Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix, Updates from the 5.62 release Options

[benski]

Steve from the AAC listening test topic found a bug related to gapless information in m4a files encoded with Winamp/FhG's new AAC encoder.

Updates from the 5.62 release
* Fixed a bug that was preventing gapless playback information from being written to the encoded file in some circumstances
* Fixed compatibility issue that was preventing HE-AAC files from being used with iTunes
* Fixed a bug that was causing the ADTS encoder to fail with the default settings

To install, just unzip this to your Winamp plugins folder. It should overwrite an existing file (unless you are using an older version of Winamp).

This will be released with 5.63 (or 5.621 depending on what version number we decide upon)

Attached File(s)

 enc_fhgaac_v1_01.zip ( 434.58K ) Number of downloads: 841

 

[IgorC]

no404error
Nice results.

Just some observations.
TVBR has no HE-AAC mode. It will be more correct to compare HE-AAC vs HE-AAC or LC-AAC vs LC-AAC.
Apple HE-AAC (--cvbr 64 --he) vs FhG HE-AAC (--vbr 2). Also qaac -q2 and -q1 has practicly identical quality. The difference isn't perceptible.

[no404error]

no404error
Nice results.

Just some observations.
TVBR has no HE-AAC mode.

I now. But I test 5 to 5 default profiles, Apple Core Audio AAC vs Fraunhofer AAC. FhG - winner.

TVBR has no HE-AAC mode. It will be more correct to compare HE-AAC vs HE-AAC or LC-AAC vs LC-AAC.

CODE

qaac 1.04, CoreAudioToolbox 7.9.7.3

Preset
Min    (--tvbr   0) - -q 1/2 - 58.3x/45.9x
Low    (--tvbr  32) - -q 1/2 - 54.2x/40.3x
Medium (--tvbr  64) - -q 1/2 - 48.9x/36.6x
High   (--tvbr  96) - -q 1/2 - 46.5x/35.0x
Max    (--tvbr 127) - -q 1/2 - 43.8x/33.9x
   (--cvbr 64 --he) - -q 1/2 - 42.2x/36.1x

fhgaacenc 20111104, enc_fhgaac 1.02

Preset
--vbr 1 - 67,9x
--vbr 2 - 42,7x
--vbr 3 - 53,3x
--vbr 4 - 52,5x
--vbr 5 - 48,6x

Core Audio AAC HE mode is a spherical cow IMHO

Also qaac -q2 and -q1 has practicly identical quality. The difference isn't perceptible.

As I see, q1 has unacceptable higher bitrate than q2. Up to 5%

And does nero automatically switch to HE-AAC for low -q values?

-q 0.00-0.15 - HEv2
-q 0.16-0.30 - HEv1
-q 0.31-1.00 - LC


This post has been edited by no404error: Nov 16 2011, 22:56

[IgorC]

But I test 5 to 5 default profiles

The thing is qaac's default is q2 and iTunes q1.

Apple Core Audio AAC vs Fraunhofer AAC. FhG - winner.

Winner for what? For speed or speed/quality/bitrate?
Sorry, I don't see how You've managed to make any conclusion.
I can add almost useless -q0 to LAME and claim that's it is slowest MP3 encoder and Helix is a winner (?).

Let's define the relations ( with acceptable level of precision): speed/quality/bitrate and then talk about winners.

What the goal of comparing fhg -v 3 and --tvbr 64 or 96 if these settings haven't even the same bitrate? Variation of all three variables gives us ....nothing.

Who does guarantee You that FhG is any better in quality terms or at least on par with tvbr -q0 at the same bitrate?

This post has been edited by IgorC: Nov 17 2011, 01:08

[no404error]

Winner for what? For speed or speed/quality/bitrate?

For speed. Only speed test at this time.

Who does guarantee You that FhG is any better in quality terms or at least on par with tvbr -q0 at the same bitrate?

My ears and... Your own Public AAC Listening Test Only samples with voice is important for me. FhG faster, cleaner and much hardware compatibility. Winner, at least only for me

[C.R.Helmrich]

FhG faster, cleaner and much hardware compatibility.

The hardware compatibility of all LC-AAC/HE-AAC encoders should be the same, since all implement the exact same specification. So the Fraunhofer encoder has no advantage here.

By the way, the Fraunhofer encoder in Winamp runs in "high quality" mode, which in case of VBR means the highest quality available. In "normal quality" mode, the encoder sounds slightly (maybe indistinguishably?) worse but is significantly faster. So comparing against QuickTime -q 2 is appropriate.

Anyway: thanks Destroid and (again) no404error for the analyses!

Chris

This post has been edited by C.R.Helmrich: Nov 17 2011, 21:37

[IgorC]

By the way, the Fraunhofer encoder in Winamp runs in "high quality" mode, which in case of VBR means the highest quality available. In "normal quality" mode, the encoder sounds slightly (maybe indistinguishably?) worse but is significantly faster. So comparing against QuickTime -q 2 is appropriate.

Chris,

There is no absolutely any information how changes the quality of Apple and FhG encoders with different speed settings.
Apple and FhG are totally different encoders and there is no parallel of Apple's -q2/q1 and FhG -high/normal quality.

There is already unfortunate myth in community of video compression that Xvid (MPEG4 ASP) is faster than x264. And it's simply not true. x264 with fast presets is still faster and better than XviD. Let's not create other myth.

P.S. Is speed still has any priority when CPUs are very fast and getting even more faster nowadays? At least it's not critical anymore.
Last time I've checked people preferred to squeeze the last few bits at cost of slower speed. http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....c=58731&hl=

So please appreciate that by using the encoder through Winamp.

I do appreciate a lot. I still can't get that FhG (at least its particular Winamp's edition) encoder is available publicly. Thank You, Guys.

This post has been edited by IgorC: Nov 18 2011, 03:55