Audiophile, or Audio-Fooled?

[Pogre]

I didn't title the video, don't shoot me! An interesting take on lossless vs mp3 with Rick Beato.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

Yup, I can't tell the difference... and I'm not going to stress myself out about it. For those who truly can hear the difference all the time, every time, I salute you. Or maybe I feel bad for you, since your ears may never let you be happy.

The amount of self-generated duress over "but I know it's lossy!" is unhealthy for some. It's opposite but equal to "knowing" an RCA cable cost $5000.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I didn't title the video, don't shoot me! An interesting take on lossless vs mp3 with Rick Beato.

I love Rick Beato. His videos are well done. I just wish the “what makes this song great” ones were longer. I could watch those all day.

 

[Pogre]

I love Rick Beato. His videos are well done. I just wish the “what makes this song great” ones were longer. I could watch those all day.

I like Rick a lot too. I've seen several of his videos. He comes across as pretty smart and no-nonsense to me.

I'll tell you, like most of us here, I prefer and always use my lossless files. However recently, with the purchase of the new tool CD and the MP3 download that comes with, I have trouble telling between the two. This was the first time I had an original MP3 to compare with. DBT I don't think I could. I did determine that my MP3 sounds better than Amazon's HD streaming service though.

 

[3db]

I can't tell the difference either between 320kbs and lossless files. Thats why I store everything at 320kbs . Finally someone taking a pragmatic approach on this. I'm with Kv_Walker on this.. I feel sorry for people who can tell the difference.

 

[lovinthehd]

While I prefer to keep all the information when I rip a cd and storage is cheap, I do also make mp3s for my phone/car and sometimes mix them and won't notice the difference. You'd have to listen to particular examples carefully to tell. Streaming files seems to come with software and delivery issues and little provenance, so.....

ps Is this the same guy who puts together examples of intros and such with himself and others playing a bass, or guitar, etc?

 

[panteragstk]

I also can't tell the difference between losless and 320kbps MP3, but I CAN tell if it is a 128k MP3. I've found myself listening to some of the older stuff I ripped years ago and wondered why it sounded bad. Well, it was a 128k file. Ripped a new one at 320k and it was a big difference.

 

[panteragstk]

I like Rick a lot too. I've seen several of his videos. He comes across as pretty smart and no-nonsense to me.

I'll tell you, like most of us here, I prefer and always use my lossless files. However recently, with the purchase of the new tool CD and the MP3 download that comes with, I have trouble telling between the two. This was the first time I had an original MP3 to compare with. DBT I don't think I could. I did determine that my MP3 sounds better than Amazon's HD streaming service though.

Yep. I listened to the new album at 96khz 24 bit on Amazon and my mp3's sounded much better. I hadn't expected that to happen. Needless to say my subscription was soon canceled.

 

[NINaudio]

I know years ago I did a comparison of different bitrates for use on my portable players. Picked a few songs and ripped them in various levels, from 128-320. The threshold for me on headphones ($100/pair 1more triple driver IEM) was 192 kbps. Anything less than that and I could easily pick it out. Was a bit higher on better systems (home and car at that time), so I stuck with 256 being my normal cutoff for MP3's. I still stream FLAC at home because I have the storage space. Maybe I'll compare my flac rips to my 256 kbps mp3's when I get the new speakers.

 

[Pogre]

Yep. I listened to the new album at 96khz 24 bit on Amazon and my mp3's sounded much better. I hadn't expected that to happen. Needless to say my subscription was soon canceled.

Yup. I canceled mine as soon as the free wore off, lol.

Another good point he raised was that a lot of some of the best recordings were mastered by guys in their 40s to 60s in age. Most of them probably can't hear above 15k hz to begin with. Someone who can hear above that is hearing things they can't. That could explain the noise some folks complain about with heavily compressed music that some of us don't hear. They didn't hear it either!

 

[shadyJ]

I know years ago I did a comparison of different bitrates for use on my portable players. Picked a few songs and ripped them in various levels, from 128-320. The threshold for me on headphones ($100/pair 1more triple driver IEM) was 192 kbps. Anything less than that and I could easily pick it out. Was a bit higher on better systems (home and car at that time), so I stuck with 256 being my normal cutoff for MP3's. I still stream FLAC at home because I have the storage space. Maybe I'll compare my flac rips to my 256 kbps mp3's when I get the new speakers.

This was my experience. At 192 kbps, and above, I have a difficult time telling the difference, but below that rate, it was pretty easy.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I like Rick a lot too. I've seen several of his videos. He comes across as pretty smart and no-nonsense to me.

I'll tell you, like most of us here, I prefer and always use my lossless files. However recently, with the purchase of the new tool CD and the MP3 download that comes with, I have trouble telling between the two. This was the first time I had an original MP3 to compare with. DBT I don't think I could. I did determine that my MP3 sounds better than Amazon's HD streaming service though.

I went dumm Fukk and didn’t preorder. So I bought my TOOL via ALAC. Sounds pretty solid. Even with the compression issues I still love it, and as we said, I finally love Danny’s kick drums.

Yup. I canceled mine as soon as the free wore off, lol.

Another good point he raised was that a lot of some of the best recordings were mastered by guys in their 40s to 60s in age. Most of them probably can't hear above 15k hz to begin with. Someone who can hear above that is hearing things they can't. That could explain the noise some folks complain about with heavily compressed music that some of us don't hear. They didn't hear it either!

This is a good point. Not sure of my upper limit, but I dislike compression noise a great deal. Especially with crappy Rips. They sound like you have pop cans over your ears with some kind of sworshy sworsh sound effect over it. Put your ear next to a tweeter when satellite or cable tv is on. Barf...

