![]() It was built in to the Alpine and Kenwood aftermarket radios I put in two of our cars, and the cost was basically the same as I expected to pay for non-HD units. The cost is the same as all but the cheapest radios, and you really don’t want the cheapest radios. RecommendationsĪll that being said, if you want to try HD radio, for the car just look for a radio that has it. That doesn’t bode well for the future of HD. If I, a total radio geek who loves radio and just tuning around to find interesting stations, is doubting the use of HD radio, what is the typical consumer doing? I imagine not even thinking about it. That is one of six HD tuners I own and rarely use for HD - the two in the cars being an exception I am still in the process of deciding whether to just sell them or put them in storage for the time when all digital AM becomes common … if ever.Īnd that creates a problem. Inside the house I usually use the smart speaker. I can still hear radio outside, but rarely use the tuner. I handle it by just not listening to those stations at home, but I digress. Additionally, due to greed on the part of station owners who want to monetize their own apps, not all stations are available on any of the apps. Of course if you have an HD tuner in your car or home it would be technically easier to use than having to make sure you’re connected to the internet and knowing how to run the app. Interference between stations aside, I think AM via HD sounds tremendously better than typical analog, and the extra channels on FM - when done right as with Saul Levine’s HD stations at 105.1 - add a great entertainment source.īut over the past few years, various smart phone apps and smart speakers have come on the scene, and many stations stream their programming there, making HD tuners duplicative and perhaps unnecessary. I actually think it has the potential to be a good platform. As I did it, I looked at my HD tuner, and wondered why I have it.ĭon’t get me wrong … I am not against HD radio per se. I have had a stereo in my back yard for many years the other day I was doing some work outside and thought I’d simplify a few things … get rid of the broken cassette deck, for example. What brought on my thinking is actually opposite of what Rick is thinking. But I was already planning about talking about HD radios and tuners this week anyway … the planets must be aligning in some way. I do have some recommendations, which I will get to in a minute. Do you have any recommendations?” - Rick Adams When people started putting their hands on a variety of options spread out in front of them, though, nearly everyone expressed preference for an analog tuning dial over digital buttons, even if it meant giving up station presets and automatic channel scanning.“I read your column each week and many thanks for the radio stations you have turned me on to, most recently KHUG ( I’ve been looking into replacing my home stereo with one that has HD digital reception. Potential shoppers and current tabletop radio owners we surveyed were pretty evenly split in their preference for analog over digital tuning, though none of them felt strongly about the choice. Analog beats digital almost every time.Bluetooth connectivity was of bigger interest to potential shoppers than in previous years but still wasn’t a necessity. Many potential shoppers, current tabletop radio owners, and novice testers insisted-almost without exception-that AM reception was as crucial as FM reception (even those who admitted that they never listened to AM). AM reception is a must, and Bluetooth support is a nice bonus.In fact, none of the people we interviewed even mentioned it until we prompted them. For most shoppers, a good tabletop radio should be as pleasing to touch as it is to look at. Solid tuning and good ergonomics are a major priority.Interviewees also quite frequently mentioned that a variety of finish options would be preferable, though not essential. By a huge margin, the feature that most people mentioned first was design, with the terms “retro” and “executive styling” popping up time and again. ![]()
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