Customer Reviews
Attractive design and good sound, but poor HD tuner 
2008-06-23
The attractive design of this unit is matched by quality sound, despite its small size. Settings are non-intuitive, and you need to access them frequently because the clock does not keep good time. More importantly, its performance is marred by a poor HD feature. Perhaps not much thought was given to the technology of the HD section of the tuner, which cuts in and out of HD stations so frequently as to make it useless. Since I own several other HD tuners, I know that the problem is not my reception but the weakness in the quality of this function in the SoundWorks radio. A disappointment in this regard.
It works well with an iPod 
2008-05-04
My main objective, in what turned into a fairly exhaustive search, was to buy a good sounding tabletop radio, with strong reception, that would also have excellent iPod capability.
I am very pleased to say that the Cambridge 820HD delivers on all counts.
I had some concerns about decent sound quality coming from my iPod, since the 820HD doesn't have a built-in dock. What it does have is that little round input hole in the back of the radio for a jack, sort of like an after thought, I reckoned, rather than a clearly designed radio/iPod system. How could a simple jack for my portable iDock possibly offer as clean a path for the sound signal to travel as a built-in dock, I wondered?
I had already listened, at the store, to the highly rated Altec-Lansing i600 radio with built-in dock, and was quite disappointed; to my ears, it sounded thin and tinny. Though it recieved a stong, clear FM (but not HD) signal, it just sounded a cut above mediocre. I couldn't imagine my iPod performing any better on the i600, given it's tiny speakers. There had to be something more aurally satisfying - for under $300 - though I knew I'd probably go higher if I had to.
I considered the $300 Tivoli stereo radio with no built-in iPod dock, but didn't care for it being in 2 units; I wanted something more portable. The new 4 speaker Polk i-sonic unit looked intriguing, but at $450, I'd buy one only if all else failed.
I wasn't able to listen to the Cambridge at the store, and became a bit dubious when scanning it's box for some in-depth information. There was no mention of it being iPod capable; only some small print somewhere that it has an input jack for accessories. I had an uneasy feeling that I was going to start talking myself into the expensive Polk unit. But I decided to take a chance anyway; I could always return it if I was in any way dissatisfied.
When I got the Cambridge home and turned it on, it was immediately apparent, radio-wise at least, that the sound qualiy was far superior to the Altec-Lansing. The 820 pulled in strong, clear signals on it's HD (which happens to always be a challenge out in the countryside where I live), and the classical music I often listen to had a wide frequency range, with no distortion. The rock stations, more bass included, sounded just as good.
The test, though, was whether it's simple input jack could deliver as rich and full a sound from the iPod as from the radio. I switched back and forth between the two quite a few times, intent on comparing every low and high, and I have to say that, at least to my ears, the quality and range of sound coming from the iPod is every bit as good as from the HD radio, and that's saying alot. It passed the critical test with flying colors.
This Cambridge is here to stay; it's exactly what I want in a portable, relatively inexpensive, tabletop system - very good speakers delivering quality sound from both my iPod and the radio.
Like it a lot. 2008-01-22
Price paid: $180
I like this radio a lot. I am slightly--only slightly--disappointed that the sound is not more impressive. The sound is very good, but not as jaw-dropping as the Bose Wave or other tabletops I've heard. I have trouble finding the right bass/treble setting. But for this price I'm happy with the sound.
The 820HD looks great. It's very modern looking and is not over-buttoned. There are a lot of useful, easy to use functions. You can display the time, radio info or graphic EQ. There are separate bass, treble, and "loudness" controls to suit your taste, but I do have trouble finding the right balance. I use this in my office so I haven't used the alarms or sleep timer.
I haven't had too much trouble tuning in stations, but I'm right in the city so I expect that. The sound quality of HD Radio does vary from station to station--some stations sound thin. This is not a reflection of the radio itself. The HD2 programming is great because it's commercial free (for now).
Overall, I'm happy with this good looking radio. HD Radio is fun and the 820HD also sounds great with my iPod. For the money, it's great.
