Why FM sound poor?

[joyous]

Why FM sounds so poor? Is this technological limitation or negligent quality of the broadcast?

If it's technological limitation, why there's not much attempt to improve? Many things can be tried, like converting analogue to digital and 'process' the signal to audiophile quality then revert it to analogue... Etc..

Just posting this as I find great collection of songs played through FM for free but in poor sound. Sweet songs but not so sweet sound!

 

[omishra]

There are many reasons, let me list few -

1. Crappy receiver
- If this is bad then no further discussion required.

2. FM technology - frequency band 20-16KHz and stereo modulation
- Transmitter transmit limited band with L+R and diff modulated. Though transmitters are excellent equipments, receptions is at lower budget and input is coming from air. This stereo separation add much more distortion. If you switch to mono you will find distortion goes away. My receiver has stereo/mono switch.

3. Absence of good signal due to improper antenna and/or multipath signal.
- Due reflected signals from buildings your receiver gets signal from many paths, thus producing distortion. Also I observed during 3 months of year, my antenna direction is inline to sunrise. Thus I get high noise from sunrise to 8:30AM in morning. So environment and surrounding man made sources add noise.

Content wise - all (most) RJs are screaming like "studio caught fire and they have to run." Commercial breaks are same way. So it creates chaotic conditions where brain stops accepting anything.

 

[nakamichi]

Content wise - all (most) RJs are screaming like "studio caught fire and they have to run." Commercial breaks are same way. So it creates chaotic conditions where brain stops accepting anything.:lol::lol::lol:
well said....

 

[joyous]

There are many reasons, let me list few -

1. Crappy receiver
- If this is bad then no further discussion required.

2. FM technology - frequency band 20-16KHz and stereo modulation
- Transmitter transmit limited band with L+R and diff modulated. Though transmitters are excellent equipments, receptions is at lower budget and input is coming from air. This stereo separation add much more distortion. If you switch to mono you will find distortion goes away. My receiver has stereo/mono switch.

3. Absence of good signal due to improper antenna and/or multipath signal.
- Due reflected signals from buildings your receiver gets signal from many paths, thus producing distortion. Also I observed during 3 months of year, my antenna direction is inline to sunrise. Thus I get high noise from sunrise to 8:30AM in morning. So environment and surrounding man made sources add noise.

Content wise - all (most) RJs are screaming like "studio caught fire and they have to run." Commercial breaks are same way. So it creates chaotic conditions where brain stops accepting anything.

That's true. Nowadays most of the annoying outspoken blunts, those we usually avoid at any cost at private meetings, gets job as RJs. They talk and talk for their nirvana. Good for them.

Fun apart, I love FM radio. Usually when I am tired and blunt, when song selection and attention seem like an overkill, radio comes as good rescue. Their playlists are simply awesome. Usually in the late night when there's little ads and RJ's.

One thing I noticed is, FM sound is good enough in mids, vocals sound good, but bass and law frequencies are pathetic.

I have a Norge Tuner. Which I think is good enough, or at least doesn't deserve blame for a receiver. If a better receiver can get me sound as CD in tuner, I'll be happy to spend something on it.

 

[devilwearsprada]

The Ameen Sayani Days were the old good days.
Being a kid of 18 years, I Realise how good music at that time was.
Kickass :lol:

 

[rjstyles]

Get an SBT and forget this kind of torture. I was pretty much annoyed with the local radio stations and decided it was worthwhile spending for a SBT.
Now at home it's only music,no more of that " buy stuff worth blah blah and someone will come home and do your laundry for free " .

 

[gsurya]

FM sounds awesome on my Denon-1713 but only when the reception is good. The problem is most FM channels are underpowered to penetrate apartments with high power, thats why its so difficult to receive all channels with same intensity in an apartment but not in a car.

 

[mukti1684]

Get an SBT and forget this kind of torture. I was pretty much annoyed with the local radio stations and decided it was worthwhile spending for a SBT.
Now at home it's only music,no more of that " buy stuff worth blah blah and someone will come home and do your laundry for free " .

what is SBT?

 

[anuragn]

SBT: Squeeze Box Touch.
I find that availablity of thousands of stations on internet actually overwhelm me and I get confused as to what to listen and what not to listen!
Anyway, internet radio requires unlimited internet connection if you want to play 24-7 like FM. So depends whether its feasible or not.

