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An Independent Review
By Ken Mills
PUBRADIO List
August 9, 2007
http://www.pubradio.org/
Review of the Radiosophy HD100™ Radio
Since there is a lot of curiosity about HD Radio receivers, I thought I'd
share my experiences with the much publicized Radiosophy HD100 Radio.
Like many of you, I had considered getting an HD set for quite awhile but was turned off because of the steep prices and lack of anything worth hearing on HD channels. Recently I heard that MPR is providing BBC World Service 24/7 on one its HD channels. I've always been a fan of the Beeb, so I decided to take the HD leap.
Around the same time I received an e-mail from Radiosophy promoting the HD100 for $60 (with rebate). I contacted the folks at Radiosophy and swapped a copy of my Public & Noncom Radio Station Directory for a HD100 set. My Radiosophy HD100 radio arrived a few days ago. Here's the scoop:
Appearance
Someone on PUBRADIO said the HD100 looks "cheap" and there is some truth to this description. However, I wouldn't call it "tacky" but "basic." The size, shape and buttons of the HD100 remind me of a transistor radio I had years ago.
Ease of Use
I took the HD100 out of the box, turned it on and immediately had it working. The "seek" control makes dial surfing easy. When the tuner hits an analog FM stereo signal, the red "stereo" light comes on. If there is an accompanying HD signal, the blue light blinks. After a few seconds the radio automatically switches to the digital signal and the text window indicates the call letters and HD channel. Hit the seek button and you will hear the second HD channel (if there is one). If not, the radio "seeks" the next analog FM frequency.
FM Performance
Most Minneapolis/St. Paul FM signals originate from the Shoreview antenna farm 22.5 urban crow miles from my office. I cannot get off-air HDTV signals from the same site, so I was concerned about what I could receive with the HD100. Not to worry. About twenty FM stations with HD signals came in clear, even without using the whip antenna. (I had more difficulty locking onto HD signals on a day with thunderstorms in the area. Analog FM came in fine, though.)
The biggest difference between FM analog and digital is the clarity of the audio. Most stations sound better in HD but I could hear eerie reverb processing on the HD version of the local Clear Channel News/Talk station. Rush Limbaugh sounds like he is talking somewhere in an empty hallway.
AM Performance
I can only get two AM HD stations, so my experience is limited. Infinity's WCCO-AM sounds terrific in HD - similar to analog FM. Clear Channel's Sports Talk KFAN-AM had the HD carrier on but someone forgot to turn on the programming. The carrier was clean and clear, though.
Programming
Since I got the HD radio to hear the BBC World Service, I went there first - to MPR's "KSJN-3." I often feel like the nerdy guy with red stapler in the movie "Office Space" when I listen to raw BBC. And, this is truly "raw audio." I've listened to several hours of BBC on KSJN-3 and have yet to hear a legal ID, MPR credit or explanation of what I am hearing. I have enjoyed cue tones and other interstitial stuff, usually heard only in "cue."
The MPR HD audio levels are weird, too. BBC on KSJN-3 is too soft and The Current (I think) on KSJN-2 is way too loud, sometimes scorched. Broadcasters must be aware that digital audio reveals audio warts as well as full fidelity. HD channels must be monitored. I heard some nice but not remarkable stuff on the commercial station HD channels. Clear Channel's KTCZ-2 plays "deep cut, soft Triple A." Since there are almost no commercials, it is great background music for entertaining.
Maybe the most impressive use of HD channels is by noncommercial Christian station KTIS. All three of their HD channels are robust. KTIS-2 airs hard Christian rock, probably a great use of HD for its ability to hyper-serve smaller audiences. KTIS-3 has "light gospel" music. All three channels relentlessly identify and promote themselves.
The Verdict
The Radiosophy HD100 is worth it - a good value for the price. It is an excellent "starter set" for HD Radio. Overall, I recommend it.
Learn more at http://www.radiosophy.com/.
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