scootz
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 07:07 PM |
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CD v MP3/AAC Sound Quality
I have all the CD's I own downloaded onto my Mac and of late I've been buying new music from iTunes only. I need to decide whether to
keep doing this, or return to buying CD's as it'll soon be time to upgrade my music sound system in the house!
Can anyone offer any opinions as to whether the convenience of audio file storage is worth the trade-off against the loss of sound quality when using
a CD? Is the gap that large anymore (assuming you're using a quality system and legally downloaded music)?
Cheers people!
It's Evolution Baby!
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scudderfish
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 07:12 PM |
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If the upgrade is soon, then wait until you've done it and decide for yourself based on your system and your ears. Any other opinion is really
going to be worthless.
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scootz
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 07:22 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by scudderfish
If the upgrade is soon, then wait until you've done it and decide for yourself based on your system and your ears. Any other opinion is really
going to be worthless.
Great advice... gamble, spend the money and then decide! Not really the way I want to do it TBH, but thanks all the same! 
Any audiophiles out there who can offer a bit of 'general' advice on the subject!?
It's Evolution Baby!
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r1_pete
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 07:43 PM |
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I guess another way to look at is is, moving parts vs no moving parts, the former will always wear and need maintenance, laser cleaning etc.
When all is said and done, either is just a bunch of 0s and 1s, I've gone for a decent dock for the home system, with DAB, its the panasonic
SC-HC30DBEBS, was about £150.
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kevmcdo
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 08:02 PM |
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I currently use a Cambridge set up (cd, dab tuner amp and docking station for the I phone ) the cd player only ever get s used when we have friends
around and is the most under used part of the system.
The docking station gets used nearly every day and for the life of me I can not tell the difference in the sound quality, I am always impressed
regardless of which input I am using.
All depends how sensitive your ear is, speaker position in your room and how much you love your music?!?
Kev
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NigeEss
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 08:17 PM |
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I have a fairly decent system, Arcam Alpha 9 amp and poweramp bi-amped to a pair of
old Mission 733s (the weak link in there) and an Alpha 8SE CD.
I CAN tell the difference between CD and compressed formats.
I have loads stored on a server as lossless FLAC streamed through a Logitech
Squeezebox and they sound as good as CD.
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.................Douglas Adams.
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ashg
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 08:35 PM |
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24bit flac is the way forward. i have a ubuntu media box with all my music stored in flac format. i play them using my pioneer amp that directly
accesses the files over the network.
this is the amp link. will also
play mp3 and apple lossless over the network. you can also connect your ipod to it and use your iphone or ipod touch as the remote control.
Anything With Tits or Wheels Will cost you MONEY!!
Haynes Roadster (Finished)
Exocet (Finished & Sold)
New Project (Started)
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scootz
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 08:37 PM |
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Cheers guys.
It's Evolution Baby!
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 08:43 PM |
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Personally I've found MP3 at 320 or 256k is exactly the same quality as CD. I can't hear any difference
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ashg
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 09:09 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Ninehigh
Personally I've found MP3 at 320 or 256k is exactly the same quality as CD. I can't hear any difference
I kind of agree with you, unless you start spending what most people would consider stupid money on audio equipment you wont hear the difference.
at the end of the day its down to the end user, if they cant hear the difference between 128bit mp3 and SACD then why bother buying a SACD player.
my other half used to rip all her music at 128bit until I showed her the difference on a proper system. she used to think it was all mumbo-jumbo
until she actually experienced what high end audio system can do.
Anything With Tits or Wheels Will cost you MONEY!!
Haynes Roadster (Finished)
Exocet (Finished & Sold)
New Project (Started)
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prawnabie
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 09:32 PM |
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The bitrate of uncompressed audio on a CD is 1411.2. I doubt the 128k sounds much different to 320 unless you are spending muchas dinero on a TOTR
player.
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scootz
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 09:36 PM |
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I'm budgeting around £500 for player and speakers...
It's Evolution Baby!
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prawnabie
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 09:39 PM |
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If it can play lossless then I would rip them into that.
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prawnabie
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 09:40 PM |
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The secret is to future proof yourself, I've been ripping music since winamp first can out and have lost count of the number of times I have had
to re-rip my old cd's into the latest format.
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ashg
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 10:20 PM |
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if £500 is the budget for the whole system then 320kbps will be plenty good enough for normal playback. if i was buying off itunes, apple lossless
would be my weapon of choice as you then have the music in lossless format which can be converted to what ever format you like knowing you still have
the true unmolested original stored in itunes.
Anything With Tits or Wheels Will cost you MONEY!!
Haynes Roadster (Finished)
Exocet (Finished & Sold)
New Project (Started)
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scootz
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| posted on 26/12/10 at 10:55 PM |
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Cheers Ash!
It's Evolution Baby!
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SeanStone
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| posted on 27/12/10 at 10:23 AM |
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You can get a great sounding Onkyo system for £500. You will notice the difference between CD and MP3. I have a simple Denon amp and two Mission
770's and I can tell the difference between a CD and MP3 so as previously reccomended; download your files in lossless! Your system can only be
as good as its weakest part! 
[Edited on 27/12/10 by SeanStone]
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NigeEss
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| posted on 28/12/10 at 01:27 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by ashg
unless you start spending what most people would consider stupid money on audio equipment you wont hear the difference.
Fair point.
Can't tell much difference in the tintop or at most friends places where the audio system is, for want of
a better word, standard.
My system cost nearly three grand, a sixth of which was cables alone and barely scratches the surface
of "High End Audio" but it ticks all my boxes.
ps....just listening to The Who whilst finishing a nice glass of malt and it's 3k well spent.........................
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.................Douglas Adams.
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