Can anyone recommend a FTV sat box which gives a decent audio output . I 
bought a Humax Foxsat HD a few weeks ago and it works fine except for the 
audio. I enjoy listening to stations like Planet Rock and was disappointed 
to find that the audio quality was - in my opinion - worse than DAB radio - 
when I had a Sky box it was a lot better. I run the audio output red/white 
through an Arcam ampler as it's the only system I know what to do with ( the 
box has an SPDIF but I don't know understand that). I'd rather not go back 
to Sky as I enjoy being independent  of Uncle Bob - even his free system. 
Thanks.

"Daft Fred"  wrote in message 
news:URDfk.28335$E41.3589@text.news.virginmedia.com...
> Can anyone recommend a FTV sat box which gives a decent audio output . I 
> bought a Humax Foxsat HD a few weeks ago and it works fine except for the 
> audio. I enjoy listening to stations like Planet Rock and was disappointed 
> to find that the audio quality was - in my opinion - worse than DAB 
> radio - when I had a Sky box it was a lot better. I run the audio output 
> red/white through an Arcam ampler as it's the only system I know what to 
> do with ( the box has an SPDIF but I don't know understand that). I'd 
> rather not go back to Sky as I enjoy being independent  of Uncle Bob - 
> even his free system. Thanks.

SPDIF.  The data arrives from the satellite as digital (alls 0s and 1s) and 
has to be converted to analogue (up, up a bit more, down, not quite so 
down...) by something.  You have two options:

1. Let the Humax do this and then pass the analogue to your amp, as you're 
doing.

2. If your amp/receiver has it's own D/A (digital to analogue converter) 
then it might be better at creating good analogue from digital so you would 
use the SPDIF interface to pipe the digital data to your receiver and then 
let it would convert this to analogue.

Hope that helps.
Paul DS

"Paul D.Smith"  wrote in message 
news:1216289874.16743.0@proxy02.news.clara.net...
> "Daft Fred"  wrote in message 
> news:URDfk.28335$E41.3589@text.news.virginmedia.com...
<Snip>
> SPDIF.  The data arrives from the satellite as digital (alls 0s and 1s) 
> and has to be converted to analogue (up, up a bit more, down, not quite so 
> down...) by something.  You have two options:
>
> 1. Let the Humax do this and then pass the analogue to your amp, as you're 
> doing.
>
> 2. If your amp/receiver has it's own D/A (digital to analogue converter) 
> then it might be better at creating good analogue from digital so you 
> would use the SPDIF interface to pipe the digital data to your receiver 
> and then let it would convert this to analogue.
>
> Hope that helps.
> Paul DS

Thanks for that Paul - I'm afraid my trusty old amp is as old fashioned as 
myself and is totally, unrepentantly, analogue. I do have "digital in" on my 
computer though so I might route it through first then out to the amp. 
Thanks again.

Fred

Daft Fred wrote:
> 
> "Paul D.Smith"  wrote in message 
> news:1216289874.16743.0@proxy02.news.clara.net...
>> "Daft Fred"  wrote in message 
>> news:URDfk.28335$E41.3589@text.news.virginmedia.com...
> <Snip>
>> SPDIF.  The data arrives from the satellite as digital (alls 0s and 
>> 1s) and has to be converted to analogue (up, up a bit more, down, not 
>> quite so down...) by something.  You have two options:
>>
>> 1. Let the Humax do this and then pass the analogue to your amp, as 
>> you're doing.
>>
>> 2. If your amp/receiver has it's own D/A (digital to analogue 
>> converter) then it might be better at creating good analogue from 
>> digital so you would use the SPDIF interface to pipe the digital data 
>> to your receiver and then let it would convert this to analogue.
>>
>> Hope that helps.
>> Paul DS
> 
> Thanks for that Paul - I'm afraid my trusty old amp is as old fashioned 
> as myself and is totally, unrepentantly, analogue. I do have "digital 
> in" on my computer though so I might route it through first then out to 
> the amp. Thanks again.

Have you considered on of these: -

http://www.homehifi.co.uk/products/TC-7510.html

I have one and it's very good. Good price as well.

"Silk"  wrote in message 
news:g5ndo2$js5$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> Daft Fred wrote:
>>
>> "Paul D.Smith"  wrote in message 
>> news:1216289874.16743.0@proxy02.news.clara.net...
>>> "Daft Fred"  wrote in message 
>>> news:URDfk.28335$E41.3589@text.news.virginmedia.com...
>> <Snip>
>>> SPDIF.  The data arrives from the satellite as digital (alls 0s and 1s) 
>>> and has to be converted to analogue (up, up a bit more, down, not quite 
>>> so down...) by something.  You have two options:
>>>
>>> 1. Let the Humax do this and then pass the analogue to your amp, as 
>>> you're doing.
>>>
>>> 2. If your amp/receiver has it's own D/A (digital to analogue converter) 
>>> then it might be better at creating good analogue from digital so you 
>>> would use the SPDIF interface to pipe the digital data to your receiver 
>>> and then let it would convert this to analogue.
>>>
>>> Hope that helps.
>>> Paul DS
>>
>> Thanks for that Paul - I'm afraid my trusty old amp is as old fashioned 
>> as myself and is totally, unrepentantly, analogue. I do have "digital in" 
>> on my computer though so I might route it through first then out to the 
>> amp. Thanks again.
>
> Have you considered on of these: -
>
> http://www.homehifi.co.uk/products/TC-7510.html
>
> I have one and it's very good. Good price as well.

