wrote in message
oups.com...

[snip]

Here in Los Angeles, we've implemented HD Radio on AM 1110, Radio
Disney - a children's formatted music station. I would describe the
aural result as "startling" - 14 kHz stereo, very low noise, no
obviously noticable artifacts, no multi-path in an automotive
environment - in short, it's *very* hard to believe you're hearing an
AM station.

Compare this to a *typical* AM receiver (not necessarily a Drake R8B or
Eton E1/XM) with a mono 3.5 kHz response and loud buzzes evey time you
drive under a power line, and you can see the attractivness to the
Broadcasting community. "Here, finally is a way to compete with new
technologies" [programming issues aside!].


[snip]

Yes, but as you suggest, higher priced analog -- or older, as in
boatanchor -- radio technology outperforms the newer analog radios. But
people seem more interested in a radio's price rather than quality. Sharper
skirted filters, low distortion detectors and real noise limiters could now
be mainstreamed into current radios, if people were willing to pay a little
extra.

And things might have changed, but most people don't seem to have even half
an audiophiles interest in good sound. FM took a generation to catch up
with AM. AM stereo faded away. People are moving from CD quality to MP3
quality.

Good enough is plenty good as long as it's cheaper and more convienient.

Frank Dresser