PRO-96 vs BCD396T Digital Audio Quality

[petrol88]

I've seen quite a few posts scattered around the forums about this, but can't quite pin down the current relative performance between these two (and can't afford to go out and buy both right now). It sounds like PRO-96 still has the edge over the BCD396T with "Audio Quality" but can you please define this for me a little better? Some people say "bad audio quality" because of occasional digital noise (which to me seems like either a bad receive or bad decode and nothing to do with audio quality).

Given good receive environments, which one really sounds better on digital and why do you think so?

Or, if you mean something else by "bad audio" or "better audio" what do you mean?

 

[Dubbin]

With my 96 and 396 sitting side by side pickng up the same digital system the 396 sounds much better to my ears.

 

[NightFox]

I don't have either but have read quite a few reviews and about 99% of them say that the 396 sounds better hands down

 

[jehm1212]

Even after making the AGC adjustments, I would have to say that my Pro-96 and 2096 sound better than my 396T on both P-16 and P-25 digital systems. We must remember, though, than any opinions given are just that - opinions. There really is no way to prove that one is better than the other. I think that there are many variables in each system and location that can't be pinned down and would cause one to sound "better" than the other.

 

[petrol88]

Pro-96 and 2096 sound better than my 396T on both P-16 and P-25 digital systems

Can you explain qualitative what you mean by "better?" More treble, more bass, sharper, flatter, ????

 

[jehm1212]

To me, it sounds more natural. There may be less bass in the Pro-96. I feel that there is less distortion of the audio. With the 396, it sounds more like a cell phone than what you would expect from a high-end communications system. Also, the 396 has more of the machine-gunning a the beginning of a digital transmission, and sometimes there is a delay from when the actual voice starts and when the 396 will start decoding (even without the machine-gunning).

Again, these are my observations and opinions. In no way am I suggesting them as absolute fact. I'm sure that there are many others who could give reports similar to mine, and there are probably just as many who would say the opposite.

 

[mfn002]

I have a 796D and the digital sound quality is EXACTLY identical to the sound quality comming in over the dispatchers' consoles.