It's a long shot I know, but does anyone have any experience of 'The Bug'??

http://www.thebug.com/

'Sound quality', build quality etc.???

Me much-loved stereo tuners are emitting a terrible, continual interference
these days (both of them) which I can't tune out. I've been mono for a while
now (don't bother me - I like mono) but, short of an aerial that will
seriously bugger up all the Feng Shooey hereabouts, I'm at a loss how to
remedy matters. I like my 'radio' and even I have to admit that DAB which is
thin, brittle sounding and not at all engaging (I had a Technics DAB tuner
and got rid) but which you *can* listen to is gonna beat FM you can't! (The
portables here are fine - but we all know about that, don't we?)

This Bug thing, whilst obviously aimed at zitboy 'Geeko Freekos', seems to
offer some seriously useful functionality (SD card recording) and is a
welcome departure from the usual, boring 440mm 'hifi slice' that has no
particular relevance to my valve amps and turntable setups. I'm kinda
reasoning that if I can listen to MP3s that have been 'valved up a bit', I
can surely listen to DAB - as 'sonic wallpaper' in the same way, if nothing
else.....??

TIA

Keith G wrote:
It's a long shot I know, but does anyone have any experience of 'The
Bug'??
http://www.thebug.com/

'Sound quality', build quality etc.???


Buggy and ****e ergonomics, so I'm told.


Me much-loved stereo tuners are emitting a terrible, continual
interference these days (both of them) which I can't tune out. I've
been mono for a while now (don't bother me - I like mono)


You *like* mono??


but, short
of an aerial that will seriously bugger up all the Feng Shooey
hereabouts, I'm at a loss how to remedy matters. I like my 'radio'
and even I have to admit that DAB which is thin, brittle sounding and
not at all engaging (I had a Technics DAB tuner and got rid) but
which you *can* listen to is gonna beat FM you can't! (The portables
here are fine - but we all know about that, don't we?)


I'd advise you to get Freeview if possible, and if you cannot get
Freeview get digital satellite. The audio quality is better on Freeview
and digital satellite than on DAB due to the higher bit rates used. To
see which stations are available and to compare bit rates see:

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/in...bit_rate_table

192kbps for stereo usually sounds pretty good (not as good as, say,
Radio 3 FM, but good nonetheless), 128kbps as used on DAB sounds ****e.


This Bug thing, whilst obviously aimed at zitboy 'Geeko Freekos',
seems to offer some seriously useful functionality (SD card
recording) and is a welcome departure from the usual, boring 440mm
'hifi slice' that has no particular relevance to my valve amps and
turntable setups. I'm kinda reasoning that if I can listen to MP3s
that have been 'valved up a bit', I can surely listen to DAB - as
'sonic wallpaper' in the same way, if nothing else.....??


Hmmm.


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Freeview receivers price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
DAB radios price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm

"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
Keith G wrote:
It's a long shot I know, but does anyone have any experience of 'The
Bug'??
http://www.thebug.com/

'Sound quality', build quality etc.???


Buggy and ****e ergonomics, so I'm told.

and it looks horrible!

Me much-loved stereo tuners are emitting a terrible, continual
interference these days (both of them) which I can't tune out. I've
been mono for a while now (don't bother me - I like mono)


You *like* mono??


but, short
of an aerial that will seriously bugger up all the Feng Shooey
hereabouts, I'm at a loss how to remedy matters. I like my 'radio'
and even I have to admit that DAB which is thin, brittle sounding and
not at all engaging (I had a Technics DAB tuner and got rid) but
which you *can* listen to is gonna beat FM you can't! (The portables
here are fine - but we all know about that, don't we?)


I'd advise you to get Freeview if possible, and if you cannot get Freeview
get digital satellite. The audio quality is better on Freeview and digital
satellite than on DAB due to the higher bit rates used. To see which
stations are available and to compare bit rates see:

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/in...bit_rate_table

192kbps for stereo usually sounds pretty good (not as good as, say, Radio
3 FM, but good nonetheless), 128kbps as used on DAB sounds ****e.

