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Topic: Insignia (Best Buy) NS-HDRAD FM/HD Radio (Read 5837 times) previous topic - next topic
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Insignia (Best Buy) NS-HDRAD FM/HD Radio

Not a new product but it's new to me:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-hd-ra...d=1218505477073

Long story short: It's delivering clear stereo reception (via HDR) of a station I had pretty much given up as a lost cause, at least in the evening when reception is best. No clock/alarm/sleep functions or remote, but it has 3.5 mm i/o jacks and retains it's presets without power. Built-in speakers are okay for what they are (sounds like some buzzy distortion even at low volumes); much higher fidelity via the headphone output jack though they're powered via the same amplifier.

Disassembly is easy: Just remove 4 philips-head screws, and the front and rear case halves can be pried apart using a plastic spudger. Not that there's much to see inside: Nothing that I recognized as hand-tuned circuits or a ceramic IF filter anyhow. It does have a hidden 4-pin USB header used for diagnostic purposes, but you don't have to open the housing to access that.

At it's current $51.99 price, I have no real complaints.

Insignia (Best Buy) NS-HDRAD FM/HD Radio

Reply #1 –
Quote from: 4season on
Not that there's much to see inside: Nothing that I recognized as hand-tuned circuits or a ceramic IF filter anyhow.


Modern FM tuners have dispensed with all of that.  They have a simple coil or two, a dozen or so bypass capacitors, maybe a setup potentiometer, and a do-it-all chip.

The do-it-all chip moves the signal into the digital domain with as little other analog circuitry (a mixer, a digitally controlled local oscillator, and some amplification) as possible. The functions of the IF strip and Stereo/HD decoder are performed in the digital domain.  The simpler chips that do just classic stereo FM might cost a $buck or so, and there is one packed inside tiny little gizmos such as the Sanasa clip. 

Their performance under good conditions is in the same league as classic high end stereo receivers such as the Marantz 10B and the McIntosh MR78.  They often don't seem that way for lack of a good antenna.


Insignia (Best Buy) NS-HDRAD FM/HD Radio

Reply #3 –
Quote from: ajinfla on
A rather infuriating feature of my Sony XDR-F1HD


I had gotten to where I could practically reset the XDR-F1HD's clock time and lower the screen brightness by feel. Part of me is sorry I sold it, but I think I more than doubled my money in resale, so I'm not that sorry.

Insignia (Best Buy) NS-HDRAD FM/HD Radio

Reply #4 –
Quote from: 4season on
Not a new product but it's new to me:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-hd-ra...d=1218505477073

Long story short: It's delivering clear stereo reception (via HDR) of a station I had pretty much given up as a lost cause, at least in the evening when reception is best. No clock/alarm/sleep functions or remote, but it has 3.5 mm i/o jacks and retains it's presets without power. Built-in speakers are okay for what they are (sounds like some buzzy distortion even at low volumes); much higher fidelity via the headphone output jack though they're powered via the same amplifier.

Disassembly is easy: Just remove 4 philips-head screws, and the front and rear case halves can be pried apart using a plastic spudger. Not that there's much to see inside: Nothing that I recognized as hand-tuned circuits or a ceramic IF filter anyhow. It does have a hidden 4-pin USB header used for diagnostic purposes, but you don't have to open the housing to access that.

At it's current $51.99 price, I have no real complaints.


Does it have a jack for an external battery or other power source, and does it have a headphone jack?

Insignia (Best Buy) NS-HDRAD FM/HD Radio

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
Does it have a jack for an external battery or other power source, and does it have a headphone jack?


Yes and yes: 3.5 mm jacks for external antenna and line input, and another 3.5 mm jack for headphones. FWIW, it appears that the headphone jack is capacitor coupled to the amplifier outputs via a pair of 220 microfarad electrolytics.

For reasons unknown, external DC input is spec'd as 5.9V. A lightweight SMPS wall wart is included.

Insignia (Best Buy) NS-HDRAD FM/HD Radio

Reply #6 –
Quote from: 4season on
FWIW, it appears that the headphone jack is capacitor coupled to the amplifier outputs via a pair of 220 microfarad electrolytics.

FYI that's 7.2 ohms at 100 Hz (in series with the impedance of the amplifier).

Insignia (Best Buy) NS-HDRAD FM/HD Radio

Reply #7 –
Quote from: 4season on
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
Does it have a jack for an external battery or other power source, and does it have a headphone jack?


Yes and yes: 3.5 mm jacks for external antenna and line input, and another 3.5 mm jack for headphones. FWIW, it appears that the headphone jack is capacitor coupled to the amplifier outputs via a pair of 220 microfarad electrolytics.

For reasons unknown, external DC input is spec'd as 5.9V. A lightweight SMPS wall wart is included.



Any idea what the current drain is?

Its a bit bulky for a portable radio, but it seems to have potential.

Insignia (Best Buy) NS-HDRAD FM/HD Radio

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
Any idea what the current drain is?


I measured:

0.14 mA "Off"
~100 mA On, but no signal
~200 mA Moderate volume in a quiet room
And peaks of 500 mA and beyond at brisk but heavily distorted levels

Insignia (Best Buy) NS-HDRAD FM/HD Radio

Reply #9 –
Quote from: 4season on
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
Any idea what the current drain is?


I measured:

0.14 mA "Off"
~100 mA On, but no signal
~200 mA Moderate volume in a quiet room
And peaks of 500 mA and beyond at brisk but heavily distorted levels



Hungry little baby, eh? ;-)

Still perhaps possible for long term battery operation using the larger lithium or lead-acid packs that are available for recharging smaller battery-powered devices.