[dwarfed centipede]

I'm looking for a decent FM tuner/radio with either rca audio out, or a good 3.5mm headphone plug.  Heres the kicker, I want it very small so I can mount it in the wall with my T amp and RCA switching box (1.5"x6").  I found something that will work, but its kinda pricey for just an FM radio.  *creston FM tuner on ebay*
I was thinking about just using a walkman or boombox and hiding it somewhere, but I think it would be nice to have the radio station shown up front.  I also was looking into HD radio tuners.  Is it worth it around st. louis for the extra channels?  Does the HD make the regular stations sound that much better?  Any ideas?  Thanks.

[Wayner]

XDRF1HD by Sony. $99.00

Wayner

[electricbear]

Don't be mistaken into thinking that HD Radio is high def. It's not even close. The sound quality is about equal to an MP3. Here in St Louis the KSHE hd channel plays good music but again don't expect anything other than a compressed sound. HD Radio actually stands for Hybrid Digital. If you want I'll lend you my HD tuner to play with. That way you'll be able to see if it's something you'd like before spending hard earner $$. I think Parasound used to make half sized units at one time and they had a tuner.

[ecramer]

XDRF1HD by Sony. $99.00

Wayner

I have one of those and it is a nice tuner with a small footprint the HD is a plus as far as the quality of what it picks up is really relative to the radio station that your listening to. the classical  / jazz station here on hd is very nice but wzzo on hd is still wzzo compressed fm top 40. check  HD radio to see whats hd stations are in your area.

[Wayner]

electricbear,

I beg to differ. I actually own the Onkyo T-4555 HD tuner and it is of very high quality, if the station is broadcasting high quality. We have many stations here in Minnesota such as KSJN (NPR) that broadcast almost vinyl like sounding HD. While some of the top 40 stations that broadcast in HD don't seem to care about sound quality, there are several other stations that do. The HD format is better than the current FM analog format with the right tuner and broadcasters who care.

Ecramer is right on the nut with his comment, too! Does that scare you when we think alike?

Wayner

[KnowTalent]

electricbear,

I beg to differ. I actually own the Onkyo T-4555 HD tuner and it is of very high quality, if the station is broadcasting high quality. We have many stations here in Minnesota such as KSJN (NPR) that broadcast almost vinyl like sounding HD. While some of the top 40 stations that broadcast in HD don't seem to care about sound quality, there are several other stations that do. The HD format is better than the current FM analog format with the right tuner and broadcasters who care.

Ecramer is right on the nut with his comment, too! Does that scare you when we think alike?

Wayner

Quality depends on if the station is broadcasting multiplexed or single data streams... a multiplexed broadcast will generally be of lower resolution then what FM offers.  The FCC is working on a ruling where any station broadcasting HD must have "at least" one channel that surpasses FM quality resolution.

[dwarfed centipede]

So it sounds like right now the HD radio is still too young for audiophiles.  Since the price difference is only $15 or so, will that Sony HD radio sound as good as the parasound or creston tuner for normal stations?  Thanks.

[WGH]

So it sounds like right now the HD radio is still too young for audiophiles.  Since the price difference is only $15 or so, will that Sony HD radio sound as good as the parasound or creston tuner for normal stations?  Thanks.

I like the little Sony so much that I just bought a second one for my shop. On most of the stations I listen to the Sony sounds just as good as regular FM except on KXCI, which now sounds better than with any other tuner I have tried. KXCI broadcasts at 340 watts so the signal has always been slightly noisy, with the digital tuner there is now a totally silent background with a better dynamic range.

The Sony excels at pulling in weak stations that are noise free (if it can lock on the digital signal). A member here thinks adding a tube buffer like the z-man offers a small but perceptible improvement.

I paid $79.19 delivered for a refurbished XDRF1HD from Sony Style, unfortunately they are currently out of stock but you can sign up for email updates.

Wayne

[Wayner]

No, HD is perfect for audiophiles. Some people actually need to hear a good system before they think they know all about it. I've spent many nights listening to classical music on HD and am convinced in my own right, that this is pretty good.

Wayner

[bpape]

Tim is correct.

HD does stand for Hybrid Digital - not High Definition.  Yes - it's much better than standard radio but it's not IMO up to even CD quality.  Tim's system is very resolving.  I'd think it would be easy to hear the difference.

Bryan

[Wayner]

My point is if you enjoy FM for what it's worth, you will enjoy HD even more as it has a lower noise floor, more life-like dynamic range. I'm also convinced that not all HD tuners are the same. I've heard the Sony HD tuner and while it is a viable choice, it doesn't sound as good as my Onkyo.

And no, it's not up to CD quality, but for an off the air component, it is a welcome addition. I too have an extremely revealing system and it fits right in. I would not recommend a tuner to anyone if it I didn't like it. That's how impressed I am with this tuner.

Wayner

[KnowTalent]

Two things turn me off...
First the sly use of the HD moniker. We all know HD stands for hybrid digital but by using the HD abbreviation they are playing on the existing commercial abreviation synonomous with high definition.

My second concern is the lack of upfront info on broadcast "stream" rates for individual channels.
If I was trying to market a "new & improved" item to music lovers I would KNOW that those people are probably saavy enough to know the difference and therefore I would lose nothing by clearly stating what data rate my channels were outputting. 

I get the feeling this whole HD thing is more a ploy to take advantage of the ignorant masses who assume HD equates to high definition.  Sure there are a certain number of stations who are providing higher quality programing but there are still many who are trying to cash in on advertizing on multiple lower resolution looped programming where no DJ is required.

[Wayner]

KT, I agree with your statement on HD, however, the same thing can be said for the current state of FM. There are many "top 40" stations that don't give a rip about audio quality, just commercial sales.

Then there are stations that strive to give the listener the best analog signal they can, by using superior source devices and playback equipment.

This reminds me of the often argued vinyl vs. digital debate, which I feel has good and bad examples in both domains, the same is true in the FM and it's HD counterpart. It's not the medium, it's the message.

Wayner