Sony XDR-F1HD

• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 10 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 8 stars

  Great tuner overall, minor qualms

  by Applerod on January 22, 2009

  Pros: Appropriately simple, sleek design. Sounds excellent given adequate reception. Relatively inexpensive.

  Cons: Accessing preset stations should be slightly easier. Reception in certain areas is not miraculous.

  Summary: First off, I bought this device for my father so I've had limited experience with it. He has about 4 favorite AM/FM stations and simply wanted better reception ...

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  Summary: First off, I bought this device for my father so I've had limited experience with it. He has about 4 favorite AM/FM stations and simply wanted better reception than could be provided by the tuner built in to his receiver. His house is in a valley in a mostly rural area. I spent some time tweaking the placement of the FM antenna (bearing in mind the aesthetic considerations of my mother) to find a consistent HD signal for his favorite classical station but when I found it I must say I was quite satisfied in going from classical music with significant static interference to classical music with no static.
  The performance in our area was not *quite* the miracle I was hoping for in that several AM/FM stations of interest were plagued by interference and static as they are with conventional tuners, but overall the performance is very good. It was also necessary for me to explain to my parents that the device would occasionally stutter, echo, or delay when searching for an HD signal or alternating between AM/FM and HD -- unlike conventional radio tuners.
  Beyond minor squabbles about its performance, the only other real gripe I have is with one facet of the interface. My father is a child of the 1930's and not a technophile. I'd assumed accessing preset stations would be as simple as assigning them a number and pressing that number (one button). The Sony XDR-F1HD requires a two-to-three button combination: 1) Press 'Band' to select AM or FM, 2) Press the assigned preset number, 3) Press 'Enter'. For radiophiles and/or technologically-minded people this is no problem, but I had to use a minor technical workaround in reprogramming our universal remote control to make things as simple as possible for the old man.
  There isn't much to say about the design. I appreciate the ability to alter the content of the display, along with its brightness and contrast. This a relatively simple component that does not require extensive menus or excessive buttons and it has neither. The size of the device is proportional to its functionality, so it's small and fairly unobtrusive.
  The Sony XDR-F1HD is a great option for those who listen to the radio on a regular basis and want a significant boost in quality for under $100. It still has the trappings of regular radio in that the clarity is directly affected by the environment and positioning of the antennae, but if you can find it for $80 or less (1/2009) the performance really matches the price.

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  7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Simple and decent quality HD radio receiver

  by jmchien on December 25, 2008

  Pros: 1) Easy to use and hook up
  2) HD sound quality is much better than standard FM
  3) Relatively low priced

  Cons: 1) Runs a bit warm
  2) Lack of audio out options (RCA only)
  3) No tagging or other special features

  Summary: The bottom line is that the Sony XDR-F1HD is a great and simple HD radio receiver (hook-up to your amp). It has a small footprint and even though it runs ...

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  Summary: The bottom line is that the Sony XDR-F1HD is a great and simple HD radio receiver (hook-up to your amp). It has a small footprint and even though it runs a tad warm, it's not hot like others have claimed; I suppose it mainly depends on where you place the unit. The sound can be near CD quality, but it really depends on your location. Like standard FM, if you're not in the vicinity of the radio station it's going to sound more static (you can go online to check for your location). To tell if you are receiving the HD signal a simple 'HD' symbol will show up.
  Finally, the white LCD screen and black casing (with glossy front) makes it very attractive and fits well with my stereo system.

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  5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Spectacular Performance

  by k6sti on December 2, 2008

  Pros: Recovers degraded analog signals like no other tuner

  Cons: Lacks comprehensive controls

  Summary: http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/xdr-f1hd.htm

  Summary: http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/xdr-f1hd.htm

  5 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Superior Performance at an Affordable Price

  by w1895 on January 31, 2009

  Pros: Fantastic performance. Picks up distant stations with easy using the supplied dipole antenna. Great price that makes HD radio something of a reality and less of a laughing stock.

  Cons: Backlight remains on even when radio is off. The screen is hard to read from afar - could benefit from more contrast. 20 preset limit is too small. The lack of optical or digital output is frustrating.

  Summary: After quite a bit of research, I decided that this was the best consumer-grade radio out there capable of receiving HD. Throw in the fact that it's less than $...

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  Summary: After quite a bit of research, I decided that this was the best consumer-grade radio out there capable of receiving HD. Throw in the fact that it's less than $100 and the value this radio offers is undeniable.
  
  Please note this this is a tuner. It must be connected to a receiver or some similar device. It has no speakers. Hook up was straight-forward using RCA cables. (Note that cables and batteries for the remote are not included. Boo, Sony!)
  
  I'm about 18 miles from Boston and it easily pulls in HD signals from Providence and Worcester (30+ miles away). The sound quality is superb and Its small size fits nicely into a cabinet or on a table. It runs circles around my receiver's tuner.
  
