2/15/2024

The 13 Best Internet Radio Stations of 2024

With the multitude of online radio stations that are available, picking your favorite should be easy. Below is my hand-picked list of the absolute best online radio stations for a variety of genres.

I reviewed dozens of these types of websites to uncover the best choices in a variety of categories, so you'll find country music, instrumental music, a station perfect for party music, and several others.

Each of these picks has music selected by one or more DJs, much like a traditional radio station. In fact, some are just online streams of the same radio program played over the air in that station's local area.

These websites are true radio programs, not on-demand music streaming services. While a streaming music service gives you the freedom to play specific tracks and eliminates commercials, you have to manually pick and choose which songs to stream. An internet radio station plays DJ-chosen music as part of a category or genre, like rock, indie, jazz, Christian, etc., making music discovery fun and easy.

DI.FM: Best Electronic Music Internet Radio

DI.FM electronic music radio channels
What We Like
  • Dozens of stations to choose from.

  • Skip one track per day.

  • Also available through their app.

What We Don't Like
  • Some streams are for premium users only.

  • Must make a free account after 30 minutes of listening.

  • Ads and lower quality audio for free users.

Now known as DI.FM, Digitally Imported launched in 1999 as an internet radio service that lets you stream electronic music 24/7. They have a team of curators that choose the best music from each genre or style.

In addition to browsing the most popular channels, here are several subcategories you can pick from: trance, EDM, dance, house, lounge, chillout, techno, bass, ambient, deep, classic, vocal, hard, and synth. The last time I streamed from here, I listened to the LoFi Lounge & Chill station; it was perfect as background noise.

You can follow any channel to add it to your list of favorites for easy access later.

If you're a paying user, you can change the audio quality, listen in external players through a playlist file, skip more tracks, and access premium-only stations. Free users can make an account to like and dislike tracks.

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SomaFM: Internet Radio for Awesome Indie Music

Soma FM online radio
What We Like
  • Commercial-free radio station.

  • Multiple ways to listen.

  • Shows several recently played songs.

  • The browser player includes a sleep timer.

What We Don't Like
  • Uninteresting website design.

One of the best ways to find new indie music is with this internet radio station from SomaFM. The DJs hand-pick all the best indie songs they can find and let you listen directly from your browser or with your favorite media player.

Some of the artists and bands I've heard here include Amanda Cadore, Alvvays, Aloha, Polica, Carroll, Paranoids, Violents and Monica Martin, Beck, and Neko Case.

I love that the Indie Pop Rocks station shows all the artists they’ve played in the last two weeks so that I can not only see which artists were played more than others but also get a link to their tracks on Amazon. There's also a handy recently played songs list for an idea of the content.

Something else you can do is add songs to a list of your favorites, from where you can easily purchase them.

I prefer indie music, but several other channels are available if you're not into it. This includes holiday music, ambient electronic and experimental space music, early 2000s classics, and others.

This internet radio station can be streamed from the web as well as through a mobile or desktop app. If you prefer the TuneIn app, you can use it, too; just search for SomaFM Indie Pop Rocks! on TuneIn.

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WLTW 106.7 Lite FM: New York's Best Variety Radio Station

radio streaming from 106.7
What We Like
  • Includes lyrics to some songs.

  • Provides a full screen experience.

What We Don't Like
  • Cluttered website.

  • Large ads.

Owned by iHeartMedia and often New York’s top-rated radio station, WLTW 106.7 Lite FM plays all types of music, from modern day back to the ‘80s. This is my go-to when I'm not really sure what I'm in the mood for.

This station delivers dance, pop, rock, disco, R&B, punk, new wave, and more, from artists and groups like Wham!, George Michael, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Camila Cabello, Tears for Fears, Prince, Duran Duran, Cutting Crew, No Doubt, and many others.

If you like a recently played song from the WLTW 106.7 Lite FM radio station, you can start your own station based on that type of music, and even skip through the songs, unlike you can on the radio.

An iHeartRadio subscription lets you replay songs from the radio, save songs from the radio to your own playlist, and more. I use the free version often, and I honestly never feel like I'm missing out on those features.

