A young adult AM test

[johnbasalla]

One of my co-workers is a 30 year old guy. We had to go out to another building. We hopped in my car while a third guy followed us in his SUV. I put on one of the AM music stations which happened to be a Disney Radio affiliate. It didn't take him long to ask ... "Is this an AM station?" He then noted the lesser audio quality then on FM. I punched up "Zoomer Radio", AM 740 out of Toronto, Canada (I'm in Cleveland, Ohio). It was coming in quite well, and I mentioned how I liked the fact that by listening to them when they come in well, you can hear songs that you'd never hear on any local station. He was surprised that we could pick up a station from Canada. He mentioned that fact twice. When it was time to go back to the office, he chose to go with the other guy. He didn't mention why, but it made me wonder.

 

[davideduardo]

When it was time to go back to the office, he chose to go with the other guy. He didn't mention why, but it made me wonder.

The last time I put on AM (for my early-30's daughter) she said that it "makes my ears hurt." Coming from an attorney who chooses her words carefully, I think the problem is the audio, not the content.

 

[LibertyNT]

Freakin wimps. ;D

 

[Tom Wells]

Lots of questions.
What kind of vehicle were you in, was it the factory radio, what kind of antenna, etc.

If you were trying to watch a 3D movie through 5 pairs of panty hose, you might think it sucked, too.

I'll LOAN you a radio where your co-worker would understand that 740 AM out of Toronto will spank your ears
better than any FM.

And Radio Disney makes MY ears hurt, too, with the iboc "high pressure steam escaping" sound.

I can supply AM fidelity examples that would help him re-assess his mis-impression of AM's capabilities.

 

[landtuna]

And to think it was my 20-year old son who turned me on to "The Goldmine", 1440 AM (Oldies).

 

[johnbasalla]

The vehicle I was in was my 2007 Ford Fusion with the radio that came with it. The radio is working fine. The "Radio Disney" station doesn't sound bad to my ear, but there are other AMs that do sound at least a bit better. There was a little weak signal noise and fading in and out (only a bit) associated with Toronto's AM 740, but I'm not bothered by it. I can understand how others would be.

And, what do you mean by "Freakin' Wimps", LibertyNT?

 

[LibertyNT]

And, what do you mean by "Freakin' Wimps", LibertyNT?

They can't handle the AM audio so bad it hurts their ears.
And would prefer not to ride in the car of anyone who listens to it.

But, my comment was mostly a harmless joke

 

[TomZ]

To a screenager, any audio that's better than their earbuds must hurt.

 

[TheBigA]

I think the problem is the audio, not the content.

It can be both. Back when FM was just starting to become popular, it was a social right of passage to listen to FM. "There goes Fred. He still listens to AM." And if you really want to empty your car, put on a political talk show for people who don't share the point of view. I know someone who's a Mac guy. He prefers to hang with other Mac guys, and likes to criticize PCs. Think of AM as a PC.

 

[TheBigA]

I'll LOAN you a radio where your co-worker would understand that 740 AM out of Toronto will spank your ears
better than any FM.

I think the point here is you don't need special equipment for FM to sound good. It's the 21st century. After 100 years, you shouldn't need special equipment to listen to the radio.

 

[SirRoxalot]

I think the point here is you don't need special equipment for FM to sound good. It's the 21st century. After 100 years, you shouldn't need special equipment to listen to the radio.

Heh. A 50 year old radio will give you better AM sound than almost anything made since 1990...

 

[TheBigA]

Heh. A 50 year old radio will give you better AM sound than almost anything made since 1990...

How appropriate. Meanwhile, FM sounds great on a cell phone.

 

[Tom Wells]

I'll LOAN you a radio where your co-worker would understand that 740 AM out of Toronto will spank your ears
better than any FM.

I think the point here is you don't need special equipment for FM to sound good. It's the 21st century. After 100 years, you shouldn't need special equipment to listen to the radio.

I'm not suggesting anything special, I have quite few perfectly average radios where the differrence is quite evident.

One hundred per cent agreement that political talk will clear out a car-pool faster than stinky flatulence.

However, the AM/PC thing is another constructed, artificial difference.
Apple/Mac simply went to great lengths to hide the structure and operating sytem behind a wall and offer no "knobs and switches"
to confuse those who shouldn't be fiddling with them anyway.
Fine for those who do not want to know anything about what's going on or structure of file systems.
I admit there is far more going in Windows than I like, but I'd never want to paint myself into corner with one manufacturer
who thinks being incompatible is the foremost consideration.


