Off topic Satellite/internet radio

[tmh]

Does anyone have experience with receiving an internet FM broadcast and feeding the USB based signal to a quality DAC rather than using a conventional FM tuner? The choices of radio stations in Naples, FL is limited but if I can get all the stations on the internet and then obtain a quality sound from the USB port of a computer and feed it through a quality DAC I'll consider going that route.

I have always heard that the fidelity of satellite radio was marginal for a quality music source. I'm interested in XM as I recently heard a Magnum Dynalab XM tuner that sounded impressive and the choices for programming is very impressive. However, the Magnum Dynalab units aren't cheap ($2.5k-4k). Apparently the Magnum units have a high quality DAC as well as using triode based tubes for the analog function.

I like the diversity of all the XM stations but I may put my money into an Apple lap top as a music server and also for internet radio if that provides a higher quality audio source.

If anyone has experience with this I'd love your feedback.
T.M. Hayes

[zelatore]

mmmmmmmmmmm.....tubes.....:yes:

I haven't tried any of this, but my assumption has always been that any recordings through popular download sites were probalby marginal at best. Heck, just look at the range of quality in CD recordings bought over the counter.

I wouldn't expect anything better through XM or any of the internet based radio stations. First, you've got the quality of the source (radio stations certainly aren't going to worry about seeking out super high quality recordings for broadcast), then you've got the compression and transmission, then you've got the quality of the recieving hardware on your end (again, most PC base audio gear isn't exactly high-end).

It's an interesting experiment, and I readily admit I haven't done any research on the topic but I figure it would be fine for casual listening but a poor candidate for true high-end.

I'll be interested to hear what you learn.

(note: none of this really matters to me anymore as my hearing is pretty much shot from loud guns, machinery, cars, boats, motorcycles, stereos, etc...)

[tmh]

Loading your CD's into a computer and feeding the signal to a quality DAC will rival a very nice CD player and I've heard it used on some impressive stereo systems. The Mac's have some nice features for sorting and play lists.

I'm wondering if an internet FM signal can come close to CD quality, assuming the internet FM broadcast is from the better sounding/higher bandwidth stations. I know the quality varies significantly between different XM stations as well as FM stations. The classical and jazz stations sound much better than some of the rock and talk stations.
T.M. Hayes