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Cinemix: A Radio Station for Movie Soundtracks

Cinemix online radio station
What We Like
  • Shows the movie or series the song is known from.

  • Purchase links are available.

  • Lets you listen from a browser or mobile app.

What We Don't Like
  • Plays mainly orchestra music.

  • Infrequent app updates.

This is a neat one! If you’re in the habit of buying soundtrack CDs from your favorite films, then you’ll love this radio station. It features music found only in movies and TV shows, and since it’s ad-supported, it’s totally free.

Just a few examples of movies and shows that Cinemix features music from include Supernatural, Bicentennial Man, Lost, Guardians of the Galaxy, Call the Midwife, Last Chance Harvey, War for the Planet of the Apes, and many others.

The current song, plus the three upcoming and several recently played songs, are listed out for you.

If you become a VIP member, you can see the 20 most recently played songs instead of just a few, as well as dedicate and request songs, and more.

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KEAN 105.1 FM: Texas' Best Country Music Radio Station

KEAN 105.1 FM online radio station
What We Like
  • Runs on a web browser or mobile device.

  • Lists dozens of the recently played songs with links to buy tracks on Apple Music.

What We Don't Like
  • Must use the pop-up player to avoid stopping the music when you browse other areas of the site.

  • Pop-up ads display elsewhere on the page.

Based out of Texas, KEAN 105.1 FM is the best internet radio station to stream country music. They have a handful of DJs that choose the best country music for you, and all the upcoming shows for the week are listed on their website.

KEAN 105.1 FM plays songs from Kenny Chesney, Kane Brown, Maren Morris, Rodney Atkins, Jake Owen, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, and many others. See what's played recently to get an idea.

Some internet radio stations play in a separate part of the site so that when you click elsewhere, like to view upcoming shows or recently played songs, the music won’t stop playing. To do that with this one, you need to open the pop-out player.

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K-LOVE: Christian Music and Talk Radio

K-LOVE online radio player
What We Like
  • Displays recently played songs.

  • Provides links to buy songs.

  • Shows lyrics for recent tracks.

  • Includes briefs on local and national news.

  • Artist info is shown in the browser player.

What We Don't Like
  • Often lots of talk between songs.

Launched in the early '80s, K-LOVE, a solely Christian music station, is today one of the world's top-streamed online radio stations. It's also delivered over FM radio in numerous U.S. cities.

Every week, millions of online listeners can hear music from MercyMe, Rend Collective, Zach Williams, Francesca Battistelli, Skillet, for KING & COUNTRY, Chris Tomlin, TobyMac, Micah Tyler, Lauren Daigle, and more.

The website has a few other channels beyond the live stream, that targets Christmas, '90s, and 2000s music, specifically.

The K-LOVE mobile app only shows four recently played songs, but it also has a Verse of the Day page and information on all the artists played on the radio station.

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My House Radio: Commercial-Free Dance Music

My House Radio streaming from Airtime
What We Like
  • Strong focus on just a few genres.

  • 24/7 streaming without website ads or commercial breaks.

  • Provides a 7-day schedule.

What We Don't Like
  • Some parts of the website don't work.

  • No official mobile app.

  • Doesn't show individual track names.

My House Radio has a simple mission: to promote artists and DJs who produce dance music in genres like house, deep house, soulful, and classics. They have more than 40 DJs from around the world.

It's a phenomenal radio station for dance music because you're never distracted by commercial interruptions. Plus, you can listen all day, every day.

I like to use the stripped-down player (here) when I'm listening on my phone, to avoid all the unnecessary graphics and other web pages. You can also listen to My House Radio on Airtime for a decent UI. The same radio station is available through TuneIn and other streaming services.

Instrumental Hits Radio: Internet Radio Without Lyrics

Instrumental Hits Radio online station
What We Like
  • Provides a great mix of instrumental music.

  • Keeps a history of all the music played that day.

  • A playlist file can be downloaded to listen in your own music player.

  • Request your favorite songs.

What We Don't Like
  • Lots of ads in the mobile app.

Instrumental Hits Radio has been delivering a "blend of instrumental genres" in the form of a radio station since 2013. Some of the music you can hear here include classical, big band, new-age, lounge, orchestral, and jazz.

