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October 14, 2009
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October 14, 2009
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Comeover's Reviews

HD Radio Portable Player

When you're on the go, listen to your favorite HD and FM radio stations using this portable player that features a belt clip for easy portability.

Tech Insider Network
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
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Customer Rating

Cool little device

on October 14, 2009

Posted by: Comeover

from IL

I am reviewing Version 01.00.00 of this product (as displayed on the Menu)

This gadget is a cheap and easy way to see what all the fuss is about HD Radio. If you want to listen at home or in the office and don't want to spend the hassle getting your car stereo replaced, this is an option. You'll need to plug it into a mini USB cable to charge it for a few minutes after you take it out of the box.

The RF performance is not too shabby, the antenna is the headphones or whatever wire you have plugged in to the device. So sometimes to pick up analog FM stations properly you have to move the unit and your headphone wire all over the place.

The HD Radio performance is what I would expect out of such a relatively small device with a tiny antenna (the headphone wire). It picks up all the HD Radio channels that are listed on the HD Radio station guide for my city. There are occasionally artifacts or clipping, but overall the performance is good in my eyes.

The sound quality of the HD chanels is only as good as the radio station can compress it, it'll sound the same no matter which HD radio you play it back on. If the station is broadcasting 3 HD subchannels, they have to compress each one more to make it fit into the frequency, so those channels may have a lower fidelity sound to them. Again, this is not a fault of the device.

The radio does not offer enough preset slots. It has 10, but I see no reason a simple firmware update couldn't fix this. They could potentially bring it up to 99 if they wanted.

Sometimes you will see a brief error when switching to HD-1/2/3 presets that you have made ("Channel no longer available") but shortly thereafter it soon remembers how to reset back to that channel. Again, could possibly be fixed with a firmware update.

Let's hope that they eventually provide a way to hack these devices, update the firmware, etc. Otherwise, you need to purchase the 2 year Black Tie Protection for $9.99 in case failures occur, as this device only comes with a 90-day Parts & Labor warranty.

Add more presets and an AM tuner and this device would be even better.

4 stars out of 5

What's great about it: An affordable way to listen to HD Radio, charges on standard USB mini cable

What's not so great: Not enough presets (10). Some tuning issues, and slow tuning, no AM band

I would recommend this to a friend!

Sound Quality