Customers are delighted by the Tabletop FM/HD Radio's excellent sound quality, ease of use, and good reception. Many appreciate its compact size and the inclusion of HD radio. However, some users note that the battery life could be improved, and the lack of AM radio is a drawback for some. A few also mention that the volume and controls could be enhanced for better usability.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 1,159 reviews
Pros mentioned:
Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent HD radio, with external antenna connect!
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I own a Sangean HRD-14 pocket radio shared between my office and bedroom so wanted another to prevent from having to move it from room to room. The Sangean price seems to fluctuate wildly lately, so when I saw this Insignia FM HD radio was on sale it seemed perfect for my bedroom setup. Sensitivity is about the same as the Sangean using the telescoping antenna at full extension, with both radios needing to be on the window sill for solid reception in the bedroom. I prefer the radio to be on my nightstand, and the external pigtail allowed me to do so. Since the telescoping antenna is disabled when the pigtail is inserted the telescoping is able to he collapsed and stored neatly in the tabs behind the top of the radio. The external antenna connection is IMHO the best reason to purchase this radio, especially for those living in fringe reception areas where it could even be connected to a good outdoor antenna. I plan to do some experimenting myself with an antenna in the attic. This is not an option for any other HD radio even close to the Insignia's current sale price, or even at the original MSRP. The Sangean portable regretfully does not have an external antenna connection, and for solid reception must have the radio placed on the window sill for stable reception. The Insigia, by using the supplied pigtail antenna plugged into the back and dropped behind my night stand allowed solid reception of WFAE HD2 Charlotte Jazz channel with the radio placed exactly where I wanted it on the night stand. WFAE HD1, 2 are equally good reception, as well as many other FM HD channels in and around Charlotte. The radio is simple to operate and program the presets, and sounds very good even through the built in speakers (yes, it is stereo too), I will use mainly with an external headphone amp and "cans", but didn't expect it to sound as respectable as it does through its internal speakers, so will use it just on its own as well as with headphones. I find the styling is unique, looks cool, and of good design that has a wider base than i expected to keep the radio very stable. The Insignia HD radio is much better than I expected from a $60 HD radio, and at close to half that on the current sale! Very good build quality, although I would have liked to see the battery compartment in a 2x2 side by side configuration, but now im just nit-picking : p This is an excellent tabletop FM and FM HD radio (no AM, not an issue for me) that has so far exceeded my expectations in every way. Get one on sale now while you can...not many choices out there for portable or tabletop HD radios being manufactured with many modela apparently becoming discontinued. I hope this one isn't destined for that fate as well. Great job Insignia, thank you for a product that has exceeded my expectations in nust about every way I can think of!
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from InsigniaCustomerSupport
Posted .
Hi,
Thanks for sharing a comment about your AM/FM radio. We are so happy to read that you are enjoying your radio. Thanks for being part of the Insignia family and remember that if you have any concerns, you can reach us by clicking the link below.
https://www.insigniaproducts.com/contact-us
Marcos O. - | Insignia Support |
Pros mentioned:
Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Secret Radio Stations
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Posted . Owned for 4 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This radio opens up a hidden world of music, talk and news. Easily tune in to stations that others can not receive on ordinary radios. Runs on batteries or included AC plug. The included external antenna allows for bringing in distant stations. The 2-speakers allow for great sound.
See more at about this radio at https://youtu.be/YSOThea6aDI
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Sound quality
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
small HD radio
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
radio sounds good - tuning is ok not great- overall decent HD option - not many choices.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Great portable radio
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Great little portable radio for outdoor patio or boat dock
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Hd radio, Sound quality
Cons mentioned:
Am radio, Battery life
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Decent battery-powered emergency radio
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Posted . Owned for 3 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Picked this up to use as an emergency radio, and if the power goes out and I need some tunes, it will get the job done.
Pros: One of the few consumer radios that still available on the market with an HD Radio tuner built-in. How much that will matter in a 5-10 years, I don't know — HD Radio never really caught out with consumers because of the expensive licensing requirements for the technology needed to decode HD signals (which is controlled and licensed by the company that makes TiVo — really, look it up). The tuner on this model appears to be sensitive enough to pull in stations from 30 miles away, even when inside and with a few terrain blocks. Display is nice and clear, gets bright when tuning and then quickly dims after you've settled on a station. Has a preset function, but I've never used it. Runs on 4 AA batteries which are pretty widely available. Includes an AC adapter for daily use.
