I've had the Radiosophy HD100 for a few weeks this summer and it's definitely a great value at $99.95.To the best of my knowledge, it's the least expensive HD Radio available, yet has a number of very nice features.
The Pros
I liked the HD sound a lot. Both AM and FM sound noticeably better in HD - with clean, clear sound and no static or interference. However, and maybe this is just me, I saw the most dramatic difference between regular AM and HD AM Radio.
The unit is easy to use right out of the box with no installation issues. It's basically plug-and-play; just plug it in and turn it on.
It's also easy to find HD stations. Just press Seek and the radio automatically goes to the next station it can find and a red light comes on. If the station broadcasts in HD, a blue light will blink and then go solid when the HD signal locks in. The text display shows the stations call letters, and if it has an HD2 channel, ts frequency will be followed by the number one. For example, 101.1 will appear as 101.1-1. Press Seek again and the HD100 automatically goes to the HD2 channel.
The HD100 is also very easy to program. All you do when you find an HD or HD2 broadcast you want to save, is press one of the five Program buttons. You can program u up to five AM and five FM stations.
There is also a Scan Up and Scan Down button. I found the Scan Down button to be especially since Seek only goes up the dial.
The Radiosophy HD100 has a telescoping FM antenna which I don't think I really needed. However, I did end up attaching the AM antenna as I had a problem with AM station signals despite the fact that I live within the metro area.
I also liked its compact size. The design is nice and it's easy to pick up the unit and carry it from room to room. Since it doubles as a clock radio with a clock, an alarm and a snooze feature, I would most likely keep it in my bedroom.
The Cons
I would like to see this HD radio ship come with a remote. I had it sitting on a bookshelf across the room so that whenever I wanted to change channels or adjust the volume, I had to stop what I was doing, and get up and walk over to the unit.
I also found the display or text screen a bit hard to read. But then, I'm no spring chicken so maybe that had to do more with my eyesight than the radio's display screen.
Finally, given the size of the unit, there is no real stereo separation. The sound is excellent but you will never think you're listening to a stereo broadcast. However, to me, that's OK because the HD100 is a compact, clock radio and not a bookshelf stereo system.
Summary
In summary, found the the Radiosophy HD100 to be a great value. It's nearly $100 less than other tabletops and yet gives you just about everything you need in an HD radio. Its sound is clear and pure, it's easy to set up and use and it will even wake you up.I give it a solid B+.
Douglas Hanna is the webmaster of a HD Radio website as well as the author of more than 190 ezine articles on a variety of subjects.
For more information on the Radiosophy HD100, hop over to http://www.hd-radio-home.com/Radiosophy-HD-radio.html
You can also find very low prices on Sangean HD Radios at his online Sangean store http://www.hd-radio-home.com/sangean-hd-radio-store.html
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