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Hyundai Genesis Forum: HD Radio problem

R

radioskeptic

There’s an interesting thread on the Hyundai Genesis Forum under the title “HD Radio Problem.”
(http://www.genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/showthread.php?t=1615)

As you read it, keep in mind that those who post there are neither small broadcasters like Bob Savage, who have legitimate complaints—complaints that “HD” advocates cavalierly (and outrageously) dismiss out of hand—nor disaffected former broadcasters. And they aren’t just “radio geeks,” either. They’re Hyundai Genesis owners who have a very real consumer complaint.

And note, too, that the complaints are not limited to reception difficulties (which, contrary to “HD” boosters’ hopes, will be helped only marginally, if at all, by a power boost). There are plenty of complaints about the quality of “HD” audio. These guys are saying that it sounds worse than analog. (And of course, in every respect except S/N ratio, it does!)
 
radioskeptic said:
And note, too, that the complaints are not limited to reception difficulties (which, contrary to “HD” boosters’ hopes, will be helped only marginally, if at all, by a power boost). There are plenty of complaints about the quality of “HD” audio. These guys are saying that it sounds worse than analog. (And of course, in every respect except S/N ratio, it does!)
Click to expand...

Well, honestly, what's being described doesn't mirror my experience with the Insignia. Once I noticed a drop in audio quality on my HD2 station, but found that the interface at the transmitter had (to use the technical term) gone wonky, and heard my station manager fix it while I was listening in my car.

I think, unfortunately, that the radio in the Hyundais isn't necessarily the greatest radio in the world. An across-the-board drop in *gain* for HD stations sounds more like a radio problem. And the fix, "Shut the car off for about three minutes, restart and you should be fine.", is kind of embarrassing. The head unit replacement seems to have addressed the complaint for those that complained long enough to Hyundai.

Heh, and then skyfox99 pops in to tell everyone how horrible HD Radio is, even though he doesn't own a Hyundai. Funny, that - seems there's astroturfers on both sides.

The one about HD cutting out whenever the rear defroster is on is also one I'd chalk up to it being a Hyundai :) That's bolstered by their other complaints: "map update, rear seatbelt clasp not always working, missing trunk speaker cover, and navigation system locking up if I connect my iPhone to the special cable before powering up and starting the car."
 
hubcity said:
I think, unfortunately, that the radio in the Hyundais isn't necessarily the greatest radio in the world. An across-the-board drop in *gain* for HD stations sounds more like a radio problem. And the fix, "Shut the car off for about three minutes, restart and you should be fine.", is kind of embarrassing. The head unit replacement seems to have addressed the complaint for those that complained long enough to Hyundai.
Click to expand...

Some people view Hyundai's as a cheaply built car, but that isn't an accurate view. They are quite surprising in their quality and have gained a lot of respect in the automotive community since they came on the scene. At first, they were competing with the Yugo. Now they have gone up-scale. The Genesis is being favorably compared with Lexus, Infinity, BMW and even Mercedes. It just costs less. While those comparisons may be a stretch, people who purchase this model are not looking for an "econo-box." They are purchasing an upper end vehicle and expect everything to work properly, including the radio.
 
hubcity said:
Heh, and then skyfox99 pops in to tell everyone how horrible HD Radio is, even though he doesn't own a Hyundai. Funny, that - seems there's astroturfers on both sides.
Click to expand...

Equating HD radio with a Hyundai is an insult to Hyundai owners everywhere. If anyone here remembers, BMW owners also have had trouble with their HD radios. I don't think the make of car or even the make of the radio has anything to do with the troubles HD radio owners experience, might it be the (ahem..) technology itself? I own one of the vaunted Sony receivers/room warmers and the (HD) reception on that also makes it a clunker.
 
I thought this was a great comment, and it pretty well sums up my own opinion of so-called HD radio:

"has anyone else noticed issues with HD Radio? Isn't it supposed to sound better than regular FM? Does anyone else have HD radio that sounds like people were talking through a tin can? please let me know if I seriously have another issue with my genesis... "

Even Hyundai owners recognize that "the emperor has no clothes"!
 
audioguy said:
I thought this was a great comment, and it pretty well sums up my own opinion of so-called HD radio:

"has anyone else noticed issues with HD Radio? Isn't it supposed to sound better than regular FM? Does anyone else have HD radio that sounds like people were talking through a tin can? please let me know if I seriously have another issue with my genesis... "

Even Hyundai owners recognize that "the emperor has no clothes"!
Click to expand...

Oh, come on. If it sounds tinny on every station, there's something wrong with the radio. Cognitive dissonance is one thing, but say what you want about artifacts, at decent bit rates it simply doesn't sound "like a tin can" if it's working correctly. HD2's and HD3's sure - they're not likely to have decent bit rates - but not HD1s.
 
Our 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe has the worst antenna set-up for AM I have ever encountered.
There is no antenna trimmer on the original radio, and there was none on the Kenwood HD radio I put in.
The antenna is way back on the rear window, and whereas my 1960s-70s car radios pick up something on almost every AM frequency,
in the Hyundai 90% of them are totally dead. I plan to put a front fender mount antenna in one day.
It is doubtful they have made any improvements for the AM situation. Manufactuers have already convinced listeners that
AM "sounds that way".

The FM reception always was OK.
 
"It also takes a few seconds to receive the signal for each new channel"

This is not the radio it's the technology. And the consumer is expecting a different result.

Either the technology is flawed or consumers need to be retrained? mmm who will win?
 
Actually, that's a problem I have with digital technology in general - the "wait a few seconds 'til it comes in" problem. Happens on HDTV, as well as Blu-Ray players and web radio (especially some peoples' conception of it - I'm looking at you, Live365) veers widely from the consumer electronics paradigm that, simply stated, should be "push the button and it's on."

I think technologists in general do a lot of "they'll get used to it" when they deal with these sorts of things. Doesn't make it right.
 
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