Hello all-
I would like to start by thanking everyone who participates in these forums for providing an amazing resource for those interested in digital music. This is the best site I have come accross and I reference it regularly. Keep up the good work.
Now my problem. After reading just about everything I could on here regarding MP3 encoding, when I set out to back up my collection of rare and banned hip-hop music I determined that I should use LAME and either audiograbber or EAC. I found the audiograbber interface easier to use, so I stuck with that and set it up to encode MP3's using an internal lame encoder. I assumed that since the encoder was the same the sound quality would be as well. I set up LAME ver 3.96 to match alt-preset-standard, according to the directions here: http://www.ripping.v33.org/

After doing my entire collection, I am really not satisfied with the results. All of my music sounds 'empty' if that makes sense. The bass is not full, the voices sound noticably different than on the CD, and the mids seem shallow. I know I will never get perfect reproduction from an MP3, but I was hoping with LAME it would be better than this.
My primary purpose for encoding my music is to use it with my Dell DJ30 in my vehicle. I am not concerned with the speed of encoding, but am somewhat concerned about file size as I only have 30 gigs to work with. My goal is what everyone wants, Maximum sound quality in a smaller file size.
As I said, I am not a newbie in the sense that I have been browsing this board for a while, but I must admit much of the technical dialouge is lost on me. Can someone with experience point me in the right direction?

My main questions are these:
-Is there a particular version of the LAME encoder I should use (3.97b just came out) for hip-hop?
-Is there a particular way I should set-up LAME to encode Hip-Hop or other music with intricate lows?
-Will EAC make a difference?
-Is there a better compression format I should look at?

I haven't seen much written concerning encoding different genre's of music, so I feel like I am walking in the dark on this one. Any experiences people want to share regarding this are greatly appreciated, as is any advice people can share.
Thanks in advance!

Snafu

I suspect that something other than the MP3 encoding is the issue here - using LAME with the --preset standard setting is transparent (that is, audibly perfect) to the great majority of listeners on the great majority of material. Certainly, any artifacts or issues encountered would not be of the kind you describe.

Are you using your Dell DJ30 to play the MP3s, while using a CD player for the original? The problem may be the DJ30 and not the MP3s.

Recommended test: burn a CD from the MP3s. Now compare this CD sound quality to the original CD tracks in the same CD player. Unless something very strange is afoot, they should sound >99.9% identical. This test would eliminate the DJ30 from the chain; if your results are good (MP3s sound as good as originals) then look at changing the DJ30 or the manner in which it is connected to your stereo.

I have burned many CD's from my MP3 collection, and on the whole I notice a sound difference from the original, but I am probably prejudiced from the start because I know they are being expanded back out from MP3.
I have the Dell DJ hardwired into an AUX imput, running from a line out signal. I think I can eliminate the DJ as the problem as I have noticed the same 'empty' characteristics when listening to MP3's on my computer (Through BOSE tri-port headphones) or when playing an MP3 cd on my stereo.

Could it be the version of Lame I am using?

I should add that after ecoding Kanye's new CD, Late Registration, into MP3 format on my machine and AAC on my fiance's, it seemed to me like the AAC had a much more full sound reproduction. The bass and mids seemed identical to the original, where they seemed shallow on the MP3. Also, as I said, the voices in the MP3 sound distinctly different than on the CD. They are higher in pitch.

You are talking too much about feelings with regard to your MP3s. You seem to be predisposed to think that they sound worse than the original. I suggest you do a blind ABX test to see if you really have sound quality issues or if you are just imagining things - you wouldn't be the first one

As one wise man once said:
"Try a blind test. Problem will most likely go away."

People are suggesting that you do a blind ABX test to discern if you can actually hear a difference with any consistency. You can download PC-ABX software (just google it) or use Foobar. I've had lots of golden-eared friends who think they can easily tell the diff between mp3 and the original, who totally fail ABX tests.

If you can consistently and easily tell the difference, I'd expect that there is a problem with the encoding setup, although I don't know what it would be.

Put asside your prejudices against the mp3 format and do an acutal blind test. You will find that the --alt-preset standard format is one of the best audio formats out there that will provide transparent audio quality. The mpeg-4 AAC format is good and all but... As long as development continues on the Lame mp3 encoder, the mpeg-4 AAC format will have to wait to become the new audio standard. In recent tests, I don't have a link but I am sure it is here on this site, shows that the Lame mp3 encoder (3.96.1) is on par with the iTunes mpeg-4 AAC encoder.

Do some blind tests. If the sound quality is noticeably bad then there is probably something wrong with the way the songs were ripped, not the format itself.

You could always try --alt-preset extreme if you really can hear a difference, but I agree that you should do an ABX test.

You could try EAC just to see if it isn't the procedure of ripping you messed up with. preset standard on 3.96.1 is pretty good. Use the secure method and type --preset standard %s %d on the additional command line parameters box under compression options. Use user defined encoder. I recommend LAME 3.97b1 preset fast standard for slightly better encoding.