DAB vs FM

[Humphrey]

The current BBC6 web-broadcast quality is pretty good, and compares well to the old FM. The former uses AAC (advanced audio codec) at a variable bit rate which can go above 200 kbps (at 44 kHz). Up until a few years ago, however, the quality was awful - 64 kbps and even lower. FM is/was equivalent to 192 kbps (I think I read somewhere), which is of course "lossy". I recently discovered to my surprise that some audiophiles regard cds as "lossy" and prefer vinyl ! I'm not sure my 50-year-old, rock-battered ears could tell the difference between 192kbps and a CD, ha ha ....

--- In peel@yahoogroups.com, "Stuart" <stuartb@...> wrote:
>
> There's no excuse for less dynamic range on DAB after all we were always
> told the compression on FM was to avoid the hiss taking over in poor signal
> areas during quiet passages. DAB and other digital sources should be using
> the full dynamic range that we all seem to be supposed to cope with on CD
> and DVD audio. And many internet radio stations are now in far better SQ
> than DAB due to not using dynamic range compression. And while Radio 1 does
> have the "excuse" it broadcasts on FM and so some studio-stage compression
> takes place, 6music only broadcasts digitally so should use CD style
> uncompressed  (dynamic range wise)
> 
>  
> 
> The bit rate is another matter.. Radio 3 does get the full 192kbps and R1
> 160kbps but 128kbps is rather poor for a serious music station.
> 
>  
> 
> Incidentally I find the current FM Radio 1 quality some way below the best
> of my early 1980s Peel show mixtapes...
> 
>  
> 
> Stuart
> 
>  
> 
>   _____  
> 
> From: peel@yahoogroups.com [mailto:peel@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
> lollygagger
> Sent: 04 June 2012 15:56
> To: peel@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [peel] DAB vs FM
> 
>  
> 
>   
> 
> Hi All
> 
>  
> 
> I don't pipe up much...having been seemingly spoilt with Radio 1's FM
> quality for Peel's shows then found I had to search out radio shows for
> tracks that Peel would have likely played i.e. Giles Peterson then Hew
> Stephens (more white boys with guitars) and Rob Da Banks low key left of
> centre of music...and some internet listening from dadelionradio
> 
>  
> 
> When Giles left Radio 1 to DAB Radio 6 128kbs...what a come down in sound
> quality where have the dynamics gone! On the plus side I have discovered
> that Tom Ravenscroft does appear to have weekly slot on Radio 6...yeh I am a
> bit slow to pick up on these things.
> 
>  
> 
> What a shame though Radio 1 gets FM to play mainly regurgitated X factor
> music. Music lovers with a variety of tastes, who do notice the difference,
> get low fi 128kbs...grrrr.... just my gripe.
> 
>  
> 
> Gordon
>