Streaming Showdown: What Happens to Your Audio on the Way to the Listener?

At Boss Global Radio™, we believe audio quality isn't a luxury—it's the baseline. So when we ran a technical analysis comparing our broadcast stream to that of a popular iHeartRadio station, the results confirmed what we already suspected: bitrate matters, and the devil is in the details.

🔊 The Test

We recorded a live 9-second segment from an iHeart station's stream, directly captured from their public. aac file served via HLS. That audio was analyzed alongside a segment from our own Boss Global Radio™ stream, using spectrograms and bitrate diagnostics to understand what's happening under the hood.

🥳 What We Found

🌐 iHeart Stream (Public Feed):

Codec: HE-AAC (likely v2)

Bitrate: ~48 kbps

Sample Rate: 48,000 Hz

Channels: Stereo (likely parametric stereo)

Spectrogram Analysis:

Strong presence from 0–10 kHz, covering bass and midrange nicely.

Sharp drop-off above 12 kHz. High frequencies were either severely limited or reconstructed using SBR (Spectral Band Replication).

Faint spectral artifacts above 16 kHz consistent with SBR's synthetic treble simulation.

Stereo spread appears generated, not fully preserved.

Translation? The stream is tuned for bandwidth efficiency, not fidelity. It sounds fine on earbuds or low-data mobile settings, but it lacks air, space, and punch on high-end setups.

📍 Boss Global Radio™ Stream:

Codec: AAC-LC

Bitrate: 128 kbps

Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz (with a 48 kHz backend, resampled once)

Channels: True Stereo

Spectrogram Analysis:

Full-spectrum clarity up to ~16–18 kHz.

No aliasing or spectral compression artifacts.

Bass transients are sharp, vocals are present, and the stereo field remains wide and intact.

Clean resampling from our 48kHz studio chain ensures fidelity without phasing, dullness, or "glue."

Translation? Whether you're on headphones or high-res monitors, the difference is audible. And intentional.

🔪 Why This Matters

Audio quality isn't just technical. It's emotional. A compressed, phasey stream dulls the energy of the music. A clean, full-bandwidth signal hits harder, moves deeper, and connects stronger. Most listeners don't speak in kilobits or sample rates. But they can feel the difference.

This isn't a knock on mainstream stations. It's a signal to listeners and engineers alike: if you're streaming in 2025, do it with intention. Your audience deserves better than just "good enough."

📈 Ready to Hear the Difference?

We encourage you to compare for yourself:

Play a high-energy track on your favorite iHeart stream

Then switch to BossGlobalRadio.com and stream the same genre

Focus on the highs, the stereo width, and the punch

We don't just talk specs. We deliver them.

Boss Global Radio™—Broadcast. Built Right.