amarryat
Verizon FiOS
join:2005-05-02
Marshfield, MA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to fiberguy
Re: More lousy audio?
said by fiberguy  :You're right.. I DON'T have a "boze" .. I think I know how to spell Bose.. I have them all over my house. Still, the way you are describing the sound quality of XM in a way that I just can't believe. What kind of car do you have? what kind of sound system do you have? Based on what you're saying.. that system could be in a Scion.. "premium" is thrown around and the number of speakers doesn't necessarily make it any better either.. Not putting your car down, but I gave actual names behind my system.. why didn't you? Maybe GM does something to make an XM sound better than what you have.. I dunno. But, for what you are describing, well, maybe you're over exaggerating. I know what streaming audio sounds like on the net and I know what a properly installed XM factory head unit sounds like and they are NOTHING like what you are saying.. or, you just got ripped. Since yesterday, I have been reading quite a bit around the internet and have discovered that I am not alone in this opinion. And as I said, my new audio system sounds great. From a review:
Audio systems - Two impressive audio systems are available in the 2008 Accord and Accord Coupe. The standard system features 160 watts, a single-disc CD player and six speakers. The premium audio system, which comes standard on EX-L and V-6 models, has a six-disc CD changer, 270 watts total amplification and seven speakers including a subwoofer. The systems use the central display screen found in all Accord trim levels. The systems include:
o Standard AM/FM/CD with MP3/WMA® playback, and new Radio Data System (RDS) function.
o All trim levels have MP3 capability and an auxiliary audio input jack.
o All trim levels have steering wheel audio controls.
o XM Satellite Radio is standard on all leather-equipped (EX-L and V-6) models.
o All trim levels have speed-sensitive volume control (SVC).
Mine is the latter. It sounds great with the kids iPods and my Sansa as well. I have burned CDs with 192kbps MP3's and they sound great as well. As I mentioned in another post, have you tried tuning in 210 - that will emphasize the point I am making. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| reply to amarryat
You're right.. I DON'T have a "boze" .. I think I know how to spell Bose.. I have them all over my house.
Still, the way you are describing the sound quality of XM in a way that I just can't believe. What kind of car do you have? what kind of sound system do you have? Based on what you're saying.. that system could be in a Scion.. "premium" is thrown around and the number of speakers doesn't necessarily make it any better either..
Not putting your car down, but I gave actual names behind my system.. why didn't you? Maybe GM does something to make an XM sound better than what you have.. I dunno. But, for what you are describing, well, maybe you're over exaggerating. I know what streaming audio sounds like on the net and I know what a properly installed XM factory head unit sounds like and they are NOTHING like what you are saying.. or, you just got ripped. |
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MadMANN
Premium
join:2005-08-19
 ·Comcast
| reply to amarryat
said by amarryat :Don't know how Sirius sounds, but XM quality is lousy. On the talk stations, it's horrendous. Sounds like streaming audio on the internet. Music is OK, but a strong FM signal is still far better. I find the quality to be pretty good. I have heard XMs feeds and they are, indeed, slightly lower in quality. Although, I am pretty biased, since I am one of those idiot Stern fans who would listen to him through a can & string if need be. |
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amarryat
Verizon FiOS
join:2005-05-02
Marshfield, MA
·Verizon FIOS
1 edit | reply to Neyland
Re: Color me gone
said by Neyland :Well not a good channel to select for your argument. With that said, I'm sure you would say to pick any channel but selecting a Boston Traffic and Weather channel for audio quality.... of course it's going to have the least amount of bandwidth... all those types of channels will. I chose that channel because it was blatantly obvious how bad the audio quality is on the talk stations. I listen to 121, and occasionally 150-154. They sound pretty bad too. Even my undiscerning wife notices. And I have tuned in 177 which would carry the same MLB broadcast as one of our local FM and AM stations - there is no comparison.
I do switch between 8, 9, 20, 22, 25, 26, 30, and 49. They sound OK. However they don't have the kick/punch of a CD, and they also lose quite a bit of the low end bass. FM doesn't sound as good as a CD either, but it is noticeably (to me) better than the XM music.
Edit - as I pointed out above that my wife notices the poor quality on the talk channels, she has also said that she'll subscribe in a second when she gets her next car. |
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Neyland
join:2003-02-04
USA
| reply to amarryat
Well not a good channel to select for your argument. With that said, I'm sure you would say to pick any channel but selecting a Boston Traffic and Weather channel for audio quality.... of course it's going to have the least amount of bandwidth... all those types of channels will.