Cons: Runs on 4 AA batteries, which means it probably won't last more than a few hours, given everything it does. Even though it can pick up a good signal on most stations that are around 30 miles away, I'm not getting all the stations I could get compared to when I'm in the car. Radio has a pretty glossy finish, which makes it a fingerprint magnet and might scuff easily over time. Not extremely durable either. No Bluetooth, which won't matter to people who want a radio to just be a radio, but thought it's worth mentioning since Bluetooth seems to be everywhere.
Audio: Volume gets nice and loud. Quality is decent — not audiophile quality, and some cheap headphones crank offer better fidelity, but if you're someone who just wants a radio playing in the background (say, at work, or while on a remote job, or a garage or kitchen), it's plenty fine. Also good for people who listen to a lot of spoken word content like NPR or sports radio, especially when tuned to an HD station.
Features: It has an FM tuner only. There's no AM radio, but most mainstream AM radio stations (like all news or sports talk) simulcast on a secondary FM HD radio signal. Many AM stations are also starting to simulcast on traditional analog radio, so even if it's not offered in HD, you shouldn't feel like you have to go without. When tuned to most FM stations and nearly all HD stations, part of the display will provide subcarrier information, like the station's call letters, currently playing artist/song/program, etc. Radio also includes an aux jack for hooking up to a phone or MP3 player.
Durability: It's not. It's just not. Yes, it's portable, but if you take it everywhere you go (i.e., you're a contractor who likes having a radio on at different jobs), it will scratch and scuff over time. Beyond cosmetic imperfections, it should still operate just fine.
Overall, this is a great radio for people who live in an area with a good selection of FM radio stations that are transmitting HD signals, like to listen to music in the background and aren't looking for pure audiophile quality (but still want a good sounding radio, which this is), like listening to spoken word content and want a battery-backup device for emergencies or the occasional power outage. It's a great daily driver for background radio listeners, especially with the included adapter, and a good option for emergencies, too (just make sure you have a stockpile of AA batteries).
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
Radio - Regret Purchase
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This radio is not an easy one to use. Complicated.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Hd radio, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great HD Radio! All the features you could want!
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I got this radio to be able to tune into HD Radio stations in the area. It picks them up quickly, the antenna works well.
The sound quality is more than I expected from a set at this price and this size, plenty to be able to take advantage of the higher quality digital stations.
There are ports for an external antenna, headphones, and an AUX in. The power adapter is included, but can run on AA batteries.
The radio is pretty straightforward to use, there is the normal tuning buttons, volume, and then HD Tuning so it will skip until it finds a digital station. I've found sometimes this will skip one, so you may need to try manual tuning before it will pick up digital.
Memories are easy to save and use.
If you are interested in HD Radio, get this! I tried a little handheld, but this is WAY better!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Reception, Sound quality
Cons mentioned:
Controls
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Nice tabletop FM HD radio
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Sweet little radio. Good reception & easy to tune stations. Audio quality better than I expected, & I plugged it into my stereo system for even better sound with the larger speakers. My only slight negative is that the controls on the top are all similar, & it's easy to press the wrong one. Overall very good performance for the price.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from InsigniaCustomerSupport
Posted .
Hi, Thanks for sharing a comment about your FM radio. We are so happy to read that you are enjoying your radio. Thanks for being part of the Insignia family and remember that if you have any concerns, you can reach us by clicking the link below. https://www.insigniaproducts.com/contact-us Marcos O. - | Insignia Support |
Pros mentioned:
Reception, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Very nice radio
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I am impressed with this radio and even more so with the price. Most hd radio receivers are a minimum of $100 so finding this model for $40 was obviously a no brainer. The reception is good. The audio quality is great. I like that it has an aux out port that I can connect to a larger stereo system. It has a long extendable antenna and a pigtail antenna that can be plugged into the port on the back if you want to go that route. I do wish that it could receive hd am stations but I imagine that would require more tech that just isn’t possible at this time while keeping the size and price where it’s at right now. Overall I think this is an excellent purchase if you are looking for a deal on an hd radio tuner.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from InsigniaCustomerSupport
Posted .
