Customer Reviews

Sony XT100HD HD Radio Tuner

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's ok.... It's great when you are in range which I find to be about 15 miles for a good signal. If you are outside this range the HD signal constantly cuts in and out, which probably wouldn't be so bad if the analog signal was synced up. I've only run into one station that was synced. AM sounds great when you have a good signal, so much more to the voice and music. FM also sounds much better, you are able to hear much more of the music. If the stations could figure out some way to boost their HD signal and sync the two signals I would be ecstatic. But seeing as how it isn't the case I kinda regret this purchase, but not enough to disconnect it. I payed 35 for it, probably only worth 20 in my opinion.

Select "HD" on your Sony head unit, and it will tune HD radio signals when available. Then, reverts automatically to analog signal without your messing with it.

AM radio is great...those nasally voices actually have baritone and a bit of bass. Music is passable. Radio ads are funny....they sound tinny and compressed when the advertiser hasn't re-recorded them.

FM radio is good enough to crank up without distortion rattling the speakers. Very nice having two stations on the HD transmissions. Oldies _without_ dozens of agonizing commercials about genuine copper re-pipe. (BTW...for you young DJs...Queen is _not_ an oldie.)

With my Sony head unit, I could hook this up along with one model of the iPod connector: Sony XA120IP iPOD Connector.

I wanted to upgrade to HD radio essential for two or three substations and the XT100 HD enables someone to do this if 1. You have a Sony deck 2. The deck has red and white audio in and Sony bus cable in 3. Access to the deck. I had already installed the cd deck myself so this was easy to plug in and go and my deck was not even on the list of approved decks but mine had all the connections it needed. It even has an audio in so you could hook up an iPod, Zune, or any mp3 player or audio device. Also the the sony bus allows the song titles and artist to scroll across the display, big thing for audiophiles. The only problem with the XT100 HD was it must be mounted outside of the deck area for lack of space but it comes with long enough cords to mount it in the trunk if you had too. Over all it does exactly what it was supposed to do without having to get a new deck, and I got at a great price well below the price of a $130 deck but only for the extra stations and song display because althought it sounds great not good enough just to upgrade ore existing stations, but they are improved.

I have this tuner hooked up to a sony headunit in my 2001 vw jetta that has a amplified BMW antenna on it's roof. I drive through St. Louis everyday and on my commute you can really tell how limited the reception on this tuner, only 2 stations broadcast with enough power to get a good signal about 25 or so miles from the transmitter. The rest are like listening to a scratched cd the sound cuts back and forth with the regular stereo signal that is about 1-2 seconds ahead of what your listening to so it sounds like your listening to Max Headroom (google him if you don't know)on your radio. One station is so bad I can physically see the antenna and not get a clear signal. When it does work it sounds amazing on my monsoon stereo, like imagine someone holding a boom box up on a stage thats playing a song, then suddenly the entire orchestra takes over playing the same song thats what HD radio sounds like. The problem is this technology is still a way off. In my opinion buy a 16G mp3 player fill it up and listen to that instead of the shameless commercial fest that radio is today.

This was an excellent product, price and delivery. Unfortunately, the radio stations in my area have oversold and under-provided HD radio stations. I can hardly receive any HD signal on any radio station in the area. So...I have removed the HD tuner to hold for another day when the technology from the stations gets better. Great job, Barney's.

I bought one of these to use with my Sony CDX-GT320 car stereo. It works great for getting all the HD stations in the Phoenix area. The only problem is it's bigger than the stereo, has a lot of cables that must be connected and costs more! I don't see why they can't build HD into the car stereo so it's just one unit

This HD radio adapter works well by itself. With XM, the radio does not work at all. With the Sony XAC40 UniLink Multi-Changer Adapter, XM and HD work part of the time. The radio shorts out without notice and has to be unplugged for the Sony XAC40 UniLink Multi-Changer Adapter to reset.

Real pain. AS soon as I get back to Phoenix where the packaging is located, I am returning this product because it does not work with the Sony radio and XM.

It is too big to fit many locations, esp with all the cables sticking out. Works well, we do not have many HD stations in the area, but on a trip recently it picked up and held stations alot longer.

A great tuner that works well, but I wish it wasn't so big! It's almost as big as my radio! But it does the job, and now I have HD, and I love HD radio! I would recommend it, but make sure you have somewhere to stash it away in your car. Mine is under the carpet on the passenger side, and I don't even know it's there, so I guess all is good in the end.

Nice product, it does pick up the digital radio signals. In GA there are still not too many digital stations. I do like the radio, but I believe satellite radio is superior except for the cost. HD radio is free once the initial investment is made.