DAB Dashed

Everyone will tell you that they never fall for adverts. Not me, I’m above all that. But as a mature listener with ears past their best, the processing on FM was getting me down.

The press said that DAB took its audio direct from the presenter’s desk. They said the sound you could expect was “near CD” quality. And I believed them. What they did not say was how close. I dropped a line to Resolution, the pro-audio magazine, saying the sound I heard with the exception of BBC Radio 3, was that of a reasonable pre-recorded cassette and they agreed, citing poor source material as the main cause, perhaps. Close but no cigar.

Is it me? Listening to music stations has to be casual. Listen closely and it leaves you fatigued. Turn up a favourite tune and the knee-jerk reaction is to turn it down again. The stereo is imageless and has a gritty quality that once you have heard it, colours all your listening from then on. The “cure” is to listen on a portable radio’s own speaker and expect little. Those who bought a tuner hoping the extra investment would give them better sound have made a sad discovery. If the actual source data is insufficient, then no amount of error-correction can colour in simple lack of information.

It’s all about bit-rates. The academics say the least-irritating audio comes from a 192Kps streaming download, the rate held for Radio 3. All music radio in the UK is held back to 128 Kps, a rate described as “mildly irritating” by the boffins. This boffin has stopped listening. In fact I don't think I hold Boffin Status - I just think we deserve better than this.

Digital One told me that their listener’s preferred more choice to audio quality. Nobody asked me.

DAB is served up in a fixed bandwidth multiplex. Add a new station and the available “slice” to the existing stations decreases. More stations, poorer sound quality.

More is less, more or less.

It seems such a shame. Ofcom say the market will decide but in the meantime, we have lost an opportunity for first-class audio. In fact we have the worst-sounding DAB in the world.

Having said this, DAB extends choice as my addiction to BBC 7 shows. It could be so much better…

Radio 3 And Me

So every time we get low-resolution audio on BBC Radio 3 - that is when sports coverage causes bit-stealing across the multiplex, I complain to their answerline. If they are interested or understand, they will transfer you to OFCOM. Shouting at them does not work, so I took part in their Consultation Process:

Will they do something? As it's the money talking, I think not

Take The DAB Test

Spend a rainy day listening to your favourite music station on DAB. Spend that evening listening to favourite music on CD. Spot the difference? You will...
Does not apply in most of Europe and Canada

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