I gave away my HD radios to the thrift store

[scanman1]

I'm done with HD radio so I gave my recievers away to my local thrift store to ease some of the clutter around me (I'm so generous ). I've been spending time recently listening to my nice analog tuners and in comparing the audio between HD and analog I was like "Whoa! The analog audio actually sounds better than the digital!" (and that applies to FM and AM as well). Also, trying to listen to AM digital is annoying since it falls back to analog frequently so I might as well just listen to it in analog to begin with. And most of all, getting reception with analog is much more reliable than digital as even on FM I got occasional brief drop offs of the digital reception. Now all that needs to be done is to get IBOC sidebands off of all AM stations so the band can sound as great as possible once again (do it with FM afterward). 8)

 

[KB1OKL]

I like your attitude, I've been trying to decide what to do with mine (I only have one). I thought maybe in 5 years I'd have a relic to show to other hams and DXers: Looky here, this is one of those dandy IBOC receivers that received that horrible synthetic sounding, artifact laden, drop out prone hybrid digital Rube Goldberg mode that bombed out a few years ago. They were found in Goodwill Thrift shops going for about 5 bucks for a while but they got sick of all the returns and now refuse them. ;D

 

[Mike Walker]

E-mail me, and I'll give you my address. I'd be glad to take any HD radio off your hands. HD is no more artifact prone than, say internet radio at the same bitrates. In fact the codec used is better than most internet radio codecs. At higher bitrates, it exceeds the quality of analog FM stereo by quite a margin. I'd wager something vital that God gave me that at 96kbps people here who claim it sounds awful wouldn't be able to identify HD from a direct feed from the audio console in an a/b/x comparison.

I actually understand people who live in urban or suburban areas, where all local FM stereo stations are strong and noise free wondering "what's the big deal?" with HD. It may well not sound very different. In rural areas like the one where I live, 60-80 miles from most FM stations, where even with a good antenna hiss and multipath distortion "stalk" the stations I want to listen to, requiring blending of stereo separation, or a switch to mono, HD, with said good outdoor antenna and rotor, provides what can't otherwise be received, clean, noise-free stereo! THIS is why I love the technology! But I am reminded when visiting "the city" with my trusty FM walkman and Bose headphones that noise-free FM stereo is as common there as, well, rush-hour traffic jams!

So here's my address if you want to send me those radios. [email protected]

And I'd remind people who think HD is "on it's way out" that people said the same thing here YEARS ago. And yet here comes the new year...'09. And HD continues it's steady, though admittedly slow, GROWTH!

And I'm speaking about FM HD, not AM. It IS hobbled with problems!

 

[KB1OKL]

For me content is king. If I REALLY want to listen to a mode for it's sound quality I'll fire up my Thorens and put on a good clean LP. I consider myself to have pretty good ears but I will pick content and ease over sound quality most of the time, especially in my car. I believe most consumers are probably like me which is the main reason the HD contingent has tried so hard for so long and has nothing to show for it. HD in plain English is a big PITA on FM, on AM it's a nuisance, it's that simple. I don't know many people who are going to put up a Yagi and a rotator to receive FM stations on par with what they can get with a dipole on analog FM especially when the sound difference is not noticeable on most stations, people won't even do it for TV anymore. I'm the type who would, but there are so many easier ways to receive good music nowadays that it would be a waste and I'm not an FM DXer.