---------------------------------------------------------- XDP4000X-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Sat 03/05/05: 4 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 04:26 PM - XM Radio quality (Bobby) 2. 04:57 PM - Re: XM Radio quality (DB) 3. 05:20 PM - Re: XM Radio quality (Matt Dralle) 4. 07:04 PM - Anyone have a Computer installed in their car? (Randy Visentine) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 04:26:12 PM PST US From: "Bobby" Subject: XDP4000X-List: XM Radio quality --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: "Bobby" Hey guys, just wanted to share with you all some of my thoughts on XM, now that I just got it installed into my car. A couple weeks ago I purchased a Sony XT-XM1 listed as NIB off of Ebay. Unfortunately it ended up to be obviously used but it is in good shape (seller's ID is JDPawn for anyone who is curious), damned sellers... Anyways, that's another story. So today I got it all installed and activated and I don't know what to think, I'm just disappointed I guess. The sound is very bass heavy (which when I have time with my laptop and my 4000x this will be fixed), and the highs sound overly compressed, almost giving you that muffled digitized under water sound you'll hear on bad mp3's or streaming audio off the net. I remember hearing about how XM radio was considered near CD quality sound, but I'm having a hard time even listening to it over standard FM, sure the signal isn't as dynamically compressed and doesn't fade in and out along the way, and you gotta love no commercials, but I really dislike the sound of overly digitized music. What are some your thoughts on this, am I too picky, or is this something others have noticed as well? ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 04:57:09 PM PST US From: DB Subject: Re: XDP4000X-List: XM Radio quality --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: DB Thank you, Bobby... I was seriously considering the hidden box Unilink kit, but I have also heard that the sound was not as good as CD quality...(maybe if the sound is cutoff at 16k+...) If it's gonna sound like a bad MP3 (like 128k and less), I'll definatly pass. On our aftermarket stereo systems, we're gonna hear everything, including stuff that most people can't hear on a stock system... No wonder they are promoting the FM modulated kits. You wouldn't hear the highs anyway... ;-) D Bobby wrote: >--> XDP4000X-List message posted by: "Bobby" > >Hey guys, just wanted to share with you all some of my thoughts on XM, >now that I just got it installed into my car. > >A couple weeks ago I purchased a Sony XT-XM1 listed as NIB off of Ebay. >Unfortunately it ended up to be obviously used but it is in good shape >(seller's ID is JDPawn for anyone who is curious), damned sellers... >Anyways, that's another story. > >So today I got it all installed and activated and I don't know what to >think, I'm just disappointed I guess. The sound is very bass heavy >(which when I have time with my laptop and my 4000x this will be fixed), >and the highs sound overly compressed, almost giving you that muffled >digitized under water sound you'll hear on bad mp3's or streaming audio >off the net. > >I remember hearing about how XM radio was considered near CD quality >sound, but I'm having a hard time even listening to it over standard FM, >sure the signal isn't as dynamically compressed and doesn't fade in and >out along the way, and you gotta love no commercials, but I really >dislike the sound of overly digitized music. > >What are some your thoughts on this, am I too picky, or is this >something others have noticed as well? > > > > ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 05:20:39 PM PST US From: Matt Dralle Subject: Re: XDP4000X-List: XM Radio quality --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: Matt Dralle Yup, I echo your sentiments regarding XM to a 'T'. Audio quality is about that of a standard MP3 at 64bps. The distortion at the high freqs is pretty horrible. Interestingly, it hasn't always been that way. When I got my first XM radio, the quality was pretty darn close to a 128Mbs MP3. What has happened is that over the last year or so, they've added a bunch of new channels like localized weather and traffic and have consequently adjusted the allocation of the skinny little 12mhz band such that pretty much all of the channels now suffer from this same problem. One channel that hasn't seemed to suffer is "77" which is called Audio Visions. I'm not sure why this channel has been spared the reduction in BW, but since I listen to it a lot I can't complain. That all being said, I still LOVE XM radio and haven't even turned FM on in the 2 or 3 years I've had it. No matter how compressed it gets, its still better than FM over all. I highly recommend it. Matt Dralle Livermore CA At 04:25 PM 3/5/2005 Saturday, you wrote: >--> XDP4000X-List message posted by: "Bobby" > >Hey guys, just wanted to share with you all some of my thoughts on XM, >now that I just got it installed into my car. > >A couple weeks ago I purchased a Sony XT-XM1 listed as NIB off of Ebay. >Unfortunately it ended up to be obviously used but it is in good shape >(seller's ID is JDPawn for anyone who is curious), damned sellers... >Anyways, that's another story. > >So today I got it all installed and activated and I don't know what to >think, I'm just disappointed I guess. The sound is very bass heavy >(which when I have time with my laptop and my 4000x this will be fixed), >and the highs sound overly compressed, almost giving you that muffled >digitized under water sound you'll hear on bad mp3's or streaming audio >off the net. > >I remember hearing about how XM radio was considered near CD quality >sound, but I'm having a hard time even listening to it over standard FM, >sure the signal isn't as dynamically compressed and doesn't fade in and >out along the way, and you gotta love no commercials, but I really >dislike the sound of overly digitized music. > >What are some your thoughts on this, am I too picky, or is this >something others have noticed as well? > > Matt G Dralle | Matronics | PO Box 347 | Livermore | CA | 94551 925-606-1001 V | 925-606-6281 F | dralle@matronics.com Email http://www.matronics.com/ WWW | Featuring Products For Aircraft ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 07:04:18 PM PST US From: Randy Visentine Subject: XDP4000X-List: Anyone have a Computer installed in their car? --> XDP4000X-List message posted by: Randy Visentine Hey gang, I posted this idea a while back, but no one responded. Who has a computer actually mounted in their car? I don't know if you have heard of the new Mac "mini", but it will fit DIRECTLY into a 1-Din dash opening, and has a front "slot load" CD-R/DVD-R Superdrive, and an optional 80Gig HD. This seems like a Mobile Install "match made in heaven". My thinking is to have the MAC Mini replicate what the lovely XDP-4000x already does, and use a 8-channel DA (like a Firewire Audio Interface), and send a seperate output channel to each amp input (just like the XDP does now). I would use software apps in the Mac to actually perform the DSP to the signal (EQ, Delay, Crossover, etc discretely for each channel). The "source" signal would be Mac's "I-Tunes" software, and I would need to add and app called "JACK OSX" to allow me to send I-Tunes' audio to the secondary application for the DSP processing, and for assigning the 8 channels to the 8 discrete outputs. This way, I can have I-Tunes run as an audio Jukebox, and the "master" volume would be controlled from I-Tunes. Then, if I need to make an audio adjustment (crossover, swap to 5.1 audio, change time-alignment, etc), I would open the secondary program, and do any DSP changes there. All you need is an appropriate power supply, a readily available motorized 7" TOUCHSCREEN LCD with VGA connections, and stash a Bluetooth micro-keyboard under your seat. Add a USB GPS sensor, and some software, and you also have instant GPS Navigation! Pop in a DVD movie, and you can have 5.1 surround and video! Rip you ENTIRE CD collection onto the 80Gig HD, and even add external Firewire HD's if needed (add a FW hub). You also have wireless file transfers, and wireless Internet surfing options, and just anything a computer could do in general - all in your car! With my C90 starting to act squirrely on certain CD's, and the XDP-4K having its limited crossover options and awkward programmability, this seems to be a likely solution for an "upgrade" IMO. As long as the DA's in the soundcard are good, I don't think quality would be any less than the XDP4K. I have some RME Audio interfaces in my audio DAW PC's, and I may do something like their Fireface or something like the M-Audio 410 FW (4 ins, 10 BALANCED +4dBu outs!). +4dBu outputs will put any 8V RCA outs to shame. I believe these untis use good DA's (I know the RME does), and the RME actually has a REAL WORLD S/N of like -108dB on the outs! Oh yeah - 24 BITS, too!!!! (I have LOTS of stuff I produce/record in 24 bit format that I could play w/o dithering back down to 16bit CD-R standards). I also know there are some PC "Micro-ATX" style form factors that may work, also. But the Mac Mini is a PERFECT fit for in-dash, and the base model is only $499! With more RAM and the 80Gig HD, I think it jumps to ~$650 or less. Add a LCD Touchscreen for ~$450, and the soundcard and GPS sensor for about ~$600, and you are still below the cost of a new C90+XDP4K! Also considering the Phatbox is like $800 - and you are still stuck with the C90's sub-par daytime display - I think a Mac Mini seems really affordable, and REALLY cool. PS - I realize I COULD send the XDP-4K a SPDIF Toslink signal from an external USB-to-SPDIF box, BUT then I would still have to have a Unilink HU for volume and power functions. If I do this Mac install, I WILL NOT have any other "standard" radio stuff in my car (no CD changers, no external EQ's, no Head Unit). Just the Mac Mini, and the LCD display in my dash (I have a 2-Din opening). Any thoughts, or suggestions? I know MANY people have done the Mac Mini mobile installs, I just can't find any specifics (like what software would I need to replicate the XDP4K's processing, etc). Thanks for any input and ideas... Another special thanks to Matt for keeping this list up and running. 8-) -- Randy V. Houston, TX Audio-Dude/Musician/Crazy Guy