MP3 Sound Quality

I was listening to some of my CD's I had ripped and put on my Playbook and thinking man this sounds like crap! I had used the defaults with Windows Media Player. So thought I would experiment a bit and tried just the standard MP3 setting at 256Kbps. The file size is about 30% bigger but the crackly top end seems much improved. Which brings me to: The Playbook has pretty darn good Audio out. But it can only put out what you put in.

Anyone else play around with MP3 settings that cares to share any advice???

It sounds as good as any electronic device (they all sound the same unless they're really cheap or broken somehow).

What I would like is an app that offers decent EQ options.

I just finished ripping 80 CDs at 128kbps and listening to a bunch of it over the holidays. I suppose I should go back and retry at high quality settings and compare... I'm no audiophile, so I wasn't particularly concerned, but if you think it's that noticeable maybe I'll notice it too. Will report back later if I find the time. :)

For the record, I had no problem with any of what I've listened to so far, out of that mass of songs. I'm quite curious if I'll consider the difference worth the effort of re-ripping everything.

That's kinda where I'm at. Before I spend 4 hours ripping stuff I want some setting advice on what might sound better.
Yo...an equalizer would really be nice. RIM! RIM can you hear me?

For me, if the files are encoded properly using a good program like LAME, then they start to sound transparent at around 170-180 kbps vbr mp3.

That's when I can't tell the difference between them and lossless.

Not all encoders are the same. LAME is your friend. I have ripped at 128 VBR with excellent results. as cheap as storage is now days, who cares if the files are bigger?

Alrighty...I managed to get LAME going in Windows via Audacity (Beta) I can set Windows Media player to auto rip wave files and then convert using audacity.....is there perhaps an easier way? Variable @ 220-260kbps (Best quality) I get 4 minutes (All along the Watchtower) to 7.0 Mb. And it sounds damn fine to me..

Yes, get Audio Grabber a free shareware program that goes from CD to LAME encoded MP3s with a single mouse click. it also will use the free CD database and create the ID3 tags. Used this for all of my CDs, it's AWE and SOME!

Originally Posted by peter9477

I just finished ripping 80 CDs at 128kbps and listening to a bunch of it over the holidays. I suppose I should go back and retry at high quality settings and compare... I'm no audiophile, so I wasn't particularly concerned, but if you think it's that noticeable maybe I'll notice it too. Will report back later if I find the time. :)

For the record, I had no problem with any of what I've listened to so far, out of that mass of songs. I'm quite curious if I'll consider the difference worth the effort of re-ripping everything.

May I UNseriously suggest you break your foot. Then you can find time to actually convert LP records to individual mp3 tracks and filter out the rumble, and clicks and pops. Wonderful time waster while healing. Ask me how I know!

I am pretty picky, but I always look for, or rip tracks at 320kbps, sounds great, especially at higher volumes.

Originally Posted by F2

May I UNseriously suggest you break your foot. Then you can find time to actually convert LP records to individual mp3 tracks and filter out the rumble, and clicks and pops. Wonderful time waster while healing. Ask me how I know!

I went through that misery at the turn of the century. Thank Goodness I knew about LAME at that time. Now my music is backed up SIX places. Seven if I count my Playbook!

I have some music CD's I ripped a while ago. I don't remember the ripper I used but it wasn't a MS product.

I put them on my Playbook and was very pleased with the sound quality and loudness. The PB has good stereo separation and I don't have to turn the volume full up. The bass isn't all that great and it doesn't compare with good speakers or headphones, but certainly is pleasing enough using the built in speakers.

320kbs files for me running through a set of Shure in ear. sounds quite find to me :-)

Alrighty...the Audio Grabber is all set up. Changed the Lame switch to -b320...like the previous poster said: "Space is cheap" Can't stand the highs falling apart...just grates on me.
Thanks all for the help!!!!

Originally Posted by melb_me

That's kinda where I'm at. Before I spend 4 hours ripping stuff I want some setting advice on what might sound better.
Yo...an equalizer would really be nice. RIM! RIM can you hear me?

Try using Lame encoder for mp3s, and at VBR joint stereo at a minimum of 192 up to 225 for recordings that you are picky about. The increased fidelity from higher bitrates (above 225) are not usually perceptable by the human ear, and compression savings are exponentially squandered. Good luck.

foobar 2000. I just wish flac was supported.

I always rip at 320kbs when possible. Experimenting is fun. Rip at 128 and 320 and compare. You will certainly hear a difference in some pieces of music, especially very dynamic pieces. However a slight increase in volume if applied to the 128 sample will make it quite close to the 320 sample. Storage and cloud (hurray for 50 free gigs at box.com) are affordable now and the 320 is worth the size hit. I have alot of spoken word ripped at 96kbs and that is sufficient for spoken word. For things 'found' online the rip quality can sometimes be quite poor regardless of the bit rate if the source material I also of poor quality. I have some CDs of very dubious quality as well. Loving my playbook.

I finally got a chance to test the playbook's audio with headphones yesterday.
One MAJOR problem besides the need for an EQ.
Space isn't a concern so I always rip CDs using .WMA mathematically lossless up to 940Kbps. These huge files, typically 25meg, don't work on the playbook. They play but make weird poops and pops and squeaks.
I don't have any small (low quality).wma files so maybe it's just the .wma format??

Originally Posted by Boight

I finally got a chance to test the playbook's audio with headphones yesterday.
One MAJOR problem besides the need for an EQ.
Space isn't a concern so I always rip CDs using .WMA mathematically lossless up to 940Kbps. These huge files, typically 25meg, don't work on the playbook. They play but make weird poops and pops and squeaks.
I don't have any small (low quality).wma files so maybe it's just the .wma format??

I think I recall others mentioning those "noise" problems with wma files. You might do a search.

I use 256 .m4a files on my PlayBook and I had the popping problem. After wiping and reformatting my PB with no change, I stopped using BBDM and just drag/drop the folders. No more audio anomalies.

ive ripped a couple of cds over the christmas period and using the same headphones as i have done with previous media devices eg iphone, android phone, zune media player i can honestly say i think its great quality, the best ive heard from such devices. i love my playbook!!! (ps i dont have an iphone anymore, i have an android as i make use of the mobile hotspot feature on my htc desire ;) )

I haven't tried headphones with my PB yet, but since MP3 is inferior, I always rip at 320. With run-of-the-mill headphones, the lower audio quality of the MP3 format is not as revealing, but when I am listening to a decent stereo or with decent headphones, I notice a big difference, mostly in the dynamic range and high frequencies - heck the whole frequency spectrum. I'm sure some may argue that but c'mon, you are not going to get original quality when you compress an audio file down that much.