Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I used to have free XM subscription, and I wasn't impressed with the sound quality
(not trying to flame XM, I understand XM is all about quantity of programs).
Then I read that HD Radio uses 96kbps compression, compare to 48kbps of XM.
I got the KTC-HR200 connected to DDX812 through the "5L" connector.
Sound quality is amazing, it is indeed near CD quality.
I get more bass and clearer treble. I can honestly say it is better than XM,
and it's waayyy better than analog FM, no more hiss and noise.
Unlike RDS where the text scrolls, KTC-HR200 and DDX812 displays title/artist/station-name constantly, it doesn't scroll.
Some stations carry more than 1 HD broadcasts, so there are more programs to listen to.
The negatives:
- I've had KTC-HR200 for 3 weeks now, and twice I got the memory presets lost issue
others reported. So it's NOT everytime I turned off/on the car.
- KTC-HR200 is huge! Dimension is (W/H/D): 6 1/2, 1 3/8, 4 5/16 inch.
Think of where you want to install it before you buy.
- The module gets hot even when the head unit plays something else (CD for example). How hot does it get? Adult can probably stand it, but I wouldn't want my 3 years old kid to touch it.
- The installation manual says "Do not install the unit near the dashboard, the rear deck, or other important components." I wonder if it's related to the "hot" issue above. It recommends you to install it on the carpet.
- It doesn't support iTune tagging.
- It takes about 4 to 6 second before it can lock onto the HD broadcast. During this time, you'll hear analog version of the broadcast. I'm not sure if this is HR200 issue or if it's a characteristic of every HD Radio receiver.
- If reception is bad, it fails to lock onto the HD broadcast. Or it may switch back and forth between analog FM and HD.
The improvement in sound quality far outweighs the negatives.
Especially if you listen a lot to classical or jazz programs,
you'll enjoy it much much more.
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