Radio Road

FM Stations are so poor Quality Now

47.26.52.145

sony6060

50 years ago FM stations were actively competing for best sound. Now, most are full of distortion and just lousy sound. Two FM stations here that sounds fairly good are only 5000 watt RF output stations. I think they must have old transmitters using old tube gear audio and no processor.

Follow Ups:

can still get lucky - LtMandella 13:59:27 12/22/21 (0)
I have found the sound of KCNV (Nevada public radio classical station) to quite good, on a par with the Boston FM of old.

I have been listening all week using a SONY HD (the famous small one) throuhg tube amps then Ref3A DeCapo speakers, and it sounds quite good, very close to QOBUZ quality.

Rock stations however, fuggetaboutit. They all suck now in terms of sound quality now, even the college stations...

Don't wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.
Mark Twain
RE: FM Stations are so poor Quality Now - martin.c.tousignant@gmail.com 12:43:16 12/12/21 (0)
Here in the Anchorage/Mat-Su Valley radio market the FM sound quality is all over the board from horrendously compressed low-res digital to minimally compressed CD-quality digital. KLEF 98.1 Classical easily has the best sound quality of the 20-odd listenable stations, being among the few which are locally owned and operated. The Ohana Media Group has multiple entries for the worst of both AM and FM.
1mctous
RE: FM Stations are so poor Quality Now - brush001 14:19:07 10/30/21 (0)
Still good ones around here in Ontario with an outdoor antenna and rotor
RE: FM Stations are so poor Quality Now - kingjim1954 16:58:35 06/07/21 (1)
You are lucky if that's as simple as they are. Check out your receiving end.
- RE: FM Stations are so poor Quality Now - 6bq5 22:10:59 08/17/21 (0)
  there are many great tuners both tube and SS-
  the receiving end can make all the difference...
  Happy Listening
RE: FM Stations are so poor Quality Now - 6bq5 08:42:16 05/15/21 (2)
Most Broadcast power is tube generated -
Sand can't get there-

Yes there has been a decline on the quality of many commercial stations-

However many of the public stations - Left end of the dial - are quite nice,
Happy Listening
- RE: FM Stations are so poor Quality Now - louie3 11:45:48 05/16/21 (0)
  Yes, I am lucky to have two public broadcasting stations within easy range, both produce quite good sound with minimal indoor antennas. I also have an XM radio tuner I use, but the sound quality is not as good as my Scott tuner on the local classical music station.
- RE: FM Stations are so poor Quality Now - sony6060 09:20:10 05/15/21 (0)
  Yes, but FM stations always had RF tube(s). I am referring to the audio quality and it is not handled by an RF tube.

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