HD Portable Review

[calstymes]

Savage did thusly suggest to Steve Scott:

Hey, don't get angry. If you like HD Radio, fine with me. Enjoy it while it's here.

Mr. Scott, I previously went through AM HD hell a few years ago on the west side of Manhattan where I live and I chose to abandon my attempts because it was just too difficult to get any but the strongest AM stations to decode HD. Sadly, the station on which you serve as an anchor was not one of the ones I could ever get to decode HD. And for the ones that did decode HD (WABC, WOR, etc.) I found that the artifacts which are present in the audio to be rather fatiguing to listen to.

Needless to say, I was very disappointed early on and now I just simply ignore AM HD. It is my considered opinion that your radio station will eventually drop it. It will likely take awhile but my prediction is that it will happen. If (and when) it does happen, what do you intend to do with the HD radios you have purchased? Unlike many others whose experiences have seemed to parallel my own, you have apparently had a relatively good experience with AM HD (you must have nice strong signals where you normally listen). When your radio station eventually drops it, will you be disappointed?

 

[XavierRenegade]

I had noticed that Best Buy has this radio available at many of the stores in Southern California. It was sometimes around the weekend most of the stores were listed as not having the radio. One person mentioned how they decided to try this radio and see if it was better than having that XM radio subscription. I don't think you can really compare this to satellite. This HD radio does offer some additional channels like Clear Channel they have about 15 different HD stations.

This Insignia HD radio seems nice but of course you won't be able to recieve all those HD stations. I also noticed we have some big stations in our area that don't do HD. In Santa Barbara they have 103.3 the vibe FM. I checked on the radio locator website. 103.3 FM in Santa Barbara is listed at 105,000 watts. Thats bigger than KBIG 104.3 and KYSR 98.7 in Los Angeles. The range of the station on a map shows local being San Luis Bispo, Distant being Bakersfield and Fringe being downtown Los Angeles.

 

[KB1OKL]

I hope you guys realize that releasing this little one band wonder may have been not a coincidence and just may have had something to do with ibiquity's recent desperate ploy to force the 10X digital power increase while ignoring NPR recommendations to wait?

 

[SteveScott]

Savage did thusly suggest to Steve Scott:

Hey, don't get angry. If you like HD Radio, fine with me. Enjoy it while it's here.

Mr. Scott, I previously went through AM HD hell a few years ago on the west side of Manhattan where I live and I chose to abandon my attempts because it was just too difficult to get any but the strongest AM stations to decode HD. Sadly, the station on which you serve as an anchor was not one of the ones I could ever get to decode HD. And for the ones that did decode HD (WABC, WOR, etc.) I found that the artifacts which are present in the audio to be rather fatiguing to listen to.

Needless to say, I was very disappointed early on and now I just simply ignore AM HD. It is my considered opinion that your radio station will eventually drop it. It will likely take awhile but my prediction is that it will happen. If (and when) it does happen, what do you intend to do with the HD radios you have purchased? Unlike many others whose experiences have seemed to parallel my own, you have apparently had a relatively good experience with AM HD (you must have nice strong signals where you normally listen). When your radio station eventually drops it, will you be disappointed?

You live on the west side of Manhattan? Then HD radio is for you. WCBS 880 also broadcasts on CBS-FM 101.1 HD-3. The station will come in loud and clear for you on the west side. Give it a try!

You asked if I will be disappointed when my radio station "eventually drops" HD. I don't believe that will be happening any time soon. Will I be disappointed? Who knows! But, I enjoy it now.

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

When your radio station eventually drops it, will you be disappointed?

Don't hold your breath for that to happen. After all, CBS's DOE for radio is Glynn Walden, formerly of iBiquity.

 

[SUPERCASTER]

A review from Philadelphia:

the regular FM broadcasts were OK good reception but for HD forget it....in a nutshell not worth the 49.99....To add to this, I am in the very strong quadrant of FM signals, what if I was in a fringe area, no dice.

http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=149487.msg1260193#msg1260193

 

[Savage]

Ooops. I have yet to read a review on the Insignia which says it's an unqualified success. Of course now that I've typed that at least one will appear here.

I can't help but wonder: what percentage of the Insignia portable's sales-to-date have been....to radio people??

 

[SteveScott]

I can't help but wonder: what percentage of the Insignia portable's sales-to-date have been....to radio people??

That's a very good point. Are non-radio geeks (I'm a geek) buying them? Do they even know they exist? A few people at my station have them. They're all geeks, too.

I've heard stories of employees at electronics stores, when asked about HD radio, saying, "No, no...you mean HD TV. There's no such thing as HD radio"

I don't know how long HD radio will last. Maybe it's the future...maybe not.

I just know I now have a cheap portable on which I can listen to the Yankees (on WCBS-FM 101.1 HD-3) in areas in which the 880 signal is challenged.

 

[Savage]

I've had exactly the same experience with salespeople trying to steer me to HDTV too, Steve.

When I insist: no, HD RADIO, I often get the furrowed brow and golden retriever cocked-head look, accompanied by "what's....HD RADIO??" I try to explain, which works sometimes....and sometimes doesn't.

The last time I asked someone in Best Buy about HD, the sales kid hunted up a colleague who said that they did have a couple of the Insignia bookshelf systems in stock, but they had stopped displaying them and kept them in the storage area because they usually came back as returns. That way they'd have a couple in case somebody really wanted one.

Looks like not only 880's signal is challenged....so are the Yankees this year....?

 

[SteveScott]

Looks like not only 880's signal is challenged....so are the Yankees this year....?

As I type this, they're in first place by 1 1/2 games over Boston. But, they've lost every game they've played against the Red Sox so far this year. They need to improve upon that. Heck, win half of them, and they're up by 5 games.