I'd go with that to a point - but aerial is a problem if you move it around
the home and IME they work best (ergonomically) when hooked up to a TV.

This Bug thing, whilst obviously aimed at zitboy 'Geeko Freekos',
seems to offer some seriously useful functionality (SD card
recording) and is a welcome departure from the usual, boring 440mm
'hifi slice' that has no particular relevance to my valve amps and
turntable setups. I'm kinda reasoning that if I can listen to MP3s
that have been 'valved up a bit', I can surely listen to DAB - as
'sonic wallpaper' in the same way, if nothing else.....??


Hmmm.

I've used an Evoke for a while now. Compared to a decent FM portable it
sounds rather shut in but not unpleasant - rather like an old Roberts.
Compared to FM through the stereo it sounds fine, but I don't 'listen' to
the radio in the way I listen to records/CDs (it's playing R4 ATM and it
just sounds fine, no problem). In the final analysis I bought the DAB radio
so that I could listen to R6 and the world service with half-decent sound
and use the radio in the same way as I use a normal portable. It works well
and the Evoke seems well screwed together (rather tacky switches though). I
also bought it because I've got more money than sense - in that reception
isn't a big problem for me

The implementation of DAB is a different matter and I was annoyed enough to
complain and contribute to consultation (ha) - the bitrate thing is
deplorable and would, I imagine, rule DAB out as a serious source of 'high
fidelity' music.

Rob



--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Freeview receivers price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
DAB radios price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm

Rob wrote:
"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
Keith G wrote:
It's a long shot I know, but does anyone have any experience of 'The
Bug'??
http://www.thebug.com/

'Sound quality', build quality etc.???


Buggy and ****e ergonomics, so I'm told.

and it looks horrible!


Indeed.


I'd advise you to get Freeview if possible, and if you cannot get
Freeview get digital satellite. The audio quality is better on
Freeview and digital satellite than on DAB due to the higher bit
rates used. To see which stations are available and to compare bit
rates see: http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/in...bit_rate_table

192kbps for stereo usually sounds pretty good (not as good as, say,
Radio 3 FM, but good nonetheless), 128kbps as used on DAB sounds
****e.
I'd go with that to a point - but aerial is a problem if you move it
around the home and IME they work best (ergonomically) when hooked up
to a TV.


Sure, and I use mine with a TV, but you can get the Humax F2FoxT which
has an LED channel number display if you don't want to use a TV.


This Bug thing, whilst obviously aimed at zitboy 'Geeko Freekos',
seems to offer some seriously useful functionality (SD card
recording) and is a welcome departure from the usual, boring 440mm
'hifi slice' that has no particular relevance to my valve amps and
turntable setups. I'm kinda reasoning that if I can listen to MP3s
that have been 'valved up a bit', I can surely listen to DAB - as
'sonic wallpaper' in the same way, if nothing else.....??


Hmmm.

I've used an Evoke for a while now. Compared to a decent FM portable
it sounds rather shut in but not unpleasant - rather like an old
Roberts.


I bought an Evoke-1 recently when they were £45 at Argos. It's okay, but
I have no idea what everybody was raving about.


Compared to FM through the stereo it sounds fine, but I
don't 'listen' to the radio in the way I listen to records/CDs (it's
playing R4 ATM and it just sounds fine, no problem).


It's a mono portable, so it hides defects nicely that hi-fi systems
bring out.


In the final
analysis I bought the DAB radio so that I could listen to R6 and the
world service with half-decent sound and use the radio in the same
way as I use a normal portable. It works well and the Evoke seems
well screwed together (rather tacky switches though). I also bought
it because I've got more money than sense - in that reception isn't a
big problem for me


In time we'll be able to stream digital TV around the house. There's
already plenty of MP3 wireless devices, although at the moment I'm not
aware that anybody's bothered to add MP2, but I'd guess it's only a
matter of time.