This created Apple's "closed" enivronment and "closed mind" fans.

The fly in the vinegar bottle thinks it's the sweetest place in the world because that's the only place it's ever been.

Marketing is like that.

Seems crazy now, but I think the day will come when Apple will be seen as the "1970's leisure suit" of computers.

Anything that tries so hard to not be compatible is suspect for that reason alone.

Just as in the old Columbia microgroove record edict; "Whatever you come up with, make sure it's incompatible with that #$@! RCA 7 inch 45!"

 

[MickeyD]

I think the point here is you don't need special equipment for FM to sound good. It's the 21st century. After 100 years, you shouldn't need special equipment to listen to the radio.

Heh. A 50 year old radio will give you better AM sound than almost anything made since 1990...

Or a current AM radio for a pair of 50 year old ears.

 

[TheBigA]

However, the AM/PC thing is another constructed, artificial difference.

That's fine. We live in a world where facts don't matter. It's all about perception. That's why Apple wins.

Radio's primary advantage is its ubiquity. If the sound can't transcend ubiquity, and the technology creates a restriction, the advantage goes away. And the second thing is the negative perception of AM. Regardless of the facts. People perceive AM to be old and outdated. That perception is built on 40 years of unquestioned opinion. Someone coming along now and saying "Just get a better radio" won't change that negative perception. In fact it reinforces it. A better buggy whip isn't going to get me to replace my sports car with a horse.

 

[Tom Wells]

However, the AM/PC thing is another constructed, artificial difference.

That's fine. We live in a world where facts don't matter. It's all about perception. That's why Apple wins.

Radio's primary advantage is its ubiquity. If the sound can't transcend ubiquity, and the technology creates a restriction, the advantage goes away. And the second thing is the negative perception of AM. Regardless of the facts. People perceive AM to be old and outdated. That perception is built on 40 years of unquestioned opinion. Someone coming along now and saying "Just get a better radio" won't change that negative perception. In fact it reinforces it. A better buggy whip isn't going to get me to replace my sports car with a horse.

The sports car doesn't know the way home and the horse will at least try to not run into things, while the car is perfectly happy to do so.


We DON'T live in a world where facts do not matter, we pay marketing people to find an aspect that will cause the public to
ignore facts.

Perception is the battleground of reality, but those reporting the news and creating the perceptions have vested interests.

This in way no changes facts, which DO change for completely independent reasons.

I can walk on my hands but this does not make them feet, regardless of good marketing.

Speaking of feet, many are deciding the last 35 years of "running shoe" technology have done a disservice to our feet
with all the padding, wedgies, and puffy pads. Seems the foot itself has a structure that works best on its own.
But not if it's overloaded beyond its design by our modern, overfed bodies.

Now the cool thing in running shoes is as close to barefoot as can be, letting the foot work as it is supposed to.
But look how much money got thrown at all the redesigns since 1975.
A lot of money also spent on orthopedic surgery created by the bad shoes.

But it's all been very good for marketing, and the corporations who enjoy the benefits of exploiting workers worldwide.

The whole job of marketing is to make so much noise that the populace cannot judge wisely.
Debt would not be so popular otherwise.

 

[TheBigA]

This in way no changes facts, which DO change for completely independent reasons.

OK, you want facts? Compare the listening audience for all of AM to all of FM. What do those facts say?

The success of FM wasn't driven by marketing. It was a no-brainer. Once the audience started moving, there was no going back. It's done. No marketing, no facts, no nothing with reverse it.

 

[ChiefOperator]

Try listening to AM on a modulation monitor. You'll be amazed how outstanding wideband AM sounds. Very close to FM, even better in some cases.

The problem with AM quality is not the AM signal, rather it's the horrendous tuners available...

 

[TheBigA]

The problem with AM quality is not the AM signal, rather it's the horrendous tuners available...

People keep saying that, and yet no one can explain why FM sounds great regardless of the equipment.

 

[TomZ]

The problem with AM quality is not the AM signal, rather it's the horrendous tuners available...

People keep saying that, and yet no one can explain why FM sounds great regardless of the equipment.

Blame it on the 'limiter' circuitry...
http://www.ycars.org/EFRA/Module%20B/fmrecvr.htm