lame 3.97 alpha 6 testing thread Options

[Gabriel]

Compared to 3.97a5, cbr/abr modes are adjusted. Vbr modes are not yet changed compared to pevious alpha.

Results from 3.97a5:
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=30547

edit: the former X10 mode is now remapped to X9 and used by default on abr/cbr.

This post has been edited by Gabriel: Jan 14 2005, 16:38

[guruboolez]

TEST #3: 128 kbps ABR with classical music only

Samples:
• the 15 classical music samples I’ve already used for my multiformat listening tests and more recently for my Nero AAC vs QuickTime AAC and also for the Nero AAC vs Vorbis aoTuV beta 3 listening tests.
Samples are momentary available here (11.8 MB).


Encoders and settings:
• lame 3.90.3 --preset 128
• lame 3.97a6 --preset 128
• lame 3.97a6 --preset 128 --athlower 10


RESULTS

CODE

                       3.90.3  3.97a6  3.97a6_ATH10
Bayle                    3.0     2.5     3.5
Beethoven                3.5     3.0     4.0
Mozart                   4.0     3.5     4.0
Rinaldo                  3.2     3.7     4.5
Track01 – Avison         2.0     3.0     3.0
Track04 – Hercules       4.0     3.5     5.0
Track06 – Mahler         3.0     2.5     2.5
Track07 – BWV 1034       2.0     2.0     2.5
Track08 – Brahms         3.0     2.5     4.0
Track09 – Compostelle    3.0     2.0     1.5    [WARBLING]
Track10 – Bruhns         1.5     1.0     2.0
Track11 – Mozart         3.5     3.5     3.5
Track12 – Couperin       1.0     2.5     1.8
Track13 – Van Wilder     2.5     3.2     4.0
Track14 – Barriere       2.0     3.0     3.0
                MEANS  2.75    2.76    3.25

Click here for log files



COMMENTS:

• lame 3.90.3 and lame 3.97a6 are apparently very similar with this kind of music and with --preset 128. Differences are most often very limited, and without ABX confirmation, I can’t be sure they all really exist.

• the --athlower 10 switch has a real and positive impact on quality with the tested samples. I’ve noticed two exceptions only:
- compostelle.wav sample: lame 3.97a6 amplifies a strange warbling, slightly audible with lame 3.90.3 and now really annoying. The --athlower switch doesn’t help to reduce it, and it apparently adds slight distortions on female voices (it nevertheless had to be confirmed).
- Couperin.wav solo harpsichord sample: quality is slightly worse with –athlower, which increase smearing and maybe (hard to explain some feelings) level of distortions. Anyway, 3.90.3 was clearly worse.
With all other samples, quality between defaulted --preset 128 and --athlower 10 additional switch was at least identical, most often better, and sometimes clearly improved.


STATISTICS:

If some people would play with statistic tool, just copy and paste the following table:

CODE

3.90.3    3.97a6    3.97a6_ATH10
3.0    2.5    3.5
3.5    3.0    4.0
4.0    3.5    4.0
3.2    3.7    4.5
2.0    3.0    3.0
4.0    3.5    5.0
3.0    2.5    2.5
2.0    2.0    2.5
3.0    2.5    4.0
3.0    2.0    1.5
1.5    1.0    2.0
3.5    3.5    3.5
1.0    2.5    1.8
2.5    3.2    4.0
2.0    3.0    3.0

• ANOVA analysis of results
3.97a6_ATH10 is better than 3.97a6, 3.90.3

• TUKEY PARAMETRIC analysis of results
3.97a6_ATH10 is better than 3.97a6, 3.90.3



NOTA BENE
Mixing both tests (20 general samples + 15 classical only samples):

MIXED RESULTS (35 samples):
lame 3.90.3 = 2.81
lame 3.97a6 = 3.19
lame 3.97a6 --ahtlower 10 = 3.37

ANALYSIS (anova & tukey parametric):
3.97a6_ATH10 is better than 3.90.3
3.97a6 is better than 3.90


EDIT: wrong analysis reports corrected.

This post has been edited by guruboolez: Dec 29 2005, 23:05