Kenwood TS-950SDX or the Kenwood TS-870????

[Voodoo Voodude]

Yo dudez,

Dis is my first post in da who do voodoo forums. I have read most of da stuff on dis site and it's awsome stuff!

I've toyed around with audio for a while now, currently using W2IHY 8 band EQ and EQ+ along with a Heil Goldline GM5 into a Yaesu FT-1000MP. The radio aint modded so is just passing the audio at 3khz. I am told it sounds great and sounds fine to me on my own recordings that I listen back to. Now I know this aint upto the voodoo standards but i've had fun playin about with this. So now I wanna go further with audio and experience the true awsome reality of voodoo audio!

I am thinking in the new year of purchasing a PR40 mic along with some Behringer gear, now the question is which radio do I go for? I am trying to decide between 2 here ....Kenwood TS-950SDX or the Kenwood TS-870. Now I realise that the TS-950SDX can open up at 6.7khz bandwidth in the menus which is great, however I believe that the receive fideltity is dire standard and a lot of mods are needed to get this on par. I've studied the mods in the voodoo labs. So a plus and negative with this radio. Regarding the TS-870 I see that this will go 4.5khz with no mods plus the receive will do 6khz no mods. This is great as no mods really needed, however the transmit bandwidth is narrower at 4.5 khz compared to the TS-950SDX at 6.7khz.

So just wondering what opinions you dudez may have here on this? Which radio would you go for????

I know that my FT-1000MP is capable of 6khz but it means getting it modded etc. Plus mine is not the MK5 it is the standard 1000MP.

Incidently out of interest at what bandwidth would one say that they have hit the voodoo zone at? For example would you say that a TS-870 at 4.5khz is classed as being at the voodoo level?

Sorry for the long post dudez but this is a cool subject man!

Cheers 'n Beers,
Dom
M0ASR / 2E0CIA.

[!KANT]

HELLZ YEA the '870 is VooDoo Audio capable at 4.5kHz!!!

You've already answered your own question from the research you've completed. The 1000MP mod is actually easier to perform than the VMSDX mods and yield some undeniably wonderful results--VooDoo Audio to 7kHz. The TS-950VMSDX mods are well worth it--sexy-ass VooDoo Audio for sure. The '870, out the box, will still be killer at minimum. Look at your expense bag and if you can swing it go the full gauntlet--950VMSDX.

I've heard PR-40's, SM7B's, MXL-990's and RE-20's direct into the 870 and it was staggering, but NOT VooDoo Audio.

[Voodoo Voodude]

Hay many thanks for your thoughts here dude!
Quick question regarding the TS-870 will it actualy TX 4.5 khz out the box or does this involve replacing an internal filter etc. to get this bandwidth??
Whether I end up with an 870 or 950sdx I will be using a PR40 with some outboard Behrenger gear fer sure!
Da bug has bitten me and da Voodoo is calling

Regards,
Dom
M0ASR/2E0CIA

[Voodoo Guru]

Howdy,
In our experience the early models of the TS-870 are better out of the box then the later models for EQ'ing out to 4.5kc (Although there is some conflicting information to this opinion). And this can only be done by using the DSP1100 or DSP1124P Feedback Destroyer EQ's. They are the only EQ's that have enough control over the Bandwidth and Gain that will allow you to 'push' the DSP envelop out past the 3.2Kc cuttoff point.
Other EQ's will get you up to about 3.8Kc or even to 4kc, but the Feedback Destroyers are the only ones we know of that will get it out to 4.5Kc cleanly The Key Word here is 'Cleanly'.
Also, to get out this far in bandwidth with out the dreaded '870 Splat' on the high frequencies,. then the C131 mod needs to be done and the audio needs to be feed into the ACC2 connector.
Do a search on this forum and those issues are discussed in depth.
Take Care,

[Voodoo Voodude]

Yo cheers man for the info!
Well ive got a ts-870 on order, it is a serial 7 so is one of the first, hopefuly this will have the wider bandwidth possabilities. Ive just also purchased a Heil PR40 to go with it. I didnt realise that the DSP1124P was the only EQ to achieve this bandwidth so thanks for that info I will read up on this model. I am also planning to go into the back of the radio anyway and also have the info on the cap mod.
Cool website is this, plenty of real good info from you guyz.
Hope to see you dudez on da bandz soon
Regards,
Dom.
M0ASR / 2E0CIA.

