PURE Evoke 1S DAB radio question

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Add that to the current fashion on TV of not EQing personal mics properly, and you have a problem.

It's interesting to compare R4 and TV sound through exactly the same system off FreeView. R4 generally sounds as I'd expect it to - TV, on things like news and current affairs, often very lacking in top. And even on high budget drama. Like they're simply using the personal mics 'flat'. I do wonder if it's untrained people doing the sound balance these days - or equipment where it's difficult to access the EQ, assuming it has any.

In all my days in TV sound, I never came across any personal mic that sounded anywhere near 'right' without fistfuls of EQ. ;-)

[Chris Hogg]

Oh, it is, without doubt, and I wear hearing aids. But that doesn't explain why the sound from our B&O Beolit 700 portable from the 1970's has so much better treble, or why other contributors to this thread agree with me that the PURE is a bit short in the treble department.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

And, as they say, there's no answer to that.

[Another John]

I agree - not just the Pure either. The first DAB I bought was a pretty damn expensive Roberts: it sounds like it's coming from the bottom of a swimming pool . I literally can't stand it! Have to leave the room.

Later I bought a cheap (28 pound) John Lewis brand portable, having listened to it in the shop first. This is very clear.

I've recently bought a Pioneer DAB radio/CD system -- I made the mistake of not listening to it in the shop (Richer Sounds this time). It's nowhere near as bad as the Roberts, but I have the bass to Min and the Treble to Max all the time, and it's still dull compared to the John Lewis job -- and to every blinking FM radio that we own.

WTF is it, with these DABs?

J.

[Chris Hogg]

A colleague of mine, now sadly deceased, used to say in relation to all claims for newer stuff being better: 'improvement means deterioration'. I can't help but agree with him. And they're trying to foist DAB on us and withdraw FM, because it's an 'improvement'. Pah!

[The Natural Philosopher]

It's a well known fact that at a low volume, you need to boost both bass and treble to make things sound like they are natural, just 'further away'.

Google Fletcher Munson and ISO 226.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Nothing to do with DAB as such. Just makers giving a choice of tonal balance to the punters. In the same way as it's often impossible to adjust some TVs to give the correct picture.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Not disputing that - but I've never heard any application of a loudness contour that worked properly. Most work better switched out. ;-) Which is why you'll not find them on any quality equipment.

But it's a red herring in this case.

[tony sayer]

In article , Chris Hogg scribeth thus

Hang on we're comparing FM with DAB the only DAB service that is anywhere near good is BBC radio 3 at 192K

FWIW We have an experimental MUX on the go locally thats got all services running at 192!.....

[tony sayer]

In article , Another John scribeth thus

Lack of bits!.

[GB]

Yes, I often want to enhance the treble these days. Nevertheless, MIL had got to the stage (age 80+) when she got this Evoke 1 where a bit of extra treble just wasn't going to make any difference. I think she got the radio a bit before she got her much-needed hearing aids, so she probably wasn't hearing the high frequencies much at all.

I had already found, by trial and error, that moving the radio away from the wall decreased the bass. Next time I get a chance, I will put some of my wife's old tights in the reflex port and see if that helps.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Oh c'mon Tony. DAB may not sound as good as FM, but the difference is subtle in portable radio terms. Indeed I doubt many could tell the difference on one - if getting a decent signal.

[tony sayer]

In article , Dave Plowman (News) scribeth thus

Well there is that gravely sound thats just irritating but what do we expect for 64 K/Bits?.

[polygonum]

The variation between programs is considerable. Many I can hear without any problems (though I too have a "notch" it doesn't seem to affect me if the program has good sound quality). One I have really noticed recently is University Challenge - very muddy.