Sony XDRF1 HD, the HD Radio tuner I just bought
Yes, I’ve been quite critical here about the technical specs of In-Band-On-Channel digital broadcasting, a/k/a IBOC, a/k/a HD Radio. However, I must admit that I have barely listened to the service, largely because I don’t own an HD Radio and rarely have had access to one. In order to judge the actual merits of the system against what I already know are some of the constraints, I really think I should do some critical listening.
I’d been thinking about buying an HD Radio for a while, mostly considering the Sony XDRF1HD HD Radio Tuner. It’s received very good reviews for both its analog FM performance as well as its HD radio performance, and it’s comparatively inexpensive with a street price of around $80. Then I walked into a local electronics store today and found one in an open box special for even less, so a I bought it.
It’s an audio component tuner, not a radio, so it doesn’t have a speaker. It’s made to fit into an audio component system, which is where I’ll install it.
I have not yet given it a real listen, so I can post no results yet. However, I will be sure to keep Radio Survivor readers updated on my new adventures in HD Radio.
