2. misc-audio
  3. 1137521313

XM now sounds worse

I've recently noticed that when listening to XM Radio, the sound on XM Classics and some other stations is thin, distorted slightly on the high end. I think that while the sound has'nt always been great, it used to sound better than this. I can't figure if it's my system or XM has lowered sound quality by adding more stations.

My setup is kinda strange: The Polk XM Tuner is hooked to a Ramsey FM100 FM Transmitter to brodcast (thru my house only) to my various tuners. Now I do know that this is an 'extra processing step' - but this USED to sound great. Could Lightning possibly mess up the sound in the Polk Tuner without totally frying it? It does'nt make any sense because it used to sound good. I have several different systems in my home, and receiving XM in this manner NOW sounds bad in All my various systems, whereas it used to sound good. So I don't think it is a bad receiving tuner, or the fact I have too much equipment plugged in - like I said it used to sound good, but now....

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
joeylawn36111
kjweisner's avatar
kjweisner
293 posts
 
I would definitely agree with your take on the different channels. I wonder if there is a difference in bandwidth that is allocated to the different channels. Seems like a plausible idea given that the fidelity needed for talk would be less than that needed for higher quality recorded music. Perhaps the classical material has been deemed to be less popular, and therefore not worthy of more bandwidth. I haven't read anything in the audio rags, but will keep an eye out.
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
I too have the Direct TV and the XM feed is a big step up in sound quality over the Music Choice. All I have is a Phillips reciever that I bought from Direct TV for $35. I do agree that some channels sound much better than others, thankfully 850-Jazz and 852-Beyond Jazz, my primary choices, sound quite good...

Just a guess, maybe (finally) being part of the minority is OK, there might be a study that says pop music lovers do not care about sound quality as much as jazz lovers...
theo's avatar
theo
2,708 posts
 
The only thing that I have noticed with XM is that whether I listen at work thru the Delphi tuner or at home thru DirecTv it is a low output signal. I have to turn the voulme up about another third to match the other inputs.
dburner
11 posts
 
Have my XM tuner plugged into a vintage Marantz 2325. Sounds great.
bsmith15
29 posts
 
I have a Polk XM Tuner routed into a Benchmark DAC-1 and have not noticed any difference in sound quality; and listen quite a bit. Completely agree on the difference in sound quality of various XM stations. Jazz, Instrumental & Classical stations are much closer to the digital quality sound advertised than any of the rock, popular, country stations, ect. Interesting comments above on bandwidth allocation to the more popular channels and the requirement of bandwidth for voice versus instrumental; although I always felt that on commerical FM Jazz & Classical stations always sounded lights years ahead of other formats in terms of sound quality, and XM has the same effect.
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