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FM Analog Radio = Dead?


artto

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I loved them, these beautiful tuners that were built from the 1960s until the late 1980s.

 

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Unfortunately, along with the good FM radio stations, the good Dj's have also disappeared. The art of taking his listeners on the musical journeys of the Dj's is not or rarely achieved. The passion of a presenter is missing, good radio Dj's were stars. Their transmissions a pleasure.Today it is mostly digital auto Dj's . All just random playlists. 24/7, yet there would not be the digital radio streaming possibility, I could also can´t listen from Germany, as you all also, Radio Paradise from San Francisco  with 192kb in a superb sound design.  In this station still work Dj's. That´s perfect,  there are many other brilliant staions around the globe and technology made it possible that we can listen to over 50.000 web stations world wide from home. 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, MicroMara said:

Unfortunately, along with the good FM radio stations, the good Dj's have also disappeared. The art of taking his listeners on the musical journeys of the Dj's is not or rarely achieved. The passion of a presenter is missing, good radio Dj's were stars. Their transmissions a pleasure. 

I hear you.

That's true, and the vague, cryptic djs in the movies like Vanishing Point's Super Soul.

We actually have more than the one I appointed with that moniker at the vinyl thread. Another particular gentleman that shows both the media and the ambiance of the evening at his abode presented with a palpable passion when he does visit.

I'll take it as I can get it!

 

 

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I've spent too much time in the recording studio.  All I hear on FM pop radio is the compression (and maybe phase rotation)

MN public radio stations need to hire someone and get their tuners aligned, they're all hiss and fizz, (and an audible spike at 19KHz, thankfully the guns and blues bands have relieved me from having to hear it).  Internet radio seems to be the cure, as much as I hate to admit it.

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I have a garage system with some Heresys and an old Harmon Kardon receiver.  Listen to analog FM anytime I'm working out there.  Have rabbit ears with the dial on them and it works fine for stations around Athens and Atlanta.  There is still plenty of diversity of music on FM in this area.  Anything you want to listen to.

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As with many things in the hobby of hi-fi, whether radio is “dead” depends on the genre(s) of music you listen to.


The only time I listen to the radio is for background listening at dinnertime, and in the car.

 
I love kusc.org:   100% classical 24x365, no commercials, human announcer.  EXCELLENT.   (For those who complain that “all good DJs are gone” … IMO this is an indictment against the genre of music you listen to, not radio stations in general.)


kusc.com is available to me via Tune-In streaming radio service.   (I think that my Google Home accesses kusc via iHeartRadio.)


Four of my hi-fi systems are equipped with Chromecast Audio.   (My fifth system is in my office, and I can play internet radio via my PC and a USB DAC.)


I have a Chromecast Audio connected to the “Tuner” input of my pre-amp in my living room system   My living room system can drive an amp and speakers for my dining room and kitchen/breakfast-room.   When in my kitchen and breakfast room, I simply say:  “Hey google.   Play radio station Classical KUSC on Chromecast living room.”


Separately, about a year ago we got a local classical radio station that is commercial free.  At home, I can listen via FM broadcast (i.e., over-the-air).    However, it’s easier to listen via streaming.   (For example, while in the kitchen I can change the radio station via voice command.)

  
IMO, the audio quality of streaming radio is good enough for background music when listening in my home.   (Of course, my local classical FM station is a blessing in the car.)

 

For serious listening, I enjoy Blu-ray and SACD discs that feature hi-res, and multi-channel.   IMO/IME, FM and streaming are suitable for “listening in the background” while focused on something else.
 

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12 hours ago, robert_kc said:

IMO/IME, FM and streaming are suitable for “listening in the background” while focused on something else.

Listening in the background is really important to me and let me explain why. 

I too listen to FM radio in the car and while cooking. Over the years, there have been many occasions when I discovered new(to me) recordings, pieces, compositions like that. On the very moment, they triggered a wow-reaction and then I would wait until the presenter would give the details so I could buy the CD or listen to it again. If the details were not given, I have to look up the Playlist on the radio station's website. 

