The Tecsun PL-520 is a compact portable multi-band radio and is an apparent upgrade to Tecsun’s popular PL-330. It also shares some upgrades that were introduced in the PL-320 which is a newer design than the PL-330. For more details on those models please read the PL-320 Review and the PL-330 Review. Internet speculation has it that the PL-520 will replace the PL-330 but according to Anna at anon-co.com (who graciously provided the PL-520 for review), Tecsun has not made an official announcement about this.

(As of May 7, 2026 anon-co.com has a projected price for the US Export version of the PL-520 listed at $83.99 and the PL-330 is $79.99 which I only a $4 difference. Also, it is not yet available on Amazon US so I will update this when things change)..

Here’s the progression and comparison of these three related models. The PL-330 features SSB and Synchronous Detection and was released to the US market in 2021. The PL-320 was introduced in 2023 and although the PL-320 eliminates the SSB and Sync capabilities of the PL-330, it has a few updates, most notably an added bandwidth of 5 KHz on AM/LW and 6 KHz on SW. It also features an update from a USB Micro to USB C charging port, a “Favourites” Button (note the European spelling) that stores the one station you tune to most often…a great feature I’ve only seen on a handful of radios before, and a fold out kickstand on the back. The new PL-520 has SSB and Sync and all the features of the PL-330 along with the PL-320’s more recent upgrades, and also matches the attractive gray color of the PL-320. And finally, a new Hidden Feature which I will describe later, but first:

Specifications and Features:

FM :USA/EU: 87.5 – 108 MHz,  Russia 64-108MHz, Japan: 76-108MHz (100K/10Hz Tuning Steps)  

FM Stereo at Headphone Jack/Stereo-Mono modes

MW: 520 – 1710 kHz (10K/1K Tuning Steps/ 522-1620 (9K/1K Steps, 10 Hz SSB Mode Steps)

LW: 153 – 513 kHz   

SW: 1711 – 29999 kHz in 14 Bands/11 Bands in SSB mode

AM bandwidth settings:

LW/MW: 2.3, 3.5, 5.0 and 9.0 kHz

SW: 2.3, 3.5, 5.0 and 6.0 kHz

SSB: 0.5, 1.2, 2.2, 3.0 and 4.0 kHz

Tuning: Keyboard for Direct Entry, Tuning Knob, ATS Search, ETM Search & Memory Search

24 Hour Clock/Timer/Sleep/Snooze Functions

VM/VF Button toggles between Memory and Frequency Tuning Modes

SSB & Synchronous Detection

Display Button toggles among Signal Strength/SN Radio, Clock, Alarm Time or Memory Position

Battery: BL-5C

Power Supply: USB C – 5V DC

Memories: 850 Total (MW: 150, LW: 100, SW: 300, FM: 100, SSB: 100, Sync: 100)

Auto Memory Sorting

Lock Mode

Dimensions(Approx) 5.5”/139 mm , 3.4”/85 mm, 1”/26 mm    

Weight: 210g without battery

In The Box:

Radio

BL-5C battery

USB C cable

Zippered Carry Bag

Stereo Earbuds

User Manual

In Use: Learning my way around the PL-520 was a snap because it follows so closely on the previous models and in addition, most Tecsun radios have a family resemblance with many features accessed similarly. If you know how to use the PL-330 you will pretty much know all you need to know about the PL-520 with few exceptions. The added bandwidths are a welcome addition and the new Favorites button is a great feature which I use almost every time I use the radio.

In addition to ATS (Auto Tuning Storage) mode, the ETM+ feature allows the PL-520 to Auto Scan and Store AM/LW and SW stations in separate groups depending on the time of day in six time-specific groups, separate from your regular memories. This is useful, for example, on AM where many stations are receivable at night which aren’t in the daytime or vice versa, and of course SW where stations can change hourly. It is also great for travelers because it will not overwrite your regular memories with new scans. The function worked as advertised and will be a welcome tuning aid for those who rely heavily on memories.

Dial Illumination usually turns off after 5 seconds but can be locked on by pressing the #5 Button. It reverts to Auto-Off after you turn the radio off..