Now, that team that plays in Queens is having rough year...

 

[KB1OKL]

I have usually been steered toward the satellite display when asking about HD radio or have gotten blank stares.

If the World Series winning Red Sox are playing this year they'll beat the Yankees, if the REAL Red Sox are playing, they'll lose.

 

[calstymes]

Steve Scott suggested:

You live on the west side of Manhattan? Then HD radio is for you.

That is precisely my point and I believe you may have misread my first post. On the west side of Manhattan, signals from WCBS on 880 KHz. are very noisy. And as long as AM signals are noisy then AM HD will NOT decode. This was my experience a few years ago. Unless you tell me that WCBS has gotten stronger on the west side of Manhattan, I suspect that I will not be trying AM HD again.

WCBS 880 also broadcasts on CBS-FM 101.1 HD-3. The station will come in loud and clear for you on the west side. Give it a try!

I have tried it and yes, it comes in quite well! In as much as it is transmitted from the Empire State building, there is no real reason why this should not work well on the west side of Manhattan.

I have no real quarrel with FM HD. It is AM HD with which I am extremely disappointed. I believe that the WCBS newsradio studios are located in the CBS Broadcast Center, yes? That is even further to the west and south than I am located. I would therefore wager (and I'm not a betting man) that, unless you have some amazingly sensitive AM receiver system there that produces a very quiet signal, you are unable to decode AM HD at your studios as well. Am I incorrect in this assessment?

 

[SteveScott]

Cal, you've got me there. I honestly have no idea how AM HD decodes at the CBS BC.

 

[XavierRenegade]

I went to our local Best Buy just to see if they had the HD radio. They 2 of them for sale. When I asked what I was looking for the people knew where they HD radio is. It's nice they actually knew where it is. There were probably some other people who came in wanting the product and that's why. I'm waiting to purchase one these radios. They seem like they should be acceptable for receiving some of the HD signals where I live but I don't know. I live about 40 miles away towards the west from the big towers in Los Angeles where the signals come from.

I have a sansa clip MP3 player and used it for FM. It's around 1AM and I tried listening to FM on my Sansa Clip. I recieved 92.7, 93.1, 103.3. I was receiving Jack pretty good and outside I could listen to KLOS OK. Other than a few of the LA stations I was mostly receiving our more local stations. Stations like 97.1, 98.7, and 104.3 I was just getting static. The Sansa Clip is smaller than the Insingia HD radio so I wouldn't expect to recieve all the stations with it.

I used my Sangean ATS 404. I could get 104.3 and 98.7 but only an OK singal. 97.1, 98.7 and 104.3 were the ones that I didn't pick up the best. Both Jack 93.1 and The Wave 94.7 seem to work just fine.

 

[mc_billy_bob]

About those mp3 players....I have an FM tuner on my cheapo one and it gives me better Fm reception than even my home stereo. And it is about the size of a matchbook. Well bigger than that but not by much. I live in Greenville, PA (about 35 miles from both Youngstown and Warren) and I pick up all those stations clear. Like on my home stereo I can't pick up 93.3 the wolf, or 101.9, or big 106.1, but I can on this little piece of crap. lol I even get Pittsburgh and Cleveland stations kinda fuzzy. lol At night the Pgh and cleve ones come in well.

 

[socamex26]

About those mp3 players....I have an FM tuner on my cheapo one and it gives me better Fm reception than even my home stereo. And it is about the size of a matchbook. Well bigger than that but not by much. I live in Greenville, PA (about 35 miles from both Youngstown and Warren) and I pick up all those stations clear. Like on my home stereo I can't pick up 93.3 the wolf, or 101.9, or big 106.1, but I can on this little piece of crap. lol I even get Pittsburgh and Cleveland stations kinda fuzzy. lol At night the Pgh and cleve ones come in well.

i bought this unit this past friday. All I have to say is I'm having fun with it. The sound quality is really good on HD stations. I am able to pick up San Diego Analog Stations on it from Fontana, california. I live near the foothills and I'm able to pick up one of my favorite hd station "Pride radio". So I'm happy with it. Funny thing, I get 104.3 hd1 and hd2 better than the analog signal.

 

[XavierRenegade]

About those mp3 players....I have an FM tuner on my cheapo one and it gives me better Fm reception than even my home stereo. And it is about the size of a matchbook. Well bigger than that but not by much. I live in Greenville, PA (about 35 miles from both Youngstown and Warren) and I pick up all those stations clear. Like on my home stereo I can't pick up 93.3 the wolf, or 101.9, or big 106.1, but I can on this little piece of crap. lol I even get Pittsburgh and Cleveland stations kinda fuzzy. lol At night the Pgh and cleve ones come in well.

i bought this unit this past friday. All I have to say is I'm having fun with it. The sound quality is really good on HD stations. I am able to pick up San Diego Analog Stations on it from Fontana, california. I live near the foothills and I'm able to pick up one of my favorite hd station "Pride radio". So I'm happy with it. Funny thing, I get 104.3 hd1 and hd2 better than the analog signal.

I live west of Los Angeles about 45 miles away from where the big radio towers are 4 stations such as KBIG 104.3. I live beyond some hills that hinder the singal so I'm not able to get the 104.3 in HD. If signal is really good I can get the radio the flash on 104.3 but not lock on the HD singal.

I am able to get 92.3 FM even better which also is a Clear Channel station. Sometimes I can get a clear signal of 92.3 FM's HD-2 signal. I can get a better signal of 94.7 The Wave but I can't seem to get the HD signal. I don't know why because I can receive 94.7 better than 92.3. I can get the HD signal on 92.3 but not 94.7. With Jack 93.1 I can receive the station pretty well but for some reason I can't get its HD signal either.