Tuner Vs. 4DTV music channels

Yes, I have done this comparison. If your local FM stations are doing a good job with broadcast quality (only you would know for your area), then the FM tuner will win. The free music channel signals from DTV are very compressed, and the DSS receiver box has a limited quality power supply, shielding, and RCA output jacks. The appeal of the DSS receiver is that you can also support the broadcast (movie) images with sound from your stereo, provided they are in the room together. I no longer use a FM tuner and instead, rely on the DSS for my "musical wallpaper." A huge factor in this decision was the lack of quality FM music broadcasts in my market. The space and cash investment required to set up a great tuner simply did not balance with the time I spent listening to that format. Only you know if any ( or all) of these factors are relevant in your own system, and how important each one may be. I hope this helps with your decision.

I have a tuner; Sansui 7700..I have the Sony DSS a2a (something like that) (The first w/ dig. out.) Had Theta do their 1k mod /included was a coax out.I also have Purcell US and Theta 5a W/ 24/96.The sound is quite close to that from my Data 3.Even mono movies,like "The Competition" sparkle.I am dissapointed with the 2 classical stations.I listen on a boom box, to LA's kmtz all day. Tune after tune is a great piece. On dss few pieces from the 'basic repertoire' is my only dissappointment. I love the station selection for fm, but the sound is waaaaay behind dss.

Also use a Sat receiver w/dig out into Dip Super Drive into Classe dacs and sounds better than my Classe tuner-1, which is a good sounding tuner. The DTV music channels sound like Avguygeorge stated, as good as the Transport into the same Dac. Better than the NYC FM stations. CD Quality using a Sat Receiver w/Dig Out into Monarchy Dip Super Drive into a quality Dac. Try it Albert.

Thanks,Mikec;glad to hear someone else chime in on this. I'll be listening to sat. music;and hear details I never heard before./ Or detals more clearlly. This, on things I own, and just haven't played in a long while.And how's this for low details? In home alone 1: there is a scene in the movie (just as he goes into the church) containing a long sustained,low organ note.It changes pitch, momenterally stops,I never noticed this before.It is quite menacing,but pure music. So there are no compressed lows I am aware of.

The Dip Super Drive has a 3db gain on the BNC output. Maybe the digital satellite signal coming out of the ird (sat receiver) and being processed by the Dip SD into a good dac has a positive effect. But the sound is very good. Yes George, very clear and detailed and low bass. Not the same without the Dip SD or with the Analog RCA output as Albert describes. I can imagine what the Purcell Upsampler and Gen 5A w/24/96 does. Yes the DTV music channels if used w/a dig out IRD and like mentioned above will be much better than a high quality tuner and most lower quality CD systems.