Elecraft : Choix entre K3 ou K3S

I feel compelled to write that I have had a similar experience with my K3 about #6600. I got it after listening to a K3 with new boards. The new synthesizer board made a HUGE difference to my ears in casual SSB and CW use, in a busy metropolitan area. I can't explain it fully in accurate technical terms... just let me report there seems to be far less noise, the voices seem more complete, more dynamic, and the CW more pure.
THANK YOU Elecraft.
73 all. YMMV
Bruce
K3BAB

My comments were based on CW.  Havent done much SSB with it yet.  I see a post this morning from a guy that commented on how well with SSB though, you might ask him for more info.  It is hard to describe actually.  The background hiss has dropped way down, so much so that I thought the antenna had a problem until I checked it out and tuned around.  The signals are sharper, jump out more,  (like I said, hard to explain, hihi, but you get the idea)  I read the comments about how well the new synthesizer board worked but kinda took it with a grain of salt, after all we are all Elecraft fanboys on the reflector hihi.  I am sure it is better on SSB too.  I wish I lived closer, I would bring my K3 over so we could do a A/B test ! 

73,
Bob
K6UJ

I noticed first hand more definition in signals, seem crisper and cleaner (not referring to audio), but rather the sharpness of the signal.  Also a lower noise floor, not to say the noise floor was already excellent, this upgrade made it even better.  I can sneak up on strong signals now and using the filter and passband tuning or hi and low cut they are totally gone.  Only observations from what I remember from the old sync boards.  I do not have another K3 with the old boards so it is purely by what I hear and remember from the old layout (subjective), but I do have that sense that it's better and I've been though a lot of rigs in the five plus decades a ham.  Tests have shown the advantage is around 7 db over the old boards, that is quite significant I believe.  I am sure my ham neighbor might be happy as the phase noise has been lowered in transmit also.   

Dale, k9vuj

As I've reported in another thread, I'm essentially QRT because of line noise. The supervisor at the power coop (a ham no less) says they are too busy getting substations prepared for our summer "monsoon" (hate that word) "rainy season"
and I can go pound sand. or something like that.

So I've been spending all of my time with my new K3S listening to the XG2 signal source and comparing my old K3 to the new one. The old one has the earlier board, in fact it is the one with the prototype stiffener plate.

This is hardly scientific, especially when I have no idea of the phase noise performance of the XG2, but I can say that when looking at the receiver audio output on Spectrum Lab there is a significant improvement in the sideband noise. So much so that I can see the 60Hz harmonics that are buried in the noise on the old radio.

I wish that I could offer some glowing reports of how magically better the K3S sounds in practice compared to the old radio, but I can't at this time.

Wes N7WS