Multiformat Listening Test @ 128 kbps - FINISHED Options

[Sebastian Mares]

The much awaited results of the Public, Multiformat Listening Test @ 128 kbps are ready.

Here is the results page: http://www.maresweb.de/listening-tests/mf-128-1/results.htm



Edit 1: A description of the mentioned Nero problem can be found here: http://www.maresweb.de/nero-problem

Edit 2: For people who want to decrypt their results, here are the encoder IDs:

1 = iTunes
2 = LAME
3 = Nero
4 = Shine
5 = AoTuV
6 = WMA Professiona

This post has been edited by Sebastian Mares: Jan 14 2006, 23:57

[Sebastian Mares]

By the way, Francis noticed another problem. The sample "Yello" submitted by Alex B was not lossless. By mistake, Alex B uploaded a file transcoded from a high bitrate MP3.

Guru noticed that the reference file he was listening to sounded too much like an encoded file. After looking at the spectral view of the track with CE, he noticed what he calls "an adaptive lowpass with some spectral 'holes'" which is typical to lossy encoders. I contacted Alex B about the problem and received the following mail today:

Hi again!

Here's what I found. It is a long story, but explains how accidents can happen when dealing with a large number of test files, even if you try to [be] careful.

I checked the reference and compared it with my ripped CD archive file, which is in Monkey's Audio disc image file & cue format and noticed that there really is a difference.

However, at first I couldn't understand why. It could not be the WMA 2-pass version I made for testing the bitrates. WMA 128 kbps has a lower lowpass. I have also a Musepack Q8 version on my home audio server, but that does not have such a lowpass.

Then I remembered that I cut the sample from the 25 files bitrate test archive I have stored. I have the separated track already there so it was faster than converting the big disc image ape file.

I selected these 25 files originally for testing LAME 3.97 VBR bitrates in September. When I made the different VBR sets I had the original cue files loaded in foobar and I converted each VBR set from the same playlist. Later when I cleaned the resulting 500 MP3 files I converted the 25 original cue tracks to separate lossless tracks for future use.

It appears that I have somehow accidentally loaded a high bitrate MP3 file instead of the cue to a foobar playlist and converted it to Monkey's Audio. The other 24 Monkey's Audio tracks seem to be fine, only this one is unfortunately different.

When I made this particular sample for testing WMA 2-pass in November I converted that ape file to wave and cut it. By looking the lowpass I believe the MP3 file was encoded at -V0. There is no way to tell if it was VBR new or old.

I am sorry about the mistake.

I think this sample will accidentally show that these new encoders are not bad transcoders, at least when the source is this kind of loud track. It is a different thing if you like to publish this information. It could be only meaningless clutter. It was never exactly mentioned how the source files were obtained. The test compared these reference files and the encoded versions.

This post has been edited by Sebastian Mares: Jan 14 2006, 22:38