[doug s.]

Today, the Sony HD tuner got a big thumbs down. Volatile memory. Remove power from the tuner (like plugging it into the switched outlet of an AVA preamp), and lose all the station programming. This is really a piss poor effort. I've had tuners that would hold memory for 2 years (after being in the closet) and spring to life with all stations still in programmed memory.

Wayner 

different strokes for different folks.  this "feature" is totally meaningless for me; i could care less if i lose pre-sets when unplugging.  so what if it takes me a minute to reprogram stations after i unplug it.  but, this is an easy mod, if it's an issue for you.  you can diy per brian beezley's site, or have it done w/other mods if you send it to mike williams at radio-x tuners.

how's it sound?

doug s.

[doug s.]

Wayner - You should have read the customer reviews before purchase. There are repeated cautions about two things: heat and the lack of a backup memory. I agree that these, and the lack of direct station call up, are definite
considerations, but I figured the low price was the reason for these shortcomings. I don't intend to disconnect the tuner from its power source but outages will surely do that for me from time to time.

My tuner is en route.

macro, raise it up on 1" feet, and it will run 10-15 degrees cooler...

doug s.

[gerald porzio]

Maybe analog FM, for spite, will outlive all it's detractors. In some areas it's excellent, while in others it's horrible. Location, location, location.

[macrojack]

Thanks for the advice, Doug. As I indicated above, I haven't received my tuner yet so no heat problem at this point.

I tend to not like cheap plastic junk but the raves about this tuner lead me to think it might offer an improvement that I cannot expect to find elsewhere.
In any event, I figured I would only lose about $25 if I decide it's a bust and choose to resell it.

[avahifi]

There are links here on AC showing how to both improve memory backup time and to switch into analog only.  I don't have time to search for them right now, but they are here.

Frank

[Wayner]

I plugged it into a different outlet. I do have better things to do then re-program the tuner everytime I want to use it. This solves the problem, until I lose power to the house.

Oh well.

W

[turkey]

Today, the Sony HD tuner got a big thumbs down. Volatile memory. Remove power from the tuner (like plugging it into the switched outlet of an AVA preamp), and lose all the station programming. This is really a piss poor effort. I've had tuners that would hold memory for 2 years (after being in the closet) and spring to life with all stations still in programmed memory.

Wayner 

I just leave mine plugged in to my Tripplite power strip and it gets continuous power. No big deal.

[turkey]

Wayner - You should have read the customer reviews before purchase. There are repeated cautions about two things: heat and the lack of a backup memory. I agree that these, and the lack of direct station call up, are definite

I have mine sitting on top of an old CD jewel case. That was enough to drop the temp down to the point where it isn't too bad.

[avahifi_lj]

Hi:

I believe this is the site Frank was referring to.  Here you will find a detailed review of the tuner and a mod to extend the memory:

http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/xdr-f1hd.htm

Here is a site showing a mod to add a battery to power the memory:

http://ukradio.info/XDR-F1HD/

Here is a mod for installing a screen the case top, and to add a fan.  There is also a picture of a memory mod:

http://duling.org/Sony%20XDR-F1HD.htm


Larry

[gjs_cds]

Today, the Sony HD tuner got a big thumbs down.

Apart from the memory--how does it sound?  Decent enough?

[avahifi]

Pretty decent Ron.  Not anywhere as nice as my one off upgraded AVA Pat-5 but better than most stations put out.

Regards,

Frank

[Wayner]

As Frank said, pretty descent for the money, but my Onkyo T-4555 has the edge on sound quality. But then, it's $400.

Wayner

[jazzcourier]

The little Sony has arrived! It weighs just a little more than a butterfly and i must admit i was skeptical right out of the box. It did not look like it was capable of delivering good sound. I found some nice Hovland ic's and placed it on a shelf above the Wyred 4 sound amps. Then the magic started.........it was like the scrawny kid at the end of the bench that gets up and hits a home run and wins the game. The music flows like a waterfall out of the vintage 4 way, floor standing AR 90's into the den and beyond.The signal on KUSC-FM in L.A. is HD superb, and the reproduction glows as brightly as one can expect from the HD radio medium. For the amount invested, and the results gathered i am very impressed- this is a major winner! I have had it on for a few hours and we will see if there are any heat issues where it is now placed.

[wgallupe]

"BROADCASTING IN HIGH DEFINITION"

Anyboby ever hear a radio station make that claim? I'll bet most can answer yes. One of my favorite stations in Boston does it all the time.

