730 at a lower price. The the 3 Yaesu FT-DX models are tops.
Would a good quality headphone help with the dx-10?
This is a major issue for me but I really like them both.
Wonder whether the FT-710 is using a tunable bandpass filter or multiple filters? as the diagram implies they've done away with a front end mixer..
Not tunable filters...fixed bandpass filters.
Thanks for this fine video & interesting comparison 👍With Yaesu`s new firmware update (March 2023) they improved improved DNR characteristics.With both transceivers Yaesu has achieved a great success, whereby the price of the FT-710 is really hot if you can live with a lower BDR of approx.128 dB. 73 George - DO5DGH
Is this correct 2nd opinion, wanted? that the Display in the 10 is crisper better than the 710.
Is it worth the extra for the dx10 DNR , or if there is not much in it I will get the 710. this is what it will come down to for my choice thanks.
I use a microfiber stylus on the touch screen, which dual functions as a "button pusher."
At its current price point, just over $1k, the 710 (DX10 is almost $400 more at present, it was more until recently), overall, is the best value for money.
I am currently seeing a $350 price difference. While there are pros and cons to both I am not seeing the price difference for my needs. Only thing that does attract (stilly as it seems) is the larger screen on the 10.
Sale on the 710 right now, $899
Hello, it is possible to set the speed of movement of the waterfall and the green spectrogram, I am thinking of buying the FTDX10, however, the rapidly oscillating spectrogram would probably give me a headache, watching the display for a long time. Thank you for the info, hello Jakub 73!!
Excellent informative video, thanks for posting. 73s
Can you use both speakers on the ftdx-10 like you can on the ft-710
No
I liked your comparison very much, but I think the top firing speaker on the 10 is rolling off some higher frequency response.
It is Dan.. but just a bit. The observation still holds. The 710 just delivers more top end in the audio because of the design difference. In the 101D and 10, they use un-defeatable high and low-pass filters in the audio too so as to push those selectivity numbers as high as possible. There is also a RX audio quality difference in a direct-samplng SDR like the 710. It is more articulated...more visceral. It is one whole step closer to the true fidelity of the original signal. Sort of like digital Windex. There isn't a bench test for that type of effect yet.
Bob..really enjoy your videos..
I know the FTDX10 is a hybrid SDR..The FT 710 is a true SDR..but I have a question.
Correct me if I'm wrong..but As I understand the FDX 10 shares much of the 101D/MPs internals.
I'm told the 101s employ separate sdrs..1 for the band scope another for the receiver thus the audio.
Is this true..and is this trait shared by the 10 and or the 710?
Respectfully
Darrell L Wilson
ETC(SS)USN Ret
K04DRJ
Well, all these radios require a second digital pathway to feed the spectrum monitor. The FTdx-10 does share a LOT of circuitry with the FTdx-101D series. In fact, Yaesu corrected many issues with the 101D series in the 10. They didn't advertise this because it is admitting there were problems with the 101D/MP. I'm talking hardware problems. They did not correct the two main issues in my mind: No averaging on the spectrum display- and the AMC mic audio limiting circuitry (and resulting ALC meter problems). The 10 IS a better radio than the 710. The only thing that I like about the 710 better is that with direct sampling, you get a flat RX audio passband top to bottom. The 10 and 101D trim off top and bottom end RX audio frequencies- and you cannot recover them. I sold the 710 and kept the 10 after the review. If I were in the market for a new radio in the mid-class area- I'd buy a clean used IC-7610. If I had more $$, I'd wait till later this month and see what the Icom X-60 radio is going to be. Newer ADC chips have come out and if it is a 18 bit or more direct sampler... it will be the top dawg.
Great and useful comparison Robert. I would love to see you compare the FTDX10 to the IC-7610 to see if that extra $$$ spent is worth it, especially for CW work.
Bill- I have both here side by side. The 7610 isn't going anywhere. The 10 on the other hand will go bye bye. OK, if you are mostly on CW, the 10's receiver is tighter. It is basically bullet-proof. the 7610 is fine for a mixed mode operator. It does everything very well... and is a joy to operate. The 10 is less of a joy to operate but has the performance edge slightly. I've had ALL the top radios from the big three here for extended use and the 7610 is the best over-all radio for me. (IC-7851, FTdx-101D, TS-990s) If i wear it out, I'm buying another one.
