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Thursday, August 07, 02:37:28am [ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, [5], 6, 7 ]

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Date Posted: Friday, May 19, 05:11:13pm
Author: DaveF
Subject: Monitoring Times Take on HD Radio- June 2006

HD Radio
Last time, I asked, “Have you splurged on a HD radio?” Since then, I have. Boston Acoustics cut the price of their Receptor Radio HD to $299, and I ordered one. I’m working on a more complete review, but I have a few HD observations to begin with. The radio itself is a pleasant surprise. The HD system isn’t.
I live about 30 miles northwest of Nashville.
We have four HD stations in town: WLAC-1510, WPLN-FM 90.3, WVNS-FM 102.5, and WNRQ-105.9. The WLAC and WVNS transmitters are about 20 miles away; WPLN and WNRQ share a tower about 30 miles away. (WNRQ runs about 20% more power.)
The Receptor HD comes with a built-in AM antenna and a wire antenna for FM, about 18” long. With these antennas I could receive no HD signals at my location. Even analog reception was poor; WLAC actually appeared to be off the air (!) and WNRQ’s analog signal was noisy. I could tell WPLN had HD, but the HD signal would never lock.
The Receptor also includes an external AM loop, similar to those sold with many home stereos. This antenna works a lot better. The Receptor HD is actually a quite decent AM DX machine for analog signals. I attached
my TV antenna to the FM side, and found it also a decent FM DX receiver. The selectivity of this set is simply superb, and the sensitivity quite decent. But that’s about the analog. $299 is an awful lot of money to spend on an analog radio, no matter how good. How about the HD reception?
On FM, using the TV antenna, all three HD stations come in well. HD proponents won’t want to hear it, but I can’t tell the difference
between HD and analog FM. (At least I don’t hear the ugly compression artifacts some listeners are reporting.) WPLN and WNRQ offer “HD2” subchannels; WPLN with an alternative NPR program schedule, WNRQ with continuous oldies.
AM HD reception is extremely difficult. I have yet to be able to hold the WLAC-HD signal for more than a few seconds. Some of this is due to computer noise, and some due to noise coming from the radio itself. When it does come in, it does sound pretty good. I don’t know that I’d call it “FM quality,” though; by the time the signal is strong and noise-free enough to allow HD reception, the analog AM is strong enough to sound just as good. I can hear compression artifacts on AM HD, though I personally wouldn’t find them annoying. (Other listeners might.)
I can tell you that if HD Radio doesn’t work any better than this on an expensive radio, it will have no future in areas more than 25 miles from the transmitters. Areas like Longmont, Colorado; Gainesville, Georgia; Waukegan, Illinois; and Salem, Oregon... Can this innovation succeed in the marketplace if listeners in the richest outer suburbs can’t use it? I wouldn’t count on it...

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