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MP3 Quality -- Anything Better? [message #65194] Tue, 07 December 2010 21:22 Go to next message
GoodVibrations is currently offline  GoodVibrations
Messages: 75
Registered: November 2010
Location: TX
Viscount
I listen to mp3 music on my Sansa player and I am so impressed with the quality of sound. Is it the mp3 format that makes the music so pure or is it the equipment? I know you need good equipment to qualify the sound, but when it comes to format, is there anything better than mp3? How can this be tested?

Music is a tonic for the tired and weary mind
Audio formats and converters [message #65199 is a reply to message #65194] Wed, 08 December 2010 10:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18670
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

There's a lot to learn about audio formats, converters and digital audio in general. Here are a couple links for a start:
Re: MP3 Quality -- Anything Better? [message #65215 is a reply to message #65194] Thu, 09 December 2010 17:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Adveser is currently offline  Adveser
Messages: 434
Registered: July 2009
Location: USA
Illuminati (1st Degree)
After viewing the voiceprints of many MP3 bitrates and very very recently learning what I used to think wasn't a big deal was ruining my fun, I;ve concluded that320 is just about mandatory with 224kbps being the bare minimum.

This is not a hard and fast rule though. In the context of music you have never heard otherwise, you are unlikely to notice anything wrong at 160kbps. Something you've heard on CD a dozen times is a completely different story.

Here is my MP3 format command line:

-b 320 -m s -h -c -V 9 -B 320 -q 0 -k

(-b 320) the bitrate
(-m s) real 2-channel stereo
(-h) high quality encoding
(-c) mark as copyrighted
(-v 9 -b 320) variable bitrate @ 320 target @ highest quality
(-q 0) use the absolute best and slowest algorithms for encoding
(-k) do not use any filtering


I'm pretty sure the VBR setting is making them CBR since the average bitrate is always 320 and I never see any fluctuation in the bitrate.


Re: MP3 Quality -- Anything Better? [message #65227 is a reply to message #65194] Fri, 10 December 2010 17:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Adveser is currently offline  Adveser
Messages: 434
Registered: July 2009
Location: USA
Illuminati (1st Degree)
I have noticed a lot of filtering on several albums that seem to be what everyone is bootlegging. You really have to make sure that the highs are being rolled off naturally in the studio and not brick walled by an encoder.

More highs is going to sound smoother and less harsh, contrary to the common assumption.

The texture and fidelity is completely missing on the brick walled encodings.

Be careful, don't ruin the perception of the music you love with terrible quality files that may have been floating around for more than a decade when the tech was no where close to being accurate or good at all.

I'm currently using Lame 3.89, which is a few years old at least, but it is the last one where the coveted "disable any and all filtering" option actually works which will reproduce the exact frequency range of the WAV file.


Re: MP3 Quality -- Anything Better? [message #65230 is a reply to message #65194] Fri, 10 December 2010 19:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
GoodVibrations is currently offline  GoodVibrations
Messages: 75
Registered: November 2010
Location: TX
Viscount
Thanks for the links Wayne. Adveser, I wish I knew what you are talking about. I will look at the sites and see if it sinks in. I didn't realize there were as many other formats that are shown in the first link, but it makes sense that some formats are made for marketing to the masses. I'm sure I will have more questions after reading this stuff!

Music is a tonic for the tired and weary mind
Re: MP3 Quality -- Anything Better? [message #65267 is a reply to message #65230] Mon, 13 December 2010 12:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Shane is currently offline  Shane
Messages: 1117
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
I do almost exactly as Adveser does. I can go below 320 if I'm going to be listening where there is other ambient noise happening, but otherwise 320kbps for me as well. This is just with my iPod/mp3 player, otherwise it's usually FLAC. I don't remember what version of LAME I'm using, but essentially the same thing.
Re: MP3 Quality -- Anything Better? [message #68036 is a reply to message #65194] Fri, 03 June 2011 14:25 Go to previous message
Forest is currently offline  Forest
Messages: 15
Registered: May 2011
Location: Woodinville, WA
Chancellor
I think MP3 on any radio sounds better then a cd or over the radio on the same radio. I don't know if I have been able to experience that brand of radio. Is it a regular radio or a car radio? I think it's pretty cool how they are making cars with MP3 players now!
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