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Having already been well versed in HD Radio (which is Hybrid Digital, NOT High Definition) in the NYC Metro area (I own several HD receivers, car, home and a custom designed portable unit) I was fully aware of the "quirks" of HD Radio.....ie. the drop outs when the digital stream gets interrupted due to signal loss, the switching between conventional to HD modes when in "fringe" areas... similar to SAT Radios when in a high density urban environment.
I was surprised and impressed at the NS-HD01receiver's sensitivity and it's ability to lock into a HD data stream in a short time after detection of the HD identifier on the broadcast. I was even able to get it to perform quite well inside my car side-by-side with my car HD Radio on the same HD Station while traveling out from NYC to the suburbs. Since the antenna of the unit is the headphone cable, I suggest that you keep it as long as practically possible to maximize the antenna's ability to receive HD Broadcasts when in weak signal areas or areas that experience "multi-path" distortion (when signals bounce off of buildings and other reflective surfaces and arrive at the antenna at slightly different times, causing the digital signal to become "out of sequence".
Bottom line is that this NS-HD01 HD Radio is fantastic for what it is and does, the price, the fact that it is small, lightweight, and works really well. If you are like me and want to listen to more than just the "usual" over the air radio programming that is out there, then HD Radio is a great alternative to subscription based radio receivers.