What sources?

I use, a (well) modified Squeeze box 2, 3/4 terrabyte storage (into the wadia dac section of the player), A Well Tempered Reference TT, Wadia CDP, Tosh DVD, M-audio Firewire for the bedroom pc). The CDP is the (imho) the best by a long way, the TT is close.
Convience is the PC server, fun listening is the pc bedroom system!!

 

Possibly my best source is the Leak Troughline, followed by modified LP12/Aro/Linn Akiva, followed by Naim CDS2, then Yamaha DVDP, and Pioneer digibox.

 

I use CD and FM Radio the cd being the most used.

 

CD is the most important for me, it is the only source I use for serious listening sessions. (No TT before you ask)

I use my DAB tuner and Squeezebox for convenience since I often work from home. The SB can be remotely turned down whihc is dead handy, when phone rings etc.. The Hifi is in another room to my office. Only ever really listen to Virgin radio on the DAB, since they don't play wetlife, mcfly, that dion woman, etc.. Though they are playing the bew Paul McCartney one which is really getting on my tits.........

Radio allows me to hear new music which I like. Speaking of which, Reading festival is on ITV2 tonight if I remember rightly....

 

Hi,

For completness, we have several Radio's around the house, non are "high quality". I gave up on radio through a HiFi years ago, too much "optimod" on BBC to be listenable, the other channels are much worse. Commercial radio in London is hopeless, just aimed at "drivetime", best listened to through cheap plastic boom boxes.

Hence radio is missing from my list, despite the fact that we listen to a lot of radio.

Ciao T

 

This poll is coming along nicely. 65 replies is not overwhelming but this is only the third day of the poll. I suspect that the responses may not differ very much, we shall see.

So, the summary is

1) CD replay is 'mainstream' for main hifi set-ups
- personally, I was surprised that 1 in 5 didn't.

2) TT replay is also 'mainstream' for folk on ZG
- but its not a qualification/necessity

3) radio replay is almost 50:50
- would be interesting to pull out focus on music vs spoken word & FM vs other

4) Given that this is an online forum, use of Internet 'streaming' is perhaps low but there's clearly an interest

5) replay from disk use is emerging as 'standard', at 1 in 4. Would be interesting to see where this goes. My money is on battery powered ram disk for replay, rather than (dirty) mains and (noisy) spinning disks, but I've not invested yet.

(AV use is unsurprising, but for this forum is invisible/distraction!)

 

To the earlier remarks, I would add that a good, live outside BBC broadcast really can be absolutely magical, there's really nothing quite like it.

 

OK, for there's another contrast for source: live vs recorded. Bring on the podcasters!

 

Aye - you can't beat the beeb for sound quality when it comes to a good classical OB..
However, I was always a bit dubious about the beeb's coverage of live pop or rock - the Stone Roses "incident" being a prime example!
Nowadays they seem to be a bit more sorted, and less fuddy duddy about it!

 

Hi,

Even on outdoor classical stuff you are listening to optimod compression (it's at the transmission end, not the actual recording/pickup end. Seems you like a good deal of compression, which would explain a lot, I find it is rather avoided.

Ciao T

 

I remember talking to a radio 3 OB guy, who denied hotly that radio 3 use transmission compression.. There's a brickwall limiter at ppm6 but that's about it!
Bandwidth is limited to 15KHz though..

 

I quite like optimod when it's not too hot. They seem good value compared to hifi gear - anyone tried one at home??.

I am not a Radio 1 listener so I don't know what the worst excess is like, but it's more favourable than most recording engineers manage when they mangle the mix - at least they crank the bass up on broadcasts..

 

You haven't got a Troughline, not even a decent tuner, so WTF do you know? Radio 3 OBs sound amazing, FYI.

 

So is mine, most probably.

 

Hi - lots of spoken word (news, interviews & talkback, as well as the cricket) for me lately. All on glorious AM broadcast. Often listen to some really good music shows on FM on the weekends.

Forgot to tick this when I responded originally (don't know how to add this retrospectively). I don't listen to internet streams often, but do enjoy it ocassionaly. The Squeezebox is pretty good for this. Just tend to forget it's there!

Regards,

Stuart.

PS - I don't watch much TV or DVDs. Consequently I didn't bother to hook it up to the Hi-Fi after re-arranging the living room recently.

 

imagine quite a lot has been said in Oz about the cricket! Did the little blue LED get flashing?

As for AV, that's what first revived my interest iin hifi - the dvd player I bought just didn't hack it for CD replay. My AV set-up is in the same room as the hifi set-up and only linked in that the main hifi speakers do the AV rear sound when called upon - and also are capable of taking the stereo sound from the Sky+ box, as alternate source of 'radio': FM can't get it all.

well, I'm going to have to google optimod ...

 

Optimod is an "intelligent" form of compression - primarily used in radio in order to limit dynamic range. The reasons for it's use were:
1. It's easier to listen to a compressed signal on a portable radio, especially if there's high levels of background sound - like in a car or workplace.
2. It's cheaper to transmit a compressed signal - transmission is a reverse process where the loudest sound needs the smallest power to transmit it..
3. Folks were more likely to listen to the loudest radio station when tuning in - therefore if the level was kept to as near +12dB as poss more folks would listen..
4. Most pop music is compressed anyway - though this is a chicken and the egg jobbie - was radio compressed heavily before the music?

The same thing is used a lot on TV now as well - though not necessarily Optimod.. The Well Known Soap I used to work for had a frequency-dependant compression system - brought in mainly because the continuity announcements and trails between the programmes were significantly louder than the progs themselves! We were quite gentle with it - allowing about 16dB of dynamic range.. Radio 1 is nearer to 3dB!

 

DVD player going through a DAC.
Turntable.
Freeview through DAC.
I've also got a lead connected to a spare input which I can either connect a portable cassette, or minidisk player to.

I'm definitely interested in going the harddrive route when I'm less skint.

 

Sure, the original reason for compression was to avoid overmodulating the transmitters. Then it was to squeeze a louder sound [especially in TV, I hear].

But the Orban kit [and competitors I assume] also has another function - it does a good job of making a consistent sound with all audio. Pick any 10 CDs on your home system - the variety of mixes is infuriating, bass light, bass woolly, etc. This makes a joke of optimising your sound system and room. With an optimod [etc] you can have a consitent 'BBC' or 'Jazz FM' or whatever sound preset to your taste.

I am guessing, but is it only limited to compression? Can it not also expand a compressed input if required to give a nicer mix [of your choice]? Thats the sort of thing I would want..

 

I don't bother with sources. They all compromise accuracy. I rely solely on live bands and use my system as a PA.