Table top digital radio

Hi TK,in the states,the new-fangled digital radio is called HD Radio.
Have a look here....Digital Radio In The USA
But be warned,the quality is not as good as a good FM feed,but you wanted a table-top so I don't suppose this matters.
Happy shopping and listening

The quality of HD compared to good FM is secondary, actually. The problem is that classical FM in our area is disappearing altogether. So if all the high-quality programming I can get is FM rap broadcasts, I'll take the not-as-good classical.

Table top digital radio
Has anyone heard the Polk I-Sonic HD table top receiver? I'm still researching, and while manypeople recommend the Boston Acoustics HD
Receiver,I also read that it has an excessively loud bass.

Or, if you don't know the Polk, do you know of any other HD radio which lays less stress on the bass?

Tomkitten - I have XM radio in my cars, so I can get it for free on the internet. There are three classical stations..................regular classical, so-called "pop" classical, (the old warhorses), and opera. I believe that there are a number of tabletop radios that you can get that will broadcast XM.

Mosta the "Big Sound" tabletop radios - every one I've ever heard BTW (Bose, Tivoli, and Cambridge) - over-emphasize bass. That said, I have great respect for Polk product - I own lots of their speakers, going back to the early '70s. I did audition their component XM receiver, the XRt12, but decided not to buy it. It sounded fine, for XM ... but XM while fine as an alternate to a car radio just doesn't impress me a bit when heard over a full-sized high quality home audio setup. Not knocking XM, its just fine for casual listening, but it ain't real "Hi-Fi" to an ear that's familiar with real "Hi-Fi".

Anyhow, I dunno anything first-hand about Polk's new tabletop XM/HDR-capable system, but the reviews I've seen have been good, ranking it at the top of the class for what it is. From what I understand, it won't be in general-market release 'till sometime this spring. Knowing what I do of Polk, I'd say its worth waiting for if its a product category you're looking for.

And all that said, I recently auditioned a big-buck HD component tuner - wasn't really impressed by it, either. I was able to pull HDR signals from over a dozen stations, mostly Public Radio, but a few commercial broadcasters too, several formats including jazz, classical, AOR, classic rock, and oldies, along with news/talk/sports. All in all, very good FM sounds better to me than HD - HD sounds better than XM, but still not quite "real Hi-Fi". Mebbe it just needs time to grow, but as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't live up to its hype right now.

The problem is (1) that we MUST have a tabletop model. S.O. can't hear the radio on the other side of the livingroom; the unit MUST be right next to him, and the current radio has no way for any component to plug into it. So tabletop is the only option, regardless of the finer points of quality;

and (2) our local FM stations don't provide classical music much after 4 p.m. which leaves an enormous block of time when S.O. would have no music at all;

and (3) a CD player is not an option because S.O. can't see to work the controls which also goes for most Walkman types (except iPod Shuffle).

Deaf plus blind is not a lot of fun.

Lots of the newer satellite radio receivers don't need to plug into anything. They simply rebroadcast on low-power FM. Simply tune your FM receiver to the right channel, and your current sound system (car or home) will play it.

Table top digital radioYou mean I can use my current rad
You mean I can use my current radio, and just set the dial to a different number? How cool would that be!

Not to mention saving several hundred $$$.

Yeah, TK - many of the newer crop of satellite radios incorporate built-in tuneable FM transmitters. enabling any FM radio to reproduce their signal. Depending on listening room layout, you may or may not need an inexpensive antenna extension cable (the antenna - which is pretty small - needs a good view of the Southern sky). There is a wealth of content on Satellite, and since overall absolute audio quality is not a major factor, I think satellite radio could be your best bet.

I recommend the Delphi Roady XT; it is the smallest, lightest XM receiver available, the basic unit can be had for under US $50, the accessory Home Kit is also available for under US $50 (but you can get away without it - mebbe) its FM output can be set to any FM frequency so nearby station interference is no problem, it has a very bright, crisp, legible display, it has lotsa user convenience features (really worth reading the short, clear manual that comes with it), and its audio quality is among the best of class for satellite radio. I have 2 of 'em, and I'm very satisfied.

Now, about that home kit ... what it amounts to is a tabletop docking cradle, an antenna, a remote control (pretty handy), and a wall-plug power supply. In your case, its prolly worth the extra bucks. Personally, I don't have one; 12-Volt power is no problem here (I have all sortsa converters and transformers, and the unit draws very little power - a cheap 110/12V cigar-lighter-socket converter would work fine), and I've just checked to make sure and I found the unit works fine in its FM mode when set on a windowsill several feet from my A/V rig, with its antenna run out through a window (the antenna lead is about 18' long, and the cable is very thin - the window can be closed over it without problem). The only thing I give up is remote control, and I even found a way around that, using a programmable remote control (though it is a pretty pricey, sophisticated remote - I don't recommend you go that way, I just happened already to have it).

There also are a couple dedicated, self-contained tabletop/boombox mounts available - dunno why you'd wanna go that way though, since you've already got a decent tabletop radio the basic unit can transmit to, and it doesn't seem taking it to the beach is on your "Gotta Do" list. Anyhow, for under a hundred bucks, plus the subscription cost ($12.95/mo, I think there's a break if you take an annual subscription), you should get everything you need to accomplish what you're after - far less cost, far more variety than HD Radio, even given the subscription cost, at least over a period of a few years, given the cost of the current crop of HDR-capable tabletop radios.