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FM Radio as a Hi Fi Source

I find BBC Radio 3 on Freesat (TV digital out via external DAC) remarkably good. In direct comparison with FM transmissions via my Quad FM4 tuner using live Prom broadcasts, the Freesat signal has greater dynamic range. Also, you can hear the dynamic compression (Optimod) 'pumping' on FM. Having said that, live FM sems to have more 'presence' somehow, at least to my ears.
 
reilly.martin2 said:
I hadn't appreciated that compression on DAB was the culprit for its poor sound I had been aware of he issue of compression on FM-and must agree that the current offering doesn't offer better than FM so why waste money on providing an inferior service. My daughter listens to radio 1 and that is really poor. I don't find radio 2 too bad and as referred to by others Classic FM better if you are prepared to put up with the ads.
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DAB using the obsolete MP2 codec and a far too low bit rate is the main problem
 
I use DAB and FM on a superuniti... i prefer the FM always. A good Ariel is a must.. will be a shame if it ever goes off completely
regards
K
 
We ordered a B&O DAB radio 14 speaker option when we bought our car & it works well. enough.

At the moment I am listening to my Leak Troughline stereo With TdP stereo decoder. Tidied up & realigned yesterday by Mark the Ming. No hiss & sounds so much better than any DAB set up I have heard so far.
 
You lucky guys - I live on the very edge of the local transmitter coverage. FM is OK but noisy, DAB subject to break up from time to time (it's better now than when I first moved in 12 years ago. At that time both FM and DAB were virtually unlistenable)
The only way for me is internet radio. As Mike-B suggests, BBC3 via internet is pretty good quality but most stations are pretty dire ! What's a pity is that now we're digital the BBC TV/Radio simultaneous broadcasts are gone. PROMS much less enjoyable when you can't see the musicians !
 
Mike-B said:
As of 2014 they are all supposed to be supplying cars with DAB
Another reg is that DAB is supposed to be DAB+ & DRM enabled to give cars the ability to travel around all of European on digital radio services
I've not checked both these reg requirements across all car makes, but those I have looked into when looking around for a new car are fully compliant. Problem with car DAB is it is woefully short of coverage when transiting cell to cell - my regular journey from south Oxford into the Bucks/Chilterns area is hopeless - hence I just don't use DAB even tho I have it.
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I was quite surprised to find that my Autodab unit has DAB+ reception after a trip to Ireland last year where they are doubling up on broadcasts - 1 DAB and 1 DAB+ for a lot of the stations. You can hear the DAB+ decoding kicking in when you switch stations as the HF arrives slightly later than the LF. Not that the quality is any better over there from DAB+ as they're just squeezing more stations into less bandwidth.

I think with in car DAB it's all in the quality of the aerial. I've done a fair bit of driving around the country and I *VERY* rarely get dropouts. The only places I've noticed slight blackspots are in deepest darkest Dorset and a small stretch of the M5 around south Worcestershire. Neither drop out for very long though.
 
JADISMAN said:
I find BBC Radio 3 on Freesat (TV digital out via external DAC) remarkably good. In direct comparison with FM transmissions via my Quad FM4 tuner using live Prom broadcasts, the Freesat signal has greater dynamic range. Also, you can hear the dynamic compression (Optimod) 'pumping' on FM. Having said that, live FM sems to have more 'presence' somehow, at least to my ears.
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That seems to be a concensus
 
chrisletts said:
You lucky guys - I live on the very edge of the local transmitter coverage. FM is OK but noisy, DAB subject to break up from time to time (it's better now than when I first moved in 12 years ago. At that time both FM and DAB were virtually unlistenable)
The only way for me is internet radio. As Mike-B suggests, BBC3 via internet is pretty good quality but most stations are pretty dire ! What's a pity is that now we're digital the BBC TV/Radio simultaneous broadcasts are gone. PROMS much less enjoyable when you can't see the musicians !
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Don't think I could cope with a poor signal area and
hadn't realised that issue about the simultaneous broadcasts no longer taking place.

