Yaesu FT-710 AESS Review: The Modern Middle of the HF Market

The short answer

Buy the FT-710 AESS if you want a current generation HF radio with a genuinely good receiver, a fast internal tuner and a large touch display, and you can find a few hundred dollars over the entry tier. Skip it if the budget is tight or your antenna is still a compromise, because an IC-7300 plus better feedline will outperform an FT-710 plus lossy coax.

Processing: Dual core 32 bit DSP
Antenna tuner: Built in, high speed automatic
Dimensions: Approximately 9.4 x 3.1 x 9.7 in
Approximate price: Around $1,330

A 250 MHz direct digital synthesiser and a fast internal tuner, at a few hundred over the entry tier.

Best current mid tier

Yaesu FT-710 AESS 100 W HF and 6 m SDR Transceiver

Around $1,330

Hybrid SDR HF and 6 metre transceiver with a 250 MHz high resolution direct digital synthesiser, 3DSS real time colour display, built-in high speed automatic tuner, and the SP-40 external speaker included.

Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Coverage	Receive 30 kHz to 75 MHz, transmit on the 160 through 6 metre amateur bands
Output power	Adjustable 5 to 100 W on SSB, CW and FM, 5 to 25 W AM carrier
Front end	250 MHz high resolution direct digital synthesiser with amateur band pass filters
Processing	Dual core 32 bit DSP
Display	4.3 in TFT colour touch panel with 3DSS real time spectrum
Antenna tuner	Built in, high speed automatic
Connectivity	Two USB ports, SD memory card slot, optional DVI-D remote display
In the box	SP-40 external speaker, microphone and 12 V DC power cable
Dimensions	Approximately 9.4 x 3.1 x 9.7 in
Approximate price	Around $1,330

Specifications above come from Yaesu's published specifications and feature list for the FT-710 AESS. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

The same 250 MHz direct digital synthesiser approach as the FTDX-10, in a cheaper radio.
The internal automatic tuner is fast and has a usefully wider matching range than most radios in this bracket.
Two USB ports and an SD card slot, so digital modes and firmware updates are straightforward.
The bundled SP-40 speaker is a real external speaker rather than a token accessory, and it changes the receive audio noticeably.
Compact and light for a 100 watt base radio, at roughly 9.4 by 3.1 by 9.7 inches.

Where it falls short

The AESS acoustic enhancement is a speaker system, not a receiver improvement. It makes the radio pleasant to listen to and does nothing for weak signal work, and some buyers expect otherwise.
The front panel is smaller than the display suggests, and operators with large hands or a preference for one knob per function find it cramped compared with an FTDX-10.
No VHF or UHF, and no internal battery. It is a desk radio.
Firmware has moved a good deal since launch. Check you are current before diagnosing any odd behaviour as a fault.

Choosing between this and the tier below

The honest way to make this decision is to look at your antenna first. If your feedline run is long and the cable is thin, the loss on 10 metres may be costing you more than the receiver difference between these radios ever will. Put your real numbers into the coax loss calculator and see. If the answer is ugly, buy cable and the cheaper radio.

If the antenna and feedline are already sound, the FT-710 is a reasonable place for the extra money, and the internal tuner saves an external box for most resonant antennas. Size the power supply with headroom on the power supply sizing calculator, because a 100 watt radio on a marginal supply sounds like a radio fault. What power you may run and where is determined by your licence class and your national regulator, the FCC in the United States, rather than by the radio.

What owners report

Published owner reviews line up on the receiver: operators moving from an entry direct sampling radio describe a quieter background and better behaviour on a crowded band, and several describe it as most of an FTDX-10 for meaningfully less money. The internal tuner also draws consistent praise for both speed and range, which is unusual, since internal tuners are normally the part owners complain about.

The recurring criticism is ergonomic rather than electrical. The front panel is compact, several functions live in menus rather than on knobs, and owners who use the radio heavily describe reaching for the touchscreen more than they would like. The AESS speaker is well liked but frequently misunderstood: it improves how the radio sounds, not how well it hears.

