RE: FM station frequency vs fidelity

Radio Road

Which tuner to get and getting the most from it. Thank God, for the radio!

Posted by Maric (A) on May 17, 2012 at 22:54:38

In Reply to: FM station frequency vs fidelity posted by hitsware on May 15, 2012 at 12:30:45:

I work in radio so may be able to correct some misunderstandings.

First, there is no difference in audio quality related to being at the low or high end of the FM dial. The audio signal riding on the carrier frequency is not affected.

The differences you hear come primarily from the settings used in the audio processor. The best modern processors are very sophisticated and stations can sound any way they want to, and sometimes a "bad" sound is purposely chosen if the station thinks that's what will attract the audience for a particular format.

(The quality of the equipment used, and different methods of sending the signal from studio to transmitter, also have an effect. It's possible that a low-budget station can be using lesser-quality gear -- we've seen that affect the sound of some of our smaller stations -- but you can also get a lousy sound from very expensive equipment if you play with the settings enough.)

Also, on the FM band, the bandwidth a station occupies doesn't change with power, so higher power won't change audio quality or give you dominance. (Many commercial stations think that perceived loudness can give dominance, which they produce with highly processed and compressed audio.) But higher power does give added signal strength that can improve reception -- although it can also cause interference with distant stations and draw a big fine from the FCC.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - FM station frequency vs fidelity - hitsware 12:30:45 05/15/12 (13)

RE: FM station frequency vs fidelity - Maric 22:54:38 05/17/12 (0)

RE: FM station frequency vs fidelity - Neff 17:46:03 05/17/12 (0)

The difference will be entirely due to the engineering approach of the station. - Timbo in Oz 15:00:11 05/17/12 (1)

RE: The difference will be entirely due to the engineering approach of the station. - hitsware 12:14:33 05/18/12 (0)

RE: FM station frequency vs fidelity - Neff 16:08:16 05/16/12 (2)

"Quality of a FM station can exist anywhere on the dial" - hitsware 17:37:42 05/16/12 (1)

RE: "Quality of a FM station can exist anywhere on the dial" - Eli Duttman 18:27:47 05/16/12 (0)

RE: FM station frequency vs fidelity - 6bq5 16:59:51 05/15/12 (0)

RE: FM station frequency vs fidelity - Eli Duttman 12:35:49 05/15/12 (4)

RE: FM station frequency vs fidelity - FRG7SWL 08:05:35 05/16/12 (3)

RE: FM station frequency vs fidelity - Eli Duttman 17:30:48 05/16/12 (0)

Thanks for the (local) input ! - hitsware 11:02:20 05/16/12 (1)

RE: "I'm just south of Land Park." - 1973shovel 12:04:04 05/16/12 (0)

Follow Ups

RE: FM station frequency vs fidelity - Maric 22:54:38 05/17/12 (0)

Post a Message!