Something I find unique about this website is the 'request your favorite song' feature. You can do so every 30 minutes.

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Fun Kids: Kid-Friendly Online Radio Station

Fun Kids Radio online station for kids
What We Like
  • Avoids mature content.

  • Void of typical "buy this" commercials.

  • Includes on-demand music.

  • Lists recently played tracks.

What We Don't Like
  • Website is sometimes slow.

Fun Kids is a UK-based online radio station that features music more appropriate for a younger crowd. It's part of a larger children's media brand that includes kid radio stations like Fun Kids Junior, Fun Kids Soundtracks, and Fun Kids Classical.

Although this is clearly meant for children, I have to say that the soundtracks station is entertaining even for me (particularly when The Lion King music comes across my screen).

In addition to a live radio service are several on-demand shows you can re-listen to at any time. Elsewhere on the website are podcasts for kids, quizzes, videos, book recommendations, and more educational and informative kid-friendly content.

There's a mobile app for Android, iOS, and Amazon Fire.

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Jazz24: Commercial-Free Jazz Radio

Jazz24 online radio station
What We Like
  • Commercial-free listening.

  • Mobile access.

  • Long-term playlist history.

  • Old sessions can be replayed on demand.

What We Don't Like
  • The website is difficult to navigate.

Jazz24 is a KNKX Public Radio station that streams jazz music online and locally in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, on 88.5 FM.

This online radio station plays jazz from artists like Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Diana Krall, and Pat Metheny, among others.

The mobile app has an alert feature you can enable to start playing jazz automatically when the timer goes off. You can also access this radio station through various streaming links.

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Hot 108 JAMZ: Internet Radio for Rap/Hip Hop Music

Hot 108 JAMZ online radio station
What We Like
  • Shows the five most recently played songs.

  • Chat with other listeners.

  • Songwriters can submit their own music.

  • Lists recent tracks.

  • Can purchase music from Amazon and Apple.

  • Several places to listen from.

What We Don't Like
  • Includes commercials.

  • Obnoxiously cluttered website; lots of ads.

Part of a network of internet radio stations called Powerhitz, Hot 108 JAMZ streams hip hop music. Although this network includes other stations unrelated to rap, a different program director curates music for this station every day.

Some of the artists I heard the last time I listened included Rihanna, Drake, 2 Pac, Lil Donald, Meek Mill, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Mariah Carey, Usher, 50 Cent, The Carters, and Rich Gang.

Hot 108 JAMZ also accepts shout-outs and song requests.

This internet radio station is available at TuneIn, radio.net, Streema, and Radioline. If you pick one of those apps or websites to listen from, you'll get other features such as a sleep timer and "favorite" option.

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Relax FM: Best Radio Stations for Relaxing Music

Relax FM radio station website
What We Like
  • Amazing curated selection.

  • Great place to find new chill music.

  • Plays relaxing versions of popular music.

  • Browse through the stream playlist.

What We Don't Like
  • Site is partially in Russian.

  • Occasional streaming issues.

Relax FM is a radio station out of Moscow, Russia, that features instrumental, English, and foreign music.

There are multiple channels to pick from, including Relax Life, Relax Nature, Relax Latino, and Relax lo-fi, among others. True to its name, I find it super relaxing, especially while doing repetitive things like cleaning.

While you can listen online from anywhere, including the official Relax FM website, it's also available locally to Moscow listeners at 90.8 FM and some other stations.

The apps linked below are from radio.net because the official Relax FM apps are in Russian. You can stream this radio station from radio.net, too.

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Radio Santa Claus: Christmas Music All Year Round

Radio Santa Claus online radio station
What We Like
  • Includes modern Christmas music.

  • Puts you in the Christmas mood with a live video feed from Santa Claus Village in Finland.

  • You can leave images and comments for other listeners to see.

What We Don't Like
  • Lots of website ads.

Based out of Santa Claus Village in Finland, where Santa is around all year long, is the Radio Santa Claus station where thousands gather every day to listen to Christmas music any time of the year.

