Sangean HDR-1 Table Top HD Radio Receiver

Sangean HDR-1 Table Top HD Radio Receiver

Price: $160.64
Manufacturer: Sangean
Buy from amazon.com

HDR-1 Wooden Table Top Receiver5 w/information display showing channel no. channel frequency, ensemble label, service label, dynamic label, transmission mode, data rate & secondary service availability indicator. Auto tuning list, automatic multiplex re-configuration, real time clock with Alarm & Sleep function, Multicast capability, PAD services, Aux IN for iPOD or MP3 player, Remote Control with IR, Auto tuning system, Frequency range: AM: 520-1710 kHz (10kHz steps) FM: 87.5-108 MHz

Information

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #16411 in Consumer Electronics
  • Color: Walnut
  • Brand: Sangean
  • Model: HDR-1
  • Dimensions: 4.50" h x 8.00" w x 11.00" l, 7.00 pounds
  • Auto tuning system
  • Auto preset system
  • 20 memory presets
  • Backlit LCD display
  • Tone and bass control

Product Reviews

Amazon.com
HD radio is the next step in the evolution of sound. For some time, radio listeners have had to put up with static, hiss, and lost signals. HD radio eliminates this loss of signal by providing a digital signal that allows AM to sound like FM, and CD-quality sound out of FM stations. The HDR-1 is a full-featured, portable HD radio, with 20 memory presets, tone and bass control, an IR remote control, and much more.

Feature List

  • Auto Tuning System (ATS)
  • Auto Preset System
  • 20 Memory Presets (10 FM, 10 AM)
  • Backlit LCD Display
  • Automatic Multiplex Re-configuration.
  • Tone & Bass Control
  • EQ Pre-sets
  • Adjustable Sleep Timer
  • Program Associated Data Service (PAD)
  • Hybrid and Full Digital Radio Reception
  • SPDIF Optical Out-put
  • IR Remote Control

From the Manufacturer
HD radio is the next step in the evolution of sound. For some time, radio listeners have had to put up with static, hiss, and lost signals. HD radio eliminates this loss of signal by providing a digital signal that allows AM to sound like FM, and CD-quality sound out of FM stations. The HDR-1 is a full-featured, portable HD radio, with 20 memory presets, tone and bass control, an IR remote control, and much more.

Feature List

  • Auto Tuning System (ATS)
  • Auto Preset System
  • 20 Memory Presets (10 FM, 10 AM)
  • Backlit LCD Display
  • Automatic Multiplex Re-configuration.
  • Tone & Bass Control
  • EQ Pre-sets
  • Adjustable Sleep Timer
  • Program Associated Data Service (PAD)
  • Hybrid and Full Digital Radio Reception
  • SPDIF Optical Out-put
  • IR Remote Control


Excellent Initiation Into HD Radio
After owning a Sangean WR-2 clock radio for a year and a half and growing more fond of it, I decided to get another upscale radio for my office, a radio with a remote control so I could avoid computer interference by keeping the radio a good 6 feet away. After reading about HD radio and Sangean's entrance into the market, I decided to take a chance. Worst case scenario, I figured, is that it would be another high-grade radio like my Sangean WR-2. Like the WR-2, the HDR-1 has a high-grade feel, a solid construction, memory presets, a remote control, and strong sensitivity on AM and FM. However, the HDR-1 is definitely an upgrade and you might consider that it has the following advantages and differences:

1. Two speakers instead of one.
2. Easy-to-use (simply plug in) AM external antenna for hard-to-get stations.
3. HD quality is clearly discernable, clear, full, no static, no "birdy," no chirps.
4. Some HD stations have multi-broadcasts.
5. Most functions have to be performed with the remote. For this reason, I don't see this as a bedside radio. Who wants to squint at their remote in a dark bedroom? More appropriate for a bedside radio is the Sangean WR-2 or the Eton Sound 100. But for office or anywhere that requires a distance between you and your radio, the HDR-1 is an excellent choice.

Update: Be aware that in AM it takes a few seconds before the radio "kicks in" to digital mode. The sound is so good it's hard to listen to non-digital AM stations. Even the strongest station in Los Angeles, KFI 640, sounds bad because it's non HD. One last point: I'm more and more in love with the speaker sound. I can't even play them as loud as I want to as I'm working when I have the radio on. But these dual speakers really shine.

Second Update: 1-19-07: After 3 weeks, I've discovered a weakness on AM: Rainy weather compromises the HD signal. This problem is compounded by the fact that the radio has weak conventional AM (much weaker for example than my Sangean WR-2 and my Eton/Grundig S350) so that when it's not in HD mode the AM sounds bad, a constant crackle in the background. FM remains strong in both HD and non HD mode, but Sangean needs to address this AM weakness.

Comparing Sangean HDR-1 with Boston Acoustics Recepter Radio HD
de K0UNX. I know radios.

A year ago I purchased the Boston Acoustics Recepter Radio HD, one of the few available at that time. I used it for a weekend and returned it immediately. It would pick up ONLY HD, not standard AM or FM stations. The receiver was so weak that even strong local stations in the Denver market didn't hold lock, and would have to rebuffer.

Last week, I decided to give the Sangean HDR-1 a try. Yippee! This one is a keeper! It picks up BOTH HD and STANDARD AM/FM stations. The receiver is much more sensitive than the BA model, and easily holds lock without even raising the FM antenna. The audio is clear and strong enough to fill the whole yard.

I was also impressed with the EQUALIZER. I'm an "old-timer", so I have high-frequency loss. Conversations sound "muddy" to me. This radio allows me to tailor the frequency response so that it sounds good to my failing ears.

Having an auxiliary input is VERY WELCOME, so I can use it for my XM radio or iPod as well.

One other really nice feature is NON-VOLATILE RAM, so it doesn't have to be completely reprogrammed after moving it from room to room or a power failure. You need to reset the clock, but that's all you lose. Being retired, I don't even care what time it is, so thats no show-stopper for me. I'm very happy not having to reprogram all the stations and equalizer.

Congratulations to the Sangean team!

Good sound, terrible interface and buggy
I am returning this radio, even though the sound was very good and -- except for one difficult station -- the reception was also very good.

I bought this to use as a bedside clock radio. It has no real controls except those found on a poorly laid-out remote (the bose for some reason also just uses a remote only). If you lose the remote, or even if you can't find it in the morning, you can't operate the functions. Changing the clock time, changing the alarms or putting the radio into sleep mode all take endless button pushing on the remote. It got very frustrating after a while, but because I liked the HD sound I had planned to keep it.

That was before I found out that the radio alarm would sometimes just not go off. Then the machine sometimes jammed up when setting the functions and refused to respond to the remote or the on and off switch until the unit was "reset". Resetting the unit means unplugging it, unplugging it means you lose everything but your presets (you have to go through all the cycles to set the clock and alarms). The final final straw that caused me to return it and find a new radio was when it started losing the signal from a local station (but not the sister hd stations transmitting on the same frequency).

So, in sum, I liked the look, I liked the sound, I liked the hd stations, I hated the required remote, I hated the difficult and cumbersome user interface, I hated the buggy operation.


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