Insignia gives portable HD radio second chance
Best Buy's house brand, Insignia, announces their second generation portable HD radio tuner, the NS-HD02. The new model introduces a touch screen, live pause, bookmarking, and improved graphics.
Last year, Best Buy's Insignia brand made a minor splash by introducing the first portable HD radio player, priced to fly out the door at $49.
For the second-generation of the player (
The updated player will hit shelves October 24, packaged with a pair of earbuds, a charging cable, and an armband. Unfortunately, the iPod-ification of the NS-HD02 has raised the retail price to $69, which seems flat-out ridiculous for a portable radio. The device doesn't offer MP3 playback, photos, video, voice recording, or any of the conveniences we'd expect from a portable media player. The meager 8-hour battery life doesn't help things, either.
If you can get by with a standard FM radio, you'd be a fool not to buy a Sansa Fuze+ or Clip+ for the same amount or less.
That said, if you're an HD radio nut looking for an advanced portable player you can use at the gym or plug into your car's aux input, the NS-HD02 is one of the few options out there.
