Re: New Thread: Preferred Formats

I think the fact that you decided to "do it right and pull WAVs off the
source CDs" underscores a pre-existing internal belief that the WAVs would
sound better than the 320K MP3 files. This belief was validated when you
played back the CD. But it's still not clear whether it was psychological or
real. Only a blind test could tell you that with certainty.

As an aside, has anyone on this list actually done a blind or ABX test to
support their assertion that .WAV sounds better than (LAME 3.90.3 alt preset
extreme) MP3? Just curious...

Cheers!
Brent

----- Original Message -----
From: "Abraham, Howard E." <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 9:18 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] New Thread: Preferred Formats


>I was making a mix CD.  Normally, I only make mix CDs for the car and
>converting 320K back to WAV doesn't bother me.  This time I was making a
>mix CD for someone else so I decided to do it right and pull WAVs off the
>source CDs.  After I was done with the disc I listened to it to make sure
>there weren't any errors.  It was then that I realized how good the music
>sounded compared to the MP3s I was used to hearing.  This caught me
>off-guard.  I didn't intend to make a comparison between WAV and 320K at
>all.  I just assumed that 320K was indistinguishable from the source, so I
>never compared them before.  Due to my assumptions, I don't think my brain
>was trying to convince me of anything.
>
> I used DBPowerAmp to rip my songs at 320K, CBR, stereo.  I don't know
> which method that software employs.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Turtle Beach Audiotron User Forum
> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Brent Aliverti
> Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 10:17 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [AT] New Thread: Preferred Formats
>
>> Previously, I ripped everything to 320K MP3.  However, after listening
>> to that for over a year I pulled out the original CD and was amazed at
>> the difference between the MP3 and the CD.  I'm slowly converting to
>> WAV now and all new music gets ripped to WAV.  I still keep the MP3
>> around for portable players.
>
> Hi Howard,
>
> When you compared 320K MP3 to WAV and were amazed by the difference, what
> was your methodology? And which MP3 encoder had you used initially? The
> reason I ask is, if you were comparing the two, and you knew which was the
> WAV and which was the MP3, it's entirely possible that your brain was
> subconsciously influencing your decision more than you realize and more
> than just what your ears told you. The mind is tricky that way. If you
> (like most
> people) are predisposed to think that non-compressed music is always
> better than compressed music, it's possible your mind tipped the scale
> that way to validate your mental model. I'm not saying that you didn't
> hear a real difference, but I would be interested to know if you see the
> same obvious difference with a true blind test (using ABX software or with
> a friend queuing up tracks and not telling you which is which until the
> test is over).
>
> Cheers!
> Brent
>
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