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webby
06-02-2013, 09:14
Just thought I'd share this.

Recently, someone on the hoffman audio forums conducted a survey to ask listeners to test 320kbps mp3 vs lossless audio files in a blind test.

The results of the survey are now posted but if you want to take the test yourself, here is the original post, although the links may not be live for much longer.

http://archimago.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/high-bit-rate-mp3-survey-is-up.html
Alex_UK
06-02-2013, 11:23
Very interesting Lee - I must admit I really struggle to spot the difference between Spotify at 320kbps (Ogg Vorbis format) and FLAC - in fact I would say I can't reliably spot the difference listening to music normally, and it is very hit and miss if I even sit down and try!
Krisbee
06-02-2013, 16:24
After what popped up on screen when I tried to download the test files, I don't think I'll bother.

SBT users might be interested in some of Achimago's other tests:

http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?97950-MEASUREMENTS-Some-Squeezebox-numbers-to-consider
DSJR
06-02-2013, 16:30
I can't really notice when I've tried before, but then I don't listen *that* way so much any more. I still don't like the idea of throwing so much away, never to be recovered, but i also accept that this extra data is of things we probably don't notice either.

I'm told many singles at least are actually MP3 derived as the sound files are quickly sent from one studio to another for dubbing/editing etc....
Yomanze
06-02-2013, 16:37
I have done similar tests using Foobar2000's ABX plugin comparing FLAC & 320kbps mp3. In my main rig the differences are quite clear with the FLAC files having more 'air' and 'ambience'. On my phone, laptop or second system I can't tell the difference.
webby
06-02-2013, 17:40
After what popped up on screen when I tried to download the test files, I don't think I'll bother.

SBT users might be interested in some of Achimago's other tests:

http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?97950-MEASUREMENTS-Some-Squeezebox-numbers-to-consider

Something nasty? My apologies. I did not test the link as I was posting from my iPad, however I did download the files some time ago and didn't have any problems then.

It was not my intention to provide a link to anything nasty.
webby
06-02-2013, 17:45
Very interesting Lee - I must admit I really struggle to spot the difference between Spotify at 320kbps (Ogg Vorbis format) and FLAC - in fact I would say I can't reliably spot the difference listening to music normally, and it is very hit and miss if I even sit down and try!

It is Alex. Sadly, I don't understand the technicalities of it all and I wish I could say that I hear the differences clearly, but I don't. Doesn't, and will not, stop me ripping losslessly though ;)

Hard drives are cheap enough to be able to do that.
Yomanze
06-02-2013, 20:52
It is Alex. Sadly, I don't understand the technicalities of it all and I wish I could say that I hear the differences clearly, but I don't. Doesn't, and will not, stop me ripping losslessly though ;)

Hard drives are cheap enough to be able to do that.

I should clarify that the differences between FLAC & 320kbps are minuscule to my ears, but it's there. However it only seems to be the very highest frequencies that I hear the difference with. Bass, mids etc. are pretty much identical.
Krisbee
07-02-2013, 08:07
Something nasty? My apologies. I did not test the link as I was posting from my iPad, however I did download the files some time ago and didn't have any problems then.

It was not my intention to provide a link to anything nasty.

Not to worry, just a a rude shock you might say.
RobHolt
14-02-2013, 22:30
I tend to agree with the views above, that 320kbs is extremely good and often sounds just like lossless. You could probably find something which taxes the codec to produce a repeatable clear difference but that's not really the point.
It isn't a sound quality bottleneck IME.

It's more interesting when you go down to 256kbs, since that's more variable IME. Though 256kbs AAC still sounds very good, if not always identical to lossless.

I've pretty much now abandoned hard drive streaming from a local lossless library in favour of vinyl, (going back to) CD and Spotify at 320kbs for streaming.

Rob
Rothchild
14-02-2013, 22:42
There's a cool little app here for blind testing different file types (and would also be good for ear training) http://sourceforge.net/projects/abx-comparator.berlios/ It's for linux but programmed in python so should be relatively portable.

I was going to use it to see if I could tell the difference between wav and aiff but then I remembered I'm not really interested in holy wars ;-)
synsei
15-02-2013, 08:08
I was going to use it to see if I could tell the difference between wav and aiff but then I remembered I'm not really interested in holy wars ;-)

:lol:

I have two copies of Aerial by Kate Bush, one 320kbs and t'other is a wav rip of the CD and I find it impossible to tell the difference between the two, probably just me though.