Kenwood TS-890S vs Yaesu FTDX-10

The Yaesu FTDX-10 is the clear winner for most buyers. Both radios share identical transmit power, band coverage, and receiver class, with the Yaesu adding FSK and RTTY modes while the Kenwood includes AM and FM. The decisive factors are price and owner feedback. At $1600 versus $4700, the Yaesu costs less than half as much. Owners report slightly higher satisfaction with the Yaesu (4.4/5 from 10 reviews versus 4.3/5 from 3 reviews), and the larger review sample gives better confidence in that rating. The Yaesu also weighs substantially less at 5900 grams compared to 15.8 kilograms, making it more portable. The Kenwood's only material advantage is additional built-in modes, which matters only if you specifically need AM or FM operation on HF. The Kenwood justifies its premium only for operators who require those specific modes or prefer its feature set enough to accept the significant price premium and weight penalty. Buy the Yaesu FTDX-10 if you want solid HF performance at a reasonable price with better owner consensus. Buy the Kenwood TS-890S only if you specifically need AM or FM capabilities or have other requirements not captured here.