I just started using iTunes 4 with the new AAC encoding system for music files. It says that music encoded at 128 Kbps is "indistinguishable" from CD quality. I've compared a few albums of stuff I just ripped to the original CD, and I can't tell the difference . . .

Is anyone using this yet?

I'm somewhat excited about this -- it means a lot more hard drive storage, better sounding files, and more space on an iPod . . .

Se7en said:

44100hz 128kpbs is near cd quality. the average listener wouldn't know the difference.




Hi fidelity edit
[This message was edited Tue Apr 29 7:13:21 PDT 2003 by SuperC]

SuperC said:

It really depends upon the listener, as 128k is not very good... 192k is getting closer, but it is still not CD quality at all.

The new AAC encoding allegedly actually IS CD quality. I don't see how, but it is supposed to be so.

IceNine said:

I agree. And i am the average listener.



It's all good edit
[This message was edited Tue Apr 29 7:25:51 PDT 2003 by SuperC]

SuperC said:

I'm totally lost

320kbps is the equivalent of CD, but say if you rip a CD to 320 they are some bigass files. then you have 256,224,192,160,128 anything lower than that sounds like shit but the trade-off is the files are alot smaller.

Icenine and Marrk-

I think you're talking about MP3 quality -- which yes, anything over 192 Kbps is closer to CD quality (NOT 128 Kbps).

What I'm talking about is MPEG 4 AAC . . . which is new. The quality at 128 Kbps AAC is supposed to be near CD quality.

Since yesterday, I have in fact encoded several albums in AAC format (the file extension is .m4a) and they sound amazing!.

I'm not sure, but I think it's only for Mac right now . . .

Se7en said:

It is a Mac only thing at the moment.



I have not heard any files in that format yet... I might have to buy a song or two to see how they sound.

Paisley said:

Don't get lost in figures. It's about the sound.

You hear it best by the cymbals and reverbs. They sound more crisp and spacious. The stereo image becomes more natural and easy to the ears.

What the figures say differs per compression method. 44100hz 128kpbs sounds better in AAC format than in MP3 format.

Compression is used to keep as much information as possible in the least possible bytes.

MP3 was already very good considered they were one tenth the size of cd audio, but AAC is even better!

(I'm a mac user & musician with very good nearfield monitors right in front of me. )
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[This message was edited Wed Apr 30 6:28:45 PDT 2003 by LillianLaughs]

I consider myself an average-to-above-average listener, so I'm really impressed by AAC. It's always a tradeoff of quality vs. file size, but I think the 128 Kbps AAC is a nice balance.

I'm not a musician OR an expert, so I appreciate all comments and input!