[H20Fidelity]

I found this online, it's a simple test to see if you can hear any difference between 320kbps and 128kbps.

Feel free to test your golden ears: http://mp3ornot.com/index.php

Lets say best out of 10. Once you've finished your test copy the results and paste them back here to show your talent.

One member using $1,295 1plus2 IEM's has already achieved 15/15, able to determine the difference.



How well do you think you'll do?

 

[lee730]

Ahh. I wonder who that could be?...

 

[proton007]

Haha, in my current state I doubt I can pass. My left ear's got a mind of its own. A few days later maybe I'll try.

 

[cer]

 

[squallkiercosa]

I have not yet taken the test but I did it a few month ago, I thought it was only one song
 
I could easily recognize with my own music, but it took me too much time with songs I never listened before...

 

[blackmarket]

 
I can get the Barrio San Miguel and Beautiful Love song right everytime by just listening to the sample in Step 2 for 3 seconds and choosing the right one, but I honestly can't tell the difference in the Hard Lovin Woman clip and end up guessing it wrong.

 

[chewy4]

Yeah I'm really bad at the Hard Lovin Woman one. It takes me way too long to figure out any differences. I'd prefer something much more complex.
 
I might try this kind of test with my own files later. I can post some 30 second clips of various types of music if anyone wants.
 
At any rate though, I think this shows that the quality you get from 128kbps is exaggerated a bit. While I feel like I could tell a difference(I got 6/6 before I decided that this is not what I want to spend my whole lunchbreak doing, and yes I know that's not enough to be completely sure), it wasn't easy.

 

[blackmarket]

 
I'm going to end up spending the rest of my life doing this... but atleast i'm improving

 

[kn19h7]

Spoiler: Case%20Closed%3F

http://www.head-fi.org/t/584244/i-cant-tell-the-difference-between-320kbps-and-128-kbps-music/75#post_7966526

 

[lee730]

Quote:

Yeah I'm really bad at the Hard Lovin Woman one. It takes me way too long to figure out any differences. I'd prefer something much more complex.
 
I might try this kind of test with my own files later. I can post some 30 second clips of various types of music if anyone wants.
 
At any rate though, I think this shows that the quality you get from 128kbps is exaggerated a bit. While I feel like I could tell a difference(I got 6/6 before I decided that this is not what I want to spend my whole lunchbreak doing, and yes I know that's not enough to be completely sure), it wasn't easy.

I focused on the tone of her vocals and the background sub bass. Not as hard as you'd think with the right equipment and knowing where to focus.

 

[Strangelove424]

Quote:

I focused on the tone of her vocals and the background sub bass. Not as hard as you'd think with the right equipment and knowing where to focus.

What tone in her vocals? She's all distortion, and its hard to tell 320 vs 128 because they both sound like crap. The tell is not tone, it's the distortion in the right channel that was put there on purpose (unless someone drunkenly fell on a gain switch). Is this why we buy Hi-Fi gear, to critically hone in on nail-on-the-chalkboard distortion? If they're going to wreck music with compression and distortion loops, we really don't need all this fancy gear stuff and high resolution files. It'll sound bad either way. And am I the only one that has static, clicks, and pops on almost every single play through? It's done so on 2 different computers. The bit streaming on this site sucks. Sorry if I'm in a bad mood, I think I have a case of the mondays. 
 

 

[chewy4]

Yeah I also found the sound quality to be pretty mediocre overall.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

What tone in her vocals? She's all distortion, and its hard to tell 320 vs 128 because they both sound like crap. The tell is not tone, it's the distortion in the right channel that was put there on purpose (unless someone drunkenly fell on a gain switch). Is this why we buy Hi-Fi gear, to critically hone in on nail-on-the-chalkboard distortion? If they're going to wreck music with compression and distortion loops, we really don't need all this fancy gear stuff and high resolution files. It'll sound bad either way. And am I the only one that has static, clicks, and pops on almost every single play through? It's done so on 2 different computers. The bit streaming on this site sucks. Sorry if I'm in a bad mood, I think I have a case of the mondays. 
 

 
In the 320 kb track her voice has a more realistic tone. Doesn't sound as compressed as the 128 version (it has more body to it). I agree their tracks don't sound great to begin with. But that and also the differences in the bass in the background made it apparent for me.

 

[KamijoIsMyHero]

 
 

 
I got tired so I stopped at 3 each, its not fun with only 3 tracks, I only had to listen to the first few seconds:
 
the drumming one: I could tell from the instrument separation got them all 3 times
"beautiful love" one: I felt the difference when she started stressing the "ove" in love
"cause I'm" one: The 320 had more body in first strum of the guitar and also noticeably louder/energetic
 
BTW using, SHURE 1840 and schiit M/M stack

 

[MistrDave]

I'd like to see a 320 kbps vs WAV.