MP3 CD vs. Regular Burned CD

[Dan5767]

If you take a 320 kbps mp3 and use it on a 24-bit Burr Brown head unit, will there be a noticable difference if you didnt have a good D/A converter?

Also, will the be a difference if you used a 260, 230, or 196 kbps mp3 on that same 24-bit Burr Brown head unit?

 

[Eugenics 5,000+ posts]

i wouldn't think the d/a converter would matter at all

 

[Raven 10+ year member]

i wouldn't think the d/a converter would matter at all

It does. The conversion from digital to analog is, in a sense, a very "vulnerable" point for the signal. However, like all things, higher numbers don't mean much. There are good 1 bit D/A converters, and bad 24 bit ones.

It's one of the big reasons vinyl is held in such high regard, no D/A conversion to mess things up. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[Eugenics 5,000+ posts]

for some reason i just figured you'd be bypassing it

 

[Ayrton 10+ year member]

if you copy a cd, how much quality do you lose?

Depends on wither or not you use compression, software used to make the copy, and program used to burn the new disc. It is possible to create an exact copy from the original disc.

 

[Raven 10+ year member]

for some reason i just figured you'd be bypassing it

Nope! Simply put, if you've got a record player, there's no D/A converter at all, because they're not needed and cost money to put there.

Vinyl = Analog -> Output

CD = Digital -> Analog -> Output

If you use a reciever with digital signal processing, it's a different story. They'll go from analog back to digital and then back to analog. It's why if you can go digital from the source to the reciever you get better quality with one of those.

 

[Eugenics 5,000+ posts]

i was talking about the mp3 disks

 

[Raven 10+ year member]

Oh, Well I feel dumb then. =p

The answer is the same though. Any music stored digitally will have to go through a D/A converter before it can be played.

 

[Ayrton 10+ year member]

i was talking about the mp3 disks

Done correctly, you can create an mp3 the is indistinguishable to the human ear.

 

[eisenhower 10+ year member]

Ipods sound like ***, terrible bass roll off. Stick with the HU's DAP.

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

Done correctly, you can create an mp3 the is indistinguishable to the human ear.

On my system, to my ear, I would have to disagree with that. Mp3s just do NOT have the depth that a cd has. There is a reason it is called a "compressed" format.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/uhoh.gif.c07307dd22ee7e63e22fc8e9c614d1fd.gif

 

[Raven 10+ year member]

On my system, to my ear, I would have to disagree with that. Mp3s just do NOT have the depth that a cd has. There is a reason it is called a "compressed" format.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/uhoh.gif.c07307dd22ee7e63e22fc8e9c614d1fd.gif

X10,000,000

 

[Ayrton 10+ year member]

On my system, to my ear, I would have to disagree with that.

Maybe you don't have good mp3s?

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

Maybe you don't have good mp3s?

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif Has nothing to do with it. I do have decent Mp3s which I ripped myself straight from CD to 320kbps. I can notice the difference. Especially on my home system which has NO road noise to contend with.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[Eugenics 5,000+ posts]

i notice it as well, if i was just listening to the mp3 then probably not so much, but if i switch disks to the actual thing then i can tell