View Poll Results: Lossless?
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Who Uses Lossless on their portable music players?
#1
DVD Talk Hero
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Who Uses Lossless on their portable music players?
Simple question...
Who, like me, puts lossless audio on their favourite portable music-playing device?
I've only started doing it recently... 95% of my MP3s are unfortunately either 160kbps and 192kbps. I'm waiting for my new 160gb ipod to arrive next week, and I figured I'd give lossless a try
Who, like me, puts lossless audio on their favourite portable music-playing device?
I've only started doing it recently... 95% of my MP3s are unfortunately either 160kbps and 192kbps. I'm waiting for my new 160gb ipod to arrive next week, and I figured I'd give lossless a try
#2
DVD Talk Gold Edition
I started out with lossless but I soon desired quantity in my portable device and sacrificed a little quality. It's all a matter of choice, really.
#5
I'm the same. I'm more about quantity than quality. I don't stream my songs to a great sound system. My iTunes are pretty much for my earbuds and honestly I can't tell the difference past 192.
#6
DVD Talk Special Edition
VBR alt-preset-standard is widely considered the best cross between quality and file size so that's what I use and honestly I can't tell the difference between that and an mp3 at 320 CBR.
Even though I have very nice in-canal earbuds, I don't think I would see any benefit from lossless. Even streaming these mp3s on my squeezebox to my Klipsch speakers, they sound fine to me - not that I claim to have very well honed ears, but that's what works for me.
Michael
Even though I have very nice in-canal earbuds, I don't think I would see any benefit from lossless. Even streaming these mp3s on my squeezebox to my Klipsch speakers, they sound fine to me - not that I claim to have very well honed ears, but that's what works for me.
Michael
#8
DVD Talk Legend
Same here. I'm playing it in the car with a cassette adapter. Absolutely flawless sound reproduction is not a concern here.
#14
DVD Talk Godfather
#15
DVD Talk Godfather
Lossless is WAV, FLAC, etc. I'm sure at this point there's some sort of WMA and AAC lossless formats. It basically means the sound isn't being compressed, only the file. Regular AAC files (iTunes), MP3s, WMA files, etc. are lossless. The higher the bitrate, the less of a difference you hear.
Most people can't hear the difference between 256kbps or 320kbps and CD quality. On a good enough sound system (think four figures) you can probably hear the difference.
I've ripped all my CDs at -b 256 -m s -q 0 -k for the past ten years.
Most people can't hear the difference between 256kbps or 320kbps and CD quality. On a good enough sound system (think four figures) you can probably hear the difference.
I've ripped all my CDs at -b 256 -m s -q 0 -k for the past ten years.
#16
DVD Talk Godfather
#19
DVD Talk Legend
I have an 80GB iPod and everything on it is 320 CBR.
I find it very hard to tell the difference between 320 and lossless on MP3 players. I only hear the difference on decent home systems. I listen to the iPod on my daily commute to work and when taking walks, so the outside noise would kill any difference anyways.
320 bitrate gives me the best of both worlds - quality and quantity.
I find it very hard to tell the difference between 320 and lossless on MP3 players. I only hear the difference on decent home systems. I listen to the iPod on my daily commute to work and when taking walks, so the outside noise would kill any difference anyways.
320 bitrate gives me the best of both worlds - quality and quantity.
#21
Are you sure? I see the VBR setting in every version of iTunes I've used since I had an iPod for both AAC and MP3 encoding when you import audio from a Compact Disc (e.g., ripping a CD). 256 kbps VBR means the average data rate is 256 kbps, but it can vary up and down depending on the loudness level of the music.
Actually, if properly encoded a CD ripped at 256 kbps VBR in either MP3 or AAC is generally very good, and to hear the difference from the CD original requires a stereo system that is generally WAY beyond the means of most homeowners (this means preamps and amps that cost a couple of thousand dollars each and speakers over US$1,000 a pair).
Actually, if properly encoded a CD ripped at 256 kbps VBR in either MP3 or AAC is generally very good, and to hear the difference from the CD original requires a stereo system that is generally WAY beyond the means of most homeowners (this means preamps and amps that cost a couple of thousand dollars each and speakers over US$1,000 a pair).
#22
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Who Uses Lossless on their portable music players?
I don't really notice lossless on the ipod (especially with cheap, but comfortable, ear-buds I have, heck, even when hooked into my car's sound system) - I've done comparisons and when I do notice something, the lossless is just a little louder - not a big enough difference to matter.
#24
DVD Talk Legend
I did notice a huge difference between my 256k and lossless listening to my iPhone through the car stereo.
While I'm sure I'd fail Groucho's test using any other listening method, it wasn't hard to tell through the car speakers.
While I'm sure I'd fail Groucho's test using any other listening method, it wasn't hard to tell through the car speakers.