Customer Reviews
Buy it for the analog reception - forget HD 
2008-07-10
I bought one for my office and now I'm buying another for home. Why then the mediocre two star rating?
First, the positive. It is the most sensitive tuner of FM signals I've owned. I was able, with the supplied ribbon antenna, to pick up a very difficult station (KPIG) on the far side of the Coast Range from Silicon Valley. I've only been able to get this station with a big rooftop antenna when the marine layer here in coastal California allows "bounce." With the Sony, it comes in loud and clear. This works on a numeber of other distant stations.
Two downsides. First, the sound quality of moderate to strong FM analog signals is decent but no match for my best classic FM tuners. Second, a station with a HD radio signal will default to the digital signal and there is no way override the digital choice - you just can't get the analog signal if the station also includes HD.
Both of the downsides and the positive benefit can be traced to the processing in the digital domain of both analog and digital channels. The HD sound always comes out sounding like cheap, low bandwidth digital. "Hollow", "edgy", "lifeless" are words that sorta describe the HD stuff although the analog stations are adequately, but not completely, free of "digititus". From the HD specs, the HD bandwidth is, at best, inferior to a decent (but not best) MP3.
Frankly, HD Radio is a terrible FCC mistake, poor government policy, and should be abandoned. The only advantage seems to be allowing the commercial stations more opportunities to sell advertising and private subscriber channels (which the Sony will not receive). Better sound is NOT part of the deal, no matter what the advertisements claim. It is most definitely NOT "CD-quality."
I bought these for the long distance analog reception only. I'm thinking of taking them to a technician to delete the HD reception permanently. Why Sony didn't capture some of this money by putting a HD override switch is beyond me.
excellent AM/FM, wonderful HD in my apartment 
2008-06-27
I bought Sony's XDRF1HD HD Radio based on reviews about its sensitive analog reception and, I must say, lives up to its reputation! On analog FM, the XDRF1HD pulls in distant New Hampshire country station WOKQ 97.5 despite being sandwiched between New Bedford's WJFD 97.3 and Boston area WKAF 97.7. Other (less sensitive) radios in our apartment don't detect WOKQ at all. The XDRF's high sensitivity is what I expect and appreciate.
HD reception is fairly good. Living (south of Boston) in a first floor apartment, a necessity because my wife is handicapped, does keep us from experiencing optimal reception. In spite of that, we get HD signals from WGBH 89.7, WSNE 93.3, WTKK 96.9, WKLB 102.5 but can't get a lock on Kiss 108's HD signal despite a strong 3-bar reading. Seems HD FM stations need the 50kw power level of WGBH to adequately get their HD channels into area homes.
As for AM, no problem locking into WBZ-HD. Boston's Radio Disney on 1260 also broadcasts in HD but the Sony cannot log into it. At night at least a dozen HD signals from other states are detected yet none strong enough for a lock. AM HD can work if the FCC lets stations up their power levels. Small stations with 5kw signals can't get their HD content out very far.
Over all, despite the disadvantage of a first floor apartment, this Sony provides excellent analog and good HD reception. The commercial free sub-channels are most welcome :)
Good Tuner for the Price ... better than my receiver 
2008-06-19
This is a pretty good tuner for the price and a cheap way to get into HD FM radio. The selectivity is generally good as it will pull in stations better than my Marantz receiver's built in FM section. The noise reduction really helps with stations that would have a lot of static otherwise.
The HD sounds good and I like the HD-2 channels, but if you don't have a strong signal you can get a ghosting or echo effect. At work I have a metal roof and no windows to the outside and thus my reception isn't great. At home I just set up the dipole antenna (for now) that came with it and I get good enough reception.
The only complaint about this product is that you can't force it out of HD mode into analog FM, which would be good for weak signals or when they start to get that digital echo in HD. Also, the sound is a little dry compared to my Yamaha T-7 analog tuner and I would imagine better analog tuners. There's no warmth in the sound and it sounds sterile, but the sound is clean and doesn't sound over processed.
Excellent 2008-06-15
This is a super sensitive receiver. It has enabled me to pick up all FM stations that I could not previously pick up. Also it will pick up FM & AM HD stations.
great buy 2008-06-10
I am very pleased with the performance of this radio. Easy to use and it opens a new dimension to radio listening. Very high quality and very high performance.
Very Unimpressed with HD 2008-07-19
In this case, HD may be better suited for "highly dodgy" than for "high definition." The reception is nowhere near CD quality and high definition it is not. The sound quality is hollow with echoes and periodic drops. Don't consider this an upgrade
I purchased this for my home office and just received it today with great anticipation. I'm a music lover that is always looking to expand my horizons without always having to shrink my wallet. I was hoping the HD radio stations would be high quality hidden gems and decided that it might be worth the price.
Pros:
- Straight forward setup - comparable to a clock radio
- It picks up the "HD" stations.
Cons:
- Below average radio sound quality for the digital stations.
- A cheap RCA patch cord isn't included (basic AM and FM antennas are).
- The unit runs hot - I do not understand
I will be spending more time with the HD stations trying to decide whether or not I return.
A good deal with the $50 rebate. 2008-07-19
This tuner allows you to add HD radio to your stereo system. The improvement in AM fidelity is noticeable, but the difference on most of the FM stations is negligible. The added stations are the best feature. If you plug the tuner into a switched outlet or if you lose power, you will lose all of the station presets. This is annoying. It seems that the signal has to be very strong to receive the HD broadcast, which might be a problem in weak signal areas. Overall, I am pleased with this product [...].
Great Tuner-No need for Sirius anymore. 2008-07-18
This item works very well in my area. HD radio stations are not all that common yet, but what I received (about 15 extra HD2 stations in Windham CT Area)came in Great. On HD2, I get commercial free, pop, rock, Country or classical music (which allowed me to get rid of my Sirius account). This tuner offers a nice increase in the musical styles found on FM radio. The Sony does a nice job locking in to HD channels and you can preset your favorite programs on HD or regular stations. The LCD display offers signal strength, HD and HD2 signal detection, Channel name ID, display format, and clock (the clock by the way, stays brightly lit all the time, even when the tuner is off, but that works well for me, as I use it in the kitchen, but may be a problem if you use it in the bedroom). A remote comes with it, which I dont use. It comes with a wire dipole FM antenna and external AM loop antenna, Which I didn't use either because I used my old TV antenna. The tuner does run a bit on the warm side, and the first few days after I bought it, you could detect a faint plastic kind of smell, but that went away soon enough. Performance wise though, the Sony is a fine tuner.
Great little HD tuner and excellent price 2008-07-16
I've had this for a week or so. Works and sounds great. Excellent value. Has HD scanning and presets. Easy to see the stations that are HD - it displays the station name and the song being played. Both AM and FM Bands. Remote. Easy to hook up to the amplifier. If you use the Harmony remote it is already set up on-line. Only thing I would have liked to see is for it to save the presets if it loses power. But, for $99 you can't have everything. I am going to invest in a better FM antenna to pull in more stations.
Works as advertised. 2008-07-11
This unit performs exactly as advertised. My FM and AM reception just improved dramatically with this unit's ability to 'tune' the HD signals on my favorite stations.
One suggested improvement: I wish this unit had a digital output (coax or optical) instead of the stereo RCA plugs.
