quality of high bit-rate AAC files?

[tcguy85 10+ year member]

i have an ipod but don't like the SQ or lack of SQ i should say i get with it. it just seems to add to the sound. just doesn't sound good at all no matter the bit-rate.

short story:

i got an itunes gift card as a gift so i used it. downloaded some songs are that in the new Itunes+ format. i guess the + means higher bit rate. i burned them onto a CD in the same 256 AAC format they were in when i downloaded them. i was quite shocked at how good it sounded.

anybody have experience with high bit rate AAC files on cd's? i am thinking of taking some cd's i have and burning them onto some CD's in high bit rate AAC format, mainly so i don't have sooo many cd's in my car at the same time. if i can fit a good 4-5+ cd's on a single CD in AAC format and still keep the sound quality then i'll try it.

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[mikey7182 10+ year member]

I actually have gotten pretty good sound out of mine. All my stuff was ripped in WMA Lossless format from my CD collection to my Windows Media Player, then moved everything over to iTunes in 320kbps. I like the format of WMP better for my music server for my home theater setup, but unfortunately the iPod is the universally accepted mp3 player as far as HU control goes. I can tell the iPod adds a little to the sound but as long as you make sure the iPod EQ is flat, I couldn't tell much of a difference between the 320 and the original CD.

 

[tcguy85 10+ year member]

I actually have gotten pretty good sound out of mine. All my stuff was ripped in WMA Lossless format from my CD collection to my Windows Media Player, then moved everything over to iTunes in 320kbps. I like the format of WMP better for my music server for my home theater setup, but unfortunately the iPod is the universally accepted mp3 player as far as HU control goes. I can tell the iPod adds a little to the sound but as long as you make sure the iPod EQ is flat, I couldn't tell much of a difference between the 320 and the original CD.

ok, i am past using the ipod though! no more ipod for me. plus it's only a 2 gig nano so it won't hold sh!t at a higher bit-rate so it's pointless. all my stuff on it is in 192 bit rate and it's full with only 200 songs.

i wanna hear some experiences with people taking a store bought CD and ripping it to 256 or higher AAC and burning it onto a CD. does it sound exactly like the original? how much can fit on a single CD?

 

[mikey7182 10+ year member]

Well technically, nothing will sound the same except the original, or the original ripped in lossless format, then burned to a disc, which would be pointless. Any compression of the file creates a loss in sound, as it discards portions of the music it feels don't take away from the song itself... background noise in the recording, etc. However, in most car audio applications, you won't really be able to tell a difference between anything over 200kbps and the original CD... maybe slight differences if any on certain songs, but not a whole lot in my experience. The car is such a horrible environment for sound recreation, that even with pretty top notch equipment it is hard to hear compression in a music file. Now, I can hear a difference between 128 and 192... quite a big difference. Not a huge difference between 192 and 320, and pretty much no difference between 320 and the original CD. But technically, it isn't going to sound the same. Your equipment may limit how well the original CD is played back though, but in an ideal environment, i.e. higher end home setups, you'd be able to pick up on differences in any type of compressed file vs. the original recording. But again, probably not gonna pick up on it in most car audio environments. You should be fine with what you're looking for by burning them to CD in any lossy format as long as the bit rate is high (200k+) without hearing much of a difference unless you really have a discerning ear.

Edit: Almost my entire CD collection ripped in WMA Lossless format in the neighborhood of 1Mbps, or 1024kbps, just to give you an idea of how compressed 256 is. So, you should be able to fit 4-5 times the number of songs at 256 as a normal CD would hold in its original format.

 

[tcguy85 10+ year member]

i guess i'm just gonna have to try it. maybe tomorrow i'll try taking ****nation from Opeth and put it on a CD in 256kbps AAC and try it in the car in the driveway(not moving, so no road noise).

 

[audioinsanity 10+ year member]

itunes has a "sound enhancer option" go to the edit dropmenu and click prefrences its under playback i think its automaticly on try turning it off as i would assume its changing the music then update your ipod also how are you connecting your ipod to your car

 

[mikey7182 10+ year member]

Yeah, the best way to do it is to have both and compare them. I just got done with my latest install, and I can definitely pick up on just a hint of coloration from the iPod, but that could also have to do with how the deck processes the signal- may not be coming from the iPod itself. I use it because it's easier to carry in the glovebox than 350 CDs, not to mention the ease of use. I am huge on SQ as well though and am constantly looking for ways to find the balance between SQ and convenience. Maybe an external HD with all my Lossless stuff on it is the way to go //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif Let us know how the comparison goes //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[tcguy85 10+ year member]

itunes has a "sound enhancer option" go to the edit dropmenu and click prefrences its under playback i think its automaticly on try turning it off as i would assume its changing the music and updating your ipod also how are you connecting your ipod to your car

i have the pioneer connector(whatever model code they call it). i'm just not gonna use the ipod cause it only holds 200 songs at a decent bit-rate anyway.

my question is for cd's anyway. i don't care about the ipod.

anybody had experience with high bit-rate aac files on cd's that my question.

AAC files i am reading are far superior to mp3's of the same bit-rate.

 

[ProgMtl 10+ year member]

I have nothing burned at less than 256 (most @ 320) and I can tell no difference between AAC & MP3 at that rate

 

[SlainNothing 10+ year member]

ipod has a shitty DAC no matter what. that is why they ****.

128 is low but ok 1 min= 1 mb(regular quality mp3)

192 is **** good

280-320 **** near perfect 1 min = 2 mb