@@Yavor54 The IC-7610 is $5000 in Australia vs the FTDX10 is $2100… these two are not even close compares IMHO… at least not in this market.
Thr 7610 price is almost the same as ftdx101 not the 10
Could it be that 710 has more trebble and hiss because of SSB RX tone control settings? Also I notice people compare RIGs with different size and make internal speaker, which of course will produce different audio, whereas other RX parameters might be independently better in the smaller speaker RIG.
I set the RX EQ settings identically. One thing is that the external speaker does provide more high end, but primarily, it is that Yaesu wanted so bad to hit the Sherwood numbers in the 101D and 10 that they trim the bottom and top end out of the audio- and you just can't get it back with the EQ. On the Icom SDR's and the 710, the full passband of audio is fed through fairly linearly. Put a set of PC three-way speakers on these radios and the sound is fantastic.
Great review! I t helped me decide between the two. Thank you very much!
Thanks for the comparison. Any chance you could get them both on the same external speaker and compare audio while you have both in hand?
Well, the demo is never on identical grounds. I wanted to use their native speakers to show the difference you'll actually hear. The FTdx-10 and 101d/mp have really tight audio filtering that results in much less audio over 3khz getting to the speaker- no matter what the setting.
the FT-DX10 has it own matching speaker the SP-30
Ooh, I like that treble on the 710.
It's clearly a better-sounding receiver...
Wow… Just not easy. These are the two radios I’m strongly considering buying imminently.
A couple of things I have going on. I’m trying to buy a radio that I will not outgrow. Or at least not for a long, long time. Much ofhat they talk about is waaay over my head. I’m a General with less than two years in. Prior to that the only radio experience I had was talking. Talking into them and listening. In a military and police setting. This helped me feel comfortable talking into a mic., but I had no technical skill. I am learning.My G-90 radio has relatively no audio crafting. So, both of these radios go deep into things I am unlearned in. A drawback I have is that my hearing is not so good. I’m “supposed” to wear hearing aids. So,I’d probably draw a blank as far as many of these super-fine audio adjustments.
Finally, I don’t look forward to a frustrating setup and learning process. I recently went through a few weeks of severe grief setting up my G-90 and laptop to work together for digital modes. I am blessed with two very involved and under-their-wings, Elmers. Even they had much grief, as did I.
But, what I know is neither of them have either of these radios. They are handy with a IC-7300, IC-7610, and FT-991. A lot of my hand club guys have 7300’s. But it is daunting, having been through what I have when none of my guys don’t know either of my current radios; Xiegu G-90, or TYT TH9800. I do not envy a steep learning curve. My brain is tired. Weary. But, I am anxious for a
better, more “User Friendly??????” HF experience.
Superb comparison as are all of his videos!
For what it's worth, I believe the FTDX-10 is actually a dual conversion receiver, IF# 1-9 mhz, and IF #2 at 24 khz. The lower 24 khz IF does allow DSP at much lower sampling frequency.
Correct...sort of 1.5 X conversion. I think the ADC chip they use must cost less than $10.
Nice review Robert. Would be interesting to see how the perception of very different RX audio response might be changed if a common external speaker was used.
Well, The truth is that the direct-sampling approach in the 710 results in a flatter frequency response AF output...period (as it also does in the Icom IC-7300/7610 radios). On the FTdx-10 and 101 series, Yaesu was trying to top the Sherwood charts and the resulting "tightness" of the receivers restricts the upper audio frequencies from getting to the AF. Even with the 12 khz roofing filter, these radios still do not deliver as much upper freq. audio. This might not be an issue, but the Ham radio demographic includes a lot of people with moderate to severe hearing loss and human voice intelligibility is increased with these upper frequencies. I am one of them!
Exellent video. Congrats.. Concerning my preference for the sound, the winner is th ftdx10 as i dont like the hissss from the 710: but thats a personal preference. Maby good quality loudspeakers with filters can do the job for less hissss, an btw i am 64……😀
Thank, i ordered yesterday my first transceiver, i am actually learning for the licence and like swl with my belka dx receiver.
