[DaGrandMastah]

I'm looking for some expertise on this subject.  I'm currently in the process of re-converting my cd library into mp3's on my computer.  Ultimately I'd like to get the best (lossy) sound quality I can get...and was originally planning to go with 320 CBR but I'm now reading a lot about VBR v-0 and how it's basically equivalent with an impossible to notice difference between the 2.  I'm not concerned about space on my computer hard drive but I do plan on loading up these mp3's to my iPhone (where space can get scarce).  I just converted 2 FLAC files and noticed a 1.5 mb difference between the 2, but as far as I can tell, no real degradation in sound quality. 
 
Id just like to get some thoughts on this.  I'm certainly no expert on the subject of sound science.  To be honest, I'm not an audiophile at all...but at the same time, I want to "future proof" myself so that I never do realize (like I did this time around) that I'd like to upgrade my library (upgraded my headphones and started noticing a difference in quality of some mp3's).
 
Is there any reason why I may regret going with vbr v-0 over cbr or will I thank myself for saving the space?  I figure that if some of the professionals on here cannot notice a difference then there is no chance I ever will.  
 
Also, if there are any mac users here, could you please give me your opinion on the best settings for converting FLAC/CD's in XLD?  Are the below settings good?
 
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[mikeaj]

You'd thank yourself for saving the space.  The CBR is not very useful in general.
 
Actually, also check out AAC as an alternative to mp3, which is natively supported in Apple ecosystem and most products.  If you want you can try encoding at different bitrates to see if something lower is acceptable for you as well.

 

[DaGrandMastah]

Thanks.  I'm assuming this will be a common response.  Understandbly I want to make ABSOLUTELY sure before I begin this process because I have a lot of music to rip from CD's and would hate to have to redo all the work again.
 
I thought about AAC but I'd prefer to stay with the more universal format.  Plus, I just feel that mp3's have been around longer and so have had the added benefit of more fine tuning.
 
I did test out the process and really couldn't tell the difference between file size or quality so I'll stick with what I know.  I did test the file size difference between vbr-0 and car and it's significant enough to make me rethink everything.  That is a LOT of space I can save myself.

 

[DaGrandMastah]

Quote:

You'd thank yourself for saving the space.  The CBR is not very useful in general.
 
Actually, also check out AAC as an alternative to mp3, which is natively supported in Apple ecosystem and most products.  If you want you can try encoding at different bitrates to see if something lower is acceptable for you as well.

 
Hey mike.  Looks like I spoke to soon.  I started thinking about it and did some research and I think it makes the most sense to go with AAC....especially since I'm using all apple products. 
 
With that said, I'm looking to get the right settings in place.  Are the below settings recommended?  Should I go higher or lower on the target quality?
 
m 

 

[snoopy007]

the latter lame encoded  vbr-0 mp3 files are top notch and are compatible with all the mp3 playback devices I have tested on so far.... ( I am still using lame 3.98.4)
 
 
as for futureproof.... keep the lossless files on on a portbale hdd/computer in flac/alac and then convert it to whatever "lossy" format mp3/aac etc where space is a premium......

 

[khaos974]

Why don't you use a lossless codec, like Flac or Alac, that way, it's the highest quality possible and if in the future, new lossless formats become mainstram, you can transcode easily.

 

[BrownBear]

Quote:

Why don't you use a lossless codec, like Flac or Alac, that way, it's the highest quality possible and if in the future, new lossless formats become mainstram, you can transcode easily.

I would agree with this. I regret not ripping my library in lossless when I had the chance. It's something I should do one of these days.

 

[juantendo8]

x3 on lossless ripping if you have the space. Then you shouldn't ever  have to rip those CDs again. After that, you can convert to literally any lossy format you want without having to worry about compounded sound degradation. Lossy to lossy conversion is among one of the worst things you can do to degrade sound quality.
 
I would go for the VBR though, if I were to rip to a lossy format.

 

[FlatNine]

Not to be redundant here, but when ripping CD's, you should absolutely rip into a lossless format. I ripped my entire library to FLAC and have big piles of CD's that I'll be boxing and putting in the garage soon. (I'm just being lazy)  Disk space is cheap these days. I can fit an average of about 3.5 CD's per gigabyte of disk space, which means I can fit about 350 CD's per 100 GB disk space. From this master library, I can convert to anything I want, be it MP3, AAC, whatever. But I never have to reach for those CD's again. In the words of my CD ripping software of choice, dbPowerAmp - "Rip once, rip right."