Jazz FM audio quality on DAB
Follow @mediaukdiscussA slightly boring technical query, I’m afraid.
I’ve recently gone back to listening to DAB after a year or so living in a place with variously no/poor reception. Jazz FM is among my favourite stations – it sounds fine on my bedside Pure Siesta, but on my recently resurrected Pure Highway it’s awful. It sounds far too compressed, and there’s a horrible pumping effect.
It’s the same station, and reception is excellent on both (Holme Moss and Emley Moor loom over my location). I know the bitrate is quite low on Jazz FM – I have the same effect, to a lesser extent, with Kiss, while Classic FM and the BBC national stations are fine.
Is the Highway adding some sort of (bad) processing to the signal before it sends it out on FM? It sounds a bit like that to me, but I could be wrong.
Any pointers would be appreciated, even if it’s just “stop using the antique Highway and get new product X!”
J Peter Wilson, interesting comment about additional transmitters for Digital 1. I thought that their Bilsdale signal covered quite a large area and with the forthcoming increases in TX power I am suprised that they feel the need for a new TX at Eston Nab which is not that far away from Bilsdale.
Is the Highway adding some sort of (bad) processing to the signal before it sends it out on FM? It sounds a bit like that to me, but I could be wrong.
I have a similar unit that rebroadcasts on FM. It wouldn’t surprise me if there was some kind of processing involved in these units – remember that dynamic range is much lower on FM, and these devices are made for use in-car, where a smaller dynamic range is generally a good thing.
Use a social media account you already have to log in. More info
If you're not on social media, register for a Media UK account.
By logging in, you are consenting to a cookie that personally identifies you to us. Here's more about our cookies.
I listen to Jazz FM as well both Premier Christian Radio and UCB UK on my home-based Pure radios and a JVC in the car. All these stations broadcast at 64 kbit/s and in fact all the Christian stations have done so since they started on national DAB. The signal that I receive in East and North Yorkshire is excellent. I note that Digital 1 are planning extra transmitters at High Hunsley and Eston Nab that will further improve coverage across Yorkshire, including the areas around Whitby and along the coast up to Teesside as well as in the lower lying areas not presently covered from the Belmont and Buckton Barn/Bridlington sites. In the early days of Jazz FM moving to 64 kbit/s the sound did not appear as good as Premier but within a few days it was just as good the Christian station’s music output. Finally I would say that you need to get a good DAB/FM/LW/MW car radio to replace the Highway. I have had my JVC in two cars and I replaced the standard external aerial with a DAB compatible one; it made all the difference to my in-car reception both in the Midlands, when I was involved in a trial Christian DAB station, as well as here back in Yorkshire.