The choice wasn't easy at all, the winner is the ft710 for the price, the receiver quality, it's a yaesu and it's not multiband like 991. I'll purchase a vhfuhfshf later i want listen iss and sat too.
In the big brand, there is no really bad transceivers?? No?? (icom yaesu elekraft.... . Excepted cheap chineses). Thanks for this video.
Can you do a video comparing the FT-710 with the Icom 7300? I am particularly interested in which one would be better for a new. inexperienced ham?
Joe they are both great radios, you will not notice much difference in what you hear. It’s more based on what you see on the screen (Icom wins easily but on a slightly smaller screen) and the way the radio is laid out for use. The trouble is people get used to a brands way of doing things and then of course the next model out suits them better so they say it is better. You will love either, choose the one you like, if you want a big computer monitor display you will have to go Yaesu as the Icom 7300 doesn’t do that but you will likely look at the radio and not the screen anyway….
A very good analysis. Thank you.
I own an Icom TCVR and when I had a DX10 on my desk. I struggled a lot with the signal being terribly low down and containing so many low frequencies that I could barely understand even the SSB modulation, even though the DX10 has a more powerful RX than my Icom radios, the modulation from the Icom speaker is punchier and far more understandable . I tried to solve it with the Low and hicut setting in Yaesu, but it didn't seem very effective, the signal was still very low. I see the only solution in connecting a high-quality center speaker, let's say 8Ohm and 20Watt max RM-S, then I assume - since I didn't have this option, intelligibility would improve considerably. For sure, if I ever owned this radio, I would also replace the internal speaker with another one, with a different frequency characteristic to suit the output signal from the RX DX10. The use of a quality desktop speaker (not the factory Yaesu), I consider more necessary with the DX10 than with any other TCVR. 73!
Great vid Bob. I was confused and I could not decide. Now I have a clear picture of it. I will run for the 10. Tnx. so much. 73 de Daniel IK3SGL, OA9DVK
thanks for this investigation, helps me with the choice, reg. The PA1MER
Shame you didn't demo RF gain in action ? I find RF gain control is invaluable on low bands . My ic7300 rf control is very poor . Every other radio i have is better , i know the dx10 RF works well as opposed to my ic7300 .how dose the ft710 compare with the dx10 ? Any info would be great . Tks .
Rob- Well,, I certainly should have shown the 710's RF gain in action. Why? Because Yaesu made an engineering mistake and the RF gain control
sounds like a scratchy analog control. It jumps around and causes popping in the speaker. It IS hard to make an RF gain control that feels like an analog control in an SDR. It is actually an AGC time constant control. Icom nailed it in the 7300 and 7610. Even the FTdx-101D series suffers from this bad implementation of RF gain. The FTdx-10 does not have this issue. It's RF gain is smooth.
Bought the 710 a week ago - seems to be operating OK, but noticing an annoying quirk: with the IF gain full up, the AF gain has a huge jump in volume at about the "9 o'clock" position. Didn't notice it at first, as I like to run the AF full up and use the IF gain to control volume. An old habit for living in a noisy urban area. I did a full reset (twice) and the volume jump is still there.
Also, noticed that the FT-710's manual seems to assume certain knowledge on the part of the user - and also feels like it may have recycled things from some other manual, maybe the FTdx-10's.
Finally, is there any issue (such as damage to the radio) to using a DVI to HDMI converter cable? Any chance of some king of voltage issue that could damage the FT-710's circuitry?
UPDATE: I just talked with someone at HRO about the volume "glitch" - he said that perhaps a future software update might fix it, but it isn't a defect, it's just the way it works. All the 710s do this. Also, he said that using a passive converter from DVI to HDMI is perfectly safe to use - anything that uses active circuitry might fry a surface mount fuse that is in the radio to protect the video chip in the radio - or else manage to damage that chip.
Seems obvious that the FT710 would sound better since you have it setting right on top the FTDX-10's internal speaker while the 710 has a separate speaker blasting into the mic. Gee, it seems like an unfair comparison in that regard. Everything else was good though and thanks for the video.
I'm aware of that, but the simple fact remains that the 710's direct sampling design results in a flatter audio pass band. Even one stage of superhet mixing results in lower system fidelity. Sure, great selectivity, but you can "hear" that you are one step further from the original RF. The ic-7300 also displays the more visceral and immediate sound quality. This is not a matter of speakers.
