How is online radio so transparent?


I listen to Radio International Jazz streaming on the internet at my office. I have a Philips Mini system for this. It's a very good sounding mini system but is truly lo fi. It's connected via rca to mini plugs to my Dell desktop. In this very cheap setup the speakers play with extreme transparency, midrange detail and clarity, midbass too. This little system really cooks. To my ears this kind of performance is right up there in the upper mid-fi. How is this kind of quality possible with these electronics and speakers?
foster_9

Showing 3 responses by foster_9

03-11-10: Almarg
And of course the computer speakers don't have any deep bass, which is a major cost driver in a quality system.

Another factor is that the speakers, sound card, and heavily processed source material probably homogenize the sound, making mediocre source material sound more pleasant than it would on a high quality, more revealing system, but sacrificing the ability to make high quality material sound as good as it should.

By the way Almarg the speakers aren't computer speakers. They are the Philips mini system speakers and produce some fairly prodigious bass which is what attracted me to this system in the first place. Of course these speakers can't do reference levels, but bass is one of their strong suits.
03-12-10: Craig_hoch
On that note, anynoe listening to jazz stations of good sound quality? What are they??

Radioio.com- Jazz Standards category
Radio International Jazz (England) radioguide.fm