Yes ! - that looks just the thing - cheaper and more versatile than a new 
sat box too. Thank you Silk :-))

Fred

On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:59:32 GMT, "Daft Fred"
 wrote:

>Can anyone recommend a FTV sat box which gives a decent audio output . I 
>bought a Humax Foxsat HD a few weeks ago and it works fine except for the 
>audio. I enjoy listening to stations like Planet Rock and was disappointed 
>to find that the audio quality was - in my opinion - worse than DAB radio

I think you'll find it (almost) always will be.
Totally inadequate bandwidth for music IMO.
<http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/satellite_radio_bit_rates.php> is
quite informative.
-- 
Locate your Mobile phone: <http://www.bizorg.co.uk/news.html>
Great gifts: <http://www.ThisBritain.com/ASOS_popup.html>

In article <g5ndo2$js5$1@registered.motzarella.org>, Silk wrote:
> Have you considered on of these: -
> 
> http://www.homehifi.co.uk/products/TC-7510.html
> 
> I have one and it's very good. Good price as well.

Reading their description of the power supply, I've tried to understand 
how "Virtual DC" differs from the ordinary sort of DC to which I've 
always been accustomed, but it's a new concept to me.

I've heard of a "virtual image" of course, as produced by a negative 
lens. It's an image that isn't really there.

Rod.

Roderick Stewart wrote:

> Reading their description of the power supply, I've tried to understand 
> how "Virtual DC" differs from the ordinary sort of DC to which I've 
> always been accustomed, but it's a new concept to me.
> 
> I've heard of a "virtual image" of course, as produced by a negative 
> lens. It's an image that isn't really there.

I think it can be taken with a rather large pinch of salt. All I can 
say, is I have one of these boxes and it works very well. I use it so I 
can send the audio from my upstairs PC to my downstairs HiFi using a 
single length of coax. As it has multiple inputs, I also feed my CD 
player through it.

Roderick Stewart wrote:
> Reading their description of the power supply, I've tried to understand 
> how "Virtual DC" differs from the ordinary sort of DC to which I've 
> always been accustomed, but it's a new concept to me.
> 

I would have thought the content on the pages
<http://www.homehifi.co.uk/products/TC-3618.html>
and
<http://www.homehifi.co.uk/products/TRC-222.html>
would have set the alarm bells off!

However, that DAC does look a useful product. I have an old Audio 
Alchemy DAC-in-the-box which is starting to play up now. It might get 
replaced :-)

OT and OTT, another converter box cheaper, does a lot more for a bit less.
<http://www.behringer.com/SRC2496/index.cfm?lang=ENG>

-- 
Adrian C

"Daft Fred"  wrote in message 
news:URDfk.28335$E41.3589@text.news.virginmedia.com...
> Can anyone recommend a FTV sat box which gives a decent audio output . I 
> bought a Humax Foxsat HD a few weeks ago and it works fine except for the 
> audio. I enjoy listening to stations like Planet Rock and was disappointed 
> to find that the audio quality was - in my opinion - worse than DAB 
> radio - when I had a Sky box it was a lot better. I run the audio output 
> red/white through an Arcam ampler as it's the only system I know what to 
> do with ( the box has an SPDIF but I don't know understand that). I'd 
> rather not go back to Sky as I enjoy being independent  of Uncle Bob - 
> even his free system. Thanks.
>

that's cutting off your nose to spite your face - if your sky box does what 
you want, use it.


-- 
Gareth.

that fly...... is your magic wand....

"David Quinton"  wrote in 
message news:a2ku745g3lcjpm3bdln1e51g73divhht32@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:59:32 GMT, "Daft Fred"
>  wrote:
>
>>Can anyone recommend a FTV sat box which gives a decent audio output . I
>>bought a Humax Foxsat HD a few weeks ago and it works fine except for the
>>audio. I enjoy listening to stations like Planet Rock and was disappointed
>>to find that the audio quality was - in my opinion - worse than DAB radio
>
> I think you'll find it (almost) always will be.
> Totally inadequate bandwidth for music IMO.
> <http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/satellite_radio_bit_rates.php> is
> quite informative.
> -- 
> Locate your Mobile phone: <http://www.bizorg.co.uk/news.html>
> Great gifts: <http://www.ThisBritain.com/ASOS_popup.html>

Fair enough -  it's just that I'd like to make the best use of what is 
available.