@@Yavor54 Amazing. I guess the crystal filter is lobbing off a portion of the desired signal then the ADC can't sample it.
Most of the Top HF/50MHz SDR Radios use a Mixer . All Yaesu's Top FTdx10, , FTdx101D, FTdx 101MP , Icom's Top SDR 7851 & Elecraft
Model K4HD & Kenwood TS-990S, TS-890S, TS-590SG All use Mixers in there top HF radios!
Jay - All of the radios you mentioned are Superhet radios. Of course they have mixers. Those radios with spectrum displays use digital sampling and FFT to display the spectrum. They also have plenty of DSP. The IC-7300 and IC-7610 are Direct Sampling SDR radios just like the Flex and Anan radios. Like the Internal Combustion engine, Superhet is slated for the history bin. Lower cost, better performance and simpler design (less failure modes) pull us forward.
Tha ks for the indepth review of these great receivers
Robert- maybe you can comment on the distortion while using the DNF & NB. On the FTdx10 I had, I found they both added more distortion than my Icom & Kenwood on SSB. Even Sherwood noted this on the FTdx10. Hopefully, the 710 has improved both as I find the need to use both at my QTH. Great review as always. 👍
We are all battling local noise these days. Lots of cheap imported electronics re-radiates in the HF bands. My security lights do that. The only DNR and NB that actually work like they are supposed to is with the the Anan 7000 radio. Plus the Anan has dual-sync receivers and a local noise phase cancelling utility that nulls out your local noise. MFJ also sells a box that does this. I think you are going to have to implement phase cancellation of noise- if you need to use the DNR and NB regularly. The Icom DSP features are just maybe slightly better than the Yaesu, but not enough to do what you are really needing (do it perfectly).
I use a MFJ1026 also. Works very well. But it doesn't handle DNF (ANL) notch issues nor does it handle ignition ticks. Hard to understand why the major Mfgs can't do what volunteers can do for the Anan.
@@Homer19521 Well, the Anan has a Cyclone 7 Chip in it that offers tremendous processing power. Plus, with open-sourcing it, the guys who are the best at each of those features- actually designed them. They get to pull engineering from the world at large. Check out my review of the Anan 7000 II.
Thanks for the detailed review!
Thanks! Not my best...but I'm getting older and less capable overall..ha!
710 is way better, why ? because mine arrived yesterday 😅Thanks for the video!
You'll be a very happy camper! There is very little difference in these radios. The one place the 710 beats the "10" is better fidelity RX audio. Get a set of three-way PC speakers with a sub-woofer and it will sound magnificent.
@@robertnagy2163 Thanks for your reply and tip !!
I think for the price difference. The 10 is a better choice. It’s a c w op dream
I have both a DX10 and a 710. I can't tell any difference in the receive, they hear the same. The DX10 just has more filters to pull out distant stations.
They keep designing radios with no RX antenna port. You have to spend 3K+ to get this on current radios.
Amazing review. No better out there for sure. Thank you.
Thanks John. I'm never first to review them... I try not to waste anyone's time... keep it info-dense.
How does the Icom 756 Pro3 compare to the Yaesu FTDX-10? I love the band scope on the Pro3.
Thanksgiving 2023, the 710 is $899, makes it attractive at $500 less than the 10
In France is 1179€
In usa cost 899 USD
Dont understand why IS not the same Price....... conversion.
Yaesu try to fuck EU
Excellent review. 🙏
❤tanks
Reading all the comments I glad you all have the money to buy at a higher price and get less good job happy for you. Not shitting on the FT-710 but why pay more for less ? FTdx-10 VS FT-710 the real winner is the FTdx-10. But hey if you want to pay more and get less god bless.
Absolutely brilliant comparison. I have the 710 and was looking at the 10 for an upgrade. But, after this I'm keeping the 710 for many of the reasons you described. When I bought the 710, it was purely on ergonomics ... not disappointed after having it a year in the shack. 73, Dennis - WU6X
Gran comparativa. En fonia se escucha mejor el Ftdx10, pero en cw parece tener mejor sonido el 710.
Un saludo.