Also known as: IC-R75, R75, ICR75
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The Icom IC-R75 is the value pick among classic tabletop shortwave receivers: a triple-conversion set covering 30 kHz–60 MHz — uniquely reaching 6 m — that Icom kept in production from 1999 all the way to 2016.1 It’s been discontinued for a decade now, so the used market — eBay, hamfests, SWL classifieds — is where it lives, and at roughly $300–500 it’s the cheapest serious classic in the category.
Key takeaways The best-value classic — a superb SSB/utility receiver, not a top-tier broadcast set. Twin passband tuning, two optional filter slots, famously stable, 30 kHz–60 MHz. Known trade-offs: muffled stock audio (Kiwa mods were a cottage industry) and a sync detector widely called poor. Used only, ~$300–500 — the best-documented price band of any classic here. No license to listen — ever. Where it ranks: best desktop shortwave receivers.
Overview
The R75 outlived every rival on this list — a 17-year production run that ended only in March 2016 — and that longevity is why it’s the easiest classic to actually buy: units are plentiful, prices are honest, and parts commonality with IC-706-era Icoms keeps service realistic.1 The receiver itself is a known quantity: triple conversion, twin passband tuning (PBT) for carving interference off both sides of a signal, two slots for optional Icom CR/FL crystal filters, an optional UT-106 audio-DSP board (marginal, but most used units include it), and stability good enough that utility and digital-mode listeners made it a standard.2
The honest ledger has two debits. Stock audio is the classic Icom “muffled” sound — aftermarket Kiwa audio mods were literally a cottage industry — and the synchronous AM detector is widely called poor, dropping lock where a Drake holds on. That’s why the community ranks it the best value classic rather than a top performer: buy it for SSB, CW, and utility DX, not for rich broadcast audio.
About those bands: the big Western broadcasters have mostly left shortwave. What’s still out there — international broadcasters, time signals, HF utility traffic, ham SSB, the odd pirate — is real but quieter than the genre’s heyday, and the R75’s utility/SSB strengths actually fit the modern bands well. Either way, a $20 wire antenna out a window will do more for your reception than a $200 fancier radio — string the wire first.
Listening note: receiving is license-free everywhere in the US. No FCC anything, ever.
Bands, modes & features
- Coverage: 30 kHz–60 MHz — the only classic here that reaches 6 m.
- Modes: AM, SSB, CW, RTTY, sync AM (weak), FM on some versions.
- Selectivity: triple conversion, twin PBT, two optional filter slots, optional UT-106 AF-DSP.
- Power: external 13.8 V — check the supplied PSU (see below).
Buying used: what to check
The R75’s huge production run makes it low-drama, but four checks set the price and the experience:3
- The power supply. It runs from external 13.8 V, and the supplied PSU is a known weak point (hum). Confirm one is included and clean.
- The fit-out. Optional CR/FL filters and the UT-106 DSP board are what separate a $300 unit from a $500 one — get the exact inventory in writing.
- LCD backlight. It ages; verify it at 100% brightness.
- Front-panel buttons — check the feel on every one, and ask whether a Kiwa audio mod has been done (a plus, not a red flag).
Confirmed sales cluster at the low end — about $315 on eBay and $325 on CanuckAudioMart in 2025 — with loaded units toward $500. Few classics have this well-corroborated a price band, but check current eBay sold listings anyway. Serviceability is the best of the classics: enormous production run, shared Icom parts, active community.
Used-market viability: the best of any classic here. Seventeen years of production means deep supply on eBay at any given moment, honest prices, and eHam owner reviews that run solidly positive for the money. Where a Drake or AOR purchase is a months-long hunt, a good R75 is usually a weeks-long one — and if you buy badly, you’re out $300, not $1,300.
GopherTrunk alternative
The product category the R75 belongs to was ended by software-defined radio: a ~$200 HF SDR matches or beats a legacy tabletop and adds a spectrum waterfall no knob radio can draw. A used R75 today is a deliberate knobs-and-filters choice — and at ~$300–500 it’s the cheapest way to make that choice — but the modern path to the same spectrum is an HF-capable SDR or an RTL-SDR in direct-sampling mode. GopherTrunk itself stays in its VHF/UHF scanner lane; it’s simply the same listen-first philosophy, free.
Who it’s for
- Buy the IC-R75 if you want the cheapest serious classic tabletop — especially for SSB, CW, and utility listening — and can live without good sync AM. Find on eBay →
- Buy the Drake R8B instead if broadcast audio and sync detection matter most, or the Kenwood R-5000 for the all-round 1980s Japanese alternative.
- Want new with a warranty? The Icom IC-R8600 is the one real current tabletop. Full rankings: best desktop shortwave receivers.
Sources
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The Icom IC-R75 is being discontinued — The SWLing Post (2016) — discontinuation announcement closing the 1999–2016 production run. ↩ ↩2
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Receiver review: Icom IC-R75 — Medium Wave Circle — performance verdict: excellent SSB/utility work, mediocre stock audio, poor sync detector, best-value standing. ↩
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Icom IC-R75 — Universal Radio archive — specifications, twin PBT, filter options, UT-106 DSP, power requirements, original pricing. ↩
Frequently asked questions
Is the Icom IC-R75 still worth buying?
As the value classic, yes. At roughly $300–500 used it’s the cheapest serious tabletop here, with excellent SSB/CW performance, twin passband tuning, and famous stability. Its known weaknesses — muffled stock audio and a sync detector that loses lock — are the price of the discount.
How much is a used IC-R75?
Typically $300–500. Confirmed sales sit at the low end (~$315 on eBay, $325 on CanuckAudioMart in 2025); units loaded with optional filters and the UT-106 DSP board fetch more. It’s the most affordable serious classic in the category.
Does the IC-R75 have a good sync detector?
No — its synchronous AM detector is widely called poor and prone to losing lock, the R75’s best-known weakness. If sync AM is your priority, look at a Drake R8B or even a Sony ICF-2010 instead; the R75’s strength is SSB, CW, and utility listening.
What should I check before buying a used IC-R75?
Which optional filters and whether the UT-106 DSP board are installed (they set the price), the supplied 13.8 V power supply (a known weak point for hum), LCD backlight at full brightness (it ages), and front-panel button feel. Ask about any Kiwa audio modification — a common and worthwhile upgrade.
Do I need a license to listen to shortwave on an IC-R75?
No. Receiving is license-free everywhere in the US — no FCC registration, exam, or paperwork of any kind. Only transmitting requires a license.