HD Radio Quality v Streaming

[Kevin]

I would recommend a radio that has a heftier feel to it plus significantly better audio quality.
It was branded as the Gracedigital Sparc SHD-T750, but they are out of production and out of stock.
The radios were priced in the low $100 range but they keep going up and are still available at Amazon and eBay.

But actually, I would recommend streaming online

About 3 months ago, I talked to a representative from Gracedigital and he mentioned that all of their HD Radio products are no longer in production, due to lack of sales. And yes streaming is also my preferred choice.

 

[Ralph Martin]

I love my HD Radio, and I like my phone too, so streaming is fine. The TuneIn app has a large selection of stations -including ours.

I'm a fan of the Sangean HDR-16. I have two of them.

As for streaming, of course, there's nothing more you need to buy. I use TuneIn as a pretty good cross-platform aggregator. You can use it from their website or download their app from your phone. There are more out there. I've never used iHeart Radio's app. It might be useful. Our station is on TuneIn, So that explains my preference. I use TuneIn for my podcast listening as well.

I still love (and listen to)HD Radio as well.

Online, HD Radio, Analog...
Pick your flavor.

 

[bulwnkl]

HD1 blends automatically between the station's digital and analog services, so they complement each other when the signal struggles. This change is barely noticeable if the station has its diversity delay and processing set correctly.

In my area, it's easy to hear the difference between HD stations in this regard. Some have a noticeable issue with delay, such that the switchover (or blending) causes you to lose or repeat about a syllable of spoken DJ or ad or whatever. On others the delay is totally imperceptible, and of course there are those in-between the extremes.

What I have been surprised about is something maybe you all can comment on for me. In the 2 different factory HD radios we've had in cars, there's a NOTICEABLE change between the analog FM broadcast and the HD1 digital one. The treble is increased significantly in terms of frequency range expansion, but also volume level. Stereo separation also expands dramatically on the switchover to digital. My Sangean tabletop and portable radios give a similar, if somewhat less pronounced, difference.

I always assumed the treble freq. range increase was the nature of the freq. range of the analog vs. digital broadcasts, but that the treble volume increase was a function of the audio processing the stations are doing. However, I recently put in an aftermarket Pioneer HD radio in a different vehicle, and the switch from analog to digital and back is MUCH more difficult to recognize (other than the time delay problems on some stations). The treble volume is much more similar, and the stereo separation isn't nearly as obvious or significant as on the other (factory) radios.

Why do you suppose this is? Is the Pioneer's HD tuner portion not as 'good' as the rest? Is the analog tuner section significantly 'better' than the rest? I can't really compare to the factory non-HD radio that was in that vehicle previously, as I also added a speaker and made some other adjustments.

 

[Ralph Martin]

I always assumed the treble freq. range increase was the nature of the freq. range of the analog vs. digital broadcasts, but that the treble volume increase was a function of the audio processing the stations are doing. However, I recently put in an aftermarket Pioneer HD radio in a different vehicle, and the switch from analog to digital and back is MUCH more difficult to recognize (other than the time delay problems on some stations). The treble volume is much more similar, and the stereo separation isn't nearly as obvious or significant as on the other (factory) radios.

Why do you suppose this is? Is the Pioneer's HD tuner portion not as 'good' as the rest? Is the analog tuner section significantly 'better' than the rest? I can't really compare to the factory non-HD radio that was in that vehicle previously, as I also added a speaker and made some other adjustments.

If I understand your question, I think you're asking why some systems show quality differences in stations more than others.

Everything in the audio chain, from the original microphone of the studio or other source material; to the processing software; to the transmitter; to the receiver; to the speakers; to your eardrums -- It all matters. Better sound equipment will display more variations in the sound qualities along the way.

Our station reduces the audio bandwidth of HD1 to match the FM analog service to alleviate the jarring effects in most sound systems.

Some might call my efforts to limit the fidelity of the HD service a bit counterintuitive. I'd say they may have a valid point in that it's a shame to counteract the best qualities of the medium, but each station chooses the best fit for their situation.

Even with the limits that I place on our HD1; the quality difference is less noise -- more natural fidelity. It's the consistency we're going for. The experience is better overall for those listening to LPFM who have HD in their cars if I match the analog frequency response. Other stations have different goals, so their sound will be different as well.

 

[bulwnkl]

I do understand what you're saying. I think the thing that confuses me is why the difference between the analog and digital sound is SO much _less_ on the aftermarket Pioneer than the other units. I'd have thought that, if anything it'd be _more_ different on the aftermarket Pioneer, but it's just the opposite.
(to be clear: One of the factory units I'm comparing to is a Pioneer, and as I recall the other is a Clarion-made unit)

 

[boombox4]

My Sangean HDR-16 has a noticeable change in tone when it switches from analog FM to HD1. I think it's set to mono at the factory, I haven't set the analog to FM default yet... I like the HD well enough.

As an aside, the HDR-16 is very good on AM, except for low signal channels where the LCD display's RFI can be heard.

 

[Kelly A]

Why do you suppose this is? Is the Pioneer's HD tuner portion not as 'good' as the rest? Is the analog tuner section significantly 'better' than the rest? I can't really compare to the factory non-HD radio that was in that vehicle previously, as I also added a speaker and made some other adjustments.

If one of the original dash-mount units, I believe the Pioneer aftermarket HD-capable radios has the first generation tuner chip in it. They had some filtering in the radio which would roll-off high frequencies to better match the frequency response of FM. I believe that was a 15kHz filter.

 

[bulwnkl]

If one of the original dash-mount units, I believe the Pioneer aftermarket HD-capable radios has the first generation tuner chip in it. They had some filtering in the radio which would roll-off high frequencies to better match the frequency response of FM. I believe that was a 15kHz filter.

You may be right. If so, all I can say is:
🤦‍♂️