UUronL

I find it comical that we're quibbling over crap - redbook is crap too IMO. It's a shame that with all the storage and bandwidth at our disposal the "modern day" packaging of choice for distributors is overcompressed garbage. The "revolution" apparently involves taking a step backwards since nearly all Internet music stores selling files are using low-ish bit rate files that aren't well encoded. It's especially sobering when we have 2 or 3 great audiophile formats that sit languishing (DSD, MLP, PCM96/192).



If you follow that link to Hydrogen Audio, you'll see more than enough audio professionals' opinions to help gain a clear view about relative quality. They make the claim that being an audiophile or traditional audio professional does not automatically equate to being able to sniff out compression artifacts.

TexaZ3

If you follow that link to Hydrogen Audio, you'll see more than enough audio professionals' opinions to help gain a clear view about relative quality. They make the claim that being an audiophile or traditional audio professional does not automatically equate to being able to sniff out compression artifacts.
[/quote]

Maybe not, but I hear what I hear. Regardless, you can't deny that MP3 format is inferior to CDs, its a fact. "Audio professionals" can claim whatever they want.

markt540i

Someone gave me an I-pod for christmas with 128 songs preloaded. Along with it they gave me two disks with the same 128 songs saved in MP3 format. I was amazed that one disk could contain 64 songs, maybe even more. Also, when playing the disks, the name of the songs shows up in list format in the I-drive screen instead of the circular numbers 01, 02, 03 as shows up in the I-drive screen with a standard CD.

Of note, the 6 disk changer will not play MP3 formated disk.

ericdbs

okay guys... call me lazy or blind..... but maybe its been mentioned... but how do you know if you have mp3 capablilities...05 build..530i. with sat options... thanks and sorry if it was posted.. eric d

JStraw

ok, lazy and blind....... (LOL, no offense, just joking):

seems like if your build date was after 03/05 then you should be able to play mp3s with the lates cip (20.xx)

my530i

Eric,

There is active thread. Please read it.

ericdbs

thanks jstraw... should be going in next month for update.... hopefully... anyways wanna say... had a great time in chicago around august... very nice place and very clean city.... plan to visit next year for a race... eric d

UUronL

Maybe not, but I hear what I hear. Regardless, you can't deny that MP3 format is inferior to CDs, its a fact. "Audio professionals" can claim whatever they want.
[/quote]


Depending on our level of agreeance with regard to the definition of "inferior"... and I expect we don't agree except in the most literal definition. I won't deny that MP3 is inferior in the sense that it contains less information, more specifically a technically incomplete amount of information for the reproduction of the original sound.

As to whether there is an audible difference that can be discerned -reliably- in an A/B comparison between CD and MP3, we'll have to agree to disagree. Most of what people hear in normal listening can be chalked up to volume differences or the misapplication of filters during the encoding process. A properly tailored A/B comparison will yield identical audio for all but the smallest percentages of problem snippets, and ongoing improvements to the encoding engines are rapidly closing these gaps as well. Nearly all who claim to be able to discern any differences are humbled in the face of such tests.

TexaZ3

Maybe not, but I hear what I hear. Regardless, you can't deny that MP3 format is inferior to CDs, its a fact. "Audio professionals" can claim whatever they want.
[/quote]


Depending on our level of agreeance with regard to the definition of "inferior"... and I expect we don't agree except in the most literal definition. I won't deny that MP3 is inferior in the sense that it contains less information, more specifically a technically incomplete amount of information for the reproduction of the original sound.

As to whether there is an audible difference that can be discerned -reliably- in an A/B comparison between CD and MP3, we'll have to agree to disagree. Most of what people hear in normal listening can be chalked up to volume differences or the misapplication of filters during the encoding process. A properly tailored A/B comparison will yield identical audio for all but the smallest percentages of problem snippets, and ongoing improvements to the encoding engines are rapidly closing these gaps as well. Nearly all who claim to be able to discern any differences are humbled in the face of such tests.
[/quote]
No, I agree with almost everything you just said. Just tell me how many "properly" encoded MP3's are out there, and how many people "can/would want to" encode this way at home. Most just rip the CD with Windows Media Player at 128 bps and burn gazzilion tracks on one CD with Nero. Also a fact.

UUronL

Maybe not, but I hear what I hear. Regardless, you can't deny that MP3 format is inferior to CDs, its a fact. "Audio professionals" can claim whatever they want.
[/quote]


Depending on our level of agreeance with regard to the definition of "inferior"... and I expect we don't agree except in the most literal definition. I won't deny that MP3 is inferior in the sense that it contains less information, more specifically a technically incomplete amount of information for the reproduction of the original sound.

As to whether there is an audible difference that can be discerned -reliably- in an A/B comparison between CD and MP3, we'll have to agree to disagree. Most of what people hear in normal listening can be chalked up to volume differences or the misapplication of filters during the encoding process. A properly tailored A/B comparison will yield identical audio for all but the smallest percentages of problem snippets, and ongoing improvements to the encoding engines are rapidly closing these gaps as well. Nearly all who claim to be able to discern any differences are humbled in the face of such tests.
[/quote]
No, I agree with almost everything you just said. Just tell me how many "properly" encoded MP3's are out there, and how many people "can/would want to" encode this way at home. Most just rip the CD with Windows Media Player at 128 bps and burn gazzilion tracks on one CD with Nero. Also a fact.
[/quote]

Well sure. But I certainly don't count myself in that category, and I imagine you don't either. I'm content just being able to encode "properly" for whatever application the file will be used for - be it my cell phone ringer, my car, or my home theater.