The music here comes from singers like Frank Sinatra, Colbie Caillat, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Blake Shelton, Dean Martin, Sara Bareilles, Andrea Bocelli, and children's choirs, among others.

The Android app is even simpler than the website. You can start and stop the live stream, see what's currently playing, and leave a comment for other listeners to see.

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Source: https://www.lifewire.com/best-internet-radio-stations-4173657

What will happen to AM and FM broadcasts in the future? It's a tech question that needs to be answered.

AM radio has been around since the beginning of broadcasting. FM was invented in the 1930s and surpassed AM as the band of choice in the 1980s. Both bands have had an excellent run. But how much longer will we be using them?

I am NOT talking about the death of terrestrial radio. It will survive just fine. But the distribution channels will change.

Here in North America, we have AM, FM, satellite radio, streaming, and HD-Radio. Let’s go through them.

AM faces the biggest challenge, not only because of its inferior audio quality but because signals cannot penetrate the electromagnetic fields generated by electric vehicles. If you can’t be heard in the car, you’re dead. A new survey says that 73% of people listen to radio in the car. Some AM stations are moving to FM, but government regulations and dearth of open spots on the dial are big roadblocks.

FM continues to do well despite pressure from other audio options like smartphones and streaming. Its biggest disadvantage is that it’s not interactive, something that younger generations demand.

Satellite radio serves a listening niche, although there’s just one provider in North America. While it offers a huge variety of programming, it’s not free. That’s a big barrier to a lot of people.

Online audio streaming of radio continues to grow. That same survey says that 70% of Americans stream AM/FM radio and audio content weekly.

HD Radio (the brand name of In-Band On-Channel or iBOC) is based on tech developed in the 1990s. It has never taken off in a big way even though many, many markets have stations that broadcast in HD Radio. And if your car is less than seven years old, chances are it can receive HD Radio broadcasts, although most infotainment systems don’t make it easy.

Nothing stands still, how will radio be distributed in the future?

Things are evolving in other parts of the world. Norway, Switzerland, and a few other countries are in the process of shutting down the legacy bands (i.e. AM and FM) in favour of digital radio (DAB). That’s never going to happen here.

We in North America had a chance to get on board with DAB more than 20 years ago, but the US kiboshed the whole thing for a couple of reasons. First, the broadcast frequencies required by DAB were apparently too close to those used by the US military. Second, the US is just too big and no one wanted to spend the necessary money to build transmitters and repeaters. HD Radio was seen as a compromise, but no one seems to care.

And third, Canada actually adopted DAB more than two decades ago but ran into technical issues. At the time, though, VHF frequencies were being used for over-the-air analogue TV (not a problem anymore). The other issue was that because DAB used microwave frequencies around 1200 MHz, lots and lots of transmitters would be required to have extensive and smooth signals. Like the US, we’re just too big (although Australia and Russia seem to be interested in solving this problem.)

Okay, so where do we go from here? There are big predictions about the connectivity possible with 5G and 6G networks. That, however, requires a LOT of technical infrastructure upgrades. It’ll also take a long time for the majority of the population to transition from whatever type of network they’re using now. This will also require changes to infotainment systems in cars, something that won’t happen quickly.

Broadcasters will have to figure out how to adapt, too, but are very, very wary of moving too quickly in this direction. We in radio remember the early 2000s when we went all-in with online offerings. But by the time we were able to roll out the new platforms, the tech had moved on and we were stuck with an outdated and buggy online presence. Radio now tends to use off-the-shelf products (e.g. building websites on WordPress platforms instead of creating something from scratch). At this point, there are no off-the-shelf solutions for 5G and 6G connectivity.

We will move on eventually. But what will happen to that spectrum now occupied by AM and FM? Will they be repurposed? Unknown.

Old-school VHF radios once used by taxis and other fleet vehicles have pretty much disappeared in favour of apps on a smartphone. Is that the direction of AM and FM? Possibly. Will these frequencies eventually empty out? Could they be used for low-power very specialized micro-broadcasting? Maybe.

To be clear, “radio” is not going away. It will be with us forever. It just needs to be redefined away from sounds that come out of box that you tune to a specific frequency. “Radio” will become something that can be enjoyed digitally both in real time and on-demand. How we receive those broadcasts is still very much TBA.