The implementation of DAB is a different matter and I was annoyed
enough to complain and contribute to consultation (ha) - the bitrate
thing is deplorable and would, I imagine, rule DAB out as a serious
source of 'high fidelity' music.


Indeed.


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Freeview receivers price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
DAB radios price comparison -
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm

DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:
Keith G wrote:
It's a long shot I know, but does anyone have any experience of 'The
Bug'??
http://www.thebug.com/

'Sound quality', build quality etc.???


Buggy and ****e ergonomics, so I'm told.


Me much-loved stereo tuners are emitting a terrible, continual
interference these days (both of them) which I can't tune out. I've
been mono for a while now (don't bother me - I like mono)


You *like* mono??


Valves guys like that Steve :-)

Hi,

In message , Dave xxxxx
writes
DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:
Keith G wrote:

Me much-loved stereo tuners are emitting a terrible, continual
interference these days (both of them) which I can't tune out. I've
been mono for a while now (don't bother me - I like mono)


You *like* mono??


Valves guys like that Steve :-)

I'll take good mono over bad stereo every time!

--
Regards,
Glenn Booth

"Glenn Booth" wrote in message
...
Hi,

In message , Dave xxxxx
writes
DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:
Keith G wrote:

Me much-loved stereo tuners are emitting a terrible, continual
interference these days (both of them) which I can't tune out. I've
been mono for a while now (don't bother me - I like mono)


You *like* mono??


Valves guys like that Steve :-)

I'll take good mono over bad stereo every time!


Absolutely agreed!

I've got a good number of 50s Jazz records in mono and *nobody* ever notices
it's mono!! (Gave one such to Nick G - Lionel Hampton at the Apollo, IIRC)

:-)

Keith G wrote:


Absolutely agreed!

I've got a good number of 50s Jazz records in mono and *nobody* ever notices
it's mono!! (Gave one such to Nick G - Lionel Hampton at the Apollo, IIRC)

Yep, and I still listen to it, thanks :-)

--
Nick

Hi,

In message , Keith G
writes

"Glenn Booth" wrote in message
...

I'll take good mono over bad stereo every time!


Absolutely agreed!

I've got a good number of 50s Jazz records in mono and *nobody* ever notices
it's mono!! (Gave one such to Nick G - Lionel Hampton at the Apollo, IIRC)

I've got one of your Lionel Hampton LPs on at the moment, as it happens.
Perdido (I think - can't be bothered moving to find the cover) in
glorious mono, and it's great (I must be enjoying it - wifey keeps
asking me to turn it down).

To be honest, I probably only spend 10% of the time I have music on
really 'listening'. The other 90% is musical wallpaper (it's better than
the telly, after all) and stereo doesn't really count for much when I'm
five feet from one speaker and nine feet from the other.
--
Regards,
Glenn Booth

"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
Keith G wrote:
It's a long shot I know, but does anyone have any experience of 'The
Bug'??
http://www.thebug.com/

'Sound quality', build quality etc.???


Buggy and ****e ergonomics, so I'm told.


OK. (Not encouraging....)



Me much-loved stereo tuners are emitting a terrible, continual
interference these days (both of them) which I can't tune out. I've
been mono for a while now (don't bother me - I like mono)


You *like* mono??


Yep -especially a nice big 'phantom mono' hanging between the speakers!!

If stereo is done well it can be blinding but it's very often buggered up -
presumably by bored mixing engineers? (See recent posts about 'wafting
pianos'....) Mono radio is just an 'ingrained' thing with me I suppose....?


snip excellent links - all bookmarked now


Thanks for the info and to *all* who responded.

OK, I'm taking it as a bit of a 'thumbs down' all round and I've decided to
make a bit more effort with internal aerials on the FM tuners and have
already got a clean mono but not a hiss-free stereo yet. If I can get the
aerials tacked up tidily I'll stick with FM - I've tried DAB and didn't like
it much and can get hold of a Freeview box although I don't much fancy
buggering about with one of them and no picture to see what I'm doing....

I guess I was tempted by the SD card recording and them little blue LED
eyes........

;-)