so ive been going back and forth on this for like two months now and i need to just pick something. currently running a baofeng on 2m/70cm and a crappy little sdr dongle for HF listening, which obviously isnt a real setup. finally have a budget around $900-1000 and im trying to decide between getting a new IC-7300 or hunting down a used FT-991A in decent shape.

i know the 7300 has that waterfall display which everyone seems to love and the DSP is supposed to be really good. but the 991A does HF plus VHF and UHF all in one which would let me ditch the baofeng at least for home use. the thing is i mostly want to do HF, some SSB and probably mess around with FT8 once i figure out the interface stuff. VHF isnt a huge priority honestly.

anyone run either of these for a while and have opinions? not looking for a marketing writeup just real world stuff. does the 991A audio hold up on SSB compared to the icom or is that whole thing overblown

had a 991A for about three years before i moved to a 7300 and honestly for HF SSB the icom just feels tighter. the 991A is a good radio dont get me wrong but the receiver on the 7300 is noticeably cleaner to my ears on crowded band conditions, like during a contest weekend or when 40m is wall to wall. the waterfall alone changed how i operate, i actually find openings now instead of just spinning the dial hoping.

that said if you genuinely want an all in one box the 991A makes sense. i just found myself never using the VHF/UHF side after the first couple weeks so it felt like i was paying for stuff i didnt touch. if HF is really your main thing id say just get the 7300 new and done, youll probably keep it for ten years.

i run a 991A and its fine but yeah the fan noise is a thing people mention and its not wrong, gets a little annoying during late night operating when the shack is quiet. also the menus are classic yaesu which means prepare to spend an afternoon just figuring out where everything is. not a dealbreaker but worth knowing going in. the HF audio on SSB is totally acceptable though, i wouldnt say it sounds bad.