[noseallinit]

was listening to the radio the other night through me headphones and one of the songs I heard I wanted to listen to again. since I had it on me iMac's hard drive I did so but it did not sound quite as good as what I heard off the radio. off me iMac > HR MicroDAC > MicroAmp it sounded great but much more sterile. the radio station comes in clear as a bell and the same song through tuner > HR MicroAmp had much more warmth or coloration to it. it sounded so much more alive!

this is something I noticed in me MicroDAC when I first got it. even though it did wonders for SQ after getting it, me overall sound was a bit more sterile as compared to when I had just the MicroAmp hooked up to me iMac.

it also could be a lot to with the radio station's setup. compared to another radio station that comes in just as clear this one still sounds better. I find myself listening to it a lot.

should I be considering a new source or DAC to try and acheive the same energy I get through me tuner > MicroAmp with this station?

 

[infinitesymphony]

Hmm, no... Radio stations sound the way they do because of heavy, heavy compression and limiting, and through the use of aural exciters that create harmonics and sub-harmonics that are not present in the original source material.

I'll bet you'd get a kick out of something like the Aphex Aural Exciter 204 or one of the BBE Sonic Maximizers. They aren't exactly "audiophile approved," but if you're looking for the sound of radio, this is it. Some mixing and mastering engineers even use similar devices to "finalize" the sound--to add just a touch of "magic."

 

[noseallinit]

maybe this is what it is, I dunno..

I was quite surprised at the detail I was actually picking up through this radio stations broadcast for I did not expect it at all. plus there is much more warmth or coloration that I do not get through me current setup.

even me iMac > MicroAmp had more warmth before I added the MicroDAC into the link. the DAC seemed to make me setup much better sounding but also a bit more sterile. before the DAC I ran iTunes Eq flat with the dB up just a notch. now all I wanna do is tweak the Eq levels.

wish I had me old NAD 712 CD player to compare with for now I only have me iMac as source. if I remember correctly it had a warmer sound over me iMac but I never got a chance to use it with me MicroStack.

was also not sure if me NAD receiver was playing a role in the added warmth or coloration when using the tuner. it's the only time I have a signal that's actually effected by the NAD receiver. my iMac's > DAC signal just runs through the receiver to me MicroAmp.

 

[jules650]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmm, no... Radio stations sound the way they do because of heavy, heavy compression and limiting, and through the use of aural exciters that create harmonics and sub-harmonics that are not present in the original source material.

That's why I find BBC Radio 1 unlistenable. Even the DJ's voice is EQed with way to much bass and presence.

 

[Jay B]

You would like the sound of a tubed headphone amplifier. A tube amp would certainly warm things up.

Or possibly a tubed DAC such as the Scott Nixon Tube DAC.

 

[Dept_of_Alchemy]

Your state of mind might also have something to do with feeling more or less 'involved' with the music. Sometimes I get grooving to the radio in my car even though the SQ is lousy but at least I'm relaxed and ready for the music.

You are aware that the typical FM spec is 20 - 15 kHz, S/N = 75 (stereo), right?

But I suppose we're in the middle of a vinyl revolution, so what do I know.