[Dr.Sade]

High resolution headphones emphasize the distortions of FM broadcast.
So I tried some low resolution (low detail) bassy (warm) headphones; this at least makes long term FM listening tolerable. Are there any other headphone "solutions" for making FM listening endurable?

 

[MarconiSalad]

Check out www.fmtunerinfo.com

A tuner with no distortion or noise is a good place to start.

 

[LTUCCI1924]

I use a portable radio and use mostly the KOSS 75 and at times the PortaPro but if I need isolation I then use the CX300

 

[appar111]

I've had good luck w/ my HD25-1's, HD580's and (in the past) Senn HD280 Pro's.

KSC-75's work great on the cheap-- I use a Sony SRF-49, btw...

 

[Dr.Sade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarconiSalad Check out www.fmtunerinfo.com A tuner with no distortion or noise is a good place to start.

A pristine tuner will not purify the polluted FM broadcast, unless it has
some sort of new technology to accomplish that; which is why most people
don't buy expensive tuners anymore.

 

[Dr.Sade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LTUCCI1924 I use a portable radio and use mostly the KOSS 75 and at times the PortaPro but if I need isolation I then use the CX300

For comfort, compact portability, isolation, small size, and minimal cost, the CX300 and maybe the Shure E2c or EX90LP look like good candidates.

Maybe the Goldring DR50 or Sennheiser HD485 for home use.

 

[Dr.Sade]

Just saw the JVC DX1000 thread; from the description, this sounds like
the perfect headphone for FM listening!

 

[dub]

A Tuner with an antenna on the roof (at least where I am) can sound without any distorsion or "cracks"…
And listenning with an AKG K1000 is really a good way to enjoy it.

 

[Dr.Sade]

So far, the ultimate solution to home FM listening is roof antenna + pristine tuner + JVC DX1000 headphone? ...or maybe the roof antenna and expensive tuner purify the FM broadcast enough to use any high resolution headphone? ...or no roof antenna + cheap tuner + JVC DX1000 headphone? ...or screw home FM listening and just listen to portable FM?

Tuners:

Magnumdynalab MD-109

http://www.magnumdynalab.com/

Day Sequerra M1s

http://www.daysequerra.com/

Fanfare FP-TRO-1

http://www.fanfare.com/prod-list.html

Burmester 931,053, 978

http://www.burmester.de/english/comp.../fm-tuner.html

McIntosh MR85

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/mcprod/s...6&product=MR85

Accuphase T1000

http://www.accuphase.com/t-1000_e1.htm

Merridian 504

http://www.meridian-audio.com/p_504.htm

MBL T1

http://www.mbl-germany.de/english/start.html

 

[jant71]

I always loved the way the AKG K401 does FM. It is a little rolled off on the treble but less than FM. It has a lower level of detail and resolution so you don't hear distortion. The good part is their quickness, good seperation, and large soundstage. Big, fast and fun sound with the unique combination of high instrument seperation yet less resolving. Masks imperfections and makes everything sound fun.

Should be an affordable home solution. They were going for around 50 bucks on the forum.

 

[iancraig10]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr.Sade So far, the ultimate solution to home FM listening is roof antenna + pristine tuner + JVC DX1000 headphone? ...or maybe the roof antenna and expensive tuner purify the FM broadcast enough to use any high resolution headphone? ...or no roof antenna + cheap tuner + JVC DX1000 headphone? ...or screw home FM listening and just listen to portable FM?

Even a cheap Denon 260L receiver (260) will outperform a digital receiver as long as there is a decent aerial pointing at the station.

Quality FM is a good source as long as it is set up correctly. Closest comparison - get a 42 inch flatscreen tv and attach it to a portable aerial in the house and see what you get.

This is almost the equivalent of a tranny with Senn 580's!! (Hear what you get!!) Using headphones to mask a poor signal seems wrong to me.

Ian

 

[Uncle Erik]

FM listening can be a very enjoyable experience, and I would recommend using a good pair of headphones with your tuner, too.

Personally, I use a restored H.H. Scott 350B. All tubes and it does multiplex, so you get stereo. If you'd like more information on the old Scott tuners, look here:

http://hhscott.com/

Many of them are still available and you can pick one up in the $200-$300 range on eBay. They're excellent tuners. There are others that are better, but often cost well into four figures, and that's if you can find one. If you're interested in solid state, one of the berst tuners ever made was the Yamaha T-85.

But that's only half of it. The other is that you need a good external antenna with a shielded feed line. Radio Shack sells an external FM antenna for about $35, and they also sell a filter that removes unwanted RF. That's about $2 if I remember correctly. I think they have shielded feed line, too, but if not, your local amateur radio shop will have it.

The shielding and the filter will keep most of the junk out of the signal, and a good tuner does the rest. Add some quality headphones and enjoy.

 

[MarconiSalad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr.Sade High resolution headphones emphasize the distortions of FM broadcast. A pristine tuner will not purify the polluted FM broadcast, unless it has some sort of new technology to accomplish that; which is why most people don't buy expensive tuners anymore

You very well may have a reception problem that will not be able to be overcome.
I don't want to misquote you, but there seems to be a belief, implicit in your statments above, that FM broadcasts are inherently distorted.
Have you analyzed your reception problem?
As FM broadcast signals travel along a straight direct-line path they become rather weak behind buildings and hills. A good FM antenna, pointing in the direction of the station will greatly increase the signal strength. If the signal is being interfered with by an adjacent station, a tuner with good narrow filters will help. There are many expensive and inexpensive tuners in the link I provided you that will perform all of the above with low or no noise and great separation.

I primarily listen to a jazz station that is fifty miles away, across LA, in Long Beach, with a 30 year old Kenwood tuner and an indoor 5 ft whip antenna. The sound quality is close to CD quality, that I listen to with RS-1's.

 

[Dr.Sade]

I am surrounded by buildings and microwave transmitters which probably
contribute to the problem. If, the right antenna in the right place + the
right analog tuner solves the distortion problem, it wouldn't surprise me if CANADA
suddenly converts to public Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB); they are
already offering private DAB here . It seems that the United KIngdom converted to public DAB and their critics say either the sound quality of DAB is poor or the DAB tuners are poor. Would DAB solve the distotion problem or make it worse?

My cable TV provider has FM on it; tried it, no improvement. If I had a better tuner,
should there have been an improvement?

 

[iancraig10]

The big problem with digital radio in the UK is that they are trying to get too many stations broadcasting and so limit the bandwidth. The quality is really no better than MP3 in most cases. In fact, ripping your own cd's gives you better quality because of the type of compression that the radio stations apply. (Optimod) = (crap)

Some stations (LBC - for people in the UK) has a terrible distortion permanently that tags itself onto peoples' voices. It sounds awful.

I can only listen to DAB and enjoy it really, on a tranny. Through headphones, the side effects often become too apparent.

All stations need to up the bit-rate.

Ian