PCM, mp3, and wav...please help

[Pwner_2130]

Hey guys,

I was wondering if anybody on here knows more details about WAV, Mp3, and PCM audio, I usually rip cds in wav format via WMP 11 and transfer to my PS3, (much higher kbps with wav) but I noticed that standard mp3s,(320 kbps) which are much smaller, also are decoded in 48 Hz sample rate on my Sony str dg800...do you think there's a big enough difference in sound quality? Is my receiver "up-converting the 44.1 Hz tracks to 48 hz?

Thanks for any help and info..

 

[MDS]

The data on a CD is PCM. A WAV file and an MP3 are also PCM - but are two different animals.

The WAV file is the same as the track from the CD but the raw PCM samples are preceded by a header with information about the samples such as the bit depth (16), sample rate (44.1 Hz), number of channels (2), length of the file, etc.

An MP3 encoded from a WAV file will have the same characteristics as the WAV; ie it will be 16/44.1. But the samples are now different because the encoder analyzes the data and discards what its model says we would not hear anyway. This is data reduction and is why the bitrate is now much lower as well as the file size.

If the receiver is showing the MP3 as 48 kHz then it is resampling on the fly. Take the same file but view its file properties in Windows Explorer or any media player and you should see that it is 16/44.1.

 

[jcPanny]

Lossless audio

Check out the FLAC and apple lossless formats. They have all of the information (lossless) but it is stored more efficently so they are about half the size of the origional WAV file. Also a quick A/B demo of WAV vs. different MP3 bitrates would tell you if you can hear the difference with your receiver and speakers.

 

[avaserfi]

Check out the FLAC and apple lossless formats. They have all of the information (lossless) but it is stored more efficently so they are about half the size of the origional WAV file. Also a quick A/B demo of WAV vs. different MP3 bitrates would tell you if you can hear the difference with your receiver and speakers.

The PS3 doesn't support apple lossless so I think that would be out of the question in this situation. It does however support wav, which is what I use on my PS3.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Note to self....ignore anything Andrew says about music as related to PS3.

You guys ignore my post; it is just a note to myself....

 

[avaserfi]

Note to self....ignore anything Andrew says about music as related to PS3.

You guys ignore my post; it is just a note to myself....

Shh...don't let people know I give bad advice. I like my system of confusing people until they give up and sell their gear to me on the cheap !

 

[Pwner_2130]

The PS3 doesn't support apple lossless so I think that would be out of the question in this situation. It does however support wav, which is what I use on my PS3.

So, can you notice a big difference between mp3 in 320 kbps and wav (about 1140kbps) when you play it back on your system? I would try it but I don't currently have A/B speakers configured...

 

[avaserfi]

So, can you notice a big difference between mp3 in 320 kbps and wav (about 1140kbps) when you play it back on your system? I would try it but I don't currently have A/B speakers configured...

With my speakers I do not notice a big difference between the two, but on certain systems that cost far more than mine I have noticed differences.

I have the room on my external HD to keep everything in the wav format and am happy with it that way because I keep the lossless format stored and if I need to compress it for some reason I can easily do that. The way I see it, I don't lose anything by having the lossless files stored. Do I gain anything? probably not right now, but maybe in the future.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Well you screwed yourself with the computer directly to the AVR advice as this is perfect for Carolyn to play whatever she wants. I was about to send you all my gear and get her a BOSE but not now

Shh...don't let people know I give bad advice. I like my system of confusing people until they give up and sell their gear to me on the cheap !

 

[Pwner_2130]

Shh...don't let people know I give bad advice. I like my system of confusing people until they give up and sell their gear to me on the cheap !

Haha great plan...but you'll never get my PS..