Deep Singh

If I'm playing music via the same amp with either CD or hardrive on my PC(downloaded from itunes) is there a difference in sound quality?

Thanks

OllyK

At the bit rates you get from iTunes, there's a fair chance you may well be able to tell a difference between them depending on your set up. If you rip your own MP3 at higher bit rates the difference may be less noticable.

WRX_Dazza

mp3's are compressed for portability.

they will never be as good as CD's

try flac or wav files for quality, however the file sizes are HUUUUGE !!!

OllyK

Sure but you can define the level of compression of an MP3, when they are up around the 50Mb mark for a single track then they are pretty much uncompressed and the same as CD, but as you note, you've lost the portability advantage. If you're listening in your home I'd look for a higher bit rate MP3 than if I'm listening in the car.

WRX_Dazza

Olly,
As you point out, its not worth using small compression on Mp3's - might as well go "lossless" (its a bit psychological as well) audiophiles will always want the best possible (even if they cant hear it)

i use mp3's in the scoob (cant hear anything in there anyway!!!) and cd's at home. there is no getting around the amount of mp3's you can stick on media though, so for long playlists, have a few compiliation MP3 cd's.

its all about personal preference, not forgetting if you want to back these files up too!!!

horses for courses...

do try flac files though (there are few free tools about to play, encrypt and decrypt this "lossless" audio format.

[Davey]

MP3's uses loss compression so MP3's will always be lower quality just depends how good your ears are

OllyK

I should dig a thread off another forum about some nut job audiophile who played trance mp3's through several throusands of dollars of kit to headphones and claimed wrapping the power cord in paper improved the sound He started posting videos of himself and it all got rather disturbing!

ETA: Ahhh, here we go: Audiophilia - From skeptic to believer - JREF Forum

WRX_Dazza

lol, dont go to any trouble finding that thread..... honestly

i was a bit the same once i got free Monster Cable with my AR18LS Speakers, back in the mid eighties.......
now i just use bell wire and spend the rest on VPower

WRX_Dazza

too late

OllyK

I use twin and earth

WRX_Dazza

lol $20,000 on cables!!!!!!

****king fruitcake!!!!

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

So do quite a few studios, I'm led to believe!

OllyK

And night clubs, when I rennovated the house I was burying the speaker cables in the walls and my sparky was telling me that twin and earth was what in used in a good few clubs when he was involved with doing electrical work for them. Cheap as chips!

Deep Singh

Thanks, its starting to get a bit technical for me. The reason I'm asking is that after over a decade I've bought a decent Hi Fi and so want to put the best source I can through it and start building up my music collection again. So I want to know whether this should be CDs or some other kind of format.

nb please note my understanding of these things is limited so keep it simple!

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

In my experience, the difference between compressed music (MP3, or anything else you've downloaded) and CD can be very significant when played through a decent hi-fi.

I'm quite happy with MP3 through headphones or in the car, but because they throw away information during the encoding process, they'll never sound as good as the original CD - and a revealing system will make the difference quite clear.

If you're looking to build up your music collection, you'll get the best sound (not to mention a guarantee that the format won't go obsolete or that your music won't 'expire') by buying CDs.

WRX_Dazza

DS, reading between my lines... so to speak, i would go for cd's for the quality and mp3's for the capacity of storage.

if you are using the internet to "find" your music, then download uncompressed audio file formats and then write them to standard audio cd, for the best quality.

pm me what music you are in to and i'll see if i can get you a sample (ie: uncompressed to CD).

Markus

Please tell me that chap (ExtremeSkeptic) is just winding everyone up. I've just got to the part where he mentions taking out his life savings, and I'm thinking "umm, ok, you need real, professional help here!".

Deep Singh

I'm into a wide range of music but anything dancey will be fine ie randb, hip hop, d 'n' b etc.
Just need to clarify what you mean though. Will most music sites ( ie places like itunes) allow me to downlaod uncompressed audio files? Will my pc allow me to write them to standard cd(I have a cd writer)? Will the quality of this be as good as an original cd? Or have I misunderstood?

Many thanks

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

Most downloads are not CD quality - even the ones that say they are.

The reason for this, is that in order to get the files small enough to download, some information must be thrown away. It's supposed to be inaudible - but that's a matter of opinion, and if you have a half decent stereo then you'll probably be able to tell the difference.

Burning these compressed files to CD doesn't help - you won't get a CD that sounds as good as the original did.

jasey

It probably wont make a whole lot of difference which format your using for this type of music.

CDs for music you want to actually listen to - MP3 for the rest should be fine

Deep Singh

Thanks. That also saves me money in some ways as I don't have to invest in any other kit, just the amp/cd player and speakers will do.

StickyMicky

is that the 3 core power cable??

christ i have been using that for years just because it was cheap LOL

StickyMicky

this audiobloke, is it a windup?

have you seen his youtube videos?
if its not a windup he needs locking up LOL

Jamz3k

its also quite bassy and warm but for detail power cable is pooh! I use some cable that this germany guy made, its very very good.

MP3's sound like crap thru my Marantz PM17 KI Sig and Monitor Audio GR10's so only the finished CD's for me

StickyMicky

what the ****

LMAO

OllyK

I wish! A few people called troll, but he's been posting on some AV forums and stared posting odd torch lit videos of himself and his kit on You Tube

StickyMicky

this was his system



pmsl, complete nutter

OllyK

I did say he was odd!

StickyMicky

nutter from other website said:
this bloke is awesome