I had a first today with over 35,000 mp3 files. With a shn original file (which plays well in fbk2), I converted about 22 files to mp3 using fbk2 0.9.4 (with shn component) and lame 3.97, latest version using v2 fast settings. I then imported the files into ITUNES. When I played MP3 files within itunes 7.0, they had the "low volume, under water" effect of a very bad, low bitrate mp3 (not just sort of artifacts, but unlistenable by anyone!). Opened same files in fbk2 and also played very badly. The files show as being low 110 to 130 bitrates when played in fbk2 (which itself seems odd given the v2 settings used to convert to MP3). I took this as being a problem with the conversion and didn't think much of it. Other files converted at the same time on the same laptop (different sources, but also shn's) worked just fine.

Then the odd thing. Accidently kept the "bad" files on a portable hard drive that I took to work. Opened the files at work and played on fbk2 and they played perfectly. Imported to itunes at work (on desktop computer different from home laptop) and they played perfectly in itunes. Very odd. Back home I opened the EXACT same files from the portable hard drive on my home laptop. Tried to play on fb2k and again very, very bad.

I have over 35,000 mp3 files and have never had this issue. It has me stumped. Home laptop plays a random assortment of other files just fine, other files burned with same fb2k setup and played with same itunes 7.0 are just fine. But these particular files (all 22, not just a few) are terrible on one computer and fine on another. laptop is relatively new Dell 620 and desktop is relatively new Dell. Both run windows XP and same exact versions of itunes and fb2k. Any thoughts???

What about previously encoded files?

Previously encoded files (lame, fhg, etc.) from many different periods work fine. I do have some new info based on trial and error:

1. Problem is really more related to hardware I assume. When I listen to problem files through laptop headphone jack, then songs are fine. If I play through small laptop speaker, "under water" sound is strongly there. Strangely enough, even though fine through headphones, if played through headphone jack connected to powered speaker, sound is again horrible. So it seems that it is something in the soundcard process that creates the problem. Again, a little odd because other songs/files played through same laptop in all manners as above sound fine.

2. Also noticed that the originalo SHN files and resulting MP3 files are VERY low volume. Used gain adjustment in fb2k and didn't solve the problem in the mp3...same issue. Any other shn played through the computer speaker itself sounds OK and has decent volume (i.e., as it should given the small crappy speaker) but these particular shn files can barely be heard even with all volume controls at the max.

3. In summary, the problem is not so much which computer (as I can get OK playback of files even on the original laptop), but the volume? Any thoughts on this problem creating an inferior MP3. This might be related to the issue of the mp3 being relatively low bitrate (110-130), even though converted at 3.97, v2 - fast?

Thanks in advance for comments.

False Alarm, turns out that nothing wrong with file (despite it's low original volume in SHN file). Something wrong with headphone output jack on computer!