I still remember discovering Gorecky's 3rd Symphony, and many good jazz and blues recording like that. 

 

For me,  fm/radio is like a gateway to new discoveries. It is a means to expose myself to artists, recordings, genres I don't know yet, and it makes my Melo-life a lot richer! 

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I still listen to FM a lot.  I have a Magnum Dynalab MD102 tuner and just picked up a really nice condition Fanfare FT 1a with remote for $200....

 

sounds great ,  I’m going leave it in my main system for a little while 

 

This is the last component needed for a complete 2nd system minus speakers.  

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On 7/28/2021 at 5:31 PM, JohnJ said:

I hear you.

That's true, and the vague, cryptic djs in the movies like Vanishing Point's Super Soul.

We actually have more than the one I appointed with that moniker at the vinyl thread. Another particular gentleman that shows both the media and the ambiance of the evening at his abode presented with a palpable passion when he does visit.

I'll take it as I can get it!

 

 

I saw this at the show....darn I like this movie. Looks like a Gates console....maybe Collins...neat stuff.  Was the movie shot on Highway 50 in Nevada...no speed limits before the mid 1970's.....Vintage America.....FM live! oops shot in Utah

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3 hours ago, billybob said:

It was a good movie, saw it on a big screen when released.

Sort of reminds me of the DJ in another movie set in NYC, Jersey called the Warriors (?).

And that Eagles/Walsh song "In the City"

Great memories sprung from this post Billy!

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I've started restoring some Fisher tuners. A few weeks ago @funkyhambone dropped of some HH Scott 330s and now I am restoring those. My plan is to do a low power FM in the music room and use FM to get the signal to other systems the old school way. I also have friends with a  local FM radio show that would be cool to listen to and NPR national peoples radio.

 

 

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On 7/29/2021 at 1:07 AM, MicroMara said:

Radio Paradise from San Francisco  with 192kb in a superb sound design.

Thanks for this suggestion, i almost constantly listen to this station when i´m on iradio now. Very good mix!

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On 8/1/2021 at 2:09 PM, MeloManiac said:

Over the years, there have been many occasions when I discovered new(to me) recordings, pieces, compositions like that. On the very moment, they triggered a wow-reaction and then I would wait until the presenter would give the details so I could buy the CD or listen to it again

Same here, plus the one or other mentioned good recording here on this forum.

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On 8/1/2021 at 7:09 AM, MeloManiac said:

Listening in the background is really important to me and let me explain why. 

I too listen to FM radio in the car and while cooking. Over the years, there have been many occasions when I discovered new(to me) recordings, pieces, compositions like that. On the very moment, they triggered a wow-reaction and then I would wait until the presenter would give the details so I could buy the CD or listen to it again. If the details were not given, I have to look up the Playlist on the radio station's website. 

I still remember discovering Gorecky's 3rd Symphony, and many good jazz and blues recording like that. 

 

For me,  fm/radio is like a gateway to new discoveries. It is a means to expose myself to artists, recordings, genres I don't know yet, and it makes my Melo-life a lot richer! 

 

The above highlighted makes me laugh. I'm old enough that I had to call the radio station to find out what they played - there was no internet!!!

 

Here's a funny true story - goes back to the mid 70's. I was listening to WFMT (the same classical station that is currently giving me a reception headache on much better equipment).

I hear this piece of music. I couldn't quite catch the composer name the announcer said so I called WFMT (there was actually a live announcer/DJ back then).

 

For lack of any better pronunciation, and because Sir George Solti was conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the time and his name sort of reminded of whatever it was the announcer said, I sheepish told the announcer "It sounded something like Solti Colti". LONG pause. Finally the announcer asks "Do you mean Zoltan Kodaly?" Me: "Yah, that's it! Thanks!

 

Of course I had never heard of Zoltan Kodaly at the time. But I never forgot his name! To this day I'm impressed by that announcer's intuitive ability to derive Zoltan Kodaly from Solti Colti.

LMAO. 

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