Internet Radio sounds better than ripped CDs. Why

Thanks for the replies guys. I ripped the files in Apple Lossless using iTunes. I'm wirelessly streaming the audio from my PC to a SB3 using it's coax digital out to a digital input on my Integra 8.8 AVR, so I'm using the built-in dacs on the Integra for both Internet Radio & my music files. So in essense, all things are equal.

I'm taking delivery today on a Rowland Concerto integrated. If I can borrow a friend's dac, I'll do a comparison.

Shadorne - My friend has the same theory as you do regarding the processing of IR stations. Perhaps that's the answer.

I'll post again after I listen to the Rowland. Thanks again.

Shadorne - My friend has the same theory as you do regarding the processing of IR stations. Perhaps that's the answer.

Yes - radio stations have compressors and limiters and all kinds of stuff to create their "house-sound". Depending on the target market they can enhance various aspects of the sound in a way that suites their listeners. For example, a Rock Station will typically target commuters in their automobiles and compress the music to get it to sound loud over the car and road noise. Meanwhile a late night show may enhance the bass frequencies and smooth the highs for a laid back relaxing smooth sound at lower listening levels...

My IR experience has been that the dynamics are less compressed than my ripped files. Perhaps it's a case of my listening primarily to electronic ambient music on IR, which as the genre implies, lends itself to ambience.

The volume levels between the two are also greatly different. When listening to my ripped music, I have to turn up the volume a good 10dB in order to achieve the same volume level as IR. Both inputs are set to the default level of "0" in the AVR.

I have to turn up the volume a good 10dB in order to achieve the same volume level as IR. Both inputs are set to the default level of "0" in the AVR

Then the IR radio is probably compressed - it usually is. If if it sounds better than perhaps the genre is suited to compression and added distortion (rock, punk and alternative tend to sound better to most ears when it is somewhat compressed) The dead giveaway is when it sounds louder and more agressively punchy or detailed than the original ....a lot of modern re-mastering further compresses already compressed music.

An easy way to tell is to listen at low volumes an dsee if it sounds punchy and detailed and then to turn the volume up loud. If you cannot stand it played loudly (like an assault on the ears) then it is probably compressed and highly distorted with plenty of odd harmonics from clipped waverforms. It is an odd trick but perceptively a compressed distorted track will sound louder when played at low volume levels.

(In teh discussion above, I mean physical compression & distortion of waveforms fudnamental to the music and not CODEC compresssion from mp3 to save file space)

I have to agree with the original post. I'm using Apple lossless codec and through an Airport Express I find the results to be unsatisfactory. On the other hand some internet radio stations such as TSF Jazz which are streamed at 128 kbs sound almost analog in quality. I know that TSF does play some vinyl (I can hear the surface noise) but regardless the majority of the music sounds wonderful. It must be due to the encoding. I will have to investigate other encoding methods other than Apple lossless.