Hi, Thanks for sharing a comment about your FM radio. We are so happy to read that you are enjoying your radio. Thanks for being part of the Insignia family and remember that if you have any concerns, you can reach us by clicking the link below. https://www.insigniaproducts.com/contact-us Marcos O. - | Insignia Support |
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A near-perfect digital HD radio
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
If you enjoy HD radio in your vehicle and accessing HD radio on your cellphone, tablet or computer isn't ideal in the places you want it, then this is the radio for you.
There is no reason to pay more than this for a 21st-century radio! It looks great, and the functions are easy to figure out - but note that there is a 1-2 second delay from pressing any button to that function working. This has the digital tuning I insist on for accuracy and ease of use. These days, who needs AM? The sound is clear, given the size of its components etc. Having two antenna options is very helpful.
Yet I have to return the unit: I live in a hilly area, and the 3 stations I favor have fuzzy sound at best and the 2 HD channels on the NPR station only work in a couple of rooms we don't use often. If I needed a radio over at the office or another locale, I would buy this one again in an instant.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from InsigniaCustomerSupport
Posted .
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed review of the Insignia Tabletop FM/HD Radio. We're glad to hear that you found it to be a near-perfect digital HD radio with great features and easy functionality. We appreciate your feedback on the sound quality and digital tuning capabilities. Thank you for considering Insignia and Best Buy, and we hope to assist you with your future electronic needs. - James | Insignia Support | https://www.bestbuy.com/site/brands/best-buy-brands/pcmcat1596746025285.c?id=pcmcat1596746025285
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Reception, Sound quality
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Portable, rich sound. Good buy.
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I purchased this Insignia tabletop HD radio to replace a Sony clock radio that I had. I just wanted clear FM music. This is very basic, no clock, no Bluetooth, no AM for those who like talk radio, but if you want rich FM sound and HD capability where available, for the price, I think it's a very good buy. Unfortunately it doesn't pick up my favorite station in HD, <50 miles away, however the same station broadcasting locally in non-HD comes in very clear. The unit has a telescoping antenna and it is also portable, can be used with batteries instead of AC. It also has an auxiliary jack to connect with other music sources.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Hd radio, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
This is a Great Little Radio
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is an awesome little radio... I wasn't sure at when I first saw it, but I purchased it, and got home to my surprise this little HD radio sound awesome.... with a powerful punch for its size.. and HD to boot... and it has an auxiliary jack to connect your ipod or other type of music player.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Reception, Size, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great Portable Radio!
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I have been interested in purchasing an HD radio for some time and have not been disappointed with this unit. It's a handy size, as I am able to move it to whatever room I am in. It would also be easy to take with you on a trip if you wanted to have FM radio along. I really like that the digital display has a symbol that shows the signal strength of each station. I also like that the radio has excellent reception. I am able to receive all of the local HD frequencies, as well as radio stations from Raleigh, NC which is about 100 miles from here. Granted I can't get the HD signal from Raleigh, but can listen to the analog signal from 2 Raleigh stations. I do wish the radio had AM, that is one disappointment to me. I also think the buttons could have been designed to have a better layout. I go to scan and hit the volume, or go to turn down the volume and change stations. Overall I really like this unit, and it has a great sound for the size of the radio.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Reception, Size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great Bathroom Radio
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I bought this small radio for my bathroom to listen to before work. I wanted to get something small and something that can also run on batteries so I could also use it in case of emergency. Its a perfect fit for me, I love the size, it picks up all my favorite radio stations and in HD. Its easy to use and to switch between my favorite stations with the preset function and the sound is pretty decent for such a small radio. I have to say I'm 100% satisfied
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Sound quality
Cons mentioned:
Controls
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Reasonably priced HD radio
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Posted . Owned for 1.5 years when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I have been interested in HD radio for a decade, but availability had been limited. I don't think most people even know about HD radio. The Insignia HD is a nice radio overall and is reasonably priced, which should help the format become more mainstream. The sound quality of this radio is decent for its small size. Unlike XM radio, you don't have to buy a subscription for HD and you can receive more stations that are not available on analog radios. It also provides Radio Data System (RDS) text information of station ID and song info. My reception of HD stations is hit or miss. Half the time I don't get good reception, but I have the same problem with analog signals. I'm disappointed this radio doesn't include AM. I regularly listen to talk radio, so this is a shortcoming, but not a deal breaker. I find the controls on the top of the radio small and hard to read without a flashlight. That's a minor issue. Overall, I like this radio and recommend it.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from InsigniaCustomerSupport
Posted .
