[future_jack]

Hi,
Just wondering if there is much difference between 192 and up.

I notice that I can hear the sound quality reduced at anything under 192 but not over. Is everybody the same or would you notice it more on a more high end setup?

Regards.

 

[Fixcinater]

If I'm listening from my computer or iPod, 192 is good enough but not 100%.

Once I use something better home based, it is clear difference between 192 and 320, and then another clear jump to lossless.

I have hard to drive phones, which doesn't help 192's case.

 

[jbloudg20]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fixcinater /img/forum/go_quote.gif If I'm listening from my computer or iPod, 192 is good enough but not 100%. Once I use something better home based, it is clear difference between 192 and 320, and then another clear jump to lossless. I have hard to drive phones, which doesn't help 192's case.

How do you figure that your headphone impedance relates to the encoded bitrate?

 

[Orcin]

I upgraded my portable files from AAC 192CBR to AAC 256VBR because I could hear differences on some of my music. I didn't want to go to the trouble to figure out which ones so I just upgraded all of it. I have been very happy since then. I have some music in Apple Lossless that I use with my computer, but most of time I hear no difference when I play those files on my portable. So for me, 256VBR is transparent most of the time.

 

[DrBenway]

This is a question that has been endlessly debated, both here (try a search) and elsewhere.

There are those who insist that they can hear the difference between lossless compression (FLAC, ALAC) and uncompressed WAV files. At the opposite extreme, there are those who claim that there is no discernable difference between properly encoded 256k MP3s and CD files.

There is also the issue of how you make the comparison. Are you doing a blind A/B test, controlling for all relevant factors, like volume matching, quality of encoding, etc.?

Ultimately, almost everyone can hear the difference between, say, a 64K MP3 and a CD. At what point the difference starts to become difficult to hear is a matter, as I said, of endless debate.

 

[future_jack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin /img/forum/go_quote.gif I upgraded my portable files from AAC 192CBR to AAC 256VBR because I could hear differences on some of my music. I didn't want to go to the trouble to figure out which ones so I just upgraded all of it. I have been very happy since then.

How can you upgrade? Did you not just have to get the original and re-encode.?

 

[nick_charles]

I have done numerous different blind tests of different bit-rates vs WAV. With a decent encoder like one of the later LAME encoders (3.9x) I personally cannot tell CD from 192k. I use ~ 240k VBR anyway.

 

[tjumper78]

when properly ripped(in my case, it'd be lame + EAC), i cant tell the difference between anything 192kbps (or above) and lossless. and thats only when i am listening thru high-end gears.
when i listened thru crappy phones and crappy source, i was not able to tell the difference between 128kbps and lossess.

 

[Logistics]

Quote:

Originally Posted by future_jack /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi, Just wondering if there is much difference between 192 and up. I notice that I can hear the sound quality reduced at anything under 192 but not over. Is everybody the same or would you notice it more on a more high end setup? Regards.

Well, everyone hears differently so you should definitely go by your own hearing. If you can't hear a difference above 192kb then you surely won't want to waste your time and HD space encoding at anything higher. But I can tell you that it is possible to hear a difference above that.

First of all, if you're using Windows XP, I would suggest using a Kernel Streaming plugin for Winamp or Foobar. This can help improve the sound.

Second, modifying your sound card can also improve the sound, but if you're not already handy with a soldering iron than you would do well to look into a better sound card or an external DAC or both.

I can hear differences between 320kb VBR MP3's and WAV's. I don't know about FLAC/ALAC to WAV's because I've never been interested in encoding to lossless.

 

[Orcin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by future_jack /img/forum/go_quote.gif How can you upgrade? Did you not just have to get the original and re-encode.?

By upgrade, I meant that I re-ripped my original CD's to the higher bit rate and replaced the files, yes.

 

[nick_charles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logistics /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can hear differences between 320kb VBR MP3's and WAV's.

320K VBR is not possible is it ? - V0 - the highest quality VBR centers around 245k, the only eay to get 320K is with CBR as far as I know.

As for telling the difference between 320K and WAV, that would make you extremely rare indeed. Did you test this with blind testing ?

 

[Nocturnal310]

You gotta try 320 kbps ..u ll never go back. (in lossy world of music)

 

[pez]

I can tell the difference sometimes between 192 and 256, but I can't tell the difference between 256, 320, and lossless. Even through either pair of my speakers, I can't tell the difference, but I still encode in 320 cbr mp3. If anything I would probably recommend a VBR format, such as mentioned by nick charles.

 

[richardu]

No one has mentioned that it also depends on your player. With WAV it is a simple digital feed to a DAC. With lossy encoding the player must produce the sound based on the digital stream (shaped noise etc.). I suspect that many of the differences people hear at higher bit rates may be due to how well the player is recreating the sound as it is on the encoding. At the end of the day the old advice still holds. Start with a low bit rate encoding, and keep increasing the bit rate until you cannot hear a difference.

 

[bigshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by future_jack /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi, Just wondering if there is much difference between 192 and up. I notice that I can hear the sound quality reduced at anything under 192 but not over. Is everybody the same or would you notice it more on a more high end setup?

It has less to do with the quality of the playback equipment, than it does the type of music being encoded and the encoder. Certain types of music, particularly complex massed strings, are difficult to encode at lower rates. I find that 192 AAC VBR is perfect for the types of music I listen to.

See ya
Steve