As we roll out new services on our digital channel, I want to emphasize that our primary analog channel isn’t going away or changing any time soon. You can expect the same great mix of news and music you've come to expect, 24 hours per day. With a new HD Radio most listeners will get our main channel in a CD-quality, digital version, plus an all new channel featuring classical music around the clock.

There are probably hundreds of radios on the market, but only a few are HD Radios. Look for the logo: 

We’ve been testing HD Radios for several months. Here are our observations and recommendations. The links to retailers’ web sites are provided for your convenience. Although I have good experience with each of these stores, Radio Kansas does not endorse any of these retailers or receive any proceeds from your purchase:

Car Stereo:

JVC HDR-1

Many manufacturers offer HD Radio converters as add-on options. The number of combinations of radios and converters would boggle the mind, and is beyond the scope of this review. Luckily, there’s the JVC HDR-1, an all-in-one HD + AM/FM/CD in-dash radio that can be installed in place of your factory radio. Depending upon the vehicle, there’s usually an adapter plate available to make the new installation look more-or-less original. We use the HDR-1 in our station vehicles, and I bought one myself. They’re available at regional Best Buy stores, through Crutchfield.com, or you can order one through any reputable Car Stereo shop. We had the station radios installed by one such shop. They did a fine job.

The HDR-1 operates like most aftermarket radios. You scan the dial by pushing a rocker switch to the left or right. When you tune to a station broadcasting in HD Radio it automatically crossfades to the digital signal. To get our HD 2 signal, just tune to our main channel, then push the rocker switch up or down.

When you’re out of the Radio Kansas listening area, you have that CD functionality, and the HDR-1 also will play CDs loaded with .mp3 sound files, with hours and hours of audio on a single disc. As with any car radio, sound quality is dependent upon the speakers. We’ve had excellent results with the original factory speakers.

Buy the JVC HDR-1 from:  Best Buy, Crutchfield, Wal-Mart  

Desktop Radio:

Radio Shack Accurian HD-Radio

Accurian is Radio Shack’s house brand for consumer electronics nowadays. Their HD Radio is the one for you if you want the benefits of HD Radio with the easiest operation. It has a big knob in the center of the unit. Turn the knob to control the volume. Push the knob to switch from AM to FM to Aux,which is a line-level input for things like iPods. When an HD station is detected, the unit fades from analog to digital and the display comes alive with the extra information. It has a graphical signal strength meter like the “bars” on a cell phone. These help you orient the antenna for the best reception. To get our HD-2 signal, just tap the “up” tuning button (labeled TUN +) It goes to our second signal as if it were just another station on the dial. The sound of the Accurian HD Radio is surprisingly good for the size of the speakers. The case is plastic, though, and can resonate and sound boxy if you like your music loud.

Buy the Accurian HD-Radio from:  Radio Shack

Sony XDR-S3HD

The Sony desktop HD Radio is a good balance between capability and ease of use. It’s probably the most predictable of the radios with which we’ve worked. It has pretty much the traditional assortment of buttons and knobs. Whereas the Accurian radio uses its single knob for volume and source selection, the Sony has an additional knob for tuning. If you land on a station with an additional channel, the display shows a -1- to indicate that you’re on the first of multiple channels. Twist the tuning dial a single click “up” to get the second channel (the display confirms with a friendly -2-). The speakers are conspicuously small, but the sound is fairly even. The case appears to be the same sort of particle board as larger, free-standing speakers, limiting resonance. The Sony is a good bet for most users.

Buy the Sony XDR-S3HD from:  B&H, Best Buy, Crutchfield

Sangean HDR-1

You may remember Sangean as a manufacturer of shortwave radios and high-quality portable radios. Their HD Radio is the most capable in our group, and pretty much ties with the Sony for sound quality. The front grille is plastic, but the case is essentially solid wood, with a thin veneer keeping things pretty. Operation of the HDR-1 is rather involved, as the device has –truly – a single knob. Control modes are arranged in a hierarchy accessible by pushing the button in. To select from among the modes, turn the knob and push. This may have the effect you desired, or it may put you in another level of the hierarchy with more decisions to make by dialing and pushing again. Thankfully, the remote control is a bit more straightforward. The HDR-1 is capable of displaying  its own internal statistics on the quality of reception like "block error rate." Learning this device might make for a fun rainy afternoon, but for the casual listener, it’s simply too much.

Buy the Sangean HDR-1 from:  Buy.com, Crutchfield, J&R Music