[Necrolic]

I want to upgrade my music collection as it is all digital in low quality iTunes files. I know there are sites that you can buy the rights to download 320kbps MP3/FLAC files from, but I forget what they are, could anybody please post one for me?

I listen to rock, alternative, punk, indie, techno, electronic and metal if it makes any difference on where I'm most likely to find music.

 

[d_headshot]

It is generally not a good idea to store your music in MP3. Which is why FLAC would be the better choice also because of it's tagging ability.

As for buying music, I have never seen a site that sells music in FLAC. Personally, I'd rather buy or rent used CDs and rip them with EAC to FLAC.

 

[tintin47]

This might not be the answer that you are looking for, but buy CDs. Not only can you get anything more than a year or two old off of amazon for less than $10, but CDs are so nice to have. The album artwork and the feel of physical media can't be beat. You can rip them to your computer or ipod in any bitrate you'd like and you always have a fairly robust backup. Plus, good CD stores are pretty much the best places on earth.

 

[DavidMorton]

Amazon is probably the best I've found so far. They carry mostly VBR MP3s with an average aimed at around 256.

 

[leeperry]

why would you pay for lossy music?

 

[DavidMorton]

Because I have a small apartment and I don't like collecting "things".

And to be perfectly honest... at bit rates above about 192, I can't tell a difference. Maybe that makes me a "mortal audiophile", but I honestly can't. I've tried.

That may change when I get my UE Triple.fi's, but I seriously doubt it.

Just being honest. As much as I'd like to think my ears are that discerning, they're not.

 

[necropimp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMorton /img/forum/go_quote.gif Amazon is probably the best I've found so far. They carry mostly VBR MP3s with an average aimed at around 256.

all are LAME encoded, most are V0, some are ABR, some are CBR

as far as 320Kbps or FLAC... i remember there was some russian site that offered FLAC but it was in a legal grey area and the artists got nothing from that site's sales

never seen anything with a wide selection like itunes or amazon mp3 offering 320kbps but alot of smaller sites offer that bitrate usually they are genre specific and often it's a small label's site

also itunes has the ability to upgrade your existing 128kbps tracks to 256kbps DRM free for a fee (depends on how many tracks you've bought from itunes)

 

[iriverdude]

And when you do?

Del *.mp3 /s

And you've paid for them. Only suckers pay for lossy music. You already have a hard drive what's another or higher capacity?

 

[Pangaea]

I haven't tried it yet, but Rhino.com has downloads from MP3 320 up to Flac and ALAC. Pretty decent catalog too.

 

[dongringo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Only suckers pay for lossy music.

Wow, this is really an unfair statement. Sometimes it's worth it just because it's convenient. Some of my 256kbps lossy albums sound great, some don't, but it's usually a matter of the original recording quality. I have cds that sound like total crap because of the recording quality. I know there's a difference, I can discern it myself in a quiet room. But on my mp3 player on the go I can't.

I do prefer lossless at home though.

 

[DavidMorton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Only suckers pay for lossy music.

I have to agree that this is a pretty unfair statement. To label everyone who purchases lossy mp3 files as a "sucker" is offensive.

Sadly, a statement like that truly earns the audiophile's reputation for being arrogant, exclusive jerks.

Just because you might be able to hear the difference between lossless and 256 bit rate doesn't mean everyone can.

Most double blind tests prove most people can't, actually... but then again, that's probably why most audiophiles don't like double-blind tests. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" so to speak.

Sorry, but I just don't buy this.

 

[iriverdude]

You're paying for DRM, licensed music for your computer in crap quality, lossy. And you say you're not a sucker? Sorry but you're wrong. I've done blind tests to about 6 people all notice MP3 inferior sound quality.

At least if you get lossless you have quality, and can always use 128kps if you want for ipod/ibud, and still have original quality if you want another copy later say if you buy proper phones.

I deleted all mp3's a while ago as I could easily tell the difference. For lossy I use vorbis it sound better than higher bitrate mp3.

 

[DavidMorton]

Alright... I'll grant you there's a solid difference in SQ between a 128kbps and a 256kbps, but once you get up into that level, it gets very, very difficult to tell the difference.

And again, I could be completely wrong. I might be throwing things against a wall in a month when I get my TF10s, but I seriously doubt it.

And by the way... I'm not talking about DRM music anyways... I'm talking about straight MP3s. I'll wholeheartely agree with you that DRM you purchase is for suckers. I want to own my music.

 

[DavidMorton]

And also, keep in mind, many people don't even hear the crappy quality of songs like John Mayer's overcompressed Clarity from Continuum.

Again, some people just don't care about the quality. Doesn't mean they're lesser people... just means they don't care as much, and they have other things in their lives they find more important than the sound quality of their music.

Personally, I kind of envy them. I get so wrapped up in sound quality sometimes I forget to enjoy the actual song. It's the audio version of "not seeing the forest through the trees".

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

it gets very, very difficult to tell the difference.

No I did comparison between 256kps MP3 VBR and flac, they all picked out mp3 as worst sounding, first time, every time. All into music.

Also made a flac and high bitrate mp3 copy and played tracks back and forth on my speakers and could tell everytime.