DAB sounds BAD!

NISFAN · 02-09-2013, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F30AM

You are 100% my man! Digital sound can never reproduce the emotion one gets from vinyl. Very close with a very, very expensive CD player, but never quite there. Great dynamics and no clicks and pops.

It will be a very sad day when they switch off FM. My tears will cause the Thames Barrier to activate.

Agree with the talk on Digital, one thing not to be confused about though, FM is analogue, but the music played is from a digital source. Only the transmission medium is analogue, so the same compression issues affect FM stations. It is all down to the bit rates and compression techniques used at source.

FM of course adds another dimension, bleed from other frequencies that distort the sound. Some mistake this for a feeling of warmth.

Digital is the future, the DAB broadcast will only get better.....

F30AM · 02-09-2013, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NISFAN

Agree with the talk on Digital, one thing not to be confused about though, FM is analogue, but the music played is from a digital source. Only the transmission medium is analogue, so the same compression issues affect FM stations. It is all down to the bit rates and compression techniques used at source.

FM of course adds another dimension, bleed from other frequencies that distort the sound. Some mistake this for a feeling of warmth.

Digital is the future, the DAB broadcast will only get better.....

True and hope so, or I'll kill myself.

sunscreemer · 02-10-2013, 05:41 AM

I had the DAB on my options list but the dealer advised it would be standard on my build anyway, but that the list price for the car was going up a similar amount.

I like to listen to Talk Sport which is horrendous on AM so really DAB is for choice and versus AM rather than simply versus FM in my rationale. Interesting to hear about compression though, as far as i'm aware radio signals broadcast on FM are actually compressed first anyway before they are transmit (the frequency range is narrowed) whereas this process does not occur for DAB transmissions. And as an earlier post mentioned it's digitally stored music that's being transmitted anyway, so really in this format DAB should be better.

Chris Peacock · 02-10-2013, 07:22 AM

DAB offers more listening variety and when driving up to a 1000 miles in a week this is its value to me, glad it's been made standard for my car build.

Sladester100 · 02-10-2013, 09:19 AM

Mine sounds brilliant... Just saying ;-)

F30AM · 02-10-2013, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sladester100

Mine sounds brilliant... Just saying ;-)

I'll have my lug holes tested at work tomorrow and re-listen.

DieselRocket · 02-10-2013, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F30AM

You are 100% my man! Digital sound can never reproduce the emotion one gets from vinyl. Very close with a very, very expensive CD player, but never quite there. Great dynamics and no clicks and pops.

It will be a very sad day when they switch off FM. My tears will cause the Thames Barrier to activate.

Fantastic to find another real music lover on here! I agree with CD not quite being there. I spent most of the last 10 years trying to get music out of my quite large CD collection but my head wouldn't stop playing the sound of vinyl to me in the background! I've spent far too much money over the years, but got pretty much the sound I want and music warms my ears for at least a couple of hours a day .. :-)

DieselRocket · 02-10-2013, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunscreemer

I had the DAB on my options list but the dealer advised it would be standard on my build anyway, but that the list price for the car was going up a similar amount.

I like to listen to Talk Sport which is horrendous on AM so really DAB is for choice and versus AM rather than simply versus FM in my rationale. Interesting to hear about compression though, as far as i'm aware radio signals broadcast on FM are actually compressed first anyway before they are transmit (the frequency range is narrowed) whereas this process does not occur for DAB transmissions. And as an earlier post mentioned it's digitally stored music that's being transmitted anyway, so really in this format DAB should be better.

Forget the theory. Just listen to what you hear and, if you like it, it's good for you.

Cheers

Redbaron1973 · 02-11-2013, 04:34 AM

My DAB is very very good - was expecting to be disappointed when i read this thread but the reality is that reception seems fine... or maybe manchester is a hot spot?

RobUK · 02-11-2013, 05:08 AM

I was so close to buying the BMW DAB Retro-Fit but then decided I could better spend £299 elsewhere.

I missed not being able to listen to Planet Rock in the car (I listen to rock, classical, pretty much anything except 'pop'). Wasn't so fussed about the quality of DAB, after all there's so much noise intrusion from other sources like tyre roar, wind noise and everything else that's going on outside the car.

Having to get my rock fix in the car via USB stick

02-10-2013, 05:41 AM	#25
sunscreemer Captain 35 Rep 715 Posts Drives: 320i xDrive M Sport Saloon Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: East Midlands, UK iTrader: (0)	I had the DAB on my options list but the dealer advised it would be standard on my build anyway, but that the list price for the car was going up a similar amount. I like to listen to Talk Sport which is horrendous on AM so really DAB is for choice and versus AM rather than simply versus FM in my rationale. Interesting to hear about compression though, as far as i'm aware radio signals broadcast on FM are actually compressed first anyway before they are transmit (the frequency range is narrowed) whereas this process does not occur for DAB transmissions. And as an earlier post mentioned it's digitally stored music that's being transmitted anyway, so really in this format DAB should be better.
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02-10-2013, 07:22 AM	#26
Chris Peacock Captain 167 Rep 795 Posts Drives: 2020 330e M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Everywhere. iTrader: (0)	DAB offers more listening variety and when driving up to a 1000 miles in a week this is its value to me, glad it's been made standard for my car build.
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02-10-2013, 09:19 AM	#27
Sladester100 Lieutenant 128 Rep 588 Posts Drives: F30 320d & G29 M40i First Edtn Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: South East, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 BMW Z4 M40i Fi ... [9.50]	Mine sounds brilliant... Just saying ;-) __________________ F30 320d ED Melbourne Metallic, Vis Pack, Dakota Leather, & Other Goodies G29 M40i First EditionFrozen Orange
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02-11-2013, 04:34 AM	#31
Redbaron1973 Second Lieutenant 39 Rep 219 Posts Drives: F82 M4 and G02 X4 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	My DAB is very very good - was expecting to be disappointed when i read this thread but the reality is that reception seems fine... or maybe manchester is a hot spot? __________________ Cheers, Paul __________________________________________________ ________________ G02 X4 MSport X - Carbon Black w Black / Comfort Pack / Tech Pack / Privacy
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02-11-2013, 05:08 AM	#32
RobUK Brigadier General 2810 Rep 4,935 Posts Drives: 340i MPPSK Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Sussex, N.Yorks, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2015 340i MPPSK [0.00] 2001 Yamaha FZS1000 [0.00]	I was so close to buying the BMW DAB Retro-Fit but then decided I could better spend £299 elsewhere. I missed not being able to listen to Planet Rock in the car (I listen to rock, classical, pretty much anything except 'pop'). Wasn't so fussed about the quality of DAB, after all there's so much noise intrusion from other sources like tyre roar, wind noise and everything else that's going on outside the car. Having to get my rock fix in the car via USB stick __________________ Life is a state of mind
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