Kenwood TS-890S worth it in 2024?

I've been rocking a TS-890 for almost 2 years now and couldn't be happier with it. Unlike some other brands, it's very obvious it was designed by engineers who are also active hams.

This is not only become iconic , but it's a fab investment, possibly the finest radio ever

The trouble for me with a big money purchase of anything (this is big money to me) is to know how future proof the product is. Kenwood show nothing other than they are pulling out of the market - look at their range. The 590SG - 10 years old? The 990 - gone. They do a few mobile a few handhelds and have not produced any SDR stuff? This may be the best radio in the world but in my opinion it could become another DeLorean.

I love my 890, it does everything I want it to do. I keep finding new buttons to push, yesterday I found the MONI button. It enables me to hear my transmission through my speaker or headphones and it is adjustable! Fabulous radio!

The best guy in ML. Highly recommended, awesome customer service.

About time someone said just how good the TS-890s really is, well done . I've always regarded this radio as a, 'sleeper' that will be become appreciated as time goes by . For me the TS-990s was wonderful but true overkill and this is just right visually and operationally a real , users radio. .I'm a technical writer, reviewer and photographer and I love my TS-890s it's worth every penny . I've had it almost a year now and I still haven't run out of features and benefits to explore. The CW performance is phenomenal ! I love how you can set/limit the frequency span of the display. It's so useful on crowded bands or contests helping you to find the gaps . My favourite feature of all is that if you tune off the end of the display the radio will re set the cursor to the centre and ad just the tuning range on the bottom of the display to match so that you're never just reliant on the frequency counter once you've gone off scale. - You didn't include it but it also does RTTY . There's an on-screen clock for logging, and I love to set mine with bar graph display of ALC and SWR displayed just below the bandwidth display, top right really gives you confidence that all is well. - love it , love it ! Richard G3UGF

Mark.. First class review mate. Top Banana. Callum.

Love the 890, have the 990,890,590 available here, but for ease of use it the 890 every time. Two 890's in the shack one on HF/6/4m on Gemini DX 1200 with the other on 6/4m 300w amp, then they are paired up for our contest ops on HF. Thanks for your presentation.

I don't know how good a radio it is but it has loads of buttons so that's a yes from me!

Great video. Had mine for about 3 years. Solidly built. Always get good audio reports. Learnt a few tricks from the video. 73.

Awesome radio, so ahead of its time, just like the icom-7851. I love a good superhet, in the era of SDR cheapos.

I have one. Best rig I've had. Just beware the auto tuners are eating themselves due to faulty caps. There is a TSB on it, and you have to ship the radio to them (expensive) AFTER it goes out, not before. I have a LDG external tuner on mine to save me from future headaches.

TS-890 and the TS-990 closest I'll ever get is watching youtube videos and looking at advertising brochures. Heck I can't even afford a used TS-2000 which is my semi-affordable grail radio! (willing to take donations). I still caress my tired but loved old TS-520S though.

That’s a gorgeous radio. If I decide to operate QRO, I might have to get me one of these.

Not having dual receive was the killer for me and no I couldn’t jump to the 990 a bit too much $$! But the 890s is a beautiful radio indeed thank you 73

I bought my TS890 from ML and S in 2019. It really is the best radio I've had in 46 years on the air. The receive performance is stupendous and the more traditional design approach ( Superhet rather than SDR) pays off here. Even my K3 can't compete and nor could my Ten Tec Orion 2 which now has a new home. Recently I was looking for another second radio but really couldn't find anything to compete with the TS890 on an overall basis. I know its a lot of cash, but believe me its worth it because this is a true high end amateur transceiver.

Great video. Learned a lot and now able to use many features I was not aware of.

I saw the preview and though "ML&S are teasing a big announcement at Hamvention"...and yet, here we are yet again. Sigh. Come on JVCKenwood...we all have thousands of $ and Ł to spend, ICOM has sold over 100 THOUSAND 7300's...and still you can't even give us a glimmer of hope in 2024. Sigh. Love you guys from across-the-pond 73 de KN4HGI - your pal, Thumpy

Good summary, the build quality and feel of the TS-890s is exceptional. Y

I loved mine, but the 990s I had off you was a step up..slightly. 890s is a fantastic bit of kit.