Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > Music Talk
Reload this Page >

Who Uses Lossless on their portable music players?

Music Talk Discuss music in all its forms: CD, MP3, DVD-A, SACD and of course live
View Poll Results: Lossless?
Lossless for me!
28.57%
Lossless is for crazy people!
67.86%
I don't listen to music!
3.57%
Voters: 28. You may not vote on this poll

Who Uses Lossless on their portable music players?

Old 01-03-09, 02:24 PM
  #1  
Dan
DVD Talk Hero
Thread Starter
 
Dan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: In the straps of boots
Posts: 27,984
Received 1,181 Likes on 834 Posts
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
Old 01-03-09, 02:58 PM
  #2  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Trencher's Farm
Posts: 2,089
Received 19 Likes on 14 Posts
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.
Old 01-03-09, 04:19 PM
  #3  
Banned by request
 
Supermallet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Termite Terrace
Posts: 54,150
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
I don't put any fixed bitrate files lower than 192 on my ipod. VBR will dip below that, obviously. I don't have any lossless.
Old 01-03-09, 04:58 PM
  #4  
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
 
JANK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: at lightspeed slowing
Posts: 3,906
Received 46 Likes on 42 Posts
When I get a 120gb iPod, I plan to go 320 mp3s.
Old 01-03-09, 04:59 PM
  #5  
DVD Talk Hero
 
PopcornTreeCt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 25,913
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by Suprmallet
I don't put any fixed bitrate files lower than 192 on my ipod. VBR will dip below that, obviously. I don't have any lossless.
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.
Old 01-03-09, 05:29 PM
  #6  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Waterford, MI
Posts: 1,263
Likes: 0
Received 38 Likes on 21 Posts
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
Old 01-03-09, 06:00 PM
  #7  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 11,862
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I use Apple lossless for my favorite bands on my 80 gig iPod. I usually listen with my AKG 240's and with those suckers I can really hear a difference between lossy and lossless.
Old 01-03-09, 06:32 PM
  #8  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: behind the eight ball
Posts: 19,946
Received 225 Likes on 145 Posts
Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt
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.
Same here. I'm playing it in the car with a cassette adapter. Absolutely flawless sound reproduction is not a concern here.
Old 01-03-09, 06:34 PM
  #9  
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,063
Received 7 Likes on 6 Posts
I usually use 256 kbps VBR AAC for my ripped CD's, though I do have downloaded music from the Amazon MP3 download store that are 256 kbps VBR MP3 format.
Old 01-03-09, 07:21 PM
  #10  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Nightmare Alley
Posts: 17,117
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I would if I knew how. Is lossless the same as Flac?
Old 01-03-09, 10:33 PM
  #11  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Sean O'Hara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Vichy America
Posts: 13,533
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
256kbps lossy is going to be indistinguishable from CD quality on anything but the most high-end, finely calibrated sound systems.
Old 01-03-09, 11:46 PM
  #12  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,672
Received 31 Likes on 24 Posts
120g zune, not total lossless but lots.
Old 01-04-09, 04:27 AM
  #13  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Under Golden Gate Bridge
Posts: 10,911
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Anyone care to explain lossless or do I have to google?
Old 01-04-09, 10:23 AM
  #14  
DVD Talk Godfather
 
The Bus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: New York
Posts: 54,916
Received 19 Likes on 14 Posts
Originally Posted by RayChuang
I usually use 256 kbps VBR AAC for my ripped CD's, though I do have downloaded music from the Amazon MP3 download store that are 256 kbps VBR MP3 format.
There's no such thing as 256kbps VBR.
Old 01-04-09, 10:25 AM
  #15  
DVD Talk Godfather
 
The Bus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: New York
Posts: 54,916
Received 19 Likes on 14 Posts
Originally Posted by big whoppa
Anyone care to explain lossless or do I have to google?
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.
Old 01-04-09, 10:26 AM
  #16  
DVD Talk Godfather
 
The Bus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: New York
Posts: 54,916
Received 19 Likes on 14 Posts
Originally Posted by NoirFan
I would if I knew how. Is lossless the same as Flac?
FLAC (and SHNs, etc) are lossless. All FLAC is lossless. Not all lossless is FLAC.
Old 01-04-09, 10:26 AM
  #17  
DVD Talk Godfather
 
The Bus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: New York
Posts: 54,916
Received 19 Likes on 14 Posts
Originally Posted by Jason
Same here. I'm playing it in the car with a cassette adapter.
Same here.
Old 01-04-09, 04:35 PM
  #18  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Under Golden Gate Bridge
Posts: 10,911
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Thanks Bus.

I do hear a difference between 256kps and 192kps (or abouts) on my small mp3 player.
Old 01-04-09, 06:34 PM
  #19  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Hamilton, Ontario
Posts: 17,134
Received 814 Likes on 569 Posts
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.
Old 01-04-09, 06:43 PM
  #20  
Banned by request
 
Supermallet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Termite Terrace
Posts: 54,150
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
You'd get a lot more space with almost no appreciable dip in sound quality by using VBR, just a suggestion.
Old 01-05-09, 06:41 AM
  #21  
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,063
Received 7 Likes on 6 Posts
Originally Posted by The Bus
There's no such thing as 256kbps VBR.
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.

Originally Posted by Sean O'Hara
256kbps lossy is going to be indistinguishable from CD quality on anything but the most high-end, finely calibrated sound systems.
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).
Old 01-05-09, 12:11 PM
  #22  
DVD Talk Hero
 
slop101's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: So. Cal.
Posts: 43,858
Received 438 Likes on 307 Posts
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.
Old 01-05-09, 12:17 PM
  #23  
Moderator
 
Groucho's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 71,383
Received 122 Likes on 84 Posts
Re: Who Uses Lossless on their portable music players?

I bet that most people who can "hear the difference" would fail a double blind test.
Old 01-05-09, 12:54 PM
  #24  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Chew's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: South of Titletown
Posts: 18,628
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
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.
Old 01-05-09, 12:56 PM
  #25  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Hokeyboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 20,387
Received 680 Likes on 419 Posts
Re: Who Uses Lossless on their portable music players?

Lossless at home, VBR mp3s via Exact Audio Copy/LAME on the iPod.

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.