Radio Volume

jikhead · 01-12-2011, 11:37 PM

This is normal. The radio and playing CD's should always sound louder than the XM radio and possibly even your mp3 player. It all depends on compression. XM is digital and has a very low compression rate. I found varies articles and posts; some say XM/Sirius is around 96, others as low as in the 30s, and others up to 192. This is all in kbps. Your mp3's on a player or cd will sound louder if they are compressed higher than this. I only use an mp3 rate of 320kbps, which is the highest mp3 rate...after that is wav. Of course, the higher the rate, the larger the file.

This may help...
Dynamic range compression - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abdiel · 01-13-2011, 01:55 PM

Regarding XM/Sirius quality, here's some data from '08 I found:

Satellite radio bit rate channel by channel - Hydrogenaudio Forums

For reference, 64kbps is roughly considered FM quality.

So, if current XM/Sirius bitrates are roughly the same as these '08 values, then I wouldn't be surprised that FM sounds better than most of the XM/Sirius channels.

This should be independent of volume level.

bigaudiofanat · 01-13-2011, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jikhead

This is normal. The radio and playing CD's should always sound louder than the XM radio and possibly even your mp3 player. It all depends on compression. XM is digital and has a very low compression rate. I found varies articles and posts; some say XM/Sirius is around 96, others as low as in the 30s, and others up to 192. This is all in kbps. Your mp3's on a player or cd will sound louder if they are compressed higher than this. I only use an mp3 rate of 320kbps, which is the highest mp3 rate...after that is wav. Of course, the higher the rate, the larger the file.

This may help...
Dynamic range compression - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Actually you mean to say cd and xm are going to be louder and fuller than radio as radio has the most compression so do mp3's.

runchuckrun · 01-13-2011, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigaudiofanat

Actually you mean to say cd and xm are going to be louder and fuller than radio as radio has the most compression so do mp3's.

So, is it possible I just have a bad connection or a bad radio? Like I said, I have the stock Rockford Fosgate in an 09 xterra and it shakes the vehicle at a volume of 10. In the Z I have to really crank it to 18-20 before it's any good or even the slightest bit loud on XM.

Dissappointing to buy such a high priced vehicle and have the sound system suck so badly.

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01-12-2011, 11:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
jikhead Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Little Rock, AR Posts: 425 Drives: 09 370Z Blue 6spd Rep Power: 184	This is normal. The radio and playing CD's should always sound louder than the XM radio and possibly even your mp3 player. It all depends on compression. XM is digital and has a very low compression rate. I found varies articles and posts; some say XM/Sirius is around 96, others as low as in the 30s, and others up to 192. This is all in kbps. Your mp3's on a player or cd will sound louder if they are compressed higher than this. I only use an mp3 rate of 320kbps, which is the highest mp3 rate...after that is wav. Of course, the higher the rate, the larger the file. This may help... Dynamic range compression - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

01-13-2011, 01:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
Abdiel Base Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 73 Drives: 09 G37S 6MT Rep Power: 17	Regarding XM/Sirius quality, here's some data from '08 I found: Satellite radio bit rate channel by channel - Hydrogenaudio Forums For reference, 64kbps is roughly considered FM quality. So, if current XM/Sirius bitrates are roughly the same as these '08 values, then I wouldn't be surprised that FM sounds better than most of the XM/Sirius channels. This should be independent of volume level.