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In need of a cheap HD receiver

Check around Amazon. I snagged a second Sony XDR-F1HD, brand new, through them almost a month ago for $50.
 
Darth_vader said:
Check around Amazon. I snagged a second Sony XDR-F1HD, brand new, through them almost a month ago for $50.
Click to expand...

you are going to love this radio! i have 3. good call darth
 
I also recommend the Sony XDR-F1HD. Its relatively cheap and its one of the best radios out there with better performance than some systems that are much more expensive.
 
I still have the XDR-F1HD; it has been a great FM DX machine, good on AM as well. On AM, it seems to have double conversion since I never heard images on it. In case HD radio does fail and stations that use HD stop using it, I would definitely keep the F1HD.
 
The XDR-F1HD is indeed a fantastic radio, but...

Be aware it is a tuner. You'll need a separate audio amplifier & speakers. (a set of computer speakers & appropriate adaptor would do the trick)
 
w9wi said:
The XDR-F1HD is indeed a fantastic radio, but...

Be aware it is a tuner. You'll need a separate audio amplifier & speakers. (a set of computer speakers & appropriate adaptor would do the trick)
Click to expand...

Good point, I use an old late 80s dual tape deck that Ive had since I was a kid. Computer speakers will do, but you will have to adapt the 3.5mm stereo male plug on the speakers to dual RCA jacks. You can buy an adapter to do this or splice one yourself if you have spare cables lying around.
 
Re: In need of a cheap HD receiver

Yeah, I forgot to mention that it's a seperate tuner component.....sorry.....

If you have a boombox with a direct RCA line-in port, that's even better yet. You can then adjust the sound (bass, treble etc.) and use earphones, which helps if you are DXing and trying to pull in a really faint signal. (I don't think you can connect external earphones to computer speakers, can you?)

That's how I do it.
 
If you can find an older pair of computer speakers, usually white in color, chances are they will have a headphone output. The reason being older computers never included a front headphone jack so speaker manufacturers added them to their speakers. Many newer speakers don't include a headphone jack since nowadays computer manufacturers include the jack right on the front panel of the computer. But you can still find some computer speakers with headphone jacks being made new.

I like my late 80s tape deck since it includes an equalizer making the already great sound from the SONY sound even better, RCA inputs, RCA speaker outputs, and a 3.5mm headphone output, plus plenty of amplifying power. Im usually only using about 10% of its volume level to listen.
 
I don't use my Sony anymore but when I did use it I had it plugged into a Marantz 2385 receiver with double Large advents, this showed me one thing: it's not the HD that makes a station sound good it's the way it's engineered, if a station sounded good in HD it also sounded good in analog, in fact there was very little difference and if there was a difference HD's shortcomings more than made up for any apparent perceived sound differences between the two. I'm talking FM here.
AM HD sounded like krap, it sounded so synthetic I could not stand it for more than a few minutes at best. (besides the fact that it dropped out continually)
 
regarding computer speakers with headphone jacks. I have a Bose system fro my computer and it does have a headphone jack. I believe that all Bose computer speaker systems have headphone jacks.
 
Or if you want to keep your shirt pocket toasty warm (if not scorchingly hot) on a freezing winter evening, you might want to look into getting a refurb Zune HD. Amazon has them by the truckload for $105.00.

Rumor has it that Microsoft is dumping Zune and throwing its developmental weight behind the Nokia Ovi. Yeah, HD Radio really did a lot to enhance the Zune brand.
 
Carmine5 said:
Yeah, HD Radio really did a lot to enhance the Zune brand.
Click to expand...

Nothing would enhance the Zune brand. Realistically, what could anyone expect? It used to sell for as much as an iPod Touch, but without the cachet or the iPhone app store.
 
Assuming that to be true - which I do, gooroo - that makes the radio-industry and iBiquity claims for the Zune HD even more outlandish. If such a thing is even possible.... ::)

And pro-HD people wonder why the system, its proponents and developers, have ZERO credibility with most people......????
 
Savage said:
Assuming that to be true - which I do, gooroo - that makes the radio-industry and iBiquity claims for the Zune HD even more outlandish. If such a thing is even possible.... ::)

And pro-HD people wonder why the system, its proponents and developers, have ZERO credibility with most people......????
Click to expand...

What exactly do the radio industry and iBiquity claim about the Zune HD?

If they claim it's a nice, portable media player, it is. If they claim it has a nice HD equipped tuner section, it does. Given the little bit of time I've spent with Zune HDs, they're nice units - but they aren't made by Apple, and they aren't a non-phone version of the iPhone, which is what the iPod Touch is. For the same money, it's no wonder the Zune isn't selling. It's simply a "me too" device that's priced way higher than the competing "me too" devices.

The ones I've played with are used as tuners and MP3 players for remote broadcasts at my stations. We velcro them to the backs of powered speakers and plug them in. They work great.

How we acquired them says a lot about the problems with the Zune brand. We got them free for a promotion from Microsoft and gave them away. I don't know how many we gave away, but two were never picked up by the winners.

If they were iPod Touches, I guarantee they would have been picked up.

In fairness, we give away some very nice USB microphones each year in conjunction with an American Idol promotion. This year they were Snowballs from Blue Microphones. Last year, they were an M Audio mic. We had several of those that were never picked up both years and ended up going home with employees.
 
The Zune HD did not include HD Radio to sell more zunes, it was integrated to compliment a player designed specifically for music and video. Zune HD sales are rather disappointing, but it was expected and it has nothing to do with HD Radio. It is a great player. It offers wonderful a wonderful music and video experience, but sadly that is not what most people want anymore. The sound quality and video from an Ipod is lackluster compared to Cowon, Zune HD, and other high-end players. Consumers have come to expect apps though and the Zune HD does not deliver.

High-end Sony players now offer Slacker internet radio integration. Many people who use Slacker love it and Slacker-like services such as Pandora have been often referred to the future of radio. However, the sales of these players have been terribly disappointing due to the high price, similar to the Zune HD. It has little to do with Slacker or HD Radio. Both only compliment the devices they are included on, they are not the reason people buy the devices.
 
What were the claims for the Zune HD? Ummmm.....paraphrasing: that it heralded the expected Biblical flood of personal and portable audio devices which would include HD. That it would introduce countless thousands to the wonders of digital radio, subchannels, etc., etc. That its immediate embrace by the consuming-listening public would encourage more stations to convert to HD. That the Zune HD would prove the feasibility and/or practicality of portable HD devices. That it would help start to bring down the initial high prices of HD consumer items. That it would become a worthy Apple competitor (implicitly suggesting that a slow-seller's fortunes would be boosted from the included HD feature.) And so forth. I could go on, but if you need more wild-eyed laughable umlaut, visit www.HDRadio.com.

The answer to your question? You know: the usual crap.
 
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