(THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED)

I picked up the Eton Elite Field radio and, man, I wanted to love this thing. First off, the look? Solid. The feel? Nice in the hand. The options for internal or external antenna connections? Pretty slick.

The EEF had some real performance problems and something inside rattled around, so I returned it for a replacement rather than a refund. The new radio arrived from Amazon the next day and, believe it or not, it was a whole different experience.

Here’s the rundown:

Mystery Noise: Good news! The replacement EEF doesn’t have that odd soft thunk from a presumably loose internal component I noticed in the original radio.

The Eton Elite Field Runs Neck-and-Neck With Its Sibling: So, I did a head-to-head with the Eton Elite Field and the Eton Elite Executive. The Field is only a little less sensitive on shortwave, is the same on medium wave, and slightly better on FM. Note that unlike the EEE, the EEF does not offer SSB or synch. This isn’t really an issue for me, since I consider the EEF to be more of a low-stress listening radio than a high-focus seeker of obscure signals like its sibling.

RDS Logo Shenanigans: Just like the one I returned, the replacement EEF still displays the RDS logo when the radio’s off — even if the last station tuned was medium wave. It’s like that one guy who doesn’t know when the party’s over. Weird.

Tuning Drama: Switching between fast and slow tuning is still something of a speed bump. On some manufacturers’ radios, you’ve got the outer ring for the fast stuff and the inner one for the slow roll. But on this bad boy? Both rings are geared at different ratios but tune at the same darn speed. Want to change that? Quick-press the button marked Timer A. What? Exactly. Doesn’t make a lick of sense. But I can cope with this.

Shipping Oddities: Interestingly, the first radio was shipped in a somewhat-protective plastic bag, while the replacement arrived totally unprotected with a shipping label slapped right onto the box itself. Even the opening tab was unsecured. Conclusion: How Amazon packages your item plays no role in whether it survives its journey without damage. What truly matters is how your purchase is treated during shipping. Was it used as a football en route?

Final conclusion: If you enjoy the feel of a good tool in your hand, you’ll love the Eton Elite Field. Operating this machine is as fun as listening to the signals it snares. I’d recommend buying from Amazon. With his company’s return, refund, and exchange policies, doing business with Jeff’s empire is essentially risk-free. Cheers.

OTHER OPINIONS

Radiojayallen reviews the current model of this radio, as well as its predecessor.

Todderbert assesses the EEF and demonstrates its capabilities on his Radio Waves YouTube channel.

Amazon customers rate the Eton Elite Field. (Note: Several Eton models are listed in the stack of reviews.)