Would you like to back that statement up? I have a lossless file with nine randomly ordered samples of three lossy codecs... Fraunhofer, LAME and AAC at 192, 256 and 320... plus one lossless sample mixed in. Ten music samples altogether. Would you like to do a listening test to determine whether you can identify which is which? You can take as much time as you like, and listen on your own equipment. The only rule is that you have to rank them based on listening, not by opening the file in a sound editing program.
Easy, right? Even your grandmother could do it, right?
Let me know if you prefer FLAC or ALAC format.
OH a challenge! Me like. FLAC is fine, I don't care. I bet it shows that no one can tell anything! Great test.
Do you care that your results are useless because your ears can't do direct comparison tests with music quality?
I have a challenge for you. Get a new DAP, preferably a PonoPlayer, and just listen to it. Don't test, don't math, don't prod, poke, just listen. You will get the Pono Smile and forget all about math for a precious few seconds. Then you can go back to proving that just didn't happen.
Back to your test so you don't accuse me of totally ignoring it - I suppose if I'm allowed to review them at my leisure, on my own systems, and IF I knew the material well, I could see some value in the results. Point me to the files and I'll do my best to give you feedback on them.
But I don't care about lossy codecs.
I really don't. I don't care which one sounds better. I have no reason for lossy anymore. This was far more important to me in 2000 than 2015. I can put 128gb on my fingernail, I don't need lossy.
If you could re-do this test with 24bit and downsampled 16bit, and really put the work into the provenance of the files, I am a willing participant.
We need newly released 24bit files, then we need to downsample them using various dithering algorithms and converters. The low end can be reflected in apple products, using built in converters and free software. The high end can be done by a mastering engineer with real converters. If we need a middle, an interface like a focusrite will have converters better than an apple product.
The end result would be 3-4 16bit versions of an original 24bit file. That's what the record labels do. Strip them of labels, include with the original 24bit, and let the tester pick which one they like the best after living with them for a few days. It would show you if people could pick out 24bit on their system, and which kind of dithering algorithm is the favorite.