AAC & Vorbis Options

[ozmosis82]

I just don't get it. How is it that I can ABX AAC files with ridiculously high bitrates (Nero @ 0.50 and the new QuickTime/Core Audio VBR @ q127) against their lossless versions and be able to spot the differences, but I can encode those same files with aoTuVb5 at q3.5 and can't hear the difference for the life of me? It just makes owning an iPod that much more frustrating.

[Kef]

I just don't get it. How is it that I can ABX AAC files with ridiculously high bitrates (Nero @ 0.50 and the new QuickTime/Core Audio VBR @ q127) against their lossless versions and be able to spot the differences, but I can encode those same files with aoTuVb5 at q3.5 and can't hear the difference for the life of me? It just makes owning an iPod that much more frustrating.

Most likely because listening test are highly subjective. One person might be more sensitive to the artifacts produces by one encoder while an other person might be more sensitive to another.

If you want to play ogg vorbis files on your ipod I'd recommend find out more about "rockbox" here: http://www.rockbox.org/

/Kef

This post has been edited by Kef: Nov 19 2007, 09:03

[ozmosis82]

If you want to play ogg vorbis files on your ipod I'd recommend find out more about "rockbox" here: http://www.rockbox.org/

/Kef

Yeah... I tried it awhile ago. Unfortunately it can't use it with my iPod adapter in my car (playing + charging = happy road trips). I also now have a 160GB Classic, which it doesn't work on yet.

[Garf]

I just don't get it. How is it that I can ABX AAC files with ridiculously high bitrates (Nero @ 0.50 and the new QuickTime/Core Audio VBR @ q127) against their lossless versions and be able to spot the differences, but I can encode those same files with aoTuVb5 at q3.5 and can't hear the difference for the life of me? It just makes owning an iPod that much more frustrating.

Would be interesting to post some clips. At least the Nero devs read this forum and can fix issues.

[pdq]

I just don't get it. How is it that I can ABX AAC files with ridiculously high bitrates (Nero @ 0.50 and the new QuickTime/Core Audio VBR @ q127) against their lossless versions and be able to spot the differences, but I can encode those same files with aoTuVb5 at q3.5 and can't hear the difference for the life of me? It just makes owning an iPod that much more frustrating.

Would be interesting to post some clips. At least the Nero devs read this forum and can fix issues.

I would also recommend before abx testing that you decode both files to wav to avoid any possibility of them being processed differently in your system.

[ozmosis82]

Would be interesting to post some clips. At least the Nero devs read this forum and can fix issues.

I will after I try pdq's suggestion. It seems to be really noticeable for me on two of my samples. In both cases, it's how the hi-hats sound... they sort of sound smeared.

I would also recommend before abx testing that you decode both files to wav to avoid any possibility of them being processed differently in your system.

Good idea. I'll do that. I'm currently using foobar to ABX... doesn't it convert them to Vorbis? I seem to remember seeing something like that flash on the screen just before the main ABX window loads.