[BC] IBOC Critique

[Dana Puopolo]

Today I hooked my Accurian radio to my HiFi system. I know the Accurian can
produce excellent audio, because I also feed my computer into its aux input.
The aux input is converted to digital and then processed by the DSP in the
radio. This is evident because there's a delay in the audio-you could not use
this radio as a headphone amp, for example.

Several Los Angeles FM stations sound EXCELENT in HD. That's the good news.
The bad news is that most LA stations sound like CRAP in HD! They are
processed like their analog counterparts-crushed and smashed. What's the point
of a "superior" system if no one is going to exploit it? Claiming quality that
isn't there is lying to the consumer! No one is going to pay good money for
something that's NO improvement over what they already have!

Don't give me the tired old (c)rap about maintaining audio levels during
blending. Many of these stations sound SOFTER (and better) in analog! 

Also, none of the secondaries sound good at all. I can clearly hear the
artifacts. It takes away from the music. Perhaps people will overlook the
artifacts for the unique content the secondaries will perhaps offer some day.
Right now they are recycled old formats or simulcasts of AM stations. There's
simply noting compelling to listen t there. I can hear much of the same stuff
with Internet radio wity much better quality-and no commercials in the case of
the HD-1 channels.

To me at least, HD sounds like a bad sounding XM channel. I dropped XM several
years ago after they added XM Canada. The compression artifacts just got too
noticeable on the stereo at home. HD is no better. This technology is flawed
all over the place. Not only is it an inferior product, even when it works
well (rarely!) the ignorance of the people who set it up and program it make
it redundant (to analog).

And all this happens in Los Angeles, suppositely home of the best engineers
and programmers in the country. Where are they? Did they all go out on medical
leave?

It's time to shoot HD behind the ear and let it die....

-D