Owners also note that the tuner, good as it is, still expects an antenna in the right neighbourhood. If yours is not, size and cut it properly first with the dipole length calculator, or read tuner versus resonant antenna to understand what a tuner is and is not fixing.

Who it suits

Operators upgrading from an entry HF radio who want a current generation receiver without contest station money.
Anyone who wants a capable internal tuner so an external box is not needed for a normal resonant antenna.
Digital mode operators who want two USB ports and simple firmware updates from an SD card.
Small desks. It is genuinely compact for a 100 watt radio.

Who should skip it

First time HF buyers on a tight budget. The IC-7300 does the core job for less.
Operators who want one knob per function and a large front panel. Look at the FTDX-10.
Anyone who needs VHF or UHF in the same box.
Anyone expecting the AESS speaker to improve weak signal reception. It will not.

Alternatives worth considering

Budget Pick

Icom IC-7300 HF and 50 MHz 100 W Transceiver

Around $1,200

The established entry direct sampling radio with a large owner base and an internal tuner. Slightly cheaper, easier to find help for, and beaten on close-in receiver behaviour.

Check price on Amazon

Step-Up Alternative

Yaesu FTDX-10 HF Transceiver

Around $1,589

A bigger front panel, a 5 inch display and a receiver tuned even harder for close-in strong signal handling. Worth the step if you work crowded bands often.

Check price on Amazon

All Band Alternative

Yaesu FT-991A HF, 50, 144 and 430 MHz All Mode Transceiver

Around $1,478

Trades some HF receiver refinement for 2 metres and 70 centimetres all mode in the same box, which is the right call if you want one radio to do everything.

Check price on Amazon

Keep reading

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this

Yaesu FT-710 vs Icom IC-7300: which is the better buy?

The FT-710 has the newer front end design and a better internal tuner, and most owners who have used both describe a quieter receiver on a busy band. The IC-7300 costs less, has a very large owner community and remains an excellent first HF radio. If the extra few hundred dollars would otherwise go towards feedline or an antenna, spend it there and buy the IC-7300.

What does AESS actually do?

AESS stands for the acoustic enhanced speaker system, and it is exactly that: a speaker arrangement, including the bundled SP-40 external speaker, designed to make the radio pleasant to listen to over long sessions. It is a genuine improvement in comfort and it makes no difference at all to how well the receiver hears a weak signal. Buyers who expect a sensitivity improvement are reading the name wrong.

Is the FT-710 internal tuner good enough for a wire antenna?

It is better than most internal tuners and it is still not an external wide range tuner. It will handle a resonant dipole or vertical that has drifted off frequency, and it will handle a moderately mismatched antenna on several bands. It will not load a random length of wire on 160 metres. If that is your plan, buy an external tuner and put it near the feed point.

Does the FT-710 cover VHF and UHF?

No. It transmits on the amateur bands from 160 metres through 6 metres and receives from 30 kHz to 75 MHz. If you want HF plus 2 metres and 70 centimetres in one box, the Yaesu FT-991A is the radio in the same family that does that, with some compromise on HF receiver refinement in exchange.

What power supply does the FT-710 need?

A 13.8 volt supply rated comfortably above the radio's peak current at 100 watts, which for a modern HF radio is in the low twenties of amps. A 30 amp supply is the practical minimum. Buy more capacity than the specification demands, because supplies that just meet the number sag on voice peaks, and that shows up as distorted transmit audio that is easy to misdiagnose as a radio problem.

Keeping your own cut lengths, SWR sweeps and exposure record? The Station Build & Antenna Planner is the paid version of these pages: 8 printable worksheets you fill in with your own numbers, plus the full PDF, $29.

Disclaimer Researched guidance for planning purposes, not professional engineering, electrical or legal advice. Antenna work, RF exposure, mast and tower work, grounding and battery handling all carry real risk that depends on your specific site and installation. Verify anything safety-critical against current FCC rules, the National Electrical Code and the manufacturer's own documentation, and hire a professional where the job calls for one. We research equipment from published specifications, regulatory documents and verified owner reviews rather than claiming hands-on testing we have not done.