Few years ago, philips had a “golden ear” training program. It was more like a tester to see how good you could discern things like dynamics, compression, background noise, imaging etc. it was really well done. I got through the silver level and they took it down. I think you’d have liked it.
The next best one is this.

Free Online Audio Tests, Test Tones and Tone Generators

Tests your audio equipment, speakers, room acoustics and hearing. Audio signals and test tones playable online. High resolution sound test files available for free download.

www.audiocheck.net

I like that I can AirPlay it from my phone and not have to mess with the laptop.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

I also can't tell the difference between losless and 320kbps MP3, but I CAN tell if it is a 128k MP3. I've found myself listening to some of the older stuff I ripped years ago and wondered why it sounded bad. Well, it was a 128k file. Ripped a new one at 320k and it was a big difference.

Heh I remember long ago (like 1999 or something) the first time I ripped a CD. When looking at the encoder options I asked aloud "why not just use the lowest setting and save hard drive space?" Oh boy... the second my ears heard a song at 64kbps I realized the error of my ways!

 

[sterling shoote]

Since I cannot distinguish Apple Music streams from 24/192 downloads via usb play to OPPO-205 DAC, I'm over "Audiophile" in all manner the term has been defined. The term just has no meaning or relevance today, other than a nice way to describe someone who might suffer from OCD, which manifests itself in the means to enjoy recorded music. I know, I am a recovering addict. The bottom-line is I don't care what extremes anyone might go to, to have the perception of having achieved the most awesome means to enjoy recorded music. It's none of my business and I do not envy them. And, for folks who are satisfied with iTunes from an iPhone to earbuds why would I want to disrupt their pleasure with my notions on how to get the job done? Thing is, cell phone technology today has made awesome video, music, and photography pleasures possible without need for the sort of expenditures that were necessary just a few years ago.

 

[JerryLove]

The reason I use lossless is to prevent possible generational loss. Lossless doesn't sound better than a [properly configured] lossy file but (and I know this might sound a little silly given MP3's staying power in 2020); I had concerns about the result of repeated conversion of file format (MP3 would fall out of vogue and I'd convert to something else,and 10 years later convert again, and so on), and had the space for FLAC (so "why not").

You have to remember: I go back to the days of MID and MOD formats... so historically the concern seemed minor but valid.

 

[lovinthehd]

I went dumm Fukk and didn’t preorder. So I bought my TOOL via ALAC. Sounds pretty solid. Even with the compression issues I still love it, and as we said, I finally love Danny’s kick drums.


This is a good point. Not sure of my upper limit, but I dislike compression noise a great deal. Especially with crappy Rips. They sound like you have pop cans over your ears with some kind of sworshy sworsh sound effect over it. Put your ear next to a tweeter when satellite or cable tv is on. Barf...

Few years ago, philips had a “golden ear” training program. It was more like a tester to see how good you could discern things like dynamics, compression, background noise, imaging etc. it was really well done. I got through the silver level and they took it down. I think you’d have liked it.
The next best one is this.

Free Online Audio Tests, Test Tones and Tone Generators

Tests your audio equipment, speakers, room acoustics and hearing. Audio signals and test tones playable online. High resolution sound test files available for free download.

www.audiocheck.net

I like that I can AirPlay it from my phone and not have to mess with the laptop.

What compression noise does ALAC suffer from?

 

[2channel lover]

I went dumm Fukk and didn’t preorder. So I bought my TOOL via ALAC. Sounds pretty solid. Even with the compression issues I still love it, and as we said, I finally love Danny’s kick drums.


This is a good point. Not sure of my upper limit, but I dislike compression noise a great deal. Especially with crappy Rips. They sound like you have pop cans over your ears with some kind of sworshy sworsh sound effect over it. Put your ear next to a tweeter when satellite or cable tv is on. Barf...

Few years ago, philips had a “golden ear” training program. It was more like a tester to see how good you could discern things like dynamics, compression, background noise, imaging etc. it was really well done. I got through the silver level and they took it down. I think you’d have liked it.
The next best one is this.

Free Online Audio Tests, Test Tones and Tone Generators

Tests your audio equipment, speakers, room acoustics and hearing. Audio signals and test tones playable online. High resolution sound test files available for free download.

www.audiocheck.net

I like that I can AirPlay it from my phone and not have to mess with the laptop.

I can't say I can hear the difference at each level, but the difference I can hear starts with comp noise....it's the 1st give away.

 

[lovinthehd]

I can't say I can hear the difference at each level, but the difference I can hear starts with comp noise....it's the 1st give away.

In a lossless file you can hear compression noise?

 

[snakeeyes]

I’m happier with Amazon HD Music Unlimited than I was with Apple Music but it’s more the interface than anything else. I also still pay $5 for Pandora Plus.

And I still end up buying a few CDs, SACDs, and Blu-ray Audio discs if I know it’s something I will want to put the effort into loading the disc etc

I would agree internet radio stations at 64Kbps are hard to listen to. 128Kbps is much better. LOL

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

What compression noise does ALAC suffer from?

None that I am really aware of. But there are some places in the TOOL album that have compression, or waveform issues. I’m not sure the cause, but there are places where you can hear the “crinkle”. I believe that, and other compression issues I’ve picked up on from any digital format is in the masters, not the playback format. I will say though, my free pandora does sound “flat” compared to Spotify and my digital library. Can’t remember what they stream at though.
I DF’d myself because historically if it’s an album I care about I by the disk. That’s likely in part due to my old skool nature. I waited a long time for fear inoculum so I already decided the disk would be better. I can honestly say that aside from a few “crinkles”(which I try to ignore) it sounds really good. I enjoy it sonically, and love the content.