How is online radio so transparent?

I have a couple of CDs I have ripped to my current music server and listened to that I recorded from the realmusic service (mp3 quality I believe even) back early on a couple years back when I first ran my PC laptops analog audio output into my old Carver pre-amp and recorded the disc using my Denon recorder.

This is pop/rock stuff, not classical or even high end source material, but I must say when these tunes come on interspersed with my other similar cuts that I have ripped from various digital and analog sources, that they sound perfectly fine and even quite good in many cases versus other ripped tracks. Same true when comparing against the better internet stations I listen to in real time via my Rokus.

The quality in comparison similarly way exceeded what I expected when I first connected my computers analog output to my system, even in terms of background noise (virtually none). Sometimes, things just happen to come together nicely even when least expected....

BTW I also have downloaded a few mp3 pop/rock tracks that I listen to regularly. For this kind of music at least, the mp3s are not bad at all. I have a few tracks also ripped in lossless .wav from CD for comparison. I have not done a detailed a/b comparison between the two, but both sound very good.

BTW I have heard some of the tracks on my music server on others reference systems as well for comparison. To my ears, the best tracks on my music server are very close to the best I have heard anywhere.

Thats nice that this sounds great for you...and maybe sometimes its better to not question everything and just sit back and enjoy it.

Understand your point I have the same thing happen when I listen to internet radio through my Airport Express ...... I didn't expect much when I hooked it up and was very pleasantly surprised .. It is nice when things exceed your expectations... Enjoy

Chuck

Probably the most major factor is that the computer speakers and associated amplification are being asked to produce far less volume than the speakers in your main system. If you were to put the computer system in your main listening space, set up its speakers on stands, and turn up the volume to produce realistic volume levels at your listening position, the sound card would undoubtedly be driven into extreme clipping, and the speakers would most likely be destroyed if your ears could tolerate the distorted sound for more than a few seconds or minutes.

Another factor that helps is that the internet radio may consist of the same heavily compressed audio that is typically sent out over the airwaves. The compressed dynamic range causes you to reduce the volume level, making life easier for the amp and speakers.

And of course the computer speakers don't have any deep bass, which is a major cost driver in a quality system.

Another factor is that the speakers, sound card, and heavily processed source material probably homogenize the sound, making mediocre source material sound more pleasant than it would on a high quality, more revealing system, but sacrificing the ability to make high quality material sound as good as it should.

Best regards,
-- Al

I think when you don't listen to a system critically (imaging, detail, soundstaging, timber, dynamics, inner detail, etc.), you have very low expectation. You just focus on the music itself. I enjoy my car stereo very much while sitting in traffic. I don't think about all the elements that an audiophile is looking for. I guess we all will be happier without listening critically.