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MP3 question

  • 21-09-2004 1:58pm
    #1
    Super Glue
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭


    Folks,

    Just a quick question concerning MP3's

    There are several bit rates for MP3's at the moment I am using 128 x 44 which I thought was CD quality - what is actual CD quality I read somewhere lately that it was higher in the 320 Kbps area

    Any info would be appreciated

    Thanks
    Super Glue


Comments

  • #2
    leeroybrown
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,562 ✭✭✭leeroybrown


    Essentially 128Kbps is the lowest bitrate that approximates CD quality. I believe that in tests the average person can percieve no difference between 192Kbps and the source CD.

    I would advise you to use VBR MP3 between 160Kbps and 256Kbps. THat should generate the level of quality you want.


  • #3
    qBot
    Closed Accounts Posts: 820 ✭✭✭qBot


    There is no real answer to that.. Everyone has there own opinion really but the general consensus is that if u use the lame encoder version 3.90.3 (and only this version, no later one) and use the "--alt-preset standard" option the resulting mp3 file is to most people undistinguishable from the original cd. This encoding option gives a variable bitrate file but on average the bitrate is somewhere between 180kbp and 224kpbs. Check out this forum thread

    The reason I can say this is because the hydrogenaudio site have thoroughly tested many encoders using blind tests and they have deducted lame to be the best mp3 encoder by far. The --alt-preset standard option is an option they tweaked themselves in order to get the most desirable audio out of an mp3.. It might be of interest to u too that if u want the best quality mp3 file in the 128kbs regions, u would use lame version 3.96.1 and the option "-V 5 --athaa-sensitivity" which to the ordinary joe (including me) is more than adequate. I can't tell the difference at all.


  • #4
    Mutant_Fruit
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,943 ✭✭✭Mutant_Fruit


    MP3 at 128kbps is the absolute minimum anyone should use. Even at that bitrate i can 90%+ of the time tell the difference between the origional and the mp3.

    At 192kbps CBR, i can rarely if ever tell the difference. But, as was said above, the "--alt-preset standard" commandline with Lame is the best way to archive mp3's, unless you are going lossless.

    There are different varients on the --alt-preset ****. Theres "Standard" (what i'd recommend), "Insane" and "eXtrene". If you're a quality freak, you wouldn't touch mp3 at all. You'd go lossless. If you are a joe soap, i'd advise APS (altpreset standard) as opposed to API and APX. The reason is that the difference between APS and APX isnt that much, but the filesize is a fair bit larger. API is as the name says, its insane. You just end up with a very large mp3, with little to no audible difference as opposed to APS or APX.

    More info here:
    http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=15&t=203&


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