[hogger129]

Cd for me if it's cheaper.  I like the Auto-Rip feature that Amazon offers.

 

[Origin89]

iTunes has become more of a last resort now. I'll go to bandcamp or 7digital, etc... first. But the quality is still great, I'll say.

 

[hogger129]

  iTunes has become more of a last resort now. I'll go to bandcamp or 7digital, etc... first. But the quality is still great, I'll say.

 
I would look at Amazon first and then compare the prices.  If Amazon has the CD cheaper, get that, and they give you the MP3's for free with most of the music.  Then you have the CD if you want lossless versions and the MP3 if you want versions for your portable device (if you don't put FLAC on it).

 

[HighFive316]

IMO, 256 AAC is pretty close / close enough for most people.. but the fact is that there's always a loss.  Depending on who you ask, the equipment they use, etc. - everyone will give you a different answer...
 
For the same / similar cost, why not just buy the actual CD / buy a FLAC download (if available)?  Like hogger, I'm guilty of buying from iTunes now and then simply because of convenience... but if you have an iOS device, there's a million and one converters available that you can use to convert the FLAC / CD rip back to AAC if needed...

 

[ColdNinjaPro]

Itunes quality and prices suck. 1.29 for a song from 2005 and 256kbps AAC is a ripoff. When you can buy a song from an artists or record labels site at 320kpbs mp3 or 1411kbps ALAC/FLAC for 1.29/.99.

 

[mitchflorida]

I don't know if Itunes Radio is at 256 AAC, sounds more like 196, and can't touch Mog 320 MP3

 

[bigshot]

  Itunes quality and prices suck. 1.29 for a song from 2005 and 256kbps AAC is a ripoff. When you can buy a song from an artists or record labels site at 320kpbs mp3

 
AAC 256 is pretty much the same sound quality as MP3 320.

 

[ColdNinjaPro]

   
AAC 256 is pretty much the same sound quality as MP3 320.

Maybe its some type of syndrome, but there is a little bit of a difference. Itunes is also a little bit pricy when I can get $5.65 for an whole album at 1411kbps.

 

[bigshot]

AAC256 VBR actually is better than 320 Frauenhofer MP3. It's just a tiny bit better than 320 LAME MP3.
 
Bigger numbers don't always mean better sound.

 

[mitchflorida]

AAC256 VBR actually is better than 320 Frauenhofer MP3. It's just a tiny bit better than 320 LAME MP3.

Bigger numbers don't always mean better sound.

My ears say that Itunes Radio isn't at 256 AAC,, or anything close to it.

 

[bigshot]

iTunes store is 256 AAC VBR. Streaming is probably 128 or 192.

 

[imahawki]

I'm firmly in the camp that I and 99% of the people here could not pass a DBT test of iTunes tracks vs. lossless CD rips.

 

[bigshot]

I have a great speaker system and my entire library of music (all year and a half of it) is encoded at AAC 256 VBR. That codec at that bitrate is completely transparent, even on high end systems.

 

[mitchflorida]

iTunes store is 256 AAC VBR. Streaming is probably 128 or 192.

I will agree with 128. and that is unlistenable for classical music, at least for me.

 

[gbremer]

I'm firmly in the camp that I and 99% of the people here could not pass a DBT test of iTunes tracks vs. lossless CD rips.

 


I'm definitely in that camp. I recently ripped CD tracks into both lossless and 256 AAC just to see if I could hear a difference and couldn't tell them apart. On the other hand, the quality of my listening equipment makes a huge difference