Unfortunately, these stations are playing right into the hands of Ibiquity Digital, owners of the trademark "HD Radio" (HD stands for hibred digital). A clever marketing ploy me thinks. Let's make everyone think its high definition sound when its really only similar to lowley mp3 quality. 

 

 

[Wayner]

Not sure of the bitrate, but I suspect it too be somewhat higher then MP3s. I'd guess somewhere inbetween that and the conventional 44.1/16 rate of CDs. On the other hand, FM is limited to 15,000 cycles so there is another trade off. Overall, the HD broadcast seems to be superior to it's analog brother, simply because of the noise level, which is extremely low in the HD mode. I also am enjoying the Sony and still think it's a great purchase. I have raised it off the shelf using 4 hockey pucks (finally put them to good use) and have noticed a temperature drop using my infrared thermometer. Now reads about 88 degrees, whereas, the first day was in the mid 90s.

The 2 things I don't like about the Sony (but I'm over it) are volatile memory and can't direct access stations via remote's numbers (like entering 92.5). But over all, it is a great addition and overall value in my books is quite high.

Wayner 

[oneinthepipe]

Does anyone know if a Hybrid Digital radio with a digital output would play through an AVA DAC?  In other words (or just different words, if my question made any sense), will an AVA DAC be able to process the digital output from a Hybrid Digital radio?

[Wayner]

Yes they will. There are a few HD tuners that have digital output. One is made by Best Buy called Insignia. I saw it and for a little over $100, I scratched my head. I also think that Sangean has one model with a digital output. I suspect that the new tuner by MagnumDynalab and Fanfare may alsoo have DOs. I'm not sure if this is a big plus, but then it would be fun to hear the Sony thru Frank's DAC.......oh Frank......

Wayner 

[doug s.]

Not sure of the bitrate, but I suspect it too be somewhat higher then MP3s. I'd guess somewhere inbetween that and the conventional 44.1/16 rate of CDs. On the other hand, FM is limited to 15,000 cycles so there is another trade off. Overall, the HD broadcast seems to be superior to it's analog brother, simply because of the noise level, which is extremely low in the HD mode. I also am enjoying the Sony and still think it's a great purchase. I have raised it off the shelf using 4 hockey pucks (finally put them to good use) and have noticed a temperature drop using my infrared thermometer. Now reads about 88 degrees, whereas, the first day was in the mid 90s.

The 2 things I don't like about the Sony (but I'm over it) are volatile memory and can't direct access stations via remote's numbers (like entering 92.5). But over all, it is a great addition and overall value in my books is quite high.

Wayner 

hi wayner,

i must humbly disagree w/your assessment of the sound of hybrid digital vs analog; imo analog sounds better.  while i haven't done the forced-analog mod to my sony, so i cannot a-b an hd station back-n-forth between its analog & hd signals, when i compare the sony w/a regular analog tuna, the hd stations seem to be a little bit more sonically degraded than the analog stations.  and, re: noise level, i have found the quieting of the sony xdr-f1hd to be equally low w/analog signals as w/hd.  one analog station i listen to sometimes has a bit of noise on my other analog tunas; it's always dead quiet w/the sony.

if you have a really resolving system and like to listen to fm in the "sweet spot", not for yust casual listening, you can do better w/a tricked out analog tuna than w/the li'l sony; you really need the audio mods or a tube buffer, (or both?), to sit and listen for a while, imo.  my stock sony xdr-f1hd w/tube buffer sounds great, and i could easily live w/it as an only tuna, if i weren't a tunaholic, but my analog tunas sound better.   however, for casual listening, and/or if you have difficult noisy reception conditions, nothing - even big dollar tunas - will compare to the sony xdr-f1hd, imo.  it's cheap enough & small enough that you can run the sony w/mods &/or a buffer alongside your analog tuna of choice, and switch to the sony for those noisier stations.   

(tuna presently in rotation - onix bwd-1 w/soap-2 p/s)


some tuna porn:







doug s.,
so much tuna, so little time.   

[martyo]

Okay Doug,

Step 1: I'm powerless over tunas and my life.........

WOW, thats a lotta tuna, thanks for the visual, amazing.......

I noticed a Dynaco in there, I just bought Wayner's FM5. Now I have 2, it's a start. 

Happy Thanksgiving

[charmerci]

Perhaps this thread should be renamed: "Is FM bound for Doug's house?"