MP3 download/CDs

[AgnessGP]

Hi All,

Just curious, does MP3 download quality (such as Amazon) equal the quality found on a CD?

Furthermore, if ripping from a CD, will Windows Media Player Lossless offer the same quality as Apple Lossless?

Obviously iv read a few forums on this but no definative answers.

Thanks in advance!!

Sam

 

[Focus Owner]

i always turn quality up full when ripping.
wiki says 44 i thought it was 92, the max is 320 or somthing

 

[AgnessGP]

Would you say CD then? The thing is, on some albums there are only a few songs I like so dont think would be worth buying the full album, however if quality will be noticeably less downloading the MP3 then I may consider the full album anyway...if you know what I mean.

 

[Shadeyman]

I always use .flac(http://flac.sourceforge.net) for my lossless music.

MP3 even at 320kbit/s is crap when played back through a quality HiFi system.

 

[The Beard]

There are those on here, I presume, who can explain the science far better than I but I'll have a go.

MP3 is what I think is called a compressed music file, in other words all the info that comes on a CD is squeezed into a smaller space than the original. Working on the principle that you can't get a quart into a pint pot, in this case something has to go which means, according to a real afficianado I know, somewhere in the region of 50% to 65% of the information contained on CD is missing on a MP3 media device.

Although I have only noticed a slight deterioration in audio quality when listening on a MP3 player there are subtle differences and I believe they would be more noticable on a full size stereo.

I'm also told that DAB broadcasting uses the same system as MP3 and for some that will be a big problem as classical music contains far more detail than most "pop" (and I use the term advisedly) music.

 

[Dragon Man]

heh play MP3's using a valve amplifier.. you can tell the difference.
FLAC is good but takes a lot of data. MP3 to be fair if you were listening to it you would not know if it was flac or mp3. also most things nowa days support MP3

its something thats never really bothered me, i just want to play music. but if i can get is a low bit rate audio file, thats what i'll have.

in regards to the OP's question i have always been lead to believe that 320kbit/s was CD quality.

MP3 take away all the "out of hearing" audio to save space, and also the bits in a song where there is no audio, has no data. unlike .flac that records the whole thing as data.

i use MP3's as they are small, fast to transfer, compatible with stuff and quick to burn to CDs.

 

[Shadeyman]

Generally speaking if you want to play music on something like a mobile phone, MP3 player etc. a best rate 320kbit/s MP3 file is adequate but if you plan to play your music through something thats more capable of reproducing music like a house HiFi system you need a high quality lossless format like .flac

I've been a budding audiophile for the passed 20 years and I've compared all digital music formats. With hand on heart I can honestly say .flac is by far the best option.

 

[arc]

wiki says 44 i thought it was 92, the max is 320 or somthing

You are confusing bit rate and sample rate there!

Generally speaking if you want to play music on something like a mobile phone, MP3 player etc. a best rate 320kbit/s MP3 file is adequate but if you plan to play your music through something thats more capable of reproducing music like a house HiFi system you need a high quality lossless format like .flac

I've been a budding audiophile for the passed 20 years and I've compared all digital music formats. With hand on heart I can honestly say .flac is by far the best option.

I agree. I can't class myself as being a budding audiophile for the past 20 years, but have looked into digital formats and .flac always comes out trumps!

 

[AgnessGP]

Okay from the above, it appears depending on the system, it may not be noticeable. For me, I'm using a car stereo system and after having amped my speakers, I want something that sounds good on them - I can certainly tell the difference between 'youtube' songs and cds, obviously.

So for a car, do you all think it would be worth using .flac over Windows Media Lossless, for example?

On reading, it appears I could download songs via mp3 download and convert to .flac, is this true (if decided to use .flac)?

Thanks and thanks in advance

 

[Shadeyman]

Okay from the above, it appears depending on the system, it may not be noticeable. For me, I'm using a car stereo system and after having amped my speakers, I want something that sounds good on them - I can certainly tell the difference between 'youtube' songs and cds, obviously.

So for a car, do you all think it would be worth using .flac over Windows Media Lossless, for example?

On reading, it appears I could download songs via mp3 download and convert to .flac, is this true (if decided to use .flac)?

Thanks and thanks in advance

Audio equipment will only sound as good as its source(CD, MP3, .flac etc.) so by supplying it with the best you get to listen to the best the system is capable of producing.

Do not convert MP3 to .flac!

If you convert MP3 to .flac, the resulting .flac file will contain all the losses and flaws of the MP3.

The original source must be ripped direct to .flac(CD to flac).

Only download .flac files that were ripped from an original source.

Just PM'd you ...

 

[AgnessGP]

Right so cd is the best way to go!

Ill reply in a min as nothing come through yet mate

 

[Shadeyman]

Right so cd is the best way to go!

Ill reply in a min as nothing come through yet mate

The best source for your car system would be an original CD.

But by downloading .flac you can save money and burn your own CD's. With the right burning software you'd not be able to tell the difference between a downloaded .flac burnt to CD and an original CD. :devil:

There are other lossless formats but non are as good as .flac IMO.

 

[RuSZ]

just go to Apple and use AAC at 256kbps :devil:

never had an issue with loss. sounds good in the car and with my BOSE surround

 

[AgnessGP]

yeh im using apple lossless at the min but i have a bigger sd card than my ipod so want to use that more

 

[RuSZ]

My Sony Xperia ARC and HTC Desire both recognised AAC format files.

If android can use it. so should pretty much everything else

 

[AgnessGP]

Hmm where does itunes save ripped files? I havent had a priper look but i thought theyre saved so cant be transfered to other mediums?

 

[RuSZ]

Hmm where does itunes save ripped files? I havent had a priper look but i thought theyre saved so cant be transfered to other mediums?

go into iTunes. then Edit, Preferences. The go to Advanced. It should show you there where its putting them

 

[Shadeyman]

If you want to know the difference between MP3, AAC, flac and CD quality have a read of this article(http://www.stereophile.com/features/308mp3cd).

As a CD plays, the two channels of audio data (not including overhead) are pulled off the disc at a rate of just over 1400 kilobits per second. A typical MP3 plays at less than a tenth that rate, at 128kbps.

Thats a huge loss of data, sound quality deffinately suffers, MP3 is crap, it can make a £10,000 car audio system sound like an old AM radio ..

If you want the best from your car system you need to use original CD's IMO.

 

[AgnessGP]

Ah okay mate will take a look. Reason why im stuck is becuase i dont wanna order full albums for maybe 2 songs i like on it...but then that means downloading poorer quality mp3s

 

[AgnessGP]

Cheers shadeyman...need to read when not on phone. Good facts to know though..didmt realise hpw much difference there was