Best HD Radio

[ftballfan]

Thinking about getting an HD Radio for my dorm room. I move back to college in a few days (in an area where quite a few stations run HD). What HD Radio is the best out there, especially in regards to sensitivity and selectivity?

I've heard good things about the Sony XDR-F1HD, but I know those are very hard to find and go for hundreds of dollars on eBay.

 

[ajc_trw]

Thinking about getting an HD Radio for my dorm room. I move back to college in a few days (in an area where quite a few stations run HD). What HD Radio is the best out there, especially in regards to sensitivity and selectivity?

I've heard good things about the Sony XDR-F1HD, but I know those are very hard to find and go for hundreds of dollars on eBay.

Does your college have WiFi? If it does get a radio that does internet. You'll get most of your HD stations in better than IBOC quality (especially the AMs) and, depending on WiFi reception, every station will stay steady w/o dropouts.

Then again if you have a smartphone you already have your radio. I have to remind myself my iPhone can make/take phone calls.

 

[ftballfan]

Thinking about getting an HD Radio for my dorm room. I move back to college in a few days (in an area where quite a few stations run HD). What HD Radio is the best out there, especially in regards to sensitivity and selectivity?

I've heard good things about the Sony XDR-F1HD, but I know those are very hard to find and go for hundreds of dollars on eBay.

Does your college have WiFi? If it does get a radio that does internet. You'll get most of your HD stations in better than IBOC quality (especially the AMs) and, depending on WiFi reception, every station will stay steady w/o dropouts.

Then again if you have a smartphone you already have your radio. I have to remind myself my iPhone can make/take phone calls.

My college does have WiFi, but I never thought about a radio that does internet or even using my smartphone (I have IHeartRadio, RadioPup, and TuneIn downloaded on my phone).

 

[KB1OKL]

Don't do it unless you want to climb up on your roof to put up an FM yagi to receive stations in HD that will come in on your ordinary 10.00 portable in analog with a clothes hanger as an antenna . I have a Sony XDR-F1HD covered with dust at home, the difference in sound is very underwhelming and is not worth the hassle you have to go through to actually get stations in without dropouts. IBOC is and was a bust which has now dropped to the level of a scam as they (ibiquity) know as well as we do that it doesn't work.

 

[spt87]

I have a Logitech Squeezebox and it works great. Most stations stream and are compatible with it. If the dorm is made of steel/concrete this may be the most reliable way to get reception.

With the Sqeezebox (newer ones are sold by Logitech as Smart Radios but essentially work the same way and use the same backend software) you can either connect to a logitech hosted server or run server software on a local PC. There are a couple stations in my area that will not work with the hosted service but work with the local PC software. I do use Tunein as well with it and SirusXM internet streaming.

Along with streaming, with the local PC software I can listen to mp3's stored on my computer using it. Some of the newer ones have a color display and can show pictures from your PC as well.

Downfall, during a power outage/internet outage you are out of luck but that is fairly rare for me.

 

[RadioEngnr]

I bought the battery for my Squeezebox a few months ago, and I was working outside over the weekend and my battery powered squeezebox went for 3 hours and the battery was still 1/2 way charged
and I have my straight talk cellular phone (rooted) for WiFi tether so if I am away from WiFi I can connect my Squeezebox to my Android Phone,