Sony's awesome but ridiculously cheap AM/FM HD Radio

Sony's XDR-F1HD HD Radio has developed a real buzz among my audiophile pals; on second thought maybe buzz isn't the right word. It's the quietest, noise-free radio I've ever used.

These guys can be real snobs and only listen to ultra-high-end components, and some wouldn't be caught dead using mainstream gear with their hi-fis, and yet they're all going ga-ga over the Sony. We're all thinking it's too good to be true.

I originally heard about the Sony from Steven Stone, a writer friend, and then from an engineer at an American high-end audio company known for making awesome tuners that sell for thousands of dollars. The engineer was positively gushing about how good the XDR-F1HD is; not just that it sounded great, but also because it pulls in tough-to-receive analog stations with lower noise and distortion than tuners that sell for big bucks. You can read my full CNET review here.

I rushed right out and bought an XDR-F1HD from Amazon, and sure nuff, it's true, the little Sony is no baloney. Analog FM stations came in like gangbusters, clean as a whistle, and HD stations, like my favorite jazz station WBGO had "CD quality" sound. That phrase is tossed around a lot, but this time it's for real. I listened to WBGO with the Sony over my high-end system with Magnepan 3.6/R speakers, and the sound was amazing. It's day and night better than what I get from Sirius Satellite Radio, which is almost unlistenable over those speakers.

Right, Sirius sounds like a crummy MP3 over the Maggies. That's why I listen to Sirius over my Tivoli PAL table radio. Good enough sound is what most people put up with, and that's kinda sad.

WNYC, my local NPR outlet, multicasts HD on three channels: one is the same program as the analog FM station, the second is a 24-7 classical music stream, and the third is WNYC's AM feed, but in FM HD. One of my favorite shows, David Garland's "Spinning on Air" is a weekly musical journey. The October 26 all-theremin show was a mind trip, and sounded positively ethereal in HD. The theremin is an early 20th century electronic instrument, and it's featured on the Beach Boys' hit "Good Vibrations."

Thing is, not all HD stations sound great; in New York WPLJ and WXRK sound dreadful. So you see, HD Radio technology doesn't guarantee sound quality, its up to the stations to follow through and not mess with their signal. The XDR-F1HD is a gateway to the best of over-the-air analog and digital broadcasts.

Need a second opinion? Check out Gary Krakow's The Street review to learn more.

[Remo_Williams]

The theremin was not used for "Good Vibrations": http://xponentialmusic.org/blogs/885mmmm/2007/10/13/196-beach-boys-record-good-vibrations-featuring-electro-theremin/

First hit off Google, sorry. I read a terrific article about the theremin recently and it mentioned that tidbit.

Also, the price is not ridiculously cheap. It's inexpensive, yes, but ridiculous would be sub-$50.

-R

[thelemurking]

If you are going to write an article with the title of "ridiculously cheap" then you should include a price!

[surf&work]

Click on the CNET review link for current price.
Why would an article include any price other than the MSRP?
We all know prices for electronics change frequently.

[thelemurking]

Why should I have to click another link when it would have taken all of 1.3 seconds for him to include that bit of information in the article? I'm sorry to assume this, but if an article is going to profess how cheap something is, I guess I just expect the price to be part of the article.

[gosmith7590]

What a joke - is this guy on iNiquity's payroll? HD Radio is creating zero buzz with consumers:

http://hdradiofarce.blogspot.com

[Poilu9]

The headline is misleading since it's a TUNER, not a radio. You need external speakers. This makes a big difference in rooms with limited surfaces, like kitchens or bedrooms (well, at least my kitchen and bedroom).

Can the turner be forced to use the analog signal? This is useful when the HD signal comes in and out.

[alegr]

HD radio hijacks another station's carrier. You won't get the same program on analog.

This isn't a radio! It's a component receiver. You have to use it with a separate amp and speakers. If you are looking for a standalone HD radio, this ain't it.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Perfect to use on my PC as it has audio in and RCA jacks on the sub ;)

[Chiatzu]

It's a TUNER? Lots of returns going back to Amazon because people thought the little box would talk to them. The no battery backup for station presets & clock is a terrible omission. Any radio geek has a hundred stations programmed. It couldn't be that difficult to stick an AA or watch battery in there, but evidently it was for this tuner. Ridiculously cheap would be about $25 in my part of the country. I'll wait for the next version.

[pubmat]

Stop griping. Its an endless stream of whiners on here that never seem satisfied, and need to ***** about SOMETHING. Despite that, I think this looks pretty cool, and yes, it IS inexpensive. Under 100 bucks, and with great reception and sound, PLUS HD radio is DEFINITELY a bargain. Some of the guys on here seem to think it should be free before they agree that its inexpensive.

[jmk007]

will it work in canada?