Probably much like other sat companies, XM knows which of it's channels have more listeners and those channels are afforded more bandwidth than channels that have a much smaller audience.
Now, don't get me wrong... I know it's not cd quality.. but then I trade of programming access for some amount of quality.
As you pointed out in a lower post, I'm interested in seeing what they consider a premium channel.
My wife likes pop and top20. I listen to talk,news, SEC football, and my music tends to be more distortion based. My folks like the 50s and channels like watercolors and audio visions.
I would commute around 45 mins to work. My locals just gave me crap.. the morning shows were hack and the commercials... ugh. I still get some commercials on some sat channels, but that's mostly on mine. My wife and parents because they listen to almost all music get no commercials. We enjoy it.
We paid 3 years to bring the cost down to like $8.99 then $7 for each of the other radios in our 'family'. |
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amarryat
Verizon FiOS
join:2005-05-02
Marshfield, MA
·Verizon FIOS
2 edits | reply to Neyland
said by Neyland :I disagree. Piped into my stereo through a direct feed it sounds just fine. But then I'm not an audiophile so you may hear something my inexperienced ears may not. Some reading: » www.codingtechnologies.com/news/···_eng.pdf Try tuning channel 210 and tell me that sounds fine. Tinny and lispy.
FYI - not being rude. I am not an audiophile either, but probably closer than most.
Edit - just took a look at that website. The XM press releases were when they had 100 channels. Now they advertise 170, which means that they have to compress more for them to fit in the same bandwidth. |
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Neyland
join:2003-02-04
USA
| reply to amarryat
I disagree. Piped into my stereo through a direct feed it sounds just fine. But then I'm not an audiophile so you may hear something my inexperienced ears may not.
Some reading:
»www.codingtechnologies.com/news/···_eng.pdf |
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JammerMan79
Premium,VIP
join:2004-05-13
Prince George, BC | reply to james
makes sense... Humour of course is spelled the correct British way in Canada (along with colour etc.)
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I may work for, but do not necessarily represent the views and beliefs of TELUS Communications. |
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rec9140
Provoice just DO it
join:2003-07-29
Mulberry, FL
| reply to maartena
Re: Color me gone
said by maartena :
You are wrong, ALL music has royalties that need to be.... money is being moved from the radio station to the company who holds the royalty rights, which in turn gives part back to the artist.
In theory that may be whats supposed to happen, and if it 100% happened I wouldn't and alot of people probably wouldn't have an issue.
BUT.....
Enter corporate greed and lack of ethics and we have the music industries gestapo stormtroopers .. R I A A
When the $ might pay for CD, no DRM'd MP3, etc. goes from me to the artist. Fine. Till then. The system doesn't work that way. If it did we wouldn't see the endless stream of x suing for royalties from the record companies. And in the rare cases where the scumbags actually pay up, the amount that reaches the "artist(s)" is a pittance of what it should be. $0.90 of every $1 should goto the artists. The remaining $0.10 the scumbag record companies, managers, handlers can fight it out over.
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Lorem ipsum ei pro stet equidem labores, at enim animal expetenda nec. Ea vix argumentum dissentiunt, usu esse ridens ex./ / Ban all copyright, trademarks, and IP laws! |
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amarryat
Verizon FiOS
join:2005-05-02
Marshfield, MA
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to fiberguy
Re: More lousy audio?
said by fiberguy :Um, do you have an aftermarket radio? or one that's built in as a head unit or factory stereo? Just about any aftermarket radio sounds like crap. The one that's installed in my Impala LTZ with a Boze Sound System sounds great. The aftermarket I have in my 98 F150 Lariet sounds "eh"... Brand new car, factory premium audio system with 7 speakers including subwoofer. It sounds awesome. Just not on XM. I would rather listen to AM radio (while near the station) with a bit of hiss than the XM talk. At least the sound on the AM is not distorted from overcompression. I can live with the quality of the music channels, but they are not as good as FM, and nowhere near as good as a CD. If they would deliver the equivalent of 192kbps MP3, I would be thrilled, and that is what I had assumed.
BTW, I doubt you have a "Boze". |
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Mactron
el camino Real
Premium
join:2001-12-16
CM94sv
| reply to maartena
Re: Color me gone
said by maartena :Well.... as you are in Santa Maria, CA - where they have Comcast for TV and Internet - And you probably are NOT going to vote with your pocketbook because they carry Howard Stern TV On Demand (and you "support that kind of trash" even if you have just the Internet side), I don't think anyone here is actually taking you seriously. If you really felt that the fact that 1 single person is broadcasting on something you subscribe to, you would have switched to DSL for your internet, and went back to broadcast TV only. Because yes.... whaddayaknow, DirectTV has XM Radio Channels as well, and pretty soon you will be "supporting that kind of trash" by paying Direct TV. I just have a hard time believing that would actually cancel with that as the primary reason. And it would be quite hypocritical to keep on Comcast if you indeed did cancel XM for that reason. But hey....as long as it serves you, it isn't THAT bad that Howard Stern TV On Demand can be accessed through your VOD channel, or through the internet On Demand.
