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Active: 26364 users

mp3 vs flac

Blogs > PH
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1 2 3 Next All
PH
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
United States6173 Posts
April 18 2009 03:20 GMT
#1
Is the whole flac thing overrated in anyone else's opinion? I was struggling to get some music I DL'd in flac working...I couldn't get any of the fucking quicktime plugins to work (I have an ipod and so use itunes to organize my music...it would've been convenient). I gave up and tried using other programs to at least give it a listen for a noticeable difference.

I have a Creative X-fi sound card and an old but decent 4.1 Altec Lansing speaker system...and I noticed virtually NO difference between mp3 and flac versions of the same song.

There is a SLIGHT difference...the sound does seem a bit more full and rich at times, but it's not worth the gi-fucking-normous file sizes.

Does anyone else share this feeling, or was it possibly my software (I was using VLC of all things...-___- )?

Hello
FirstProbe
Profile Joined June 2004
1206 Posts
April 18 2009 03:26 GMT
#2
I think the high bitrate mp3's are probably similar enough that you won't be able to discern the difference with your current system.
IMO flac is something pushed around by audiophiles for their more specialised systems.
crabsman
Profile Joined April 2009
United States13 Posts
April 18 2009 03:26 GMT
#3
What rate were you using for the mp3s?
Archaic
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States4024 Posts
April 18 2009 03:29 GMT
#4
Normally, I would say that high rate mp3 is good enough. If you have an amazing sound system though, then you will definitely notice a difference. But for casual, and not obsessive music listening (i.e. listening to flac just because the number is so much higher!), then I'd say that it isn't worth it. Then again, it usually depends on the song or genre.
zgl
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
United States1055 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-18 03:33:28
April 18 2009 03:29 GMT
#5
To really notice advantage of FLAC:
1. Use properly configured foobar or winamp
2. Use a real source. There are some good USB DACs. For example: Stello DA100 or Benchmark DAC1 USB.
3a. Use a nice set of speakers + amplifier (either integrated or pre+power combo), i.e., not something designed for computers.
3b. Alternatively, use good headphones + amplifier.

In a typical computer setup such as yours, FLAC won't make much difference since the music file won't be the bottleneck.
T.O.P. *
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
Hong Kong4685 Posts
April 18 2009 03:30 GMT
#6
I think mp3 encoded at 192kbps with the newest Lame encoder sounds very close to loseless. Even audiophiles might not be able to tell it apart. aac sounds better than mp3 at the same bitrate though.
Oracle comes in, Scvs go down, never a miscommunication.
Guilford
Profile Blog Joined August 2008
Australia290 Posts
April 18 2009 03:46 GMT
#7
you can use flac to create identical copy of the original cd
Being forgotten is worse than death.
PH
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
United States6173 Posts
April 18 2009 03:48 GMT
#8
Hmm...yeah, most of the mp3s I tried comparing were 192kbps.

I have a decent set of headphones...nothing pro, so I'll try comparing them through there as well.

zgl, can you explain what you mean by real source? What is a USB DAC?
Hello
sexsexpussyhair
Profile Joined April 2009
Canada133 Posts
April 18 2009 03:54 GMT
#9
i doubt there is noticeable difference, its like playing at 60fps and 100fps, can't be detected by human.
GTR
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
51417 Posts
April 18 2009 04:02 GMT
#10
V0 MP3's are best IMO.
Commentator
crabsman
Profile Joined April 2009
United States13 Posts
April 18 2009 04:04 GMT
#11
On April 18 2009 12:54 sexsexpussyhair wrote:
i doubt there is noticeable difference, its like playing at 60fps and 100fps, can't be detected by human.


You are very misinformed the human eye can sense the difference between 60 fps and 100 fps. Please stop spreading this rumor.

http://www.100fps.com/how_many_frames_can_humans_see.htm
IzzyCraft
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
United States4487 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-18 04:12:38
April 18 2009 04:04 GMT
#12
mp3 is loosy it throws away a ton of info that is given that most people and sets up wont be able to hear or produce
FLAC is a lossless it keeps all quality thus size at similar bitrates size is quite different

i just use AAC myself encoding though a cmd line death weeks with neroAAC great size and a ton better quality then mp3 although i can't really tell unless im using my higher quality headphones
I have ass for brains so,
even when I shit I'm droping knowledge.
IzzyCraft
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
United States4487 Posts
April 18 2009 04:05 GMT
#13
On April 18 2009 13:04 crabsman wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 18 2009 12:54 sexsexpussyhair wrote:
i doubt there is noticeable difference, its like playing at 60fps and 100fps, can't be detected by human.


You are very misinformed the human eye can sense the difference between 60 fps and 100 fps. Please stop spreading this rumor.

http://www.100fps.com/how_many_frames_can_humans_see.htm

=p but most monitors can't display over 60.
I have ass for brains so,
even when I shit I'm droping knowledge.
Chromyne
Profile Joined January 2008
Canada561 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-18 04:13:35
April 18 2009 04:11 GMT
#14
I agree with zgl. FLAC won't make a difference unless the rest of your gear can convey the differences. Of course, a good/musical ear will help differentiate between lossless and lossy formats, so you may not hear the different regardless of your rig.
Soli Deo gloria.
IzzyCraft
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
United States4487 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-18 04:16:35
April 18 2009 04:13 GMT
#15
mp3 is one of the worst lossly formats
AAC is much better in keeping quality
When i rip music i do full lossless .wav and then transcode into AAC making a mp3 ish sized file but smaller with much high quality i don't have a rig to make use of a lossless files so i just do the best loosy fomart there is

although you can do aac in lossless (it's file size is just a wedge smaller then flac) but i dont
I have ass for brains so,
even when I shit I'm droping knowledge.
mahnini
Profile Blog Joined October 2005
United States6862 Posts
April 18 2009 04:19 GMT
#16
lossless formats are useless unless your some weird audiophile who has super high end hardware and insists they can tell the difference. other wise 320kbps mp3 or VBR mp3s are fine.
the world's a playground. you know that when you're a kid, but somewhere along the way everyone forgets it.
PH
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
United States6173 Posts
April 18 2009 04:27 GMT
#17
I don't have many 320kbps mp3s...most are around 192-256...or VBR.

btw guys...it's lossy vs lossless. Not loosy or lossly or whatever else...
Hello
Shivaz
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
Canada1783 Posts
April 18 2009 04:29 GMT
#18
Yup, most people even with high end hardware cannot tell the difference between 256-320kbps and flac/lossless, 192 though is easier to tell. However I find when possible people rather listen to lossless just knowing they will not be missing out on anything. After all why listen to lower quality if storage space is not an issue, $80-$100 for 1 terabyte.
benjammin
Profile Blog Joined August 2008
United States2728 Posts
April 18 2009 04:37 GMT
#19
lossless is great for certain applications, just make sure you have one of those applications (also FLAC is the best lossless format out there, despite some having fractionally better compression ratios)

if not, v0 all the way
wash uffitizi, drive me to firenze
FragKrag
Profile Blog Joined September 2007
United States11549 Posts
April 18 2009 05:04 GMT
#20
v0 and v2 all the way. I don't have room for those FLACs
*TL CJ Entusman #40* "like scissors does anything to paper except MAKE IT MORE NUMEROUS" -paper
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