Up until now, I've been encoding all of my music using LAME v3.92 with the --alt-preset standard -Y preset. Since the new 3.90.3 compile automatically adds in the -Z switch, is this still a good binary to use with my usual (APS -Y) command line?

Also, is it still recommended to use Dibrom's custom RazorLame.dat file to avoid the error message that RazorLame produces when the -Y switch is used?

Yes, -Y is ok.

Okay, but not generally recommended because of quality reasons (i know newbies will read this thread at some point). -Y means that most content above 16 KHz will be disregarded for encoding.

I personally find that the standard APS produces excessively high bit rates on most of my music (dance / trance / techno). Since I can't detect any audible difference APS and with APS -Y, I prefer to use the latter setting to encode all of my MP3s. I just wanted to know if the automatic inclusion of the -Z switch in 3.90.3 would have any adverse effects in combination with the -Y switch, that's all.

I'm using 3.90.3 with -Y. That is the perfect combination for me. I have old ears. Better to use those bits on stuff I can hear. Throw out the ones I can't. That's for all of my MP3 hardware.

For the PC with the 24bit card, I use MPC extreme. Why not. I have plenty of disc space.

Edit: I know that is a contradiction. I'm not sure if I could ABX it, but I think MPC has a different sound. It's not a frequency response thing. The music seems to have more punch or attack. I can't really put my finger on it. I might be imagining it.

Yeah, I also prefer the -Y switch because of the smaller size which allows me to fit more files on a hardware MP3 player.

That's real, MPC doesn't have the pre-echo (smearing) of mp3. This is most noticable with transients (or attacks if you like). Also allowing some high frequency (>16kHz) content doesn't give a big penalty in bitrate like mp3. Luckily -aps is an optimal tradeoff in those area's.

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Ge Someone

Nice, lot of -Y fans here
I'm using 3.90.2 aps -Y-Z for some weeks now, the results are excellent to me and bitrate very stable.