Alternative Multiformat Listening Test @ 128 kbps, at SoundExpert with the same contenders Options

[Serge Smirnoff]

As Sebastian Mares have practically finished accepting test results from participants I would like to offer for all who care to take part in alternative listening test with the same codec contenders but different sound samples. Testing methodology is also a bit different and makes testing much easier because sound artifacts are clearly audible in most cases. The main task of a listener is to grade annoyance of those artifacts.

Test files could be downloaded from here – ftp://www.soundexpert.info
Each time you click the link you’ll get random test file for one of these codecs:
• Nero AAC 3.1.0.2
• iTunes AAC 6.0.1.3
• LAME 3.97 Beta 2
• Ogg Vorbis AoTuV 4.51 Beta
• WMA Professional 9.1
• Shine 0.1.4 (Low Anchor)
Inside zip file you’ll find brief instruction and form for submitting results. The whole testing procedure is not hard and takes approx. 2-3 min., so you could easily test 5-10 files in one session. Each test file is 2-3 Mb.

Results of this test will appear on this page the same time with Sebastian Mares ones. After that they could be monitored in real time as new participants will add their grades.

Testing methodology used is described here - http://www.soundexpert.info/prozone.htm

Hope, comparison of both tests results will be interesting. If someone has any questions I am glad to answer.

[DigitalDictator]

BTW, are you sure that mp2 has to be worse than mp3 at high bitrates?

Am I sure? Absolutely not. I haven't compared them. I was just under the impression that QDesign was a rather poor encoder, but that might have been their mp3 encoder.