Alinco DX-R8T

The Alinco DX-R8T is a fine receiver tabletop receiver and our recommendation as a first tabletop receiver. Why? It's simple to operate, yet it has all of the major features I like in a tabletop radio: it's well-built, easy to use, sensitive, versatile, and it has sufficient control options to help adjust adjacent interference and improve intelligibility. It also has a very attractive price at $499 US. It's next-best competitor is probably the Icom R75--but neither the Icom, nor the Palstar R30A, can be used as a Software Defined Radio and neither have the appropriate IF output for Digital Radio Mondial (DRM) as does the Alinco DX-R8T. In short, it's a lot of radio for the money, excellent for those starting in the hobby. With the Alinco DX-R8T, you get the best of both worlds, a simple "turn on and tune in" tabletop, plus a fully DRM ready SDR. Read our in-depth review of the Alinco DX-R8T by clicking here.
Here's a list of its features:

Frequency coverage: 150-30,000 kHz
500 Hz CW Audio Filter
600 Alpha Memories
10 Hz Display
IF Shift
RIT
Squelch
Dual VFOs
Attenuator