[BGY11]

I don't have a fancy antenna setup or anything here in Calgary, but since this unit is great even for analog FM, I probably would still enjoy it.

 

[bentoronto]

My mods done by RadioX

Recent posters might find my earlier posts, esp about modifications worth reading.

I am skeptical of the miraculous improvements shown on the xdrguy website. Easy to over-drive a unit into distortion and then claim wonderful fixes by driving it a bit less (or by internal mods that do nothing more than that).

The unmodded Sony is grand as has been repeatedly shown... just unlistenable without an HD defeat switch unless you are in a very hot or very cold reception location. Not audible but helpful are a hole or two for cooling and a means of pre-set memory preservation. That's it.

I had my mods done by RadioX who, I am guessing, is a far more professional and experienced techie, as judged by his in-depth website. I had mine re-aligned (didn't need much, I was told in retrospect), tweak of final EQ (flatter final output), and got the defeat switch installed (which includes a blue LED indicator too). Earlier, I added a small cellphone battery myself (still retained all memories after two weeks unplugged, if I recall my longest test).

There is nothing outlandish about the price. It is far less than audiophile gear. Just seems odd in light of initial mass-retailed price and being in a small box. However, if you look inside expensive audiophile boxes, they are often quite empty. Large faceplate just for show. Large price, sometimes likewise.

While I still can't count on majority-time HD in Toronto (perhaps related to being close to CN Tower which is exactly in-line with Buffalo!!!!), quite a treat in Florida. There I get two non-commercial stations and each of them has two channels (with some duplication) for a total of about 3 choices at all times with the nice Sony remote.

Ben

 

[bentoronto]

With Norway's DAB decision in the air, I was rummaging about on eBay. The XDR-F1HD is selling for us$230 to $520 (modified with a switch, re-alignment, roll-off circuit, etc).

But there is also the Sony HD table-radio, XDR-S10HDiP. Goes for about us$65 (I'm including about us$30 for shipping to US addresses). One vendor says it has the same innards as the XDR-F1HD. Anybody know if that is true?

Is Canada heading further into Ibiquity standard? Where are the reasonably priced competitors to the Sony, given the widespread use of HD in the US?

Ben

 

[rob_t]

Ben,

It is my understanding as well that the XDR-S10HDiP (who names these bloody things?) has the same guts as the XDR-F1HD, but I only have the latter. I have been eBay-stalking the former, too, though I know it would not get much of a signal.

The XDR-F1HD is the real deal - I am 50 miles north of Denver, and I get HD Radio on several (though not all) Denver stations, and a few closer to me, via an FM-specific Yagi antenna compromised be being in my attic. The best is the classical station, only available on a -2 or via the Internet here. You couldn't get me to sell my XDR-F1HD. The sensitivity AND selectivity for conventional FM (non-IBOC) is simply amazing. And I own a Carver TX-11a, now second best. I forget the Sangean HD tuner that's said to be good, but lesser than the Sony.

Canada has bailed on DAB, and some stations are using IBOC - myhdradio.ca/stations is a good list.

Rob T