satellite sound quality?

Posted by: nap-ster on 03 October 2005

Just a thought as one does when one is sat in fron of the box listening to a music programme............

What is the audio quality of a broadcast? Does it vary? Can you compare it to a bits per second or such like?
Posted on: 03 October 2005 by Nime
Like all things it depends on the box you use.

I find most of the radio channels on my Nokia 9800 (digital) slightly tiring. So I rarely listen. Though it is channel sensitive to a degree. There are occasional pleasant surprises. But I don't make a habit of listening to satellite radio.
Posted on: 03 October 2005 by niceguy235uk
Compared to DAB, satellite radio 'apparently' broadcasts at a higher bit rate so should sound a lot better.

As for normal viewing channels including the MTV's etc, the sound varies an awful lot on my Panasonic box depending on the channel.
Posted on: 03 October 2005 by Guido Fawkes
I have Nokia freeview box and am not impressed with the radio sound quality - much prefer the Pure DAB tuner.
Posted on: 03 October 2005 by niceguy235uk
quote:
much prefer the Pure DAB tuner.


What DAB tuner are you using?

Sorry just read your post properly Big Grin
Posted on: 03 October 2005 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by niceguy235uk:
quote:
much prefer the Pure DAB tuner.


What DAB tuner are you using?

Sorry just read your post properly Big Grin


Pure DAB 701ES
Posted on: 03 October 2005 by niceguy235uk
i have read loads of reviews on this tuner but many people are still not convinced by the quality of sound.

What are your thoughts on it ROTF??

I have heard it and thought it sounded good but then i didnt listen to it in my own system.
Posted on: 04 October 2005 by Nime
The better the system the more transparent it will be to the object at the front. Why should a cheap, chip-filled box provide the same sound quality as a multi-thousand pound TT or CDP?
Posted on: 05 October 2005 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by niceguy235uk:
i have read loads of reviews on this tuner but many people are still not convinced by the quality of sound.

What are your thoughts on it ROTF??

I have heard it and thought it sounded good but then i didnt listen to it in my own system.


Hi niceguy235uk

I use it to listen to Radio 7 quite a lot and I like it a lot. I can record on to my Yamaha HD/CD recorder very easily too - so if I want to hear a programme then I can do so when I want to.

When I first had the Pure DAB, I used it through Croft amps and for a short while through a Pioneer A400 and noticed with both that the bass was uncontrolled and rather unpleasent. However, when I replaced the amps with a naim nait 5i, the problem went a way as if by magic - so there seems to be some synergy there.

Also found Pure to be a very helpful company - my first Pure DAB stopped working - I returned it through my dealer to Pure who sent a latest spec replacement model by return.

I do have an external aerial for DAB - so this may be a factor.

I still prefer FM for Radio 3/4 though.
Posted on: 05 October 2005 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by Nime:
The better the system the more transparent it will be to the object at the front. Why should a cheap, chip-filled box provide the same sound quality as a multi-thousand pound TT or CDP?


It doesn't - my CDP and TT sound much better, but I can't get Radio 5 or 7 on them.
Posted on: 05 October 2005 by Nime
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:

It doesn't - my CDP and TT sound much better, but I can't get Radio 5 or 7 on them.


You must be using the wrong cables. Smile
Posted on: 06 October 2005 by pingu
quote:
Originally posted by nap-ster:
Just a thought as one does when one is sat in fron of the box listening to a music programme............

What is the audio quality of a broadcast? Does it vary? Can you compare it to a bits per
second or such like?


According to my DAC, the signal from a Sky+ box is 48K PCM - ie the same sample frequency as Digital Audio tape. I don't know how many bits you get at a sample rate of 48000 samples per second mind.

Radio 3 Late Junction sounds ok to me though, but its not a NAT01.
Posted on: 06 October 2005 by pingu
Here are the alleged bit rates:

http://radiovibrations.com/bitrates.htm