[weste47]

I notice that many times with lower bitrate music the hi-hats sound much softer, and then with higher bitrate tracks I have the Hi-hats sound much more pronounced. Does anyone else notice that. It just seems to always stick out to me.

 

[crewchief]

Ya I have noticed that but more than softer they sound tinny. To me the compression causes the cymbals to loose thier peak and also the natural decay. This can be more pronounce in some albums than others due to bad mastering. Alot of modern engineers seem to like to push overall loudness to the point of peaking and in the process losing all of the dynamics. Sad really sad as I prefer to have the dynamics vs. a lower noise floor.

 

[GlendaleViper]

As always, it can depend on the recording itself, but it's been my experience that cymbals are the first instruments to suffer the effects of low bitrate compression.

 

[Wodgy]

Most low bitrate encoders filter out everything above either 16 kHz or 18 kHz. This is why the bite of hi-hats get lost.

 

[weste47]

ahh ok thanks for explaining that.

 

[brainsalad]

Depending on the bit rate, the lower the bit rate, the more it cuts into the HF's, LF's and dynamic range. The attack on a high hat is a very hi frequency, the sound of the high hat is in the lower HF's octaves and will most definitely be hurt by low bit rate. Even lower, the compression synthesizes HF's by adding some noise in at around 5k that we perceive as HF music information but is actually just a constant noise that to some sounds like a high frequency swishing. Listen to streaming radio, even XM, I can hear the swishing and it makes me crazy.
Basically, it's all bad stuff.

 

[GlendaleViper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brainsalad /img/forum/go_quote.gif Even lower, the compression synthesizes HF's by adding some noise in at around 5k that we perceive as HF music information but is actually just a constant noise that to some sounds like a high frequency swishing. Listen to streaming radio, even XM, I can hear the swishing and it makes me crazy. Basically, it's all bad stuff.

You and me both, fella. I can't stand that flanging, splishy splashy sound. It's the single reason I can't stand compressed music. There have been times where this could even be perceived at 320kbps, although admittedly, 320 is usually enough to keep me from being bothered.

 

[intoflatlines]

To be honest, the main thing I notice low bitrate files is the weird watery distorted high frequencies. It sounds terrible and is enough to make me not listen to the song.

 

[GlendaleViper]

You know, a lot of my friends have asked me - and in some cases repeatedly - why I never got into satellite radio. The point being variety, given my insatiable appetite for music across basically any genre. And it's a good question, too. But I'll take the same-old, same-old FM any day of the week over the watery "internet-radio" sound quality of XM/Sirius.

This stands as one of the few examples where sound quality actually deters me enough not to listen. When I tell them that the hollow, flanging sound bothers me too much, they kind of look at me funny. It's pristine, all-digital sound, right? No dice.

 

[Akathisia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlendaleViper /img/forum/go_quote.gif You and me both, fella. I can't stand that flanging, splishy splashy sound. It's the single reason I can't stand compressed music. There have been times where this could even be perceived at 320kbps, although admittedly, 320 is usually enough to keep me from being bothered.

Ugh, I hate that. Although if I rip a CD at 192kbps or better, I can't tell. I sometimes have gotten 320kbps files that I did not rip and they didn't sound right. I think it's poor encoding technique.

 

[ken36]

Too many bits lost. Distorted sounds distorted, to me at least.

 

[brainsalad]

I'm a big fan of Electrostatic speakers. I recommended to a friend of mine that he pick up a pair of Martin Logan speakers. We went to a store that had some listening rooms with ML's and we sat down to listen and the salesman turned on XM on a Denon receiver for us to listen to. When I went nuts, he went "it's all digital, it's just like a CD". And we wonder why high end audio is failing.

 

[krmathis]

Thats to be expected.
As most lossy codecs run the audio data though a 16 or 18Khz low-pass filter.

 

[GlendaleViper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brainsalad /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm a big fan of Electrostatic speakers. I recommended to a friend of mine that he pick up a pair of Martin Logan speakers. We went to a store that had some listening rooms with ML's and we sat down to listen and the salesman turned on XM on a Denon receiver for us to listen to. When I went nuts, he went "it's all digital, it's just like a CD". And we wonder why high end audio is failing.

What a waste! Even garbage speakers can pick up on the poor quality of satellite radio.

 

[Akathisia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brainsalad /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm a big fan of Electrostatic speakers. I recommended to a friend of mine that he pick up a pair of Martin Logan speakers. We went to a store that had some listening rooms with ML's and we sat down to listen and the salesman turned on XM on a Denon receiver for us to listen to. When I went nuts, he went "it's all digital, it's just like a CD". And we wonder why high end audio is failing.

Sounds like the geniuses at Best Buy's Magnolia.