Crispy
very active
Madrigal music is playing - Voices can faintly be heard, "Please leave this patient undisturbed."
Posts: 772 
|
Post by Crispy on Jan 20, 2020 17:58:17 GMT
I came accross this interesting site that compares Flac to MP3?
They are saying most people cannot tell the difference between the two and the correct average is 50%, precisely like guessing heads or tails for a coin flip.
The small number of trials (i.e. 5 tracks, once each) mean that a participant needs to get all 5 answers correct for the performance to be considered statistically significantly different from guessing.
With these online ABX tests, you can try your ear (and your equipment) at distinguishing 320kbps MP3 (created by Lame) from lossless Flac audio.
It will be interesting to see how many people can actually hear any difference?  |
|
Javier
Administrator
Digital bytes
Posts: 984
|
Post by Javier on Jan 21, 2020 17:06:53 GMT
Transparency is reached below 320Kbps (CBR), undertanding transparency as the subjective inability to differentiate a given queality from an objectively better one, So those results are to be expected.
Objectively, as in measurably, DSD/HiRes are potentially better than CD which in time is better than any MP3 but the human ear has much lower limits than what any of those formats can achieve (and it worsens with age) so from a subjective POV they could be considered redundant and a waste of space.
Since storage is quite cheap these days, I prefer to keep a copy of my music in FLAC in my PC but for the car or the phone V2 (256Kbps VBR) MP3 is good enough. Also, transcoding form one MP3 format to another is not the best idea.
|
|
Crispy
very active
Madrigal music is playing - Voices can faintly be heard, "Please leave this patient undisturbed."
Posts: 772
|
Post by Crispy on Jan 21, 2020 21:00:32 GMT
Transparency is reached below 320Kbps (CBR), undertanding transparency as the subjective inability to differentiate a given queality from an objectively better one, So those results are to be expected. Objectively, as in measurably, DSD/HiRes are potentially better than CD which in time is better than any MP3 but the human ear has much lower limits than what any of those formats can achieve (and it worsens with age) so from a subjective POV they could be considered redundant and a waste of space. Since storage is quite cheap these days, I prefer to keep a copy of my music in FLAC in my PC but for the car or the phone V2 (256Kbps VBR) MP3 is good enough. Also, transcoding form one MP3 format to another is not the best idea. I agree with you Javier. As you say with cheap HDD storage, I also keep FLAC copies for my HIFI system and 320Kbps copies for anything portable or in my car.
My results:
I got 44% correct so I really cannot tell the difference  The Killers track I scored 20% James Blake track I scored 0% Daft Punk track I scored 60% The Eagles track I scored 80% Dixie Chicks track I scored 60%
The interesting one for me was the score on the Eagles track - Hotel California. It is a track I know very well but I had never heard any of the other tracks.
So maybe with longer listening and with familiarity of the track you MAY? be a bit better at spotting the differences? But I doubt it 
|
|
Javier
Administrator
Digital bytes
Posts: 984
|
Post by Javier on Jan 21, 2020 21:37:06 GMT
IMO mastering is far more relevant than format.
For quiet environments with decent HPs/speakers I tend prefer early non compressed 80s original masterings which can be cranked quite a bit without producing fatigue. For the car or portable heavily compressed post 2000s "remasters" are better suited as, everything being loud, helps unmasking details in noisy evironements without twisting the vol knob too far.
|
|
