[avalon65]

I'm wanting to jump into XM, but don't want to sacrifice my FM capabilities. I need suggestions on what to go with. Marantz is the only one I can find that offers an AM/FM/XM tuner with their ST-7001(I currently own their ST-6000 AM/FM tuner). A google search only pulls sites that are selling it and I can find no reviews. BTW I'm a bang for the buck guy preferring to buy used and I've never seen a used 7001 on the market. The Polk XRT12 gets good reviews, but doesn't offer AM/FM. Is there anything else out there for me? I have no room left on my preamp to add another component, so this will have to replace my current tuner.

[Wayner]

What about HD FM? A free broadcast of commercial FM (digital) and no body offers a tuner that I know of.

W

[elcaptain88]

I've been frustrated with the lack of 'home' sat radio options as well. HD radio tuners are non-existent. I'm contemplating getting a squeezebox and wirelessly listening to internet radio, which might be the best option anyway.

[PhilNYC]

What about HD FM? A free broadcast of commercial FM (digital) and no body offers a tuner that I know of.

W

Here are the HD Radio tuners that I have found...

http://www.sangean.com/products/hdt1.php

http://www.ada-usa.com/2003-index-split.html

[Gordy]

Boston Acoustics makes a Tivoli style table top HD radio...  http://www.bostonacoustics.com/home_product.aspx?category_id=34&product_id=325

[elcaptain88]

Boston Acoustics makes a Tivoli style table top HD radio...  http://www.bostonacoustics.com/home_product.aspx?category_id=34&product_id=325

That's about all there is right now for the home. Rotel is supposedly coming out with a Sirius / HD radio / AMFM component tuner. Not sure when or how much $.

[warnerwh]

Just so you guys know, HD radio is NOT high definition radio. It's like HDTV. The stations are splitting up the bandwidth to get more programming=more money. You'll be listening to MP3 quality if you're lucky.  Analog radio still has the capability to sound nearly as good as cd's, often times better than many cds. Of course NPR stations are pretty much the only ones anymore offering a high quality non compressed broadcast but if you like jazz or classical and have a good NPR station then analog is the way to go.

The best quality for the money is to get a vintage tuner from the late 70's in excellent cosmetic condition and have it modded. For under 500 bucks you can have world class audio quality as well as reception abilities that is also world class. Remember that an antenna is part of a tuner and no tuner is any better than the antenna it's hooked upto. Then it also matters how good of reception your location has. If it's good then the 25 dollar Radio Shack antenna will do the trick well. It's better than the indoor antennas that cost 3 figures.

The reason HD radio is taking so long to take off is because people have been satisfied with their radios for some time and see no reason to spend 2 or 3 hundred dollars for another radio. As I said earlier you'll be doing good to get MP3 quality from an HD broadcast.

[avalon65]

Sorry, but can we pull the tread back to my original post of looking or an XM tuner...

[Quiet Earth]

I think your best bet is to keep the am/fm tuner that you already own and just add an XM tuner to your stereo. There's no real benefit in having it all in one box unless you've run out of inputs on your preamp. FWIW, I have the polk audio XM radio and it's pretty nice for what it is. I think Crutchfield has them on sale again for 249.

Before you take the plunge into XM you might want to try it out for free on your computer and make sure that you are excited about the programing. If not then I would look elsewhere. As you know, the sound of satelite radio is not all that great and the real reason to get XM in the home is for the programming, not the sound quality. If my local FM stations would shut up and play music then I would have no need for it. Even my public radio station that I have supported for 20 years decided to go talk radio. Oh well, such is life.

Anyway, I would put an emphasis on musical content over anything else. Check all of your options before pulling the trigger.

Good luck.
QE

[duggie]

I'm wanting to jump into XM, but don't want to sacrifice my FM capabilities. I need suggestions on what to go with. Marantz is the only one I can find that offers an AM/FM/XM tuner with their ST-7001(I currently own their ST-6000 AM/FM tuner). A google search only pulls sites that are selling it and I can find no reviews. BTW I'm a bang for the buck guy preferring to buy used and I've never seen a used 7001 on the market. The Polk XRT12 gets good reviews, but doesn't offer AM/FM. Is there anything else out there for me? I have no room left on my preamp to add another component, so this will have to replace my current tuner.

have you ever actually listened to xm on a decent (even mid-fi) audio system?  i don't care how good the programming is, the sound quality is completely intolerable for serious listening, & barely tolerable even for background music.  don't waste your time unless you are wanting only low volume-level background music.  and, if that's what you want, get a second system for it.

ymmv...

[Quiet Earth]

duggie,
   That's actually not a bad idea but I found it easier (and cheaper) to slip the tuner into my stereo system. The stereo is on most of the time anyway so why not? I only bought the XM tuner just to be able to hear music that is otherwise unavailable on FM in my area. Actually there is no music available on FM in my area. Only DJ's that like to hear themselves talk and play mainstream stuff. That only gets me so far.

   I think the poor sound quality of XM (or internet) stations are totally worth tollerating just to get the exposure to more music. When I hear something that I like, I save the artist information and then purchase the CD or LP later. It's not such a bad way to grow your record collection. XM does work better in the background but sometimes there are programs on that I will sit and listen to attentively.

avalon65,
   I goofed up and didn't see that you have run out of inputs on your pre. Do you have an unused tape monitor available? You could make (or purchase) an RCA switch box to get more inputs on your pre and use it for the two lowest quality components that you have. That would be XM and ???. I think that would be cheaper than selling your AM/FM tuner to buy an all in one AM/FM/XM box. Sorry that I missed that.

QE

[rajacat]

Get a Squeezebox and use Slimserver for access to a multitude of internet music stations.

Raja

[Quiet Earth]

Get a Squeezebox and use Slimserver for access to a multitude of internet music stations.

Raja

I think this is starting to look like a good idea to me. When the dust from the Holiday madness settles I'm going to start looking into it. I'm starting to get a little bored with XM anyway. Damn, how many variations of rock/pop stations do they need anyway? 68 channels and only 3 jazz stations, four if you count Franks place. What happened to musical starstreams?

There's so much more music out there to discover. I miss the old days when you could walk into your local record store and the owner would just start playing stuff that he thought you might enjoy.