Can you hear the difference between MP3 bitrates...

...because I CAN!

MP3 or not - Don't you hear it?

If you were to play the same clip of audio at 320Kbps (the highest quality MP3 you can rip) and 128Kbps (about average, maybe a little below) would you be able to tell the difference? The 320Kbps file is 2.5 times bigger than the 128. Do you really get two and a half times the "quality"?

Ok, so all audio snobbery aside, I actually could tell the difference between the two samples on this site. It wasn't a huge difference, but there was a subtle feel to how the voice interacted with the instruments, and I was certain I had the right clip.

I have to say that comparing the two clips was pretty interesting. When I rip music now I only rip to 320Kbps or to FLAC. Mostly I'm just paranoid about not losing too much information (archiving CD's or if I ever need to re-rip), but it is kinda satisfying knowing that 128Kbps MP3's aren't quite as bad as us audio snobs make them out to be.

MP3 or not - Don't you hear it?
someaudioguy some audio guy mp3 music recording technology demo vocals voice

Can you Tell the Difference?

So you engineers think you're hot shite yeah?
Well give this little test a try!

Can you really tell the difference between a 128Kbps AAC and the original? I have to admit I only got half (two out of the four test songs), and only then because of song selection (one of the four was very obvious for me). Audio compression sure has come along way from the first generation 96Kpbs mp3's found on the original Napster.

Give it a try here. It's a lot harder than it sounds...