To get a little more into the weeds, go here.

Source: https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/what-will-happen-to-am-and-fm-broadcasts-in-the-future-its-a-tech-question-that-needs-to-be-answered/









1/23/2024

XRCD / K2HD / SHM HD Discs by JVC


Extended Resolution Compact Disc (XRCD) is a mastering and manufacture process patented by JVC (Victor Company of Japan, Ltd) for producing Red Book compact discs. It was first introduced in 1995.

An XRCD is priced about twice as high as a regular full-priced CD. JVC attributes this to the higher cost of quality mastering and manufacturing.
 

Technical overview

The XRCD definition refers to the mastering and manufacture process; the resulting CD and the contained data conform to the redbook standard and are encoded at 16 bits, 44.1 kHz. Hence, XRCDs are playable on any compact disc player.

JVC uses advanced dither algorithms (though without noise shaping) in their K2 technology to transfer the analog or digital source to physical disc. The company claims to have studied how inferior CD-remastering techniques degrade the master tape sound and strives to minimize this loss.

Unlike HDCD, the extra four bits cannot be recovered, as this method of mastering only aims to improve dithering to 16-bit, rather than to store extra data.
 

Mastering process

If analog, the source material is first converted to digital via JVC's K2 20-bit or 24-bit analog-to-digital converter.

The musical information is next encoded on a magneto-optical disk for transport to JVC's Yokohama manufacturing plant, where jitter reduction is applied. The musical signal on the disk is down-converted to 16-bit through a K2 "super-coding" process. This 16-bit signal is eight-to-fourteen modulation-encoded (EFM-encoded) before going through a proprietary "Extended Pit Cut" DVD K2 laser technology to produce a glass master. JVC claims this optimizes the linear velocity of the glass master, giving precise pit lengths to eliminate time jitters, controlled by an extremely precise rubidium clock. All CDs are finally stamped directly from this glass master.

XRCD2 and XRCD24 are improved versions of the original XRCD process. XRCD2 is the first to record to a magneto-optical disk via the digital K2 regenerator, while XRCD24 upgrades the original music signal's bit depth signal from 20 to 24 bits. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Resolution_Compact_Disc


K2 HD Mastering

K2 HD Mastering:
This is an epoch-making mastering technology which can pack the original attractive sound quality of master sources in each media with the information of quite wide frequency range up to 100kHz and high resolution of 24bit based upon K2 High Definition coding technology.
In case of CD mastering, it can realize very high sound quality CD which never existed before by packing the information of 192kHz and 24bit in CD master format of 44.1kHz and 16bit.


It depends on the master sources.

*In case of completed master sources such as "Analog Masters" with attractive original sound, it can keep all the information included in the master sources without any change.

*In case of Digital master sources (3/4U-matic, DAT etc.) in which the information or sound quality has already changed compared with the original masters, it can reproduce the sound quite close to the original.

*In case of master sources which need higher sound quality, it can be realized in an active and creative way.

"K2HD MASTERING" requires engineers to have enough skills in handling the equipments knowing well the special character of "K2 High Definition Coding", coping with the various situations such as the status of provided master formats, in judging the sound quality, and the best approach depending on the music genres and contents.

"K2HD MASTERING" can exist only by the engineers' manpower with high judgment for sound quality, and high skills which can match it best to the sound sources to be mastered.



The main purpose of "K2HD MASTERING" is to reproduce the charms packed in the original master sources as much as possible. It is especially effective for the reproduction of rich ambience and sound reality. Particularly it’s recommended for jazz and classical music full of sound reality played by acoustic instruments.


The direction of completed sound depends on the contents of masters but as a whole, it will be with a lot of analog taste full of depth which is soft as well as with high frequency range. Therefore, it's best for mastering of old master sources.


The process of K2HD MASTERING is the same as the one of normal mastering.


There's no special restriction for the format of original master sources or the completed format after mastering. The sound sources can be exchanged through Internet as well.
In case of CD manufacturing, as the master sound quality becomes much better by K2HD MASTERING, it will be possible to manufacture high quality CDs even if the process after mastering is the same as usual.

