Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Audio file quality tests

["Joseph Ondrus" <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Jan 8, 2008 12:03 PM, Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED> wrote:

I would want to see the test done on the highest quality stereo system
with the best sound card and computer attached to it.  I'm not talking
about iPods -- I don't even own one.

But my point is "how do you know that?"  It is very easy to make mistakes
unless you have some kind of controlled environment and random ordering of
128 v. 192, etc.  You should also pick a few different kinds of sound
files.  Many people don't understand that a low bitrate file can capture
certain kinds of sound very well (e.g., smooth sounds like sine waves or
choirs), but it does worst with random noise (e.g., applause).  Why should
we care what the applause sounds like?  Cymbals are more the kind of thing
that really matters and they will sound noticably better at high bitrates,
so an example using cymbals would be nice to include in the test.

If I rip a disc to 128, 192, and FLAC, I just have a pair of Sennheiser's attached to a Carver pre-amp and if I switch from 128, 192, to FLAC, 128 to 192 is very easily distinguished, the jump from 192 to FLAC is a bit more difficult, but you can pick out parts of songs that sound different, you may not be able to describe how they are different very well but you can tell them apart.  I don't want to imply that the someone could choose what bit-rate the song is by listening to the song, but when comparing the two together, you can tell one is higher than the other.  Like you said cymbals might really matter at higher bitrates, but I'm sure if we sat down we could pick out many other instruments (or noises) that the human ear (or does this begin to fall under brain processing ;) )can differentiate in a sense of quality at different bit-rates. 

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