is there that much difference between 256kbps and apple lossless?

gooner26

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ive just imported The Who ultimate collection onto my 80gb ipod video and i honestly cant tell that much of a difference between importing at 256kbps or apple lossless! ive been comparing for the last 30 mins. any feed back would be great. cheers.
 
a) Technically, yes
b) Practically, it depends on
--1) your ears
--2) your equipment

If you can't hear a difference that is good and bad. Good in that you can fit more music (if you have a monster collection!)... but with ever lower prices of storage I am thinking it is good to have both lossy and lossless copies of your music
 
i'm using a pair of igrado headphones. the difference is minimal at best. i think im better of going the 256kbps way. maybe apple lossless comes into its own if you use it with a high quality idock connected to hifi. ie: arcam solo or something.
 
256 with what encoder? AAC or MP3?

And depends on the quality of original recording and the music. Rock is recorded 'hot' with analogue overload (OK) and digital clipping (v.bad) on 99% of current masters.

Solo piano will trip up lossy encoders.
 
I have gathered music from many sources and when playing on my iPod any good transfer at speeds over 192kbps sounds very similar. But up on the hi-fi, where the quality of equipment is higher the only transfer rate any good is 320kbps. At 320kbps the difference between that and the original CD can be heard but its acceptable.
 
i'm not an expert like you guy's but what difference would it make if i imported with mp3 instead of aac? would there be any difference in sound quality?
 
256 with what encoder? AAC or MP3?

And depends on the quality of original recording and the music. Rock is recorded 'hot' with analogue overload (OK) and digital clipping (v.bad) on 99% of current masters.

Solo piano will trip up lossy encoders.

I agree, an original recording is all when played back but also the genre. To seperate everything that is going on in a rock track takes some sorting out with your hi-fi, the Prodigy is a band in question, but at the end of the day the weak link is our ears! What I hear and what someone else hears is so subjective. You could almost compare it with wine tasting where someone can taste oak and another blackberries. It all comes down to subtleties and those subtleties in hi-fi are recording, genre, equipment, personal tastes etc etc.
I will no longer spend large sums of money on the "latest fantastic amp" et all as I have a set-up that suits my music and most importantly my ears (my amp is a 30year old Sony 40wpc silver finish)but I always keep my options open. metroman.
 
i'm not an expert like you guy's but what difference would it make if i imported with mp3 instead of aac? would there be any difference in sound quality?
We have to remember all this talk is about a portable travelling environment. Whether you'd notice the difference with a bus zooming past you is highly debatable even if you have IEMs on you

imho done correctly 9/10 people would not tell the difference between AAC vs MP3. And 90% of those 1/10 people who could tell the difference wouldn't be able to once you add the ambient noise factor in :)

But coming down to it I would choose MP3. Even though MP3 has royalties attached to it, it is nevertheless supported by all. You have the versatility of playing it on everything, whereas with AAC you cannot ;) To be frank, you'd be buggered if you ever buy a non-iPod DAP or non-iPod orientated streaming device. But ignore that last bit if you decide to marry the iPod :D (that is tongue in cheek btw)

P.S. Wine tasters are the biggest you know what in the world. I have never tasted the subtle hint of chocolate and vanilla married by an envelope of oak
 
P.S. Wine tasters are the biggest you know what in the world. I have never tasted the subtle hint of chocolate and vanilla married by an envelope of oak[/QUOTE]

Exactly, and just like art..........."I know nothing about art.......but I know what I like" metroman.
 

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