Of course, it's possible to play such CDs on normal CD players, which can show enough effect of K2HD MASTERING.


Epoch-making new mastering technology which can pack the original attractive sound quality of master sources brought out by mastering engineers' sensitivity and skill in each media with the information of quite wide range up to 100kHz and high resolution of 24bit based upon K2 High Definition coding technology.


The following points are necessary for K2HD MASTERING.
*Mastering engineers with high sensitivity for sounds and enough skill
*Attractive pieces of music
*Master sound sources with enough information

 


This CD is mastered with superior skill of mastering engineer and revolutionary "K2 High Definition Coding" technology. K2HD MASTERING enhances sound spectrum to a bandwidth of 100 KHz and 24-bit resolution, while retaining all the charm of the original recording. K2HD mastered CDs offer extended nuance, dynamics and musicality and are playable on any CD player.


K2 High Definition Coding:
New technology developed by JVC group (JVC & Victor Entertainment) which can pack the information of wide frequency range up to 100kHz and high resolution of 24bit into lower format. This is a part of "K2 technology" which is JVC's original technology for higher digital sound quality started in 1987.


In CD's case, it is possible to pack the information of 192kHz & 24bit into the format of 44.1kHz & 16bit.


K2 Technology:
In 1987, JVC and Victor Musical Industries started to cooperate with each other to improve the digital sound quality, and developed this "K2 technology" as JVC's original.
To begin with "K2 interface", innovative technology to cancel fundamentally the elements out of signals such as "jitter and ripple" added at the time of transmission of digital signals which affect much the sound quality, this technology has been active in various professional recording and mastering studios as essential technology to stabilize and improve the sound quality by removing various factors which might affect the sound quality in the process of data transmission or change of media.


JVC is proud of this technology including the newest "netK2" and "K2HD coding" toward all over the world which is evolving day by day.

Source: https://hificable.dk/k2-hd-mastering/

Below is a sample XRCD:





SHM CD Discs

Since its first release of 2007, SHM-CD format has gained much popularity and been highly-acclaimed by audiophiles around the world especially who put the importance on the quality of the sound the most. This page will show you all about SHM-CD format for further understanding on it. It would be great if this page helps your next adventure to the pursuing-the-high-fidelity-audio world.

About SHM-CD

SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) is a superior quality CD fully compatible with all CD players. SHM-CD utilizes a polycarbonate material originally developed for LCD screens, and the enhanced transparency of the SHM-CD results in more clarity, depth and definition of sound, bringing the listener ever closer to the music of the original master.
*Results may vary depending on playback environment.

Features of the SHM-CD: Production

The injection molding system developed by JVC KENWOOD enhances the increased fluidity and greater transfer qualities of the polycarbonate, creating a new and improved disc in a compatible CD format.
  • The machine utilizes a precision master metal stamper also developed by JVC KENWOOD.
  • SHM-CD has it’s own production line, exclusively created for manufacturing SHM-CDs.

At JVC KENWOOD, we take pride in this meticulous production process, and prioritize quality over quantity.

Features of the SHM-CD: Quality


  • Every SHM-CD is made from a highly transparent polycarbonate originally designed for LCD screens.
  • Increased fluidity and greater transfer qualities of the polycarbonate allow for finer precision in pit formation.
  • Cleaner audio signals reduce jitter and the effects of birefringence.
Birefringence is the refraction of light in two slightly different directions to form two rays, scattering the radar and leading to poor reading. The superior transparency of this polycarbonate substrate (1.2mm thick) reduces the effects of birefringence resulting in a more accurate reading by the laser (780nm).

Features of the SHM-CD: Hardware


  • Conforms to the Red Book specification and definition of a Compact Disc Digital Audio.
  • Compatible with all CD players.
  • A CD with exceptional qualities across the board.
  • Superior manufacturing process extracts the highest possible sound quality.
 

Features of the SHM-CD: Sound Quality


  • Crystal clear sound.
  • Significantly higher resolution.
  • Excellent balance and stability.
  • Reduction in distortion, and improvement in bass range volume.


Source: https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/feature/shmcd_allabout