Home > Consumer Reviews > Grundig World Receiver Portable Radio

The Grundig G2000A is made of solid plastic that's lightweight and durable. At about 1.5 pounds, this little (but powerful) radio is easy to transport (A leather carrying case is included as are two excellent ear pieces.)

The Grundig G2000A is powered by three AA batteries that seem to last a long time. There are two digital clocks built in - set one to your home time and the second to your travel destination. A handy wake up alarm feature and a small (1.5 inch) speaker. The speaker is a testament to the fine German quality we have come to expect from Grundig.

I did have a difficult time picking up remote world channels, but I easily found several new stations to listen to. I had to remind myself that this was a portable radio and I couldn't expect the same power performance from this model as I do with my Grundig 960.

Overall this is a quality piece of craftsmanship and electronics. It is sturdy, dependable and easy to carry - it is worth the price charged.

In recent years, no other portable shortwave radio has rated quite as high on the "neato" scale as the Grundig G2000A. This Grundig's two best design features are its Porsche-designed cosmetics and its handy leather carrying "case." These things alone are cool enough to inspire almost any shortwave listener to want one and have fun using it.

The radio's performance isn't quite as great as its beauty, however. For its small size, it performs fine with an external antenna, but less well with the aerial. Its sensitivity is decent, and selectivity is passable. But don't expect a listening experience on par with rivals within its price class. Bottom line is, you're paying more for the looks than anything else. If performance is what you desire, keep looking.

I give it less than four stars for several reasons. First, it fails to cover the entire shortwave spectrum from 1600 khz to 30 mhz. That's a big drawback among today's digital radios. Second, the keypad is awkward to use, even though it looks fabulous. Third, the software provides a measly 10 memory positions for shortwave, which is okay if you only listen to the major broadcasters.

Nevertheless, the G2000A is an aesthetically nice radio that's fun to operate for casual listening. For a novice listener, I'd recommend something simpler. If you're a more serious, demanding listener, you probably already have something else. I enjoy using it because it reminds me of my dad's old Zenith Royal 500E, which has a great leather case. I like this Grundig, but I'm glad it isn't my only one.