Reader Gets His Cambridge Soundworks Radio 720 with Disabled HD

Thanks, Andrew:

Just received my Cambridge Soundworks Radio 720 that I got for 99.00 and she's a beauty! I do see a faint orange HD)symbol (not lit up)in the display. I bet they did indeed take the case and or the guts of the discontinued 820HD and make it a 720, and disabled the HD functionality in the firmware. 

It does display the FCC call letters of the station incorrectly. For instance, I am listening to B101, which is WWBB 101.5 The 720 displays it as KFQH and not WWBB. Possibly the KFQH is a hanger on from the disabled HD functionality? Does the FCC assign different call letters for a radio station's HD?

Editor's Note: Andrew, please tell us about the AM and FM reception. 

Comments

[Tom Welch]

Disabling the HD functionality in the firmware saved engineering and production costs on an otherwise fine radio.

I'm sure that there's a lot of common parts across Sangean's PR-D* series and pocket radios than most of us realize, cause that's the way you make $$$.

But how's this new radio???

[Mike]

From what I have heard the radio is the same as the 820HD except it actually doesn't have the HD radio module. It is not just a disabling of firmware. I think the real story is how it sounds (from past experience with 820HD I can say really good)and the sweet $99 price point.

[Ron B]

I own both the 820HD and the 720 radios. They both sound the same. Not many stations are available in HD as it just hasn't seemed to catch. Also digital does not seem to be as easily received as the analoque signal. There is one station in my area that broadcast in HD and the signal seems to be very week. However at times when it does kick in, the sound is more like CD quality. No hiss or other noise can be heard. I already had the 820HD plus several Cambridge offerings and when I saw that the 720 was available at such a good price I jumped on it. These radios make great amp speaker systems for other things such as satellite receiver or CD players. They sound really good when hooked up to a tv. I own a Sony Dash and I hooked it up to the 720 and what a sound it did make. Although this radio and the 820HD do not have a sub woofer, the bass is amazing. The radio emits clear and undistorted sound. A great bargan...
One added feature on the 720 is the stations and clock do not get lost when you unplug the radio. One the 820HD it did loose the information. The radio does not have a battery backup either. It just remembers the time and stations without a battery.
Ron B