Lots of assumptions on your part... Sadly for you most are incorrect. My wallet voted Comcast out some time ago. 
You might take the time to read profiles here before making assumptions.
You don't take me seriously? I don't care if you do or not.
Your opinion on how I spend My money is unimportant.
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If only the Verizon CSRs worked this well. |
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james
join:2001-02-26
antarctica
| reply to JammerMan79
said by JammerMan79 :There's no such thing as Canadian English... it's just English. I think he meant to say Commonwealth English.
Yeah, there IS a Wikipedia article called "Canadian English" (says that it is Commonwealth English with "Canadianisms") but there's also one on "Boston English", "Baltimorese", and "Pittsburgh English". |
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JammerMan79
Premium,VIP
join:2004-05-13
Prince George, BC | reply to ifarrell
There's no such thing as Canadian English... it's just English. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| reply to Mactron
Hey!
If it wasn't for "Howard Stern"... radio could be much worse. We could be listening to the 24 Hour christian/filtered radio network on every frequency ... Howard Stern did a LOT for radio and freedom of speech.
Don't be immature and make silly threats to fluff your chest; people see through that crap every day.
Simply enjoy your FM.. no, wait.. continue to enjoy your Satellite Radio because you aren't going to drop your radio over HS. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| reply to amarryat
Re: More lousy audio?
Um, do you have an aftermarket radio? or one that's built in as a head unit or factory stereo?
Just about any aftermarket radio sounds like crap. The one that's installed in my Impala LTZ with a Boze Sound System sounds great. The aftermarket I have in my 98 F150 Lariet sounds "eh"... |
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maartena
Stacked.
Premium
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to Mactron
Re: Color me gone
Well.... as you are in Santa Maria, CA - where they have Comcast for TV and Internet - And you probably are NOT going to vote with your pocketbook because they carry Howard Stern TV On Demand (and you "support that kind of trash" even if you have just the Internet side), I don't think anyone here is actually taking you seriously.
If you really felt that the fact that 1 single person is broadcasting on something you subscribe to, you would have switched to DSL for your internet, and went back to broadcast TV only. Because yes.... whaddayaknow, DirectTV has XM Radio Channels as well, and pretty soon you will be "supporting that kind of trash" by paying Direct TV.
I just have a hard time believing that would actually cancel with that as the primary reason. And it would be quite hypocritical to keep on Comcast if you indeed did cancel XM for that reason.
But hey....as long as it serves you, it isn't THAT bad that Howard Stern TV On Demand can be accessed through your VOD channel, or through the internet On Demand. |
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james
join:2001-02-26
antarctica
| reply to Mactron
Also:
said by Mactron :Middle School English sure was was tough... Maybe for you, persunallie I exselled ate it; that and debating, where I learned that if the only argument your opponent can muster is to criticize your use of the English language, you have won. (unless your debate was on your use of the English language) |
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james
join:2001-02-26
antarctica
| reply to Mactron
said by Mactron :By the way... "humour" is spelled humor It's not my fault your country doesn't speak proper English. You know... Like they speak in England.
Oh wait, that wasn't what we were talking about. Too bad you just proved what I suspected, that you're an ignorant, pretentious jackass who thinks that acting like you dont find funny things funny makes you sophisticated.
"Oh those proles and their blasted low class humour!" you might say. But eventually it will dawn on you that you're not upper class, you're not even upper middle class, you're just another disposable peon who could die this very second, and the world would keep on turning as if you never existed.
Enjoy your false sense of supremacy while it lasts. On your death bed you'll wish you werent so stuck up and enjoyed a good laugh while you were able. |
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amarryat
Verizon FiOS
join:2005-05-02
Marshfield, MA
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to Neyland
said by Neyland :Sounds fine to me and I get quality O&A radio.. what's to hate? When it is played through a decent audio system, it does not sound good. In my opinion, this is how it works out: I'd say their music channels sound approximately like a 96kbps MP3, and their talk are worse than 64kbps MP3. On a portable radio, you probably wouldn't notice the difference between their music and FM, but I think that the talk audio would have a noticeable difference, even on a low end portable radio. |
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