Re: [ARSCLIST] Try Real Alternative (was RealNetworks -- a horrid format from a horrible company)

[Mike Richter <mrichter@xxxxxxx>]

Joel Bresler wrote:

> Just curious, does anyone know how lossy MP3s at 320 kbps (the highest 
> bit rate) actually are? When ripping CDs, these relatively sensitive 
> ears find them virtually indistinguishable from the original. (I 
> understand how there could be a big difference on relatively noisy 78s, 
> though...)

There is no way to answer your question. It's of the form: How high is up?

Many find a loss of presence and of crispness in transients even at high 
bitrates. That implies good ears and good reproducing equipment. In 
simple terms: if you cannot hear the difference between a premium LP and 
its CD equivalent, you probably don't need more than 128 Kbps on most 
stereo material. The added dynamic range in MP3 is of no value when the 
source is only sixteen bits; the loss of highs is controllable with 
bitrate, but only in the last half-octave if you are using no more than 
11:1 compression.

Mike
--
mrichter@xxxxxxx
http://www.mrichter.com/