[!KANT]

Allow me to add, the '870s can be taken to 4.6KHz regardless of an older or latest models--done it. The 1100/24DSP and a compressor/limiter is all you will need to get 4.6KHz--compressor/limiter adds even greater control of your high frequencies. Definitely do the C131 mod...and feed ACC (like Voodoo Guru said).

If you can find a 950SDX, they're still extremely wonderful radios that still hold up today--a true Flagship. And the prices for them reflect this. As of late you'll be stealing one for under $2K--people are not letting go of them for less anymore. 870's are also becoming difficult to find. TS-850's are everywhere, but the much desired (mating) DSP-100 is the complete opposite.

Of all the owners of the TS-870S, I've only heard of two people who didn't like the radio [for audio].

Maybe I should send you a file of an unmodded FT-1000MP and tell me what you think of the audio--you may be very much impressed....I sure was. BTW, you can preform the same mods on the regular MP as the ones documented for MKV--I did it to mine, and it worked.

And one more thing. The Flex 3000 is looking very impressive at $1599--BW maxxed at 3.7KHz...booooo. But these radios are the future and it's said to be a much improved SDR over the 1000. I loved the SDR-1000 receiver and the GUI offered some incredible control over surpress interference. And you can tailor the hell outta the audio. Oh and yea, you can find tons of SDR-1000's all over...guess guys are heading to the F3K.

[Voodoo Guru]

Flux Radios are a good choice,
except that they use Burr Brown Op Amps and Line Drivers in all there transceivers.
This gives their Audio a Sterile, Third Seat from the Back Row type of Audio.
This is known as the 'Burr Brown Veil'.
Some like it, some don't.

We no likey.

The Flux 5K has an additional unique problem with a broadband distortion on its Transmitted Audio. It's very similar to digital clipping. We've only heard 2 of the Flux 5k running Audio gear that don't have it.

On a good note,
Voodoo-LABS came up with a modification for the Flux 1000 that should remove the 'Burr Brown Veil' from the Receiver and the Transmitter. It is in R&D at the moment and awaiting some in field testing.

Take Care,

[!KANT]

Oh Oh....

[That's what I miss the experimental side of it all ]

[M0ZOL]

Flux Radios are a good choice,
except that they use Burr Brown Op Amps and Line Drivers in all there transceivers.
This gives their Audio a Sterile, Third Seat from the Back Row type of Audio.
This is known as the 'Burr Brown Veil'.
Some like it, some don't.

We no likey.

The Flux 5K has an additional unique problem with a broadband distortion on its Transmitted Audio. It's very similar to digital clipping. We've only heard 2 of the Flux 5k running Audio gear that don't have it.

On a good note,
Voodoo-LABS came up with a modification for the Flux 1000 that should remove the 'Burr Brown Veil' from the Receiver and the Transmitter. It is in R&D at the moment and awaiting some in field testing.

Take Care,

Any more news mods to the SDR-1000 as this is a killer dark voodoo box
Burr Brown - these are good op amps?
Voodoo lounge Plymouth

[Voodoo Guru]

Howdy,
This is an ooooold thread!
We gave the design to a friend that was supposed to implement the modifications to his SDR1000, He never fully completed them so the project kind of died in its tracks about 3 years ago.

Burr Brown used to make some damn good chips, back in the day when they were Burr Brown. Ever since Texas Instruments bought the name, it has never been the same.

We do not like the Sonics from most of the Burr Brown chips.
Our Favorite is the Analog Device AD823.

Take Care,

[Voodoo Voodude]

Well guyz it has indeed been a long time, I still run the Kenwood 870 that I mentioned I had on order earlier in this thread
I have experimented a lot with the audio and found the settings that suited my voice, I now get unsolicited audio reports often. Bandwidth is around the 4.3khz, the cap mod i did and so therefore goin in the back.
My setup is as follows:
KENWOOD TS-870
HEIL PR40 MIC
BEHRINGER ULTRAGAIN PRO MIC PRE-AMP
BEHRINGER FEEDBACK DESTROYER PRO EQ
BEHRINGER ULTRAFEX PRO HARMONICS PROCESSOR (running through both channels)
BEHRINGER COMPOSER PRO-XL COMPRESSOR
W2IHY I-BOX

So there we have it, ive not changed anything on this set up for over 12m now and very happy with how it performs, no doubt there is always room for improvement but lack of funds does not allow this so i just thank my lucky stars that I have got what I have.

Check out my gear at qrz.com under callsign M0ASR.

Regards from : THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE VOODOO STUDIOS
Dom - M0ASR / 2E0CIA.