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Cambridge SoundWorks HD Radio 820HD HD Radio Receiver Review
It's taken a few years, but HD Radio is finally starting to take off. More than 1,200 stations in the U.S. now broadcast digital HD Radio streams, and the number of HD-compatible radios capable of receiving those digital broadcasts is slowly starting to expand. One of the latest HD Radio options for the home is the $300 Cambridge SoundWorks 820HD. As with similarly equipped units, the 820HD can receive those digital broadcasts, which offer the promise of better sound quality, no static, and digital-only stations that aren't available on analog-only radios.
Design
Unlike the 735i and 745i--which are just refreshed versions of older Cambridge models--the 820HD has an all-new chassis, a slick one at that. Available in onyx (black) or arctic white, the 820HD's gently rounded body measures out at 4.5x13.25x7.5 inches, and the 8.2-pound weight hints at the radio's solid build quality. Two stereo speakers flank the center-mounted screen and controls. We knocked the myriad buttons on the 735i/745i models, and Cambridge seems to have listened.
The control knobs and the LCD display are a big step up from earlier Cambridge models.
The 3-inch-diagonal backlit LCD screen gives plenty of feedback for the various controls and settings, and it automatically adjusts its brightness depending on the ambient light in the room, so it's bright enough to see in the day but won't blind you at night. In addition to the basics such as the station frequency, the time, the date, and the alarm indicators, the screen offers additional data when tuned to digital HD Radio stations, including signal strength, song and artist info, and station and program listings (such as the DJ's name).
Features
In addition to receiving analog and digital ("HD") AM and FM broadcasts, the Cambridge SoundWorks 820HD can double as a speaker system for your iPod or other devices. Just attach a patch cord to one of the two minijack auxiliary line inputs on the Cambridge radio (there's one on the right side and one on the rear, but they're both feeding the same single line-in jack). In addition to the headphone jack, there's an optical digital output (on the rear) that you can use to pump audio to AV receivers that are so equipped. A 2.5mm, 12-volt power output for use with "special accessories" is also present on the rear panel. Sure enough, it worked perfectly when paired with the iPod dock that's included with the 735i.
The rear panel offers jacks for audio and antenna connections.
Performance
The Cambridge 820HD is pretty much a souped-up clock radio designed for critical listeners willing to pay a premium for sound quality, design, and the still-novel HD Radio support. To that end, we focused on radio reception and sound quality during our listening sessions. With the telescoping antenna attached, FM reception was generally very good. The steel-and-concrete jungle that is Manhattan is notoriously bad for radio, but we were able to pull in all but 4 of the 28 area stations (found via Radio-locator)--and at least half of those misses were college stations. Analog AM was its usual mess of static and pops, but most of those stations came in after some fiddling with the loop antenna and adjusting the placement of the radio.
Conclusion
Sound quality nitpicks aside, after our review the real problem with the Cambridge SoundWorks Radio 820HD is the same issue that afflicts all HD Radio products: HD Radio technology hasn't yet distinguished itself as a worthwhile added value. To our ears, the HD Radio stations weren't delivering a dramatic improvement over their analog counterparts. And while we welcomed the presence of digital-only HD2 stations on the dial, many of them seemed to be noticeably compressed--more MP3 than CD. Moreover, the data streams seemed limited to artist, song, and show title info. That's nice, but nothing that can't be done with RDS info on analog stations, and many of the HD stations seem to lack the informational displays altogether. While the digital stations certainly offer static-free reception, that's only if they're within range; a distant HD station will drop in and out if it's too far away. Even more disturbing is that some nearby HD stations seem to blink out randomly--the cell phone-like signal meter drops a full six bars to zero and then shoots back up again a few seconds later, even when the radio is completely stationary. To reiterate, none of these problems are the fault of Cambridge 820HD. The same issues exist on the Polk I-Sonic, and will continue to exist for any and all HD Radio receivers until the stations decide to offer more bandwidth and better data support.
While the HD Radio issues aren't particular to the 820HD, they're certainly a factor to weigh when considering purchase--in other words, if HD Radio isn't all it's cracked up to be, why pay a premium for a radio that's got little else to offer (no CD player, no network audio streaming, no satellite radio support)? Well, if you're in the market--for a Bose, a Tivoli, a Boston Acoustics, or a Cambridge--the 820HD is a pretty great little unit. It compares favorably to identically priced models such as the Cambridge SoundWorks 735i (with an iPod dock, but no HD Radio) and the more expensive Boston Acoustics Recepter HD (HD Radio and outboard stereo speaker), and it's got better alarm functionality than the Sony XDR-S3HD. As of August 2007, Cambridge has effectively cut the price of the 820HD from $300 to $200. With that impressive markdown, the Cambridge SoundWorks 820HD becomes a much easier recommendation for anyone looking for a great tabletop radio.
from CNET.com
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