Comments on: MP3s aren't ruining music
Can music still pack an emotional punch when it's been squeezed down into a compressed digital format? Matt Rosoff says the setting matters.
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About Digital Noise: Music and Tech
Matt Rosoff is an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, where he covers Microsoft's consumer products and corporate news. He's written about the technology industry since 1995 and reviewed the first Rio MP3 player for CNET.com in 1998. He's also a bass guitarist and an avid collector (and digitizer) of LP records. DISCLAIMER: This blog contains the personal opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the opinions of his employers or of CNET Networks. As an IT industry analyst, the author occasionally agrees to nondisclosure agreements from Microsoft or other companies, and he will not violate the terms of such agreements on this blog.
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At the same time, does a 384kbps MP3 sound as good as the source CD? Most probably cannot tell. Certainly not on a set of iPod headphones, and probably not on most typical home stereos.
We may need two bit rates. One for home, and one for portable.
I find 192kbps constant bit rate MP3s, and variable bit rate MP3s which average 192-224kbps are a good compromise. They are "good enough" for my home stereo system, and small enough for my disk-based MP3 player.
For me, the flexibility a home MP3 player (such as a Squeezebox or Roku), or even a MP3 CD add to a home stereo outweigh the sound difference.
At the same time, does a 384kbps MP3 sound as good as the source CD? Most probably cannot tell. Certainly not on a set of iPod headphones, and probably not on most typical home stereos.
We may need two bit rates. One for home, and one for portable.
I find 192kbps constant bit rate MP3s, and variable bit rate MP3s which average 192-224kbps are a good compromise. They are "good enough" for my home stereo system, and small enough for my disk-based MP3 player.
For me, the flexibility a home MP3 player (such as a Squeezebox or Roku), or even a MP3 CD add to a home stereo outweigh the sound difference.
I also find that compression algorithms other than MP3 offer better sound. WMA and AAC sound much better at the same bitrate than MP3 does. I convert all my vinyl to WMA using Microsoft's Digital Media Plus Pack (discontinued since it was for XP only) at 384 kbps, and it sounds as good as any digital file can.
But it still ain't vinyl.
I also find that compression algorithms other than MP3 offer better sound. WMA and AAC sound much better at the same bitrate than MP3 does. I convert all my vinyl to WMA using Microsoft's Digital Media Plus Pack (discontinued since it was for XP only) at 384 kbps, and it sounds as good as any digital file can.
But it still ain't vinyl.
- by axevs957 December 26, 2007 11:38 AM PST
- wow! I'd never heard of this one before.
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