Fred

"The dog from that film you saw"  wrote in 
message news:6e9a45F5srl3U1@mid.individual.net...
>
> "Daft Fred"  wrote in message 
> news:URDfk.28335$E41.3589@text.news.virginmedia.com...
>> Can anyone recommend a FTV sat box which gives a decent audio output . I 
>> bought a Humax Foxsat HD a few weeks ago and it works fine except for the 
>> audio. I enjoy listening to stations like Planet Rock and was 
>> disappointed to find that the audio quality was - in my opinion - worse 
>> than DAB radio - when I had a Sky box it was a lot better. I run the 
>> audio output red/white through an Arcam ampler as it's the only system I 
>> know what to do with ( the box has an SPDIF but I don't know understand 
>> that). I'd rather not go back to Sky as I enjoy being independent  of 
>> Uncle Bob - even his free system. Thanks.
>>
>
> that's cutting off your nose to spite your face - if your sky box does 
> what you want, use it.
>
>
> -- 
> Gareth.
>
> that fly...... is your magic wand....

Yes you're probably right - but it makes me feel better :-)

Fred

In message <LvFfk.28411$E41.435@text.news.virginmedia.com>, Daft Fred 
 wrote
>
>"Paul D.Smith"  wrote in message 
>news:1216289874.16743.0@proxy02.news.clara.net...
>> "Daft Fred"  wrote in message 
>>news:URDfk.28335$E41.3589@text.news.virginmedia.com...
><Snip>
>> SPDIF.  The data arrives from the satellite as digital (alls 0s and 
>>1s)  and has to be converted to analogue (up, up a bit more, down, not 
>>quite so  down...) by something.  You have two options:
>>
>> 1. Let the Humax do this and then pass the analogue to your amp, as 
>>you're  doing.
>>
>> 2. If your amp/receiver has it's own D/A (digital to analogue 
>>converter)  then it might be better at creating good analogue from 
>>digital so you  would use the SPDIF interface to pipe the digital data 
>>to your receiver  and then let it would convert this to analogue.
>>
>> Hope that helps.
>> Paul DS
>
>Thanks for that Paul - I'm afraid my trusty old amp is as old fashioned 
>as myself and is totally, unrepentantly, analogue. I do have "digital 
>in" on my computer though so I might route it through first then out to 
>the amp. Thanks again.

The SPDIF also carries Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound on some HD 
broadcasts. This can sound impressive provided Humax get it synchronised 
to the picture :)

-- 
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

"Alan"  wrote in message 
news:5zA9AoBX72fIFwm2@amac.f2s.com...
> In message <LvFfk.28411$E41.435@text.news.virginmedia.com>, Daft Fred 
>  wrote
>>
>>"<snip>
> The SPDIF also carries Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound on some HD 
> broadcasts. This can sound impressive provided Humax get it synchronised 
> to the picture :)
>
> -- 
> Alan
> news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

Alan, thanks for the info but THE BOSS barely lets me away with my two 
channel stuff at the moment ( condemned to headphones most of the time :-) ) 
If I tried to install 5.1 Surround Sound I'd be sleeping in the garden shed!

Fred

I just wonder at the poor quality of  popular music stations wherever they 
are broadcast. Its compressed equalised peculiarly, and often sounds like an 
old mp3 with the phasing effects we used to get.

Maybe its just that the feed to the sat uplink is crap in the first place.

Brian

-- 
Brian Gaff - briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Paul D.Smith"  wrote in message 
news:1216289874.16743.0@proxy02.news.clara.net...
> "Daft Fred"  wrote in message 
> news:URDfk.28335$E41.3589@text.news.virginmedia.com...
>> Can anyone recommend a FTV sat box which gives a decent audio output . I 
>> bought a Humax Foxsat HD a few weeks ago and it works fine except for the 
>> audio. I enjoy listening to stations like Planet Rock and was 
>> disappointed to find that the audio quality was - in my opinion - worse 
>> than DAB radio - when I had a Sky box it was a lot better. I run the 
>> audio output red/white through an Arcam ampler as it's the only system I 
>> know what to do with ( the box has an SPDIF but I don't know understand 
>> that). I'd rather not go back to Sky as I enjoy being independent  of 
>> Uncle Bob - even his free system. Thanks.
>
> SPDIF.  The data arrives from the satellite as digital (alls 0s and 1s) 
> and has to be converted to analogue (up, up a bit more, down, not quite so 
> down...) by something.  You have two options:
>
> 1. Let the Humax do this and then pass the analogue to your amp, as you're 
> doing.
>
> 2. If your amp/receiver has it's own D/A (digital to analogue converter) 
> then it might be better at creating good analogue from digital so you 
> would use the SPDIF interface to pipe the digital data to your receiver 
> and then let it would convert this to analogue.
>
> Hope that helps.
> Paul DS

On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:33:57 GMT, "Daft Fred"
 wrote:

>> I think you'll find it (almost) always will be.
>> Totally inadequate bandwidth for music IMO.
>> <http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/satellite_radio_bit_rates.php> is
>> quite informative.

>
>Fair enough -  it's just that I'd like to make the best use of what is 
>available.

Good point!

I'm no expert on this, but even on my PC with old Cambridge Soundworks
speakers, I find that MP3s at anything less than 192K (Lame-encoded)
are noticeably inferior.
Above 192K I rarely can tell the difference with those speakers.
-- 
Locate your Mobile phone: <http://www.bizorg.co.uk/news.html>
Great gifts: <http://www.ThisBritain.com/ASOS_popup.html>