 

[just4kix]

Content wise - all (most) RJs are screaming like "studio caught fire and they have to run." Commercial breaks are same way. So it creates chaotic conditions where brain stops accepting anything.:lol::lol::lol:
well said....

Probably the DJs' pants/panties are also on fire ...

 

[spirovious]

I dont think FM sound poor.As others noted that you need good receiver.
Infact some of the stations sound so clean that I always wonder what system they use to play digital files.
http://www.hifivision.com/cd-players/21852-dac-systems-used-fm-radio.html

 

[joyous]

I dont think FM sound poor.As others noted that you need good receiver.
Infact some of the stations sound so clean that I always wonder what system they use to play digital files.
http://www.hifivision.com/cd-players/21852-dac-systems-used-fm-radio.html

The bass and low frequencies are very poor. And I suspect the problem is more on FM transmission than quality of my receiver. I am not sure though, are anybody getting CD like bass from FM receiver? Bass and low frequencies seems like 'cut off' in a large scale.

Thanks for the link, because I found an excellent explanation about fm in that thread. Here's it.

http://www.hifivision.com/showthread.php?p=304338

 

[spirovious]

The bass and low frequencies are very poor. And I suspect the problem is more on FM transmission than quality of my receiver. I am not sure though, are anybody getting CD like bass from FM receiver? Bass and low frequencies seems like 'cut off' in a large scale.

If I listen FM in car,I can feel the tight Bass with pioneer + JBL speaker without SW.I am not saying its very heavy,but enough for me.On other hand ,with my old aiwa walkman,sound is cleaner than pioneer.Again from radio station to another,sound quality changes.

 

[goodsound]

There are many reasons, let me list few -
3. Absence of good signal due to improper antenna and/or multipath signal.
- Due reflected signals from buildings your receiver gets signal from many paths, thus producing distortion. Also I observed during 3 months of year, my antenna direction is inline to sunrise. Thus I get high noise from sunrise to 8:30AM in morning. So environment and surrounding man made sources add noise.
.

Signal is the main culprit probably :sad:. During traveling from/to office/home I use my mob for FM here in mumbai. Sometimes the FM sound quality is excellent and sometimes horrible.

 

[joyous]

my antenna direction is inline to sunrise. Thus I get high noise from sunrise to 8:30AM in morning. So environment and surrounding man made sources add noise.

Any recommendations on rooftop antenna? Does it improve AM reception as well?

How you find bass comes with FM?

Thanks

 

[joyous]

Get an SBT and forget this kind of torture. I was pretty much annoyed with the local radio stations and decided it was worthwhile spending for a SBT.
Now at home it's only music,no more of that " buy stuff worth blah blah and someone will come home and do your laundry for free " .

Good suggestion. After worldspace radio packed themselves, it seems SBT a good alternative.

How's the cost, SQ etc...

Anybody using DTH as radio source, Plz comment..

 

[omishra]

Any recommendations on rooftop antenna?

I am using DIY Yagi antenna for 98MHz. You can build J-pole also.

How you find bass comes with FM?

It is good but depends upon transmission. Here in pune few channels like 98.3 has good sound quality. 91.1 has bleeding HF - low bass.

Does it improve AM reception as well?

For AM I am using below one.
Twin Coil Ferrite? AM Antenna Signal Booster - C. Crane Company (800) 522-8863

Only mod I made to its header part is - I wrapped kitchen aluminum foil with incomplete circular path over it. See more info in this on page 17 of this manual - http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/downloads/manuals/sm100.pdf

 

[jls001]

I am using DIY Yagi antenna for 98MHz. You can build J-pole also.

@OP: If you can still get hold of a Yagi Uda antenna from electronics shops in your city, it is a very good option. Mount it as tall as you can on the rooftop, point it to the direction of the FM transmission tower (you can play around with direction), antenna to receiver cabling can be cheap jelly filled coaxial cable used by cable operators (just make sure you make the connections properly). The reception will improve quite substantially with rooftop Yagi Uda antenna.

Bass: most FM stations use audio processing just before frequency modulation happens. How the audio is processed will decide the "voice" and "character" of the station. From personal listening experience I do think that bass is more than adequate on most FM radio stations. YMMV, of course.