[BC] HD/2

[DANA PUOPOLO]

XM audio is quite variable. I find that their classical and easy listening
channels sound quite good. Jazz channels aren't bad either. The CHR channels
sound AWFUL - many have audible clipping distortion and are also much louder
(as if the audio gain is turned up - not processing distortion). In my Roady 2
I find they sound better if I lower the FM audio level (in menu) a notch or
tow - but then the other channels are too low.

The rock channels all sound good to me and content wise I especially like what
they do on 60's on six. They acquired Wolfman Jack's old airchecks and they
have him on the air as part of a two person team most evenings. It's quite
ingenious how they work around what he's said; even having the music talking
HIM up! I think even the Wolfman himself would be impressed.

-D 

------ Original Message ------
Received: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 08:31:44 AM PST
From: "Steve" <shnewman at alaweb.com>
To: "Broadcasters' Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Subject: Re: [BC] HD/2


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Meuser" <Robertm at broadcast.net>
To: "Broadcasters' Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2006 9:43 AM
Subject: Re: [BC] HD/2



> That is pretty Biased. no one else I know on the planet thinks Sirius
> sounds decent. It is not the fault of your gear, but XM blows Sirius
> away technically. It is just too bad they cant match Sirius programming.
> I much prefer the XM processing. In the beginning it was a little
> inconsistant but has improved greatly over the years. Sirius sounds too
> much like radio.

Saying "No one else I know" is a pretty broad brush stroke to this me
thinks. If you hang out with audiophiles and engineers then you're probably
right. That universe would probably agree. (btw, I'm not taking sides on
this) I do freelance work for WorldSpace. (you might call them the XM/Sirius
for Europe/Middle East/Africa/Asia) and my P.D. has told me he's received
emails from those who plug in their receivers to high-end systems and tell
us they can't hear any artifacts. Go figure. I don't know because I've not
flown over there to hear. I listen to our programming on via an unpublished
back haul via the internet and it sounds terrible but it's just for the
announcers and programmers to hear the end result. We don't need good
quality. Somewhat like a dialup listen line for programming consultants and
group P.D.'s. It's good enough to hear what's going on.


To the subject at hand.
Sirius sounding much like radio might not be a bad thing. I'm going to guess
that was exactly what Bob wanted to achieve. It's only a guess. It's what
people have been used to hearing for years. Their comfort zone has not been
rocked. Now content (programming) is another discussion and that will be the
element that eventually draws the line in the sand. I remember a saying that
goes something like this. Something to be a difference must make a
difference. In the case of the sound (XM vs. Sirius) IMHO, Joe Blow public
doesn't really perceive a "difference."
They do when it comes to things like Multipath in FM, static with AM or hash
in the case of IBOC. When they experience those obviously annoying
distortions the pendulum starts swinging the other way and even good
programming won't save you.

Steve
Steve Walker Productions


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