Does anyone own it? I'm just curious how different it is - if any

vladi whats up long time no see .. all i know about the hd radio had to do with being able to fit a couple of channels on the same frequency we have a station that transmits on 106.3 and had hd so you can here two extra programs on that frequency...

Hey Ramon! Nice shades
Thanks for the reply - I was just curious because every second commercial I hear lately is about HD radio.
So I did a little research, and here's what I've found out. Those HD radios are about 10-12 inches wide and weigh 5-8 pounds - and to get HD sound they recommend to mount a rooftop antenna. That doesn't sound like a very tempting product to me...

vladi it does not sound like something that i would like if i have to have all that stuff but as you know everything is turning digital tv station no longer will be transmitting in analog so the transition for radio is little by little getting there soon we will have to mod our bbx for hd

Ya, I'm sure the digital transition will happen sooner or later. I was just curious if anyone had already bought one of those HD radios. But after doing a little research - I think nobody should just yet - there's not a single one that is capable of making any decent sound

I hear you Vladi, I'm not ready to dive in just yet. I'll wait until the the technology catches on and prices come down.

Don,
You're right - they are still a bit too expensive for what they are - small radios with poor-ish sound. HD car radio might be a good idea though, since they install decent stereos in the cars. But factory installed HD radio for a car is almost $400 - that is crazy.
And as far as portable HD radios - it seems that HD sound from those smallish radios would sound worse than FM stereo from any of our classic boomboxes.

I've listened to a few of those little portable HD radios and so far I'm unimpressed. I don't think their really trying very hard just yet.

Oh cool - I've never listened to one, but after hearing all the HD radio commercials in the last few weeks made me curious.
So basically they offer more channels at this time, but the sound quality isn't there yet - not from those small units anyway.
Thanks!

Just got a Sangean ($189.00 at Target), and like it a lot. AM sounds like FM (clear and bassy, though, with all that fidelity, I hardly recognize some AM announcers). Can't tell yet if AM HD is in stereo. I'm gonna need to sitck my head up against the radio and listen close. And most FM stations have an HD second channel with alternate broadcasting. Maybe not worth a couple hundred bucks (then again, maybe it is), but it's sure fun to have the latest thing!

Update: Yup, AM HD does stereo... where the station broadcasts in stereo. Our local Disney Kids affiliate (mostly pop songs) is definitely in stereo, while our all-news station appears to be in (hi-fidelity) mono, tho it's hard to tell, since so much of the content is voice only.

Oh, and HD radios can also receive an RDS signal, which displays a scrolling message on the dial (good for identifying station call letters and the title/artist of a song being played).

Baby Boomer - if you were to set your Sangean and any mid-size vintage boombox side by side - and listen to the same FM station - is there any noticeable difference in sound quality?
Or in other words - how does HD FM on Sangean sound compared to FM stereo of a vintage box?
As you said - it is nice to have the latest and the greatest, so appreciate your comments as I'm trying to research it some more

Good question, Vladi. FM on the Sangean (which is just slightly smaller than a Bose Wave radio) sounds better (cripser highs and more pronounced bass) than a vintage table radio, but not as good (not quite as "room filling") as a Bose. And, while I think it sounds better than an entry-level bbx, it's nowhere near as good as a mid-level vintage bbx with bigger (2-way) speakers (like the Panasonic 5050). The Sangean also has one of those silly, preset rock-pop-jazz equalizers. Its relatively small size means it really can't compete, but its "acoustically tuned wood cabinet" helps with resonance.

I hope this answers what you asked. My low-fidelity ears keep me from doing a better evaltuation, but try Amazon for some really helpful reviews.

Awesome! Thanks for your review!