  The backlight is kind of bright, even at its lowest setting. It'd be nice if you could shut it off entirely. Hardly a deal breaker, but a minor annoyance nonetheless.
  
  I highly recommend this product. It's price should enable many more consumers to make the leap into HD Radio. I was skeptical at first, but the multi-channel offerings are nice to have.

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  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Excellent, with exceptional FM sensitivity

  by mojomarley on December 27, 2008

  Pros: Clean, undistorted sound. Excellent FM sensitivity. I live about 10 miles from downtown Boston, and pick up all the roughly 40 HD FM stations there. But I can also pick up WFCR, 90 miles west in Amherst. I do have a dedicated FM antenna in attic.

  Cons: The output from the user is via RCA plugs to one of your receiver's audio inputs, rather than coax to the receivers antenna input. So you lose an audio input, and your receiver's tuner button won't select the Sony.

  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  It's All About Reception and Station Quality!

  by wdlee123 on December 31, 2008

  Pros: Compact, Simple to Use , Easy to Hook-Up, Operates As Promised.

  Cons: Availability Somewhat Limited

  Summary: FM Radio sound is about reception and station quality - rarely FM tuner quality. And since HD Radio only delivers 96 kilo-bits per second it can never be CD quality. ...

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  Summary: FM Radio sound is about reception and station quality - rarely FM tuner quality. And since HD Radio only delivers 96 kilo-bits per second it can never be CD quality. HD Radio shines brightest with AM channels where most bothersome issues reside. Frankly, 98% of all conventional tuners are better than 99% of the listeners to differentiate them! If reception is the issue, and often it is, pop into some local Radio Shack type store for one of their many antenna solutions and most reception issues will fade away. The bottom line - this $80 Sony HD Radio Reciver thru B&H photo NYC is an excellent value and does HD Radio very well.

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  2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 7 stars

  Very Good Sound - much better than normal FM

  by dlmiley on December 20, 2008

  Pros: Excellent Detection and Reception of HD Signals
  Excellent Stereo Sound
  Compact Size makes placement easy
  Very Good Value

  Cons: No Digital Output

  2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Excellent Radio Tuner, HD A Bonus

  by fsclaol on March 4, 2011

  Pros: Excellent sound from broadcast radio. Difficult to imagine this is FM sound from main broadcast station frequency and side bands, offered at an excellent price

  Cons: Must reprogram radio stations when unpowered (unplugged / power failure).
  20 FM presets are not enough in media rich market.

  Summary: This tuner now resides in the hifi system and provides excellent radio sound. Posted by another reviewer, this is a must read link and needs repeating: http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/...

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  Summary: This tuner now resides in the hifi system and provides excellent radio sound. Posted by another reviewer, this is a must read link and needs repeating: http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/xdr-f1hd.htm
  It also explains how good this Sony tuner is, expecially at this price point.
  Station sensitivity and selectivity is outstanding even with simple 300Ohm dipole flat antenna converted to 75Ohm. If you are in a content / media rich radio market, 20 FM presets are not enough. Strong HD stations along with any sidebands sound crystal clear.
  Very happy with / listening to my Sony Tuner / HD Radio and highly recommended.

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• 9 stars

  An incredible product -- but HD is a lossy codec.

  by William Sommerwerck on December 12, 2009

  Pros: Fantastic sensitivity and selectivity, a new standard for clear reception under poor conditions. McIntosh MR-71 owners, eat your hearts out. The end of the component tuner -- every controller will soon have a high-quality radio at little added cost.

  Cons: Doesn't permit forced-analog reception. (You wouldn't want the listener to hear the superiority of analog on a good station, would you?) Terrible AM analog sound. (See Brian Beezley's article for a detailed review and info on DIY improvemen ts.)

  Summary: The reviewers' claim that "The best HD stations delivered true CD quality sound" is simply untrue. There will be times, of course, when you can't tell the difference. But ...

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  Summary: The reviewers' claim that "The best HD stations delivered true CD quality sound" is simply untrue. There will be times, of course, when you can't tell the difference. But I compared the analog signal of KING FM (on a Parasound T3) with the Sony, and it's the same-old same-old -- lossy compression degrades the sound, particularly in regard to its spatial qualities. It also sounds a bit "flat" and "blah".
  
  Updated on Feb 8, 2010

  I note that one person found this review unhelpful. Not surprising -- I didn't tell him what he wanted to hear, that HD broadcasts are inherently superior to analog. They're not.

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  2 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 4 stars

  Very disappointed

  by xanpyzz on November 30, 2008

  Pros: Reasonable price Nicely made

  Cons: It runs very hot and smells like it is burning up! Not very sensitive even when connected to an outdoor FM only antenna.

  Summary: If you go on Anazom and look at the low ratings - there is a mention of the burning smell. I think they took short cuts on the circuit design.

  Summary: If you go on Anazom and look at the low ratings - there is a mention of the burning smell. I think they took short cuts on the circuit design.

  3 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.

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