Performance: I am happy to report that the PL-520 is a great performer in the compact radio category. The new radio has seemingly identical performance to the PL-330 with the addition of 5 KHz AM/LW and 6 KHz SW bandwidths . SSB is easy to tune and produces good results and the Synchronous Detection works as it should. I still don’t like the very filtered sound quality in Sync mode…Tecsun has advised me that this in inherent in the chip used in this and other current Tecsuns. However, it still gives the advantages of sync…a reduction in the distortion caused by selective fading and increased selectivity. Consider it a tool to use if and when needed.

AM rates 1 ½ Stars on the AM Mega Shootout List.  On weak daytime AM signals the PL-520 performed similarly to other popular compacts such as the C.Crane Skywave SSB 2 and Sihuadon/Radiwow R-108 which are also 1 1/2 Star AM performers. 

There is still a bit of Soft Muting on AM which causes slightly reduced volume if you deliberately tune away from the center of a signal but it is subtle enough that you cannot usually detect its presence during normal reception. SW seems to have no soft muting…SW sensitivity is very good for this class of radio.

On FM the PL-520 ranks **** on the FM Mega Shootout List…again very good at this price point.

Sound is the same as well and good for this class of radio although some sort of tone control or Music/Voice setting would be nice. Battery life seems very good too…during testing I listened for 2 -3 hours a day over the course of a week before the battery meter began to drop.

Hidden Features: Just as with the others in this series there are a few features not mentioned in the manual.

Toggle between the internal ferrite and the whip (or antenna jack) on AM and LW.  With the radio on AM or LW hold Button #3 until the display indicates CH-1 (ferrite) or CH-5 (whip or external antenna jack).

Display Firmware: With the radio Off, press the VM button until all segments light up then release and it will show the number in the upper right corner. My early sample is 5203.

Set Max Audio Level: In any band press and hold Button #7 then adjust Volume Knob to set level. Default is 58, max is 63.

Calibrate SSB/USB: Tune to good signal, Press SSB, then USB, Adjust Fine Tune to Zero-beat, Press & Hold USB until display flashes, repeat with LSB Mode

New Hidden Feature: The PL-520 allows you to adjust the ATS signal lock or Scan-Stop sensitivity. Here’s what you need to know.

During ATS/Seek mode, a higher sensitivity may miss some stations you would want to hear, while too low a threshold will cause the radio to stop on noise, interference or the sidebands of strong signals. Getting that threshold just right makes the whole process more accurate. Another cool capability is the ability to set a higher threshold so if you are in an unfamiliar location, you can find only strong local signals…this flexibility can be very helpful in some circumstances. Here’s how it works:

1) Turn on the device and select a frequency band (FM, LW, MW, or SW).

2) Press and hold the [ AM/BW ] button until the signal strength value flashes.

3) Rotate the tuning knob to adjust the signal strength value.

4) Rotate the volume knob to adjust the signal-to-noise ratio value.

5) Quick press the [ AM/BW ] button to confirm.

Below are the PL-520’s default settings so if you make changes and later want to return to the original settings you do that easily.

FM: RSSI (signal strength) is 2 dBu, the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is 1 dB.

LW/MW: RSSI (signal strength) is 22 dBu, the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is 3 dB.

SW: RSSI (signal strength) is 20 dBu, the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is 7 dB.

I also compared the PL-520 with its default settings to the PL-330 and found them quite close. For example, on midday AM the PL-330 stopped on 18 stations while the PL-520 stopped at 17 but the one additional signal on the PL-330 was a mistuned station so in this example the PL-520 was (for me) perfect out of the box.

So the question becomes, “If I own the PL-330 is it worth it to upgrade to the PL-520? You will have to make that decision for yourself. The differences are more in features than raw performance as the reception is seemingly identical. The performance upgrades include the additional filter choices on AM/LW/SW (which is a significant addition), the ATS Scan/Stop Sensitivity adjustment, the Favourites Button, the more modern USB C jack and kickstand which combine to make the radio easier to use. In general, I like the new PL-520 quite a bit…it is a great addition to their line.

Recommended!

Jay Allen