So, what is HD Radio? In a nutshell it is your favorite radio station broadcasting digital, CD quality music for free. At least it is some of your favorite stations. There are more than 1600 AM and FM stations broadcasting digitally, with more added all the time. So, how do I get it? All you have to do is purchase a HD Radio equiped reciever and your all set. Well, provided you are in an area where stations are broadcasting digitally. Find out who is broadcasting HD Radio.
How does HD Radio work? It works much like conventional radio. There is a source at one end and a reciever at the other with some key differences. Both analog and digital signals are bundled and sent out together with the digital signal being compressed, which is where it gets the name Hybrid Digital Radio. What’s really cool is that textual data such as song titles, traffic and stock info can be transmitted and displayed on your receiver.
There are a ton of recievers out there for your car or home. There is a variety of affordable options. Some sub-$100 car CD receivers I have found are JVC KD-HDW10 with built in HD Radio turner, Kenwood KDC-MP338, Kenwood KDC-MP238, Sony CDX-GT320, Pioneer DEH2000MP. That said, you will have to buy an HD Radio turner for most car receivers. Typically, you can pick one up for under $100 as well.
For home I like Sony’s XDR-S3HD HD Radio and Polk Audio I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 (with integrated iPod dock). Though the Polk I-Sonic is a bit pricey you get great Polk quality and you can dock your iPod and get crystal clear music over the air waves. If you already have a nice home receiver give the Sony XDRF1HD or Sangean’s HDT-1X a shot.
If you want a new multi-channel receiver for your home entertainment system, companies like Denon, Yamaha and Onkyo have you covered here as well.
The bottom line, in my opinion, is HD Radio is here to stay. It’s a nice alternative to Satellite radio and the best part is there are no subscription fees to pay. If you need to upgrade your current receiver but you not sure about HD radio or you don’t have any stations in your area yet, go ahead get one that’s HD radio ready. You’ll probably want it later on.
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