Pros: Very sensitive, great audio quality, small size, HD capable. Easy to set up and use.
Cons: No choice between HD and analog if there are both on the same frequency.
The Bottom Line: A great product that is excellent value for HD or analog FM where sensitivity is an advantage. Clear and clean sound. Beware that it is not a radio however!
za9ra22's Full Review: Sony XDR-F1HD Satellite Radio Receiver
The XDR-F1HD has a somewhat misleading description, implying that it is a 'radio' when it is not. It's a tuner, with line-out jacks for connection to a receiver/amplifier/home theatre system (or powered speakers), so it can't be used as a free-standing radio in it's own right.
That said, it's a diminutive FM/AM tuner, with a name that's almost bigger than the box. And despite the size, which is reminiscent of an early generation budget CD player, and the price tag of $100 (currently offered with $50 mail-in rebate, expiring on September 29), this is a truly excellent piece of equipment with quite unexpected performance.
What you get for your money is a tuner which is about the same size as a 500 page paperback, a simple remote (requires 2 AAA batteries, not supplied), and both FM dipole and AM loop antennas. The instruction book is a single sheet which when folded out guides the user through set up and use. Very simple and quite elegant.
The tuner itself has a single on/off button on the front, and 10 control buttons (all duplicated on the remote) along the top. When powered, the LCD display which takes up the central 1/3rd of the front panel lights up. Antennas are connected on the rear panel, FM via a 75ohm socket, and AM via a rather fiddly pair of spring-loaded tabs. The only other items on the rear are the red/white RCA audio outputs, a slight recessed reset button, and the captive power cable which plugs directly into the wall.
Initial setup is a breeze. It can be done from the buttons on the top of the unit, or via the remote. Initially power up leads to a menu from which the time and daylight savings option can be set. After that, it's a simple matter of tuning, and if desired, setting presets. There are a total of 40 of these, 20 for FM, 20 for AM. Presets are set by a simple, logical, procedure which takes seconds. Beware though, that time and presets are lost if power is removed.
Tuning is accomplished with manual up or down buttons, or by scanning where the unit will stop and linger on the next signal up, then move on if not manually stopped. Tuning also reveals a slightly odd behavior, that if a channel contains both analog and digital signal, the XDR-F1HD will default to the digital one. There is no option to change that. This would typically not create problems, but it would be nice to have the choice!
When a station is tuned in, the top line of the display shows signal strength and whether it is HD, along with AM or FM band and whether sleep mode or daylight savings are set. In the center line, the display shows which preset (if any), and a rolling display of station ID and/or current content. The lower line is larger, and shows station ID and frequency. It is possible to switch the display to show the time in the lower line, in which case the station ID and frequency move up to the line above.
The display itself is fairly bright at the standard setting, but can be dimmed or backlight switched off. It remains at the same brightness last set when the tuner is switched off, which can be a little disconcerting at first! You can tell the tuner is off however, because the display reverts to showing the time only.
It is all pretty basic, though well thought out.
In use it becomes apparent very quickly that this tuner is very sensitive, pulling in signals that many other tuners simply don't hear. In my office, which is a difficult reception area where my existing receiver would only pull in one station without noise in stereo, the XDR-F1HD found 15, all crystal clear. In another location, with the supplied dipole antenna, it was capable of picking up FM stations from well outside their service area, all at full noise suppression. Very impressive, and certainly better sensitivity and selectivity than many more commonly favored analog tuners.
Even so, most are likely to consider it for the HD Radio capabilities, and it certainly has those. Sensitivity allows it to pick up the HD channels in my area, and a couple that are from a little more far afield. It resolved, in crystal clear stereo, an HD station whose analog counterpart my normal receiver couldn't even hear.
Sound quality is also excellent. There are hints of the thin and echoing sound quality that has plagued the lower bandwidth HD channels, but on the high bandwidth music channels, and on analog stations, the XDR-F1HD sounds very good.
As a consequence, it's hard not to recommend this model for anyone who needs a sensitive tuner to plug into an existing audio system, and is interested in HD Radio, or reliable reception of even distant stations. It is remarkably low priced for a good analog tuner, and inexpensive in comparison to the assortment of HD Radios currently on the market, yet it excels in both areas, and is simple enough to set up and use that unlike many other products of this type, even a technophobe can enjoy it!
Experience more choices, crystal clear sound, and no subscription fees. Enjoy music the way it was meant to be heard with AM stations that can deliver...More at Sony Style
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