Had wanted to ask about the Magnum Dynalab super sleuth which is advertised as assisting with drawing in stronger signals. Anyone know what it does and how?
 
chrisletts said:
What's a pity is that now we're digital the BBC TV/Radio simultaneous broadcasts are gone. PROMS much less enjoyable when you can't see the musicians !
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I'm not sure i follow this. There were quite a few broadcasts of proms last year. The BBC website claims more than ever
http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/whats-on/2013/categories/proms-on-tv

Do you perhaps not have BBC4?
Or do you mean that the radio stream is not in synch with the tv?

edit- now i come to think of it, quite of few of these weren't broadcast live, but some were i'm pretty sure.
 
I think with in car DAB it's all in the quality of the aerial. I've done a fair bit of driving around the country and I *VERY* rarely get dropouts. The only places I've noticed slight blackspots are in deepest darkest Dorset and a small stretch of the M5 around south Worcestershire. Neither drop out for very long though.[/QUOTE]

I think my car uses the large rear hatch window as an aerial, strangely my daughter live's in Poole Dorset not noticed any dropouts there or around Dorset, however it happened yesterday when I visited Malvern, the hills I suppose. I used to regularly get drop out half way down Birdcage walk Westminster for about 300 yds ? when I worked in the area.
 
Next month I will move into my new flat where I will finally set up a stereo system using an Onix BWD1 FM tuner. I will be very pleased to have my system set up again, although it may be destroyed by my one and half year old toddler!

The only snag is that I now live in China near the border to Hong Kong. I can only listen to the local Chinese or Hong Kong broadcast. I certainly miss BBC Radio 2 and 4!
 
hifienthusiast said:
Next month I will move into my new flat where I will finally set up a stereo system using an Onix BWD1 FM tuner........

The only snag is that I now live in China near the border to Hong Kong. I can only listen to the local Chinese or Hong Kong broadcast. I certainly miss BBC Radio 2 and 4!
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Are the FM frequencies the same? If a flat, how are you going to get the signal; internal aerial (i.e. piece of string)?

Sounds like you're in Shenzen (or however it's spelt). My wife worked there for a while.
 
hifienthusiast said:
Next month I will move into my new flat where I will finally set up a stereo system using an Onix BWD1 FM tuner. I will be very pleased to have my system set up again, although it may be destroyed by my one and half year old toddler!

The only snag is that I now live in China near the border to Hong Kong. I can only listen to the local Chinese or Hong Kong broadcast. I certainly miss BBC Radio 2 and 4!
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I gather the Onix is a brilliant tuner-sorry you wont get the range of programming you enjoy.
 
hifienthusiast said:
Next month I will move into my new flat where I will finally set up a stereo system using an Onix BWD1 FM tuner. I will be very pleased to have my system set up again, although it may be destroyed by my one and half year old toddler!

The only snag is that I now live in China near the border to Hong Kong. I can only listen to the local Chinese or Hong Kong broadcast. I certainly miss BBC Radio 2 and 4!
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Can you get that crazy female state newsreader in Pyongyang?
 
I will move to my flat in Shenzhen next month. The flat is on the 16th floor, I will mount a FM aerial on the balcony which is southwest facing towards the Hong Kong radio transmitter.

The FM frequency is the same as UK, but I am afriad the UK trasnmitter is thousands miles away from my flat:(
 
hifienthusiast said:
I will move to my flat in Shenzhen next month. The flat is on the 16th floor, I will mount a FM aerial on the balcony which is southwest facing towards the Hong Kong radio transmitter.

The FM frequency is the same as UK, but I am afriad the UK trasnmitter is thousands miles away from my flat:(
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Given the choice between your flat in Shenzhen and my flat in Reading, even though it has a Ron Smith 'Galaxie' mounted on the roof - I'd rather be in Shenzhen.
I spent many happy Saturdays in Shenzhen when I was working in China in 2002-2004 - we usually started with Dim Sum at the Shangri-La hotel before undertaking the serious 'shopping'.

Regards

Mike Kelshaw
 
Radioistas, can I beg your advice?

Having regretted selling my Onix BWD-1 some time ago, I find myself with another. However I also sold my Magnum Dynalab aerial booster thingy, and I have no aerial fitted to my house.

What should I get to put me on for the last days of FM. Any old bit of pink wire from Maplins, or something better?
 
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