MP3 Audio Format.

[Jeremy 0]

Hi, just like to know what audio format u guys download the CD/MP3 songs to your DAP.

 

I know there is EAC, 128KBps, 256KBps 192KBPs, 320KBPs & etc.

Which one offer the best sound ?

 

Thanks.

 

 

[scanfiend 0]

It really depends on the storage capacity of your DAP, and the threshold of quality you're willing to tolerate. Personally, I think 192VBR is a good compromise, though some guys would settle for nothing less than lossless.

[loop_ 0]

The last time I used to encode into MP3 format, Lame was quite popular. It's a VBR format so it isn't fixed, but generally you can choose the quality.

 

http://lame.sourceforge.net/about.html

 

 

To add to scanfield's comments, it also depends on the quality of your source. If you tap from a true line-out to a good amp. Scaling upwards will give you a noticeable improvement. If you just tap from headphone out, you might still get an improvement, but maybe not so obvious.

 

I use ALAC.

[Jeremy 0]

Does it really improve your CD sound if u convert to 192KBps as CD sound is at 128KBps ?

And wat about mp3 song converted to 192KBps ?

 

I was told by my friend there is a great difference from 128KBps to 192KBps ( 192KBps is much much more better ) but converting to greater than 192KBps does not make really a difference. He is usiing realtime player to do it.

 

If that's the case, then wats the future of CD ? Since MP3 sound is better, easily access & cheaper.

 

Thanks.

[Jeremy 0]

' date='20 Sep 2006, 12:07 AM' post='79331']

 

Regarding future of CDs, I'm sure they will not be replaced.. same goes to LP, because they have been around for a long time.. and nothing has come close in beating it.. correct?

 

 

But u can always burned your mp3 songs to a CD. And the good thing is u have all your nice songs in a cd.

The question is the mp3 & the CD sound, does it make a difference or can a mp3 sound better than a cd.

 

Anyway, I will try out myself.

 

[jdimitri 0]

But u can always burned your mp3 songs to a CD. And the good thing is u have all your nice songs in a cd.

The question is the mp3 & the CD sound, does it make a difference or can a mp3 sound better than a cd.

 

An mp3 file can't possibly sound BETTER than a cd

Maybe sounds equal to the listener (who knows) but it can't be better than the real source

uncompressed>compressed. always.

 

Does it really improve your CD sound if u convert to 192KBps as CD sound is at 128KBps ?

And wat about mp3 song converted to 192KBps ?

 

I was told by my friend there is a great difference from 128KBps to 192KBps ( 192KBps is much much more better ) but converting to greater than 192KBps does not make really a difference. He is usiing realtime player to do it.

 

If that's the case, then wats the future of CD ? Since MP3 sound is better, easily access & cheaper.

 

This made no sense..

Cds are not at 128kbps, your friend is lying. and how much better is just a matter of how much difference you can hear

cds will always be around.. hopefully

 

I personally use 224AAC, i can only tell the difference up to there (other than ALAC, but not enough space in my ipod )

Edited September 19, 2006 by jdimitri

[scanfiend 0]

But u can always burned your mp3 songs to a CD. And the good thing is u have all your nice songs in a cd.

The question is the mp3 & the CD sound, does it make a difference or can a mp3 sound better than a cd.

 

Anyway, I will try out myself.

 

Jeremy, I think it all boils down to the equipment you have (type of DAP, headphones used etc). Arguably, if you're still using the stock headphones that come with your DAP, you're not going to hear too much difference between 128 and 192 bit MP3's

 

Take myself, for example. When MP3 players were still outrageously expensive (compared to today), and come with middling storage, all my CD's were ripped to 128bit MP3's. They all sounded fine with my Senn MX400 earbuds. Now, when I listen to those same songs with my current equipment, the flaws in all the lower bit encoded MP3's became very apparent. So much so I had to re-encode them to 192 VBR

 

So - as your equipment becomes more revealing, and your listening becomes more refined, you'll tend to notice how bad all your old music sounds But hey, if you still can't tell the difference, all the more power to you!

