Looks like IBOC DAB like HD Radio has, at best, an audio codec rate of 96 kb/s. A CD has 2 x 16 bits x 44,100 samples per second = 1,411,200 b/s of audio data

Looks like IBOC DAB like HD Radio has, at best, an audio codec rate of 96 kb/s. A CD has 2 x 16 bits x 44,100 samples per second = 1,411,200 b/s of audio data (doesn't include FEC). Seems to me that even with the best codec there's going to be loss going from 1,411 kb/s to 96 kb/s. So, HD Radio cannot achieve CD quality. The analog "Accuphase" T-101 FM tuner gives 70 dB SNR, guaranteed. http://www.accuphase.com/cat/e-202en.pdf http://www.accuphase.com/cat/e-202en.pdf That's equivalent to about 12 bits dynamic range, so already we see that analog FM is not as good as CD. If we take also the fact that the highest frequency is 15 kHz on analog FM, let's set the sample rate at (wave hands) 32 k sample/sec; so the 'equivalent' best-case uncompressed digital rate that's equivalent to the best analog FM is 2 x 32000 x 12 bit/sample = 768 kb/s. Given that when you add in that stereo pilot at 19 kHz and then do the L-R and L+R de-muxing thing in analog, you lose more dBs in SNR, wave hands and say the 'true' non-compressed equivalent of analog FM is around 500 kb/s. AAC gets 50% +/- 10% compression, so we're down to 250 kb/s. So, it's hard to see how HD Radio can claim it is 'as good as' old-fashioned analog FM.