DAB Radio Quality

[JohnD]

I bought a Pure One portable, and found the sound quality poor - sort of "muffled". I sent it back and got a larger Intempo with two fair sized speakers. this is also "muffled" although in both cases signal strength shows at max and the text is received correctly.

It is nowhere near as clear as my much smaller Sangean portable on FM (non-DAB).

Has anyone else been disappointed with DAB?

 

[Steve]

Once again I think its a case of the technology being left in the hands of "amateur" companies. Give it to someone like Sony or Technics, and they could make it work well. A few years ago Intempo and Pure didn't exist. Just as the budget brands knocking out carp freeview boxes for pennies also didn't exist.

 

[JohnD]

these both came out quite well in "Which" reports which suggests to me that the others were no better.

I heard somewhere that most people have very poor quality portables so they think DABs are really good, as they have low expectations.

 

[Stivino]

I've also got a Pure DAB radio and I'm quite happy with it. The sound is very clear. I also have a Sony one and it's no better than the Pure imho.

 

[blondini]

DAB suffers from the same problem as Digital Terrestial and Digiital satellite TV. i.e. the techology allows broadcasters to trade quality for quantity at their own whim, but there may be more to it than that. Wikepedia has an interesting read. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Audio_Broadcasting

 

[JohnD]

"However, listening tests carried out by experts have shown that the audio quality on DAB is lower than on FM due to the fact that 98% of stereo stations in the UK, Denmark, Norway and Switzerland (which are the only countries where DAB sales have taken off) are using bit rates levels that are too low"

Grrrrrr!

 

[billyo]

my 1966 bush radio still alive and kicking butt

 

[oompah]

According to todays daily mail Dab radio could go the same way as betamax/mini-disc players because of poor sales and unlike anologue tv there is no timeline for analogue radio to switch off,so it does not seem likely that there will be much improvement.

 

[Trazor]

Looks like DAB may go the way of Betamax.....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/29/radio.digitaltvradio

 

[Steve]

Another problem with DAB is that radio recievers are everywhere. Cars, vans, and integrated into so many devices. Switching off FM transmissions would cost everyone so much money that its not considered practical, for such a small gain. Most people listen to the radio while driving. For driving, IMO, FM quality is brilliant. Theres no need for digital quality, because theres a lot of background noise anyway.

 

[gcol]

Only use my DAB clock rado for Radio 2 in the morning - get the newspaper stories and the travel while I'm still in bed. Much more consistant reception, which is worth it for the expense IMO.