Sony XDRF1HD HD Radio Tuner

I live out "on the edge of somewhere" near the Mojave (duh!). It's nice to have a decent tuner sometimes. There are both RDS and HD FM stations out here. Even with decent antennae, though, it's hard to get good signals.

My existing receiver had problems pulling in the stations from Los Angeles. With the same antennae, this little unit pulls in the HD version at night, and does a better job of the "normal" channel during day.

It would be nice if there were pre-amp adjustments with this, I find it has the typical "Sony" over-bassy sound.

AM section is at or above the quality available on other 'tuners' be they HD or conventional analog.

This unit just does what it is supposed to - receive radio signals on AM & FM. Sensitivity and selectivity are good. Definitely not a 'gutless wonder' like others in the HD arena. Too bad there is not an automobile equivalent in the aftermarket HD receivers.

Price versus performance this is a worthwhile purchase.

I must admit that I was pretty skeptical about this small tuner from Sony. I hooked it up to the included antennas, connected it to a power amp (Carver) and sat back. This little baby really performs! Mine did not get too hot - as has been reported - but then again I didn't have it plugged in too long. Does as it says it will do. Soon, I'm going to A-B it against the Carver TX-11A, with its charge-coupled detector. Voodoo language aside, the TX-11A was able to pick up some distant stations and clean them up so you're not listening to static. It's my tuner standard. I think digital radio is here to stay, and it's FREE!

Pros: I have this hooked up to my Onkyo receiver.Great reception, functions, remote and menu. Picks up my favorite local radio stations and surprisingly picks up their sub stations (e.g. 101.1-1, 101.1-2). Similar to most MP3 players, the LCD displays the artist, song, and the name of the station. After the [...] rebate, this unit was 1/2 price. Great Sony quality and great buy from Amazon. Once it goes on sale again, I'm buying another one.

Con: The 20 programmable preset stations are adequate for now. Hopefully newer models will have more presets.

I live in an area far from the HD radio services. The sensitivity was great for both FM and AM. Using the antenna's that came with the unit I could Pickup a few HD stations on both AM and FM. I haven't tried an outdoor antenna, yet. It is more sensitive than any other radio in the
house. I connected a set of speakers from an old computer and they work
great. For the price you can't beat this thing.