Hi JohnM! We really appreciate you writing detailed feedback on our product. We are so glad you liked it! If there are any issues that you encounter along the way, please let us know at 1-877-467-4289.
JC | Insigina Support
Pros mentioned:
Reception, Sound quality
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Insignia Radio
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Overall decent tabletop FM radio. The reception is decent but not great. The buttons/controls are very small and not the easiest to see labels and utilize.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Reception, Size, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Insignia HD FM Radio - Quality & Value
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Posted . Owned for 7 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Size, sound, reception, and build quality are all excellent. The aux jack allows this unit to serve as a great speaker unit for playing smartphone audio. There is no treble or bass adjustment at this pricing point, of course, but the sound is much better than expected. Great product at this pricing point.
The button controls on top are small - the writing is also small - but this radio is, overall, an excellent product in a compact package.
Lack of AM band is perplexing (use smartphone and aux jack to play internet AM, SXM, MLB.com) but overall this radio was surprisingly high quality and a very good value for the price. Purchased the first as a gift for a family member. Was impressed and purchased one for myself.
Great pricing point for a radio with an HD tuner. Insignia should introduce a clock radio with this tuner.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Reception, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great simple radio
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Posted . Owned for 6 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This simple radio has been great around the house. Uses batteries for power outage. Great sound quality. Picks up the channels I would access in my car just the same and with no issue. Great buy and recommended
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Hd radio, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly decent, well worth the money.
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I live in an area where there are a few HD Radio stations, and as I enjoyed one of the stations on it (and the fidelity that HD Radio brought to the music it played) I decided to get this while it was on sale.
I've gotten this in December, and this version had the sockets for aux in as well as external FM antenna, latter of which was a nice option but something I have no use for at this time.
The radio works excellently. The tuning for HD Radio is honestly a bit of a pain, but you manage somehow, and it becomes a trivial issue once you have a preset of stations that you like. It can grab most HD Radio stations within 20 mile radius of where I am, and wouldn't be surprised if it can receive ones from further away.
Note: this is FM-only radio. It will not work with AM, HD Radio or otherwise.
So how does it sound? I don't know what would be a good comparison--it's just a desktop radio that can work with AC or batteries--but it can meet or beat the quality of 1st generation Echo Show. Given the form factor it can sound a bit flat, and the sound starts to distort when at max volume. It also loses out when it comes to bass; in some songs, the bassline can be completely wiped out. The mids and treble sounds better on it. Overall, the sound is not audiophile-quality but pleasant to leave on for background music. Auxiliary port works as expected. HD reception sounds crisp and well defined, and you can definitely hear the difference once the reception crosses over from analog to digital.
If you're looking for an FM HD Radio receiver, this is about as cheap as it will get. I'm honestly not sure what the future of HD Radio is, since it's actually proprietary (no other nations outside of US, Canada, and Mexico use HD Radio if I recall correctly) and is increasingly irrelevant in the face of Spotify and the like, but I'm enjoying the radio so far, for now.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Reception
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
HD Radio lives on
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
As a replacement for the prior model of radio, this new HD radio does what it says: It brings in FM stations as clearly as possible, and in many cases also brings in any available HD substations. The controls are simple enough and easy to figure out, without having to read the manual, and the built-in antenna is quite sufficient to pull in stations (although an external antenna is also provided). I appreciate having this around as an emergency radio in times of crisis, such as a power outage. My only issue would be with the way the batteries go into their compartment, which is not quite so well-designed to permit easy access. Beyond that one catch, this is a very good device to have for almost any purpose.