RadioParadise.com - weirdly good SQ

[6th.replicant]

No ads, very infrequent announcements and no jabbering.

 

During the past hour the playlist included:

 

The Staples Singers

PJ Harvey (w/ Thom Yorke)

Feist

Buena Vista Social Club

Portishead

Neil Young

Elvis Costello

Oi Va Voi

The Verve

Marvin Gaye

David Gray

Martha Wainwright

Pink Floyd

Radiohead

 

Also very intruigued by the 128k AAC sound quality (SQ).

 

OK, so mid- and top-end detail is not great but the separation, soundstage and stereo/3D imaging is flippin' extraordinary, nice chunky bass, too - even the Beatles sound good.

 

Anyone know the secret of Paradise's SQ?

 

[soundsolutions11]

I have been listening to RP for a couple of years now, I find it to be a phenomenal resource for learning about new music. The SQ is of secondary concern to me and I believe this is one of the best radio stations on the web. The station owner knows how to put together great playlists, perfect music to stream to the squeezebox while at work. I even stream it to my iphone with their app.

 

[Mark Powell]

They probably just take care with their equipment. Many don't.

 

For example, here on the south coast of the UK we had an FM station called 'Coast'. Its sound quality was absolutely superb, the best of any FM station I have ever heard. Not just a little, but outstandingly so. Then it changed hands....

 

Classic FM has had a persistent rattling sound, as though something is loose, on its left channel for over two years. It comes and goes, presumably depending on which studio they happen to be using. They must know, they don't care so long as their advertising income does not fall.

 

To my ear Radio Paradise sounds better on their 128K than BBC Radio Three does at 320K.

 

But I do tend to listen to Radio Three via some stupid Apple product that I believe is called iTunes. Apple is bound to have meddled with it somewhere along the line.

 

FM is considerably better than either.

 

[curmudgeon]

RP gives good ... how Internet radio should be. We use it for background music while working or concentrating on something else; SQ is quite tolerable for this purpose. Discovered quite a bit of good stuff this way. Eclectic 24 from kcrw.com is not too bad, either, for background.

 

[4est]

Has anyone tried some of the other streams besides 128k MP3 or AAC ?

 

I love RP and kcrw while working.

 

[6th.replicant]

No, but I fancy a go with 192k Ogg Vorbis but can't get it to play/download (using OS X).

 

[goldsdad]

VLC media player menu File>Open Network..., paste URL, click Open at bottom right

 

 

 

 

 

[6th.replicant]

Classic FM - arggggghhhhhhh! Sound is very 'dead', too much bass and the announcers' levels are louder than the music. Then there're the ads, the sponsorships, the playlist's repetition - and that well-known classical music scholar, Simon Bates. The radio station for Daily Mail readers, IMHO.

 

Have you tried listening to Radio 3 'HD'/320k via BBC.co.uk, instead of iTunes?

 

Now Radio Paradise is playing The Clash. Splendid! :-)

 

[6th.replicant]

Cheers, goldsdad. :-)

 

Hmm, the Ogg 192k definitely has a wee bit more mid- and top-end detail.

 

[Mark Powell]

I have listened directly to Radio 3, mainly to find out what 320K sounds like, rather than the music (seems to be tinkly piano or something deeply mournful all the time).

 

I like 'light' classical music so used to listen to Classic FM a lot. Not much now, its all talk (measured it the other day, 20 minutes music in an hour). And I don't like being told ten times a minute that I am listening to Classic FM. I know that, I tuned to it on purpose!

 

Hate all things Apple. They even stole their name and logo from the Beatles. But I installed the Windows version of iTunes just out of curiosity, intending to quickly remove it. I have the deep misfortune to like Country music (in small doses) and it's quite good for that. There are a few 'Baroque' stations too. So it has stayed.

 

I admire Radio Paradise for what it is doing, but find the music so-so. Perhaps I will give it more attention.

 

I still think FM is superior, and have about 7 stations on the presets. Don't really need the internet stuff. Would never buy DAB, it's useless. From the radio sales most people agree.

 

[crisnee]

Just came across this thread and tried out RadioParadise. Very nice mix of music. Softish slightly alternative--very occasionally, eclectic rock. Easy to listen to, or let go to the background. Low annoyance factor but still interesting. And sounds good for internet radio.

 

When I click the play here button on the home page it pops up a little window with whats playing, but I can't figure out what player is playing the music. I use Firefox, does it incorporate a player now?

 

Someone asked about the 192 Ogg Vorbis. I got it to play, by clicking on that option--it sounds good, but only a blank screen with a progress bar comes up in a new tab while its playing.

 

-Chris