What do you think about mp3?

[DreamT]

What's your opinion about the sound quality of mp3s?

I believe that an mp3 compressed with to a reasonably high bitrate and by a good tool/algoritm sounds, to the human ear, equal to the same uncompressed track.

Discuss!

[Avatar Thief]

I use mp3 often and the sound quality is good...

actually, scratch that!

I HATE MP3 FILES!!!
(now we can start an argument)

[JensJohansson]

What's your opinion about the sound quality of mp3s?

I believe that an mp3 compressed with to a reasonably high bitrate and by a good tool/algoritm sounds, to the human ear, equal to the same uncompressed track.

Discuss!

Take a mix. Compress it with a perception equivalent compression scheme like mp3, preferably at some bitrate such as 128 kb/s. Align it with the original. Invert the phase of one of the mixes.

Listen to what could be described as the 'perception equivalent error signal'.

Attain enlightenment about what is going on.

Think deeply about it. What could prompt you to say "hey, it's not so bad". What could prompt you to say "what the fuck!!!?!"

Then go back to just caring about music in general...

[DreamT]

Well, I know that it *should* sound worse, considering that compression is about removing "unnessecary" information. But, consider a blind test in a high-end audio system "as it is", without phase shifting, i.e. can John Doe tell the difference?

After all, there's a band called "Placebo":-)

Och ja, min engelska suger, men man får ju offra sig för den stora massan...

[Irinia]

Och ja, min engelska suger, men man får ju offra sig för den stora massan...

Your English is fine, I understand both your English and Swedish perfectly

[lalodrums2]

The mp3 quality is good to me. But always remember that you must buy the original cd if you want to keep your favorite bands alive.

Cheers,



Eduardo.

[Polaris]

I like mp3 files too, but I prefer to buy original Cds & I always do when I really love the band & I have money, 'cause sometimes Cd's are too much expensive!

[Stealth]

The mp3 quality is good to me. But always remember that you must buy the original cd if you want to keep your favorite bands alive.

Not true. If they are good enough, they should stay alive playing gigs.

[Babylon]

They sound like crap if you play them too loud. Like in my car, I hate mp3 there. But on headphones or PC speakers is fine. But I dunno, maybe I'm just too old school, there's nothing like the original CD with the artwork and all. And well... vinlys are beautiful

[DreamT]

(i'm not quoting you all since you're too many:-) )

I do believe that you should buy the original CD/vinyl etc. However, I'm creating mp3:s from my CD/Vinyl collection because I want to listen to them at work, and in some cases because I want to preserve the original (Vinyl, mostly).

I really can't hear the difference (and I know how it *shouldn't* sound, I'm not "deaf" in that sense). I'm using mp3 cds in my car as well, without problems.

I looove vinyl by the way:-) I got my copy of Dream theater's "Black clouds and Silver linings" the other week, and have been listening to it nonstop. Sounds awesome!

[Carcass]

I think mp3 is a pretty cool guy.

[fernandotcl]

I can't tell the difference between decent quality MP3 or OGG and lossless. I rip everything I have to FLAC, though, because that way I'm sure I'm not losing anything, even though I don't immediately notice it.

[AAAAAAAAAA]

I rip everything I have to FLAC

Please watch your language.
You have been warned.

[icecab21]

nice one

[RazielSR]

I don't think about mp3. I just listen.

[NeonVomit]

With metal and indeed most other popular music, the difference isn't mind numbing. Sure, it's there, but it doesn't bother me so much.

Classical music, however... can't fool anyone with that. Classical music is not 'produced' or mastered; maybe just a touch of compression to even out the spikes in volume but most are simple, raw, single-take recordings in a studio or venue.