HD radio sound quality intentionally bad in non-HD???

Mathew Kirsch · February 28, 2020

My 2015 Silverado 1500 LT is in the shop with a pushrod failure, so my Dad kindly loaned me his 2015 2500HD Z71 to drive.

His truck has the HD radio. Mine doesn't.

So as I started home I changed the FM station to one that I would normally receive clear as a bell in my 1500. On the HD radio, it sounded like garbage! Mono, static, weak. Once I got up on the hill, the HD kept kicking in and out. When HD was working, it was clear as a bell. When HD would kick out, it was back to poor quality audio.

Even close to the city, the sound quality in non-HD is poor. My 1500 with its non-HD radio has no issues picking up a solid stereo signal.

I disabled HD because it's annoying to have the audio changing every few seconds as it picks up and loses the HD signal. Also distracting as the display flashes each time it switches modes. It's like listening to an old AM radio.

So is audio quality intentionally bad if you aren't receiving an HD signal?

JimCost2014 · February 28, 2020

No, personally I think the HD version is just so much better, normal FM sounds like what you are hearing.

Even with a strong signal, there is really no comparison in sound quality between the two.

We have a ton of HD stations in the Seattle area, and could not imagine not having an HD radio to listen too.

Pearl2017 · February 29, 2020

Unlike an FM station that broadcasts an uncompressed audio signal (music) over a frequency modulated carrier. HD is a highly compressed proprietary digital transmission scheme and as such any interruption of the signal degrades the audio rapidly as the decompression algorithms struggle to reconstruct audio from missing data. Most people mistakenly believe HD is higher standard audio but it is not. It was created to be able to squeeze more stations into the available broadcast frequency range and make more money for the broadcasters. HD costs a lot to license and was really slow to implement and amost went bankrupt many years ago. All things being equal FM and HD can both sound good. Any perception that HD is a lot better than FM is more likely due to poor FM tuner in the receiver or a far away station or FCC mandated broadcast power constraints. Where i live just a couple FM stations sound good and the HD's are talk radio with odd chirps and buzzing sounds randomly mixed in. Unfortunately due to the OEM radio also controlling the other vehicle functions you cannot just go buy a replacement radio of audiophile quality like the old days.

flyingfool · March 2, 2020

I'm thinking about making a redesigned antenna, I figure if I double the length this should improve signal dramatically

Mathew Kirsch · March 2, 2020

Both trucks have the same antenna.

Driving the same roads at the same times of day listening to the same stations, the sound quality of the NON-HD radio is noticeably better, UNLESS the HD radio is picking up an HD signal. Then I would say they are about the same. Unfortunately out in the sticks, solid HD signals are far and few between.

Edited March 2, 2020 by Mathew Kirsch