Discussion
I'm just wondering if someone can set me straight. I read a lot of audiophile types on the internet saying that FM has better SQ than DAB. For all the stations that I listen to that broadcast on both (Radio 1, Kiss, Capital and a few others I'm too embarrassed to admit), the broadcast sounds significantly better to me in DAB than FM. And that's listening through some decent audio gear.
Am I missing something?
Am I missing something?
The quality of DAB depends heavily on the bit rate.
The last time I used a dab tuner, Planet Rock was streaming at 64k which resulted in appalling quality.
On the other hand, Radio 2 and Radio 4 were streaming at 256k.
Also - the version of DAB we adopted here in the UK is out of date, and far better quality can be had from DAB+ which we don't have!
Far better quality can usually be had from internet radio stations.
FM quality will depend heavily on the quality of your FM tuner. A cheap tuner is unlikely to sound better than DAB.
The last time I used a dab tuner, Planet Rock was streaming at 64k which resulted in appalling quality.
On the other hand, Radio 2 and Radio 4 were streaming at 256k.
Also - the version of DAB we adopted here in the UK is out of date, and far better quality can be had from DAB+ which we don't have!
Far better quality can usually be had from internet radio stations.
FM quality will depend heavily on the quality of your FM tuner. A cheap tuner is unlikely to sound better than DAB.
Back in the dim and distant past (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002), the BBC was virtually alone in DAB broadcasting, and the sound was superb on my Arcam Alpha 10 DAB. Since then, the emphasis has been on quantity rather than quality, with many stations sharing the same "bandwidth", resulting in a quality reduction. There was nothing wrong with DAB, when the bitrates were sufficiently high (256kb).
From being "in the studio" with the band / presenters, it's now more like listening to a transistor radio on a beach.....
That's progress for you.
From being "in the studio" with the band / presenters, it's now more like listening to a transistor radio on a beach.....
That's progress for you.
Edited by dobly on Sunday 15th December 22:03
AW10 said:
Just discovered that Planet Rock's DAB broadcast is at 80 kbs in **mono**.
The lower it is the cheaper it is to broadcast. The benefits of upping the quality presumably do not outweigh the cost.Most stations deliberately ruin their output at source though, making the distribution mechanism somewhat moot.
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