[1000mp] Speaker Choice - Headphones and Spatial Diversity

[WD8ARZ]

Contest situations are not the prime purpose of headphones Dale, though
those demanding situations make for great use of diversity reception modes.

For the brain to do maximum processing for spatial filtering of dual audio,
reducing unrelated audio energy (noise) is very helpful. Yes, you can use
stereo speakers, let me re phrase that, yes you can use dual speakers - one
on the output of each receiver - for diversity reception modes and to good
effect ..... but the dual speakers being on your ears is much better
performing. Menu options in the MP are set to feed completely separate audio
from each receiver to each speaker .... no mixing. (menu 4-8 Headphone Audio
set to Stereo 2, and I set menu 4-9 Af Gain Balance Control to Balance to
aid in centering the audio better when using Dsp on the main receiver - note
that these have no effect on the AF dual audio out jack on the back panel -
I use this jack for computer audio interfacing and wireless remote
speaker/headphone monitoring)

This is true for any mode of reception, and any type of purpose. An
improvement in detail content sorting, and a tremendous reduction in
listening strain is obtained. Once you have tired diversity reception in its
variety of techniques, you will be disappointed in mono, and distant dual
speaker monitoring. It is like going from a closet into the wide open spaces
with out boundaries... there is a real multi dimensional mind opening
sensation when listening in many of the diversity modes.... and just about a
complete removal of any strain and fatigue to listening.

It is not unusual for me to listen to AM stations at night, especially some
of the talk shows. I rarely listen to a AM station in the AM mode. I tend to
use Usb on one receiver, and Lsb on the other receiver. This is better
sounding, but not as good as tuning in two different frequency AM stations
transmitting the same material with the same time delay. When one fades, the
other generally is still there.

For mind boggling effects, I still put one of the AM stations in to Usb, the
other frequency into Lsb, and play with Dsp settings. There is a point
reached where a stereo like effect kicks in and the music is OutStanding in
how Good it sounds. This is your brain spatial sorting effecting kicking in
that produces this sensation, and it does it best on headphones.

When the band conditions permit, I also will tune in a Ssb station that is
in the clear in the wide 6 kHz mode. One receiver is put into the Lsb mode,
the other into Usb mode while leaving both selected to the wide 6 kHz
filters. Again great sounding audio is obtained.

After this email posting, I will dig into the archives and repost a previous
email thread about diversity operation.

73 from Bill - WD8ARZ
wd8arz@ix.netcom.com

----- Original Message -----
From: <dj2001@mn.rr.com>
To: <1000mp@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 31, 2002 11:52
Subject: Re: [1000mp] Speaker Choice
>
> I don't work contests so my need for headphones I guess is limited.
>
> Dale J.
> K9VUJ