Part of our The Icom IC-7300 Mark II: The Complete Guide.
The Mark II’s default SSB audio is usable but generic, and a handful of menu adjustments made a real difference in how I actually sound on the air.
Mic gain, checked with a real report
Default gain tends to run a little hot, which produces the overdriven, distorted audio you hear too often on the bands. Set your gain conservatively and get an actual audio report from someone you trust rather than relying on the ALC meter alone.
Compression, used with restraint
The built-in speech processor helps punch through noise, but it’s easy to overdo. Heavy compression makes your audio louder on average but flatter and more fatiguing over a long QSO. I run mine light, just enough to smooth out natural volume swings.
EQ tuned for your actual mic
The factory EQ curve is a generic setting, not tuned for whatever microphone you’re actually running. I found a slight low-end cut and a small presence boost helped intelligibility without sounding tinny or boomy, but your settings will differ depending on your specific mic.
How I actually dialed this in
- Set gain conservatively, then get a real audio report, not just an ALC reading.
- Use light compression, not heavy, unless you’re specifically fighting through poor conditions.
- Adjust EQ for your actual microphone, not the factory assumption.
- Recheck settings if you switch microphones or headsets.
This took a few QSOs of tweaking and asking for reports before landing on something I was happy with, but it’s worth the time. Clean audio is one of the cheapest ways to stand out on a crowded band.