Digital radios

[Derek Jempson]

Thanks for the replies. some further research reveals that the radio will not output audio to Bluetooth speakers. It will only act as a speaker for other Bluetooth devices. So, I'm stymied on that one. However, it will output to speakers or a soundbar through the headphone socket, so maybe I'll go down that road.

[Richard]

If you have a standard AM/FM radio with a headphone jack, you can buy a bluetooth transmitter on Amazon. Plug the transmitter into the radio and pair it with bluetooth headphones, then you can listen to radio on your headphones.
The same might work for external bluetooth speakers and a DAB radio - why not?

Perhaps also consider Internet radios, by their nature they have to be connected to the internet, via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. This connection enables internet radios to access a whole world of music.
There are lots of DAB radios on the market but not all are wi-fi enabled.

Or, use a bluetooth transmitters plugged into the TV's headphone output and anything you can get on Freeview can be sent to the speaker, so you can forget about DAB.



Or sell the radio on here !

[seahermit]

Richard, you are filling in the gaps in my technical education ..

My hearing is on the wane, so I have been wondering about linking bluetooth headphones to the TV or maybe the computer as well. When I really want to properly hear a great film or a prog. Never heard of a bluetooth transmitter but presumably that would do the trick for the TV (the computer should surely be able to connect anyway via bluetooth?).

I know nothing about headphones and there is a bewildering variety on offer in the shops. Will need to research it all.

[seahermit]

I spent some time looking at medium-price DAB radios in the shops. They do seem to vary a lot in sound quality and price is not an accurate guide (Roberts are better but expensive).. However, the small Logik radio I boughr the other day is so good that I have ended up buying a larger one for £30.

The sound quality is outstanding, the volume quite loud and it is so easy to operate (finding a favourite station is almost instant) that I wish I'd done this years ago. I think I'm unlucky with where I Iive - getting an analogue radio to stay on tune and without frequent interference is an absolute pain.

[Richard]

DAB+ is supposed to pick up more radio stations.
Is sound quality better on a DAB Radio? Possibly not, a strong FM signal produces superior sound compared to digital as DAB broadcasters compress the digital signal which can reduce the sound quality, something to note in case you're expecting amazing sound quality from a DAB.
The quality of the sound is often criticised for being too treble (tinny), sometimes associated with elements of the "glass breaking".
FM seems to be the only available station on all the DAB radio's I have looked at.
Digital tuning has been available, for many years, for analogue signals (old fashioned radio) so you don't have to buy DAB just to get that facility.

While DAB technology has been widely implemented since 1995, many have actually complained its sound quality is not much better than older FM frequencies. The radios and speakers themselves have improved, but new audio standards with better sound quality have been slow to take off.
DAB+ uses a more advanced audio codec to provide higher quality sound and more stereo stations; it's basically an upgrade to DAB.

It is apparent that if you spend more you get a better quality speaker.
Sound quality is one of the most important factors when it comes to choosing a radio. While there are lots of good budget radios on the market, their sound quality can be disappointing. It’s common for cheaper radios to sound tinny, have too much bass or lack clarity and depth.

The best brands for sound quality at the moment are arguably Revo and Ruark, though Pure (Evoke) and Roberts make some great-sounding radios too.

[seahermit]

The trouble is that the better brands of radio, offering superior sound quality, are simply not available generally in high street shop or places like Currys. Music buffs no doubt know about them but I am wary of laying money out and buying online, where I can't try out what I want to buy.

For my limited purposes, I think I have done reasonably well. The smaller DAB radio which I bought does produce a higher, more treble tone but the compensation for me is the beautifully clear, crisp sound, entirely free from the constant interference I got on the analogue radios - like 2 or 3 stations trying to broadcast on the same wavelength!

[Richard]

MJ, I will trust your judgment on the Logik radio - no need to dish out lots of money anyway.
Personally I am happy with just about anything that I can hear and takes my mind of the mundane noises of everyday living. I am not too fussed about the quality of Classic FM as long as it relaxes me.
I am currently looking into CD titles offering tranquility, total relaxation and soothing sounds.
Anything for a quiet life at times.
As an arty type (Aquarius) I look for 'supportive' music but nothing too emotional.

Interesting to hear Grayson Perry on the radio this morning and his insights into life, with comments that he used to be a very angry young man.
He wears dresses as a form of escape - not my cup of tea but he is certainly lively and a force to reckon with in the art world.
Grayson thinks the English have no 'identity' unlike the Scots or Irish or Welsh, what are we then?
Perhaps wearing a dress gives him an identity or perhaps a mask to perform behind, much like an actor or pop star.

[seahermit]

The quality of sound is important - if I am listening to a favourite concerto performed by a particularly good orchestra, I want to hear it on the best radio I have, or on my little stereo. There used to be "audio rooms" in the department stores where you could test out fine Pye hi-fi and so on. In London there are still some specialist audio shops and, if I was wealthy, I suppose I would splash out but .. a bit of a waste of money so as to enjoy a concert of one whilst I'm clearing the washing-up!

I enjoy Classic at times but it doesn't treat the music with respect, uses it as superior quality musak - "feel good" stuff to keep you comfortable! And they never play anyrhing demanding or heavy - no long complex Mahler or Shostakovitch symphonies for listeners with a short attention span!

People like Grayson Perry miss the whole point of Englishness. Many people don't need to wear a dress or torn jeans or a baseball hat turned round the wrong way (or to dye their hair green) to show they are a "rebel" or different. The outward show is superficial and doesn't mean much - it is the personaiity underneath which matters. Having said that, I do like to show off in a jazzy shirt or a wide-brimmed hat when I'm in the mood!

[Richard]

What then is 'Englishness' ?

Expressing disapproval with a short cough or a 'tut tut' !
Class consciousness, Public schools, those we look down on and those we look up to.
Jeeves and Wooster, the English Butler.
Eating pies or fish and chips.
Pubs and Clubs, cups of tea.
Cultural heritage.
Football, Cricket.
Coronation Street, East Enders and David Attenborough Documentaries.

The BBC - once the prexerve of well-spoken Oxbridge graduates, the War-time announcer Alvar Lidell, now regional accents are given prominence and language is peppered with 'modern pithy phrases' which change and change again, some make me cringe:
'going forward' 'touching base', 'it's the business' 'In the loop' 'Incentivise, 'proactive' 'paradigm shift' 'that's a plan' 'drill down' 'cool' and all such jargon.

A lot of 'Englishness' of a quaint and civil kind seems to be disappearing, but then it probably always has...

MJ, you sound like a perfectionist in terms of the digital radio sound, nothing wrong with that, I am just happy to hear and see well enough to get by and then I am happy.
I dress well or like a tramp, a child of the 60's, an ageing hippy, growing old disgracefully now.

I'm sure you are 'across all that' !

[seahermit]

Times and people and customs have always been changing and "moving on" of course. Older people have always grumped about it. Read the Ancient Greek and Roman comedies, all the familiar gripes are in there!

Haven't much time to respond to this at the moment, but English politeness and civility haven't really disappeared. Just try behaving badly at the Conservative Club or in the Bexhill tearooms maybe .

Myself, I am not a snob - ask anyone who knows me. Well, anyone who matters, that is ..