Does Digital Sound Compare Badly With Analogue?

[chakka35]

Digital sound consists of a series of ones and zeros. The ones are square waves which, in theory, require an infinite bandwidth. This obviously impossible.
An analogue signal on FM has ample bandwidth to cover the whole of the audible spectrum.
Is this why some people (including me) feel that that the sound from a high-quality vinyl disc or an FM broadcast is superior to that from a CDROM?

[jomifl]

The output from your speakers is analogue constucted from information stored digitally. Surely the quality of the analogue sound from your speakers is determined by the algorithm use to produce it (other things being equal)

[ivor4781]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_analog_and_digital_recording

[paddywak]

Really nothing to do with the question but Trish and I often listen to some of our old vinyls,the quality isn't all that great what with all the crackles and all but thay don't half bring back the memories.

[seadogg]

At least with digital the signal is either there in full or there is nothing. With all other modes there is a chance of spill over and distortion from other stations. That said, I prefer FM for music though Narrow Band FM will do for speech. One wonders if the whole deal is to flog off the former frequencies for profit, leaving us with digital. As a radio amateur I am aware of this happening in areas other than commercial broadcasting.

[seadogg]

jom, the audio stage of a receiver takes care of that problem.

[ChuckFickens]

FM radio is roughly equivalent to 192Kbs bit rate MP3.

CD and 256Kbs MP3 and you'll really need to be a serious audiophile and have some real high end equipment to spot a difference.

320Kbs MP3 is capable of far higher quality than most sources you'll be encoding it from.

[jomifl]

Seadogg, I don't use an fm receiver as it the fm is all in foreign. I only use cd and mp3 audio media.