Is there a significant quality difference in bit rates when downloading mp3's? I've been downloading only 320 bit rate, but was wondering if this is just overkill?

Thanks!

 

I want to know too

 

Personally I use 192KB, this seems to give excellent quality without the overkill of 320. I have compared the MP3 and the CD running side by side through the same amp and speakers and it is really difficult to hear any difference

Regards

 

It depends! Assuming you listen on your computer with computer speakers, the following is true:

320 is overkill. In fact, many encoders perform better at 192/256 than they do at 320. Any software based on Frauhofer's l3enc will follow this trend.

192 is a good compromise for quality vs file size. Very discerning ears will pick up flaws, however, especially if you listen to classical or jazz. I have found that highest quality VBR is probably the best for all around usage - file sizes typically in the ballpark of 192, with room for more bandwidth if needed. HQ VBR will almost never reveal significant flaws, so it is good even for classical/jazz.

If you run the audio signal to a high end amp/speaker combination, 256 or 320 will be better, but at this point your sound card and wiring may be just as much of a limiting factor.

 

At that point, just bite the bullet and do lossless compression. You can get (iirc) around 2:1 compression with Monkey Audio's lossless compression.

Personally, I rip at 160kbit VBR. For the car, it doesnt matter, it's a terrible environment to listen to music, anyway. For the home, it's on relatively poor (compared to the HT speakers) computer speakers.

 

Pellis - 2:1 compression is still in the range of 700kbps, though, but I suppose if your goal is audiophile grade sound on your PC, Monkey (or LPAC or RKAU) might be better than 320 mp3.

However, 320 mp3 is a much more readily available format, which is ultimately the point of mp3 - is it not?

 

I've been doing a little research & if I understand correctly, CD's are at 128 bit sample rate. If this is true, then wouldn't an MP3 sampled at 128 bit be CD quality and anything above that overkill?
Of course, unless you are an audiophile.....

 

128 bit sample rate Not sure what that means but CDs are 16 bit stereo at 44.1kHz sample rate. That makes 16*2*44100=1,411,200 bits per second

MP3 is lossy compression. It throws away information in the original signal that the encoder decides is the least important. That means "hardest to hear". In the best case it also means "impossible to hear" so you lose nothing that matters and it sounds exactly like the original. Unfortunately there will never be agreement among all people regarding what bitrate is needed to get to this point.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by S2KFanatic
[B]I've been doing a little research & if I understand correctly, CD's are at 128 bit sample rate.

 

So what bit rate would you suggest then?