Dear David,

As far as I am concerned, NO currently-available SW radio sounds good
with its built-in speaker with the exception of the Satellit 800.

I use an inexpensive ($29.95) RCA (Radio Shack Cat. # 40-5000) speaker
with my AR7030 Plus. This sounds quite good on news/talk shows. For
music, I run the sound through my stereophonic system which consists,
in part, of Hafler electronics (pre-amp and amp) and a pair of
Klipschorn speakers. The sound thus afforded has to be heard to be
believed. The AOR used via my stereo system sounds much better than the
Satellit 800 run through the same system, but as for the built-in
speaker, the Satellit 800 wins hands down.

Frankly it has always been my thought that shortwave radios should
eschew having built-in speakers just as in the "old days" and let the
user buy either a "matching" external speaker (made by the radio
manufacturer) or an "aftermarket" one - the buyer's choice. An external
speaker, properly enclosed and baffled, will ALWAYS sound better than
one built into a radio though, as I said previously, the sound from the
Satellit 800"s speaker is pretty darned good. You can listen to it for
hours on end. I know of no other shortwave radio about which I could
say the same.

Best,

Joe