 

Now, for MP3 to sound the equivalent of CD's, it is generally accepted that 256bit encoding is the point where most people cannot tell the difference between the resulting MP3 file and the original CD. Note that MP3 is a lossy format, so by implication, it cannot possibly sound better than the original CD. It can sound no worse, but certainly not better.

 

If you're using a CD to compile mp3's of all your favourite tunes, I would suggest using 320kbps encoding, which is the maximum allowable in the MP3 format.

[yotiao 0]

I second scanfiend, it's all depend on your equipment whether they are revealing enough for you to hear the difference.

 

For me, I used to rip my CD into 192 kbps VBR using LAME into iPod, and line-out to a portable amp and the ER4s, I was satisfied for what I heard (fuller sound compared to other mp3 ripping program). But when I heard the same setting ripped mp3 using a squeezebox 3 as player and a home amp and the MSPro, it sounded so crap! Holes here and there, I could even hear the hissing without turning up the volume. I couldn't take it just for few minutes listening. Now, I re-ripped all the CDs into lossless (FLAC/ALAC), I am satifisfied and more or less not too far for better sound quality.

 

For portable usage, I would still suggest 192 kbps VBR using LAME, it's enough and you could not hear any difference on the go. But if you are using the mp3 as your main source, 320 kbps or lossless format is the way to go.

 

But u can always burned your mp3 songs to a CD. And the good thing is u have all your nice songs in a cd.

I burned the WAVE umcompressed files into a CD rather than burned the mp3 songs. They sound different, really. IIRC, the pirated CDs were burned with low bitrate mp3.

[yotiao 0]

you misread my post, [Top-Gun], I meant the difference between:

 

Norah Jones extracted .WAV -> Gold CD.

 

vs

 

Norah Jones 128 kbps mp3 -> Gold CD

 

 

I burned the WAVE umcompressed files into a CD rather than burned the mp3 songs. They sound different, really.

 

[Theatre Of Dreams 0]

Does it really improve your CD sound if u convert to 192KBps as CD sound is at 128KBps ?

And wat about mp3 song converted to 192KBps ?

 

I was told by my friend there is a great difference from 128KBps to 192KBps ( 192KBps is much much more better ) but converting to greater than 192KBps does not make really a difference. He is usiing realtime player to do it.

 

If that's the case, then wats the future of CD ? Since MP3 sound is better, easily access & cheaper.

 

Thanks.

 

the ripping software i'm using (musicmatch jukebox) also indicates 128kbps as CD sound. this is indeed misleading. i think it means that 128 is the minimum, any bitrate lower than this will sound really off from CD sq.

 

anyway i use the setting vbr at 100%.

Edited September 20, 2006 by Theatre Of Dreams

[Mackie 0]

Bottomline is, MP3 is a compressed format that balances sound quality, storage memory and convenience. At most, it may match (subjective as usual) the orginal cd, from which a MP3 track is ripped and compressed. However, it's hard to fathom the latter will be more superior sounding than the original. As for the various bit rate, the most telling sign of superiority is in the treble region, where airiness and presence largely hinges on.

Edited September 20, 2006 by Mackie

[mashimaro 0]

I tot of another good point about loseless.

 

Once you rip to loseless, you can convert to any bit rate to suit your needs. If you are not satisfied, you can reconvert again lor.

 

No matter what, based on the above, I always feel it make sense to keep a loseless copy.

 

Anyone knows a good FREE FLAC->MP3 converter?

Edited September 20, 2006 by mashimaro

[heady 0]

Anyone knows a good FREE FLAC->MP3 converter?

foobar2000?

Edited September 20, 2006 by heady

[Jeremy 0]

Look like converting mp3 songs to higher KBPs will improve overall clarity but sound become much clearer. U can hear more things that seem to sound more digital to me.

 

Will confirm again...

 

 

[clemo 0]

 

Hi Jeremy, seems like you are moving your way to music nirvana but not there yet. Since you have made your first step to up your kpbs, it time to get a more analogue sounding dap......and always listen with NO EQ, cos stock is best.

 

Happy hunting for Music Nirvana.

 

Cheers,

clemo