24/192 Music Downloads and why they make no sense (2012)

Post by nirvdrum » Wed, Mar 06, 2019, 11:19 PM UTC

AsyncAwait wrote: post #187

nirvdrum wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Slightly off topic, but do you use something other than iTunes for this process? I'm looking for a good way to manage a FLAC library.

As far as I am aware, iTunes is not even able to play back FLACs, so when I am on a Mac, I use Clementine, ( https://www.clementine-player.org ), or cmus, ( https://cmus.github.io ). Converting etc. I do exclusively on my Linux desktop, so can't help you there.

Post by andybak » Wed, Mar 06, 2019, 11:27 PM UTC

Mediterraneo10 wrote: post #151

andybak wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 24 bits still makes an audible difference The article (and numerous other sources I've seen over the years) disagrees with you so I'm curious why you're so certain?

As the article notes: "It's true that 16 bit linear PCM audio does not quite cover the entire theoretical dynamic range of the human ear in ideal conditions." Now, 24-bit may be overkill, but 24-bit is the next step up from 16-bit among standard encoding formats, and as the article notes, there are no drawbacks with 24-bit encoding except greater use of disk space.

Post by madengr » Wed, Mar 06, 2019, 11:50 PM UTC

Florin_Andrei wrote: post #230

madengr wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Couldn’t agree more. I grew up with cassette and LP. First time I heard a CD, specifically Pink Floyd’s Money with the cash register, it was jaw dropping. LPs are cool for the artwork, but that’s it. That being said, I still only buy music in CD, due to all the hassle of DRM and playback. I just want to drop in a CD and listen to the entire album, not futz with computers, encoders, and software. I have a simple CD pl…

> I still only buy music in CD That's what I do. I tend to favor old master copies. I rip them to both FLAC and MP3. The former is for listening at home, the latter for mobile scenarios. I store everything on the Linux server at home, and share via UPnP. VPN into the home network gives me access from anywhere. Foobar2000 is my preferred player on Windows, BubbleUPNP on Android. > kit built tube amp What's the distort…

Post by em500 » Wed, Mar 06, 2019, 11:59 PM UTC

jrace wrote: post #236

em500 wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At 30 we're looking at typically 5db loss over 8khz, at 40 more than 10db. Sure, we're not talking about total hearing loss, but the reduced sensitivity is going to overwhelm any real artifacts from 16/44 that one might have genuinely detected at 20. Imagined artifacts will probably remain or might even increase though, since people typically have much higher spending power at 40. :)

Any evidence of this? I worked in audiology for my entire 30's and tested my own hearing (biocalibration) once a week. Never once saw a reduction in my hearing thresholds (250Hz - 8kHz) Nor have I read any supporting documentation that agrees with a reduction of 8kHz thresholds before the age of 55.

Post by kazinator » Thu, Mar 07, 2019, 12:18 AM UTC

stcredzero wrote: post #81

mruts wrote: post #4

Problem with music sounding bad doesn’t really have much to do with the distributed format: V0, V1, or 320 mp3s should sound pretty much the same compared to 16-bit flac. You can only the difference between mp3 and flac at shitty bitrates no one uses anymore (like 120). The reason why a lot of recent digital music sounds bad is because of the intentionally terrible mastering. Since everyone is listening of crappy ear…

Since everyone is listening of crappy earbuds, they compress the hell out of it and destroy all dynamic range. More compression and less dynamic range is beneficial for certain environments. Noisy subways. Watching TV in a noisy downtown apartment. Basically, crappy, noisy environments. In those, compression will help you actually hear the music and speech. However, the fact that this should be done in the master is…