I'm a Smooth Jazz fan and in many areas, including mine, the format is now exclusively available on HD Radio. For those unfamiliar with HD radio, it's a free service that local broadcasters offer whereby they can transmit up to 3 separate programs on their assigned frequency. The only thing you need to buy is an HD receiver - there are no subscription fees. Sound quality is excellent on both AM and FM stations. I didn't want to add a clunky looking add-on unit or replace the factory unit so I found a portable HD tuner that's the size of an MP3 player at Best Buy for $50. I've had it for about a year and it works great. You can play it through the existing radio using either an FM transmitter or cassette adapter. I chose the latter for better sound quality. You can get a cassette adapter for under $10 on ebay. It plugs into the headset jack on the HD tuner.
I just installed a switch for the antenna so it doesn't have to go up unless I'm using the radio's tuner.

 

I too have HD on my new head unit, but I haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet. Sound quality still sounds like satellite (no offense to others who really love satellite service) as it's very compressed and I am a stickler for good audio quality.

Those handheld HD units are becoming popular though, as is the portable satellite units.

 

Matt, my daily came with satellite which I have never heard before and I thought I was going tone deaf. Switching back and forth to FM/satellite there is a huge sound quality issue. My system is a Bose with all the bells and whistles.

I am glad I am not the only one that thinks that. As you mentioned I have spoken with others about satellite and they think I am a nut case!

 

Rick, I suppose we have more 'refined' audio tastes. I don't do gnomes though, either literally or figuratively in my yard, so that may be our only common bond, lol, except the jag of course.

I'll stick with my 192kbps WMA files on hard drive in the car, as that's my limit for compression, until the software geeks (I say that with love) of the world can come up with better, more efficient music compression algorithms.