6 replies to this topic

[MLXXX]

I did post about this in the multi-channel forum (in the thread Internet Radio), but I am so smitten by the quality that I felt I should create a thread specifically for this wonderful internet resource, so that no one misses out on knowing about it! The quality is breathtaking.  Live recordings streamed at such a high bitrate and with such an advanced codec (320kbps, AAC) that for practical purposes you are listening to a CD...

Here are relevant details (copied from my posts in the other thread):

Tonight [ 15/16 January] I have stumbled across an extremely high quality source of internet radio. It's provided by  BBC 3.  This post (from http://www.harbeth.c...14250#post14250 ) provides details:

Quote

World's highest quality on-line classical music feed (BBC Radio 3)

BBC Radio 3, the British Broadcasting Corporation's 24 hour classical music service, is now available as a continuous 320kb AAC high-quality stream. This is as close to the ex-studio feed as you can get.

As I have the free VLC Media Player installed on my W7 PC, clicking this link starts the streamed audio decoder and recognises the format.

BBC Radio 3 stream is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk...e/r3_aaclca.pls

VLC player, if necessary is available here: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

This really is as good as it gets on-line. If you listen closely to the presenter's voices, you can clearly hear the whirr of equipment and the acoustic of the studio from which they are talking - and the characteristics of their microphones. I assume that there is no equalisation or signal processing, and that the 15kHz low pass filter that applies to all (BBC) broadcasting has been applied but this can easily be checked with a spectral analysis plot.[/indent][indent=1]
Alan A. Shaw
Designer, owner
Harbeth Audio UK

This evening I have been listening to the stream. VLC player confirms a bitrate of 320kbps AAC. (The sample rate is 44.1kHz..)  That bitrate should be high enough for AAC to be indistinguishable from CD sound.

Listening with a high quality headphone amplifier and high quality headphones, I found the sound superb.

To the British Broadcasting Corporation: a big thank you.
_____________


Interested folk can check out this webpage: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/

(Not all of the HD material shown will stream to Australia. Some is blocked.)

WARNING.  If connected for long periods, the bandwidth consumed may become significant, depending on your internet plan.   320kbps = 144MB per hour ≈ 3.5GB per day

Edited by MLXXX, 18 January 2012 - 03:21 PM.

[Digital Penetration]

I wish the DAB+ broadcasters here would listen and realise what it really takes to hear "CD quality sound."

[:)]

Good have a source of music that appeals. I will add though the iTunesplus which is AAC plus 256k that I use for background music, in car and jogging use etc is very good but still compressed form andI wouldn't say cd quality. But very good and perfectly adequate for my needs for purpose intended.

The dab + have listened to via koffee and sbs chill is far from above bit rates as well. But again for intended use ie background music jogging and the like perfectly adequate for my needs I think. No where near cd quality but anyone thinking would be pretty foolish to do so.

Main problem I have with Internet radio is while we all have download limits and face it even with the nbn their plans limit downloads then not something a realistic alternative especially if used as I would do for background music use.

For mobile use not a reality at all. Unless they change mobile plans from what we have now.

Like dp I'd suggest if want wider audience be good if dab+ was to that quality. But then again maybe the general public don't give a hoot ..don't know *shrug*

But yeah always good for there to be more choice of high quality music sources. Not such a big classical fan otherwise would check out.

[MLXXX]

:), on 18 January 2012 - 01:01 PM, said:

Good have a source of music that appeals. I will add though the iTunesplus which is AAC plus 256k that I use for background music, in car and jogging use etc is very good but still compressed form andI wouldn't say cd quality. But very good and perfectly adequate for my needs for purpose intended.

I'll edit the thread title to include the word "classical".  Yes, classical music only appeals to a certain fraction of listeners.

To actually distinguish 256kbps AAC encoded from a 44.1kHz/16bit PCM source of stereo music, from that source, in a double blind test, is extremely challenging. It can be done with concentration and "killer" musical passages that stress the codec.

For stereo AAC, 320kbps is a luxury bitrate.  (But don't tell the BBC that!!!)

Edited by MLXXX, 18 January 2012 - 02:04 PM.

[DrP]

Its actually a VBR stream with peaks around 350kbit/sec even though the stream is tagged as CBR 320kbit/sec.  Its also LC (not surprising given the bit rate) - no SBR, no PS.

[MLXXX]

DrP, on 18 January 2012 - 02:06 PM, said:

Its actually a VBR stream with peaks around 350kbit/sec even though the stream is tagged as CBR 320kbit/sec.  Its also LC (not surprising given the bit rate) - no SBR, no PS.

Yes LC, this is just AAC, not so-called AAC plus (used and useful with lower bitrates). I wasn't sure about the precise bitrate; I simply glanced at what VLC player was showing. But VBR peaking to 350kbps is even better - higher bitrate when needed, and otherwise conserving the streaming bandwidth. :-)

Edited by MLXXX, 18 January 2012 - 09:07 PM.

[Blackwash]

If you are with iiNet you can listen to it via iTunes with no download limit.