HD Radio Review

 

 
 

 

 

Visteon HD Pulse HDT200 Radio Review

 

Find pros, cons, along with some comments on the HD Pulse. The information is consolidated from numerous  HD Radio reviews.

Pros: Easy to use controls. A stylish radio. Signal strength is always indicated. Easy to read screen. Good fidelity, but there being only one speaker takes away from overall sound quality.

Cons: Only one speaker. While it does offer great fidelity the overall sound feels one-dimensional as there is no stereo separation

 

Features of the Pulse.

  • 6 Line Graphic Display
  • Comes with a sleep timer that is Adjustable from 10 Minutes to 60 Minutes
  • Manual and Seek Tuning Capabilities
  • 10 Memory Presets
  • Backlit LCD Display
  • Digital or Analog Clock
  • 12 or 24 Hour Mode
  • Alarm Clock with two Alarm Settings - Buzzer/Radio
  • Time Clock and Date
  • Snooze button
  • EQ, Digital Bass and Treble Settings
  • Rear Panel Connections

 

If the thought of hearing the same overplayed tunes again and again makes you want to trash-bin your run-of-the-mill radio, it may be time to go digital. Visteon's HD Pulse is one of the latest digital tabletop radios to come off the assembly line, and one of the more affordable ones. But in its efforts to drop the price, Visteon also dropped the ball in a couple of respects.

You may be asking: Why upgrade to digital? HD Radio offers several perks over analog AM/FM, namely cleaner, crisper sound and far more listening options. The latter is accomplished through multicasting, which enables stations to broadcast several audio streams on a single frequency. For instance, here in Seattle, my local National Public Radio station multicasts two additional channels, one for a second news stream and another for the BBC. Other local stations multicast specialty channels such as an all-blues station, an indie-rock stream, and a 1980s-hits channel. (To see a list of HD stations available in your area, check this station finder.)

Also, the Visteon HD Pulse HDT200 comes with but a single speaker. Sure, reviews show that the speaker offers great fidelity, but without stereo separation, the overall sound feels one-dimensional. (The company says it plans to sell a second speaker or subwoofer that you can purchase separately, but these were not available at press time.) At least you can tweak the bass and treble using the built-in EQ controls.

On the upside, the Visteon Pulse includes a handy sleep timer that will turn the radio off after 90 minutes or  less, plus dual alarms with customizable snooze (1 to 60 minutes). You also get an aux-in port for connecting an MP3 player, as well as line-out and headphone jacks. The bubble-buttoned remote is kind of ugly, but since its controls mimic those on the unit, you can accomplish just about anything from a horizontal position.

All in all, our review indicates the Pulse makes an adequate vehicle for digital radio, though you may get frustrated with some of its shortcomings.

from www.pcworld.com

 

 

 
 

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