Okay. Here's the deal. Come this christmas, I'm gonna go ahead pimp myself out to Apple and buy an IPod. So it's time to re-rip and re-encode my CD library. Since the IPod supports two compression formats, my question is this:

How do the two different codecs (AAC and MP3) fair against each other across the spectrum of compression vs. quality. In other words, which codec is better with high quality and which with high compression? Also, how would I go about tapping into the potential of either codec?

For the longest time I've basically relied on Ogg Vorbis but, since Ogg isn't an option in this case, it's time to re-educate myself. Any help would be appreciated .

-Zeecog

P.S. Incidentally, I did try and find the answer on my own but I didn't have much luck hopping around on google. Besides, it's easier to just ask heh.

http://iriver.com/
supports Ogg Vorbis

Well, AAC has a slight advantage, but the encoders aren't as mature yet. It looks like the QuickTime & Nero versions are in the lead, with Nero's probably having a slight advantage since I think it gets updated & tweaked more often.

However, I'm not sure it's entirely relevant.

What I mean is, considering the large size of the disk on the iPod, you should be able to store your entire collection at a decent bit rate and still have room left over. (Unless you have a very large collection, of course.)

And at high bit rate, both formats are going to be better than what the iPod & its dinky headphones are going to be able to handle.

So it seems to me that it's more a matter of what your personal preference is.

Are you re-ripping just to put onto the iPod? If so then it doesn't really make much difference because both will be very good and you may not be able to tell much difference between them in a typical environment.

If you are re-ripping for the iPod and your computer usage, then you have to ask yourself which format has more support in other programs that you use. In that case, you'd probably be better off with a high bit rate LAME mp3. -alt preset standard VBR is very popular around here and it's good enough for most situations.

My personal feeling is that unless there's a good reason to switch from mp3 to another format (such as for a flash based player), it's probably better to stay with mp3 just for compatability reasons.

I like Vorbis & MPC for their openness and ideas, etc., but it's hard to go against a format that everything understands, which is mp3.

LAME encoded mp3's might not be the most advanced format around, but there have been enough tests to show that at the higher bit rates, you are going to be hard pressed to tell the difference between it and the original cd. For a typical desktop or portable, even a 'standard' or 'medium' VBR rate is darn good.

I Personally have a 3rd gen 20gb Ipod myself, and i've decided to rip all my music with iTunes 4.1.1 (yes you heard correct), with these settings: AAC @ 192kbps, 44.1kHz, Stereo.

But i rip the CD's with EAC first, as a big .wav and .cue, mount this with daemon-tools, and rip it with iTunes so that i get all the tagging and everything correct. And this way i can be sure that i get a 100% secure rip.

192kbps QT 6.4 AAC sounds 100% transparent to me anyway, so its good enough for me.

Generally this comparison is fairly correct, quality-wise:
128kbps AAC = 160kbps MP3
160kbps AAC = 192kbps MP3
192kbps AAC = 256kbps MP3

and so on..

I spent alot of time to deside what format i would use for the "future" though. And in the end, AAC came out as the best candidate. It has the support. It has the development. It has the standardization power. Now if we could get Streaming HE-AAC internet radio's

it seeeme that AAC is bettter then mpa at 128kbits and above bitrates
HE-AAC is better then mp3 at 96 and belows.
Actually you could say thta AAC is better then mp3 at every bitrate.
about you need around 20-33% higher bitrate with mp3 to get around samme quaility...

I got my Ipod with the new look in 30gb..really nice. i would go for 128kbits AAC (-streaming)

i also recommand to dumpt thee earbuds and get some Sony MDR-Q33lps

Thanks guys! You've been a great help! I think I'm going to take the 192kbps mounted with daemon suggestion. I'm also going to be putting these on a 3rd generation 20gb IPod and I had speculated about using this method in the first place. I was trying to figure out a way I could get a secure rip and still have ITunes import all the correct tagging information for the song files automatically. Thanks a bunch for the help. I'm fairly sure about what I'm going to do now .

-Zeecog

I recently bought an Ipod and heres my take:

Anything over 128k is a waste on the Ipod with the included headphones. I tried 96k iTunes AAC and found it quite acceptable for casual listening. At 192 you're into massive overkill and wasting lots of the Ipods somewhat feeble battery.

Instead rip lossless or high quality lossy and transcode to AAC for the Ipod. Thats what I do and I'm very happy with it. Best of all I can replaygain my archieve stuff so that the transcoded files are gained for the Ipod. Thats essential, otherwise you constantly are fumbleing for the Ipod's volume control.

Such simple logic rarely works. What's "MP3"? You just can't claim things like "160kbps AAC = 192kbps MP3", it's decided almost on a case-by-case basis, depending on the sample, the codec implementation, the switches, the listener... And since nobody properly tested AAC against MP3 in such a wide general manner, it's just unfunded speculation that should not occur on this board.

Don't worry, I assumed it to be as such. It's probably worth something as a ballpark estimate though. And that's what I need at this point since I'm such a newbie with these sorts of things.

-Zeecog