Anyone know about DAB ..

[brocklanders023]

I got a Sony DAB head unit. Great....... when you can get a signal (which is never in North Yorks :roll: ) Came with it's own aerial that stuck to the windscreen. Also picks up AM/FM through a normal aerial.
Got the one I did because it had loads of inputs/outputs on the back so I can use my ipod car system thingy without having cables on show. Don't know about USB though.

 

[brocklanders023]

Think this is my one....

http://www.pctvhifi.co.uk/infopage.asp?infID=1689

 

[Steve Kish]

Thanks experts. Plenty to consider.

We actually have three in the house (2 x Pure and a Roberts) and I'm kinda used to listening to these.

 

[Neil]

Remember that the stations cannot choose their bitrates. It all has to fit in the transmission multiplex.

Well it's true they have to fit in with the conditions and limits of the mux, but are you sure there's no commercial element of it?

As with TV, Sky and freeview and the like, it can't be unconnected that the higher-rated channels with more buying power, get more "equal" shares of the mux.

The powers that be decided that we would rather have lots in poor quality rather than a few in decent quality. Ho hum.

I don't know whether that was a deliberate decision, or simply the way it's ended up.

What I do know, though, is that anybody expecting quality audio from current DAB, are likely to be dissappointed. But then - as you say - it's more about the choice available, than the quality of the audio.

 

[drcarlos]

Don't bother at the moment as had been said before the quality is pish (worse than FM) and perhaps a bigger problem is that there is a new version coming soon that existing kit will not work with rendering it skip fodder.

Carl.

 

[Ferris]

Don't bother at the moment as had been said before the quality is pish (worse than FM) and perhaps a bigger problem is that there is a new version coming soon that existing kit will not work with rendering it skip fodder.

Carl.

what utter rubbish, I am a DAB convert, love it!

I have two in the house and a further portable that goes everywhere with me. I have a Sony unit in the car, its superb. fitted it four years ago and never had a word of complaint. I fitted a good quality ariel to the roof. go for it...

ferris

 

[legrandefromage]

look at your location - for anyone outside the LONDON area DAB is a waste of money. I find loads of DAB radios down the tip that people have simply discarded cos they're shit.

 

[Kestonian]

Legrandefromage is somewhat of an audiophile.

Let's be clear about this, DAB has precisely nothing to do with the concept of audiophile (not that I am, either...).

Some of the bitrates that some stations are broadcast with are atrocious. Even the main BBC stations don't trouble anything approaching high quality in terms of the audio.

I meant in the way of he loves things audio and seems very knowledgeable on the subject of all things audio, not that he's a cable hugging, vinyl-loving, CB wielding weirdie-beardie

Which he may well be as well, and no offence to those of that ilk .... oh gawd, I'm digging a hole here!!

 

[legrandefromage]

The biggest irony is that I worked for a company that built DAB receivers and quite a few complained that DAB broadcasts were too noisy, feet sounds, chairs creaking and so on.

I've lost all the info I had on bitrates and early DAB implementation. All that I can remember is that it was originally designed for the car (hence the early motorway hugging transmission network) and was intended as CD quality.

I'm not a fan of DAB - being blessed with the hearing of a bat, I find it flat and dull. And, woe betide you if you are slightly out on your reception! Glub glub glub....
:roll:

I believe that Radio 3 is the only station running at the full fat 192 kbps that all the other stations were also intended to run at. Much higher bit rates are possible but a quick flit through finds 128 (poor quality MP3) and lower, making DAB listening pretty poor. What really pisses me off is that BBC7 is MONO!!??? When most of the programs were recorded in stereo.

The are skid marks still visible from the u-turns and backtracking from the promises made.


Direct comparison betwixt FM and DAB finds the stereo 'width' of DAB good but FM beats it with a crisper, livelier sound.

A quick flit around the net founds:

http://www.savefm.org/

and I think I've found my new home:

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/index.htm

its all pointless anyway as internet radio will bury just about every other method...

 

[Steve Kish]

Looks like another FM one for me, then. Shame, as Chill, Jazzfm and Radio 7 are only stations I listen to.

... perhaps in another couple of years.