Gotta love XM -car AND home!

Paul Gere · 07-06-2003, 09:19 PM

First, I have nothing to gain from this post - just have to share a good thing when I find it!

Got XM for Father's Day and haven't looked back since. I've basically forgotten my car's CD changer. FM? What's that?! What a great format with outstanding programming and selection.

I had no idea how good it was, though, until I got the home setup this weekend. I found fidelity to be far better than FM (no hiss) and just short of the finest CD recordings I've got. Source recordings (at XM) are only as good as the originals (listen to older recordings and this is clearly evident), but well recorded tracks sound nearly as good as through my high end CD/ interconnects. If you're looking for background music as you relax, play pool, whatvever, this will exceed expectations for sound quailty!

Wish I could have a digital out, but understand why I can't...thanks, Napster!

If you haven't yet tried this great new format, DO IT!!

PaulBigelow · 07-07-2003, 09:00 AM

Hello Paul,

I love the format and selection too. In the programming
department XM is, basically, delivering on its promise.
It's in the area of sound where, to my ears, XM is falling
short.

To me, the audio quality is not nearly that of CD, and is
not better, overall, than FM -- at least a reasonably well-
behaving FM station.

Sonically, XM is quiet -- the lack of hiss is welcome, bass
is OK and high frequencies seem to be slightly muffled.
So far so good. The big failing, in my opinion is that the
vocal region isn't right. Vocals have either a metallic
sound or siballances ("S") have a nasty sounding quality.
While certain types of music and loudspeakers and their
placement can mask the flaws, listening through a variety
of equipment (inexpensive and expensive) and electrostatic
headphones (as well as cheap earbuds) tells me that there
is something wrong with either or all:

1. My Sky-Fi receiver
2. XM source material
3. Underlying encoding algorithm / bit rate

I don't expect modern quality out of 40's recordings
(althogh they can sound amazingly good) but well made
stereo 50's recordings have loads of fidelity.

For the most part, I'm hearing this vocal problem "across
the board". Old recordings, new recordings, even the "live
at Willie Nelson's July 4th picnic" on XM168 had problems
in the vocal range. To me, neither CD, FM, or even
Minidisc ATRAC, have this issue.

I've have written XM to comment on what I am hearing.

Anyone else hearing what I'm hearing?

Ronald Epstein · 07-08-2003, 11:40 AM

Hi, Paul!

I went into XM Radio knowing that the sound
quality would not equal CD. I went into it
because I knew the sound quality and programming
would considerably best FM radio.

My best analysis of XM Radio is in my car. I
upgraded to a semi-expensive hardwired Alpine
head unit and added subwoofer support. Even with
this very decent auto sound system, I can hear
the shortcomings in the presentation.

Vocal highs do get muffled. Many times I'll
hear songs I am very familiar with, but somehow,
they now sound slightly different. Instrumental
may overshadow a vocal or I may even hear a
particular instrument or synthesized sound to
be much more prominant than it should be. I
also find that I have to play XM at louder volume
levels than I would a CD.

I think the overall problem is that the bandwidth
given to these satellite radio services (or perhaps
what is used) is not as plentiful as it should be.
To be honest, I'd be happier if they cut 20 stations
in order to provide the absolute maximum amount of
bandwidth they could so that the music actually does
sound as good as CD.

Overall, I am highly satisfied with XM radio.
It sounds close enough to CD that I don't even
listen to CDs in my car anymore. I think the
element of "surprise - look what's on next"
overshadows the limitations in sound quality.

DaveBB · 07-08-2003, 11:44 AM

I just made the drive from Chicago and back (five hours each way) with XM and a ton of CDs. Never once did I open the CD folder.

Granted XM is not SACD/DVD-Audio quality: that's not what we're aiming for. However XM is great and makes a very boring 5 hour drive go by faster.

Ronald Epstein · 07-08-2003, 02:08 PM

Dave,

That's exactly the appeal of satellite radio.

I find CDs to be...well....boring.

I never listen to an entire CD unless it really
is something special. In my CD purchasing days,
I bought CDs just for the two or three hits on
it, hoping the rest of the music would be equally
as good.

What really makes these services worthwhile is
that they offer variety. I listen to the 70s and
80s channel the most, and I am often surprised
when they play an offbeat song that I haven't heard
since that era.

These services make those long distance drives worth
the effort.

**HTF Ads**

Brett DiMichele · 07-09-2003, 02:25 AM

I would like to think I run my XM through some very decent
equipment and to my ears it's certainly not perfect (nor is
CD...) and while it's not CD quality it's certainly very
easy to listen to.

I notice some compression on the high frequencies and some
digital artifact in the vocal range. But generaly speaking
Vocals do not come across as muffled on my setup. I do
however sometimes exeriance what Ron stated about one
instrument overshadowing another, or a certain sound effect
more prominant than the rest of the music.

Could it be the software XM uses that does this to mask the
deficiencies of the current satelite technology? (I bet the
answer is yes... They most likely re-eq the signal and run
it through some sort of processor that tries to compensate
for the deficiencies they know exist in the current satelite
technology.

But with all deficiencies aside.. I haven't listened to any
CD's since I got XM in the house!

DaveBB · 07-09-2003, 10:22 AM

I don't think XM has ever pushed itself as audiophile quality.

Quote:

What really makes these services worthwhile is that they offer variety. I listen to the 70s and
80s channel the most, and I am often surprised
when they play an offbeat song that I haven't heard
since that era.

These services make those long distance drives worth
the effort.

Some jems I've found on XM:

The theme song from the TV show Taxi is called "Angela" by Bob James
The song Tarzan Boy by Baltimora
Sleeping Satelites by Tasmin Archer
"Forget me Nots" by Patrice Rushen (sampled by Wil Smith for the song "Men in Black")

There are tons of others that I here all the time and need to remember to hit the Memory button to save.

Steven Simon · 07-13-2003, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Vocals have either a metallicsound or siballances ("S") have a nasty sounding quality.

Paul,

I take it your XM gear is in your car. I found that by changing the factory Tweeters in my Nissan 350Z(Boss Shit), and replacing them with a higher end Polk Tweet, it completely smoothed ou this issue you are describing...

I had the same issue. That tinny, metallic, "S" noise!!! Drove me crazy!! The new tweets took care of that though.....

shivas7 · 08-10-2003, 07:17 PM

Just want to throw in my support for XM from a slightly different perspective...I put XM in my car with a good Alpine head unit during the first week of June...spent the first day in my driveway in the rain just getting acquainted with the variety

..on 7/7, I got hit from behind on a parkway entrance ramp and my car as well as my XM, has been "away" for 5 weeks now...try going from XM to a rental car's FM and CD player...it ain't fun....