Yeah Wi-Fi radio will kill HD Radio the way Television killed radio (and the movies), Cable killed local tv, FM killed am, satellite killed cable, Sirius and XM killed terrestrial radio, internet radio killed...well all of the above, etc. New media doesn't "kill" existing media. Unless there's something seriously wrong with existing media, new media just becomes a part of the existing smorgasboard.
Radio and TV killed newspapers, the internet killed radio and tv news, blogs killed magazines, cats killed dogs, turtles killed elephants, etc.
Wi-fi radio is hardly new (at least at my house). It's another form of something which already exists...INTERNET radio. And do you know what people listen to mostly on internet radio? TERRESTRIAL AM AND FM BROADCASTS, which can be received on a hundred dollar HD radio now, with no broadband bill, and over a span of dozens, or even hundreds of miles, not hundreds of FEET (being optimistic about the coverage of most wi-fi networks!)
I love dxing too. Which is why I think we should hold off on HD AM until interference issues can be addressed (if ever). But dxing and hi-fi listening are as different as, well...program listening on a little portable, and SERIOUS dxing on a high end communications receiver (Drake, Icom, JRC, take your pick). They ain't the same thing.
While dxing on fm is great fun, and I'm greatful to be able to pull in HD from 70+ miles away on inexpensive, simple, easily concealed equipment ("wabbit ears" can be hidden in the window-sill behind the curtains!), the fact is that a)-the great majority of the US population lives within the metro areas of major cities, and b)-most people listen to anything behond their local stations. So MOST PEOPLE are now in a position to receive FM HD on inexpensive radios, with just the included "T" antenna...the same type of antenna we've used for local fm reception with tuners and receivers forever.
I was an HD skeptic. But the performance frankly shocked me. Yes there are some stations I know are in HD, but I can't receive the HD signals. But I CAN get the analog signals (and the analog tuner in the Accurian embarrasses that in far more expensive receivers...having an effective blend so that noise is all but nonexistant even on distant stations). And ya' know what? There are some fm stereo stations that I can't get in stereo either. I LIVE IN THE FRINGES OF ALL BUT ONE FM STATION...a 100kilowatter here in town that I happen to work for (and they're not HD yet, so I don't have a "horse in this race"). But, even in my rural location with a simple, cheap antenna I have managed to fill my presets with HD signals.
Now if I could only hear SOMETHING on AM (with an HD signal), so I could come to an informed judgement about that. You know, 700WLW...INFORMED JUDGEMENT...what one reaches AFTER ACTUALLY EXAMINING THE SUBJECT AT HAND!
Listenership and revenue at terrestrial am and fm stations aren't falling off the edge of the earth. In fact, in-home listenership has INCREASED in recent years. 95 percent of Americans use terrestrial radio every week. And of course they want better sound quality, and more programming options FOR FREE (once an inexpensive radio has been purchased).
As for the 2" speakers...the Tivoli PAL, regarded by many as the best sounding portable radio on the market, uses a SINGLE 2" speaker. And it sounds fabulous...warm, full, BALANCED. No, the speakers in the Accurian aren't as good, but that doesn't matter. Other options are everywhere from amplified computer speakers to headphones to the aux input on your stereo.
What's really amusing is that you think "Wi-Fi Radio" is new. 'Tain't. There have been many such devices through the years. Most have failed because they're "one trick ponies". The BEST wi-fi radio device is a pocket pc, such as my Dell Axim X51v! Not only can I listen to internet radio, I can also watch movies (640 x 480 30 frames per second), surf the 'net at broadband speeds, send and receive e-mail, play games (it has a 3D graphics accelerator...but Dude, I'm 48...I don't care!), listen to Audible books, podcasts, mp3s, wma, ogg, flac, uncompressed .wav, and any other format that comes along, because new software is cheap (or free), and easily upgradable (unlike hardware "wi-fi radios"). I fyou're REALLY serious about "wi-fi radio", you owe it to yourself to investigate a REAL TOOL, as opposed to a pocket toy that will soon be forgotten. Get a pocket pc (or smart phone with wi-fi functionality). It can do the "wi-fi radio thang'", and a helluva lot more!
