[nicholars]

Eugh I am not participating in this thread any more.... I dont see how that is funny....

 

[deadlylover]

There goes my positive 256kbps vs lossless ABX results.

 

[nicholars]

Hmm actually afyer encoding identical mp3's myself at different bitrates at 128kbps 320kbps and FLAC quality the difference is not as big as I originally thought...
 
FLAC is definately better quality then 128kbps but the difference is actually less then I thought originally....
 
Maybe I was confusing poor quality recording / encoding with bitrate.... Because when using the same track at FLAC, 320 and 128 using LAME encoder and Foobar ABX testing the difference was definately smaller then I originally thought although FLAC is definately better then 128kbps and "you will not be able to tell the difference" is a bit over the top IMO although it is certainly not bad and has definately improved since last time I tested it.

 

[Hifianddrumming]

My cousin replaced some of my tracks on my iPod with 10kbps (over-exaggeration folks) rips from Youtube to see if I could hear any difference. Between that version of my Radiohead albums and the uncompressed WAV, the difference was MASSIVE. But of course it would be.

 

[shrimants]

Heheh thats probably why I get a bad taste in my mouth when I think about apple products

I choose to acknowledge apple exists but I refuse to listen to any talks or opinions about them because I have better companies to think about lol

I read an article on this very website about 24 bit recordings being indistinguishable from 16 bit (lossless in both cases) because of dithering.

As far as mp3 goes, i'd say its easy to distinguis a difference between 128 vs 192 vs 320. depending on the encoder/speed used, even with "consumer grade" equipment.

I'd also say no audible difference between 320 and Flac unless you have spent some hardcore time perfecting your setup in terms of room balance/tonality, speakers, source gear, and subwoofer, and your music choice.

I dont think i could notice a difference between a 320kbps recording of Scheherezade and a Flac one because the range of notes in that suite are not terribly difficult to produce.

Lets say you listen to electronic music like dubstep though. You'll notice between flac and 320 immediately, assuming your audio setup can handle it. Dont plug some random no-talent fruityloops youtube dubstep artist into a set of skullcandies from your local dollar store and expect to notice anything lol.

 

[Parall3l]

Personally, I find 320kbps, even 200kbps ish VBR to be indistinguishable from lossless on certain types of music. Like badly recorded Hip-Hop. It really depends on the music

 

[shrimants]

Agreed. Definitely depends on type of music. System of a Down sounds exactly the same on all formats above 128kbps mp3.

 

[Lord Soth]

It depends on whether you have a "revealing" system.
 
On my hifi system, there is a night and day difference progressively between
 
MP3<FLAC<CD<SACD<Vinyls
 
For home listening, I never listen to any MP3s wherever possible. They are really flawed as compared with the next level.
 
However for a portable setup or in my car, MP3s are "ok".

 

[nicholars]

Quote:

It depends on whether you have a "revealing" system.
 
On my hifi system, there is a night and day difference progressively between
 
MP3<FLAC<CD<SACD<Vinyls
 
For home listening, I never listen to any MP3s wherever possible. They are really flawed as compared with the next level.
 
However for a portable setup or in my car, MP3s are "ok".

Clearly the difference you are hearing between flac and cd is "psychoacoustic" because a flac rip of a cd recording is IDENTICAL
 

 

[Lord Soth]

Quote:

Clearly the difference you are hearing between flac and cd is "psychoacoustic" because a flac rip of a cd recording is IDENTICAL
 

I think it is just the way my hifi system is set up.
 
The DAC processes FLAC and CDs differently.
 

 

[Satellite_6]

Quote:

It depends on whether you have a "revealing" system.
 
On my hifi system, there is a night and day difference progressively between
 
MP3<FLAC<CD<SACD<Vinyls
 
For home listening, I never listen to any MP3s wherever possible. They are really flawed as compared with the next level.
 
However for a portable setup or in my car, MP3s are "ok".

 
LOL. sorry. 
 
FLAC decompresses to the same exact thing. ZERO difference is possible. 

 

[Donnyhifi]

I haven't read all the pages here but basically it all really comes down to recording quality. A well recorded 192kbps will sound better than a poorly recorded FLAC. Focus more on your gear and the type of sound signature you prefer and whether the headphones suit you or not.

 

[nicholars]

Quote:

I haven't read all the pages here but basically it all really comes down to recording quality. A well recorded 192kbps will sound better than a poorly recorded FLAC. Focus more on your gear and the type of sound signature you prefer and whether the headphones suit you or not.

But the overall point is WHY burn things at 128kbps? with todays storage capacities in the year 2011 WHY NOT burn stuff at 320kpps at least?
 

 

[deadlylover]

Hmm, I'll have to apologise to everyone because maybe you guys aren't so crazy after all! 

 
WAV vs LAME3.98r 320 cbr, foobar ABX with both tracks replaygained.
 

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

foo_abx 1.3.4 report
foobar2000 v1.1.8
2011/09/30 03:29:53

File A: F:\Music\wave edebn\WAVE - 隻眼のエデン -A.D.2109-  Eden , the One-eyed.cue
File B: C:\Users\Alice\Desktop\05 ola grande.mp3

03:29:53 : Test started.
03:31:57 : 00/01  100.0%
03:32:00 : Trial reset.
03:33:53 : 01/01  50.0%
03:34:23 : 02/02  25.0%
03:35:05 : 03/03  12.5%
03:36:22 : 04/04  6.3%
03:38:57 : 05/05  3.1%
03:39:56 : 06/06  1.6%
03:40:35 : 07/07  0.8%
03:45:30 : 08/08  0.4%
03:46:19 : 09/09  0.2%
03:47:09 : 10/10  0.1%
03:47:12 : Test finished.

 ----------
Total: 10/11 (0.6%)

First mistake was a mis-click, I swear.

 
So from that, it looks like 320kbps ain't good enough if you've got the space to burn.

 

[Satellite_6]

Quote:

Hmm, I'll have to apologise to everyone because maybe you guys aren't so crazy after all! 

 
WAV vs LAME3.98r 320 cbr, foobar ABX with both tracks replaygained.
 
First mistake was a mis-click, I swear.

 
So from that, it looks like 320kbps ain't good enough if you've got the space to burn.

Nice. See, I'm not crazy. Lossless does sound better.