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47717768 (banned)
join:2003-12-08
Birmingham, AL

47717768 (banned)

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Can you hear the difference? 128kbps and 320kbps mp3

Take a test, and see if you are able to tell the quality difference between 128kbps and 320kbps mp3 »www.noiseaddicts.com/200 ··· 128-320/
TheMG
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TheMG

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Piece of cake. The 320kbps clip clearly has better high-frequency content. The cymbals sound much clearer. In the 128kbps clip the cymbal sounds are quite muffled.

I'm really amazed at how many people couldn't tell the difference! Over 50% got it wrong! WTF?!?!?

Juggernaut
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Kelowna, BC

Juggernaut

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They're probably the better part of deaf. Ear buds, 2000 watt car stereos etc. have us at a generation of hearing loss in younger people. It will only get worse.
47717768 (banned)
join:2003-12-08
Birmingham, AL

47717768 (banned)

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Also the speakers could be a factor.

Juggernaut
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Kelowna, BC

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Juggernaut

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No, high decibels are the factor.

Better speakers just make it more pleasurable going deaf. And, deaf you will be in the long run...
47717768 (banned)
join:2003-12-08
Birmingham, AL

47717768 (banned)

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True that. I like playing music at full blast even my old man is telling me to quiet it down he can hear it all the way outside.
NefCanuck
join:2007-06-26
Mississauga, ON

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I was surprised that I could actually tell the difference on the crappy speakers on the office PC, but as others have said, it is a matter of the "details" in the music clip being clearer in the 320K clip.

When I am archiving my live radio show the recording is 128K and the source material is (mostly) 192K & above. Frightening to hear the loss of audio clarity.

Want something that impacts even more? Test out the difference between a USB and BT connection your receiver. The difference there is shocking, to say the least.

NefCanuck
TheMG
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TheMG

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said by NefCanuck:

Want something that impacts even more? Test out the difference between a USB and BT connection your receiver. The difference there is shocking, to say the least.

That's surprising considering BT has more than enough bandwidth to support relatively high bitrate audio.

Are you sure it's not just a restriction of the particular BT device you're using?

I can't really test this as I don't have anything that supports BT audio.
NefCanuck
join:2007-06-26
Mississauga, ON

NefCanuck

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said by TheMG:

said by NefCanuck:

Want something that impacts even more? Test out the difference between a USB and BT connection your receiver. The difference there is shocking, to say the least.

That's surprising considering BT has more than enough bandwidth to support relatively high bitrate audio.

Are you sure it's not just a restriction of the particular BT device you're using?

I can't really test this as I don't have anything that supports BT audio.

It may well be the setup I'm using to compare the two (USB connection versus BT) I don't know.

The system in question is the Ford in car entertainment system (SYNC) in a 2008 Ford Fusion via an iPhone5 over the USB connection and the BT connection, using the same 128kbps MP3 recording.

NefCanuck

Steely
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I had no problem determining which was which, even with my crappy laptop speakers. Years of experience with MP3 files, I guess.
47717768 (banned)
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Birmingham, AL

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47717768 (banned)

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Post deleted.

Jehu
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bah any mp3 is still terrible. Go wav/flac or bore your ears to death.
47717768 (banned)
join:2003-12-08
Birmingham, AL

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47717768 (banned)

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said by Jehu:

bah any mp3 is still terrible. Go wav/flac or bore your ears to death.

You know. I have compered MP3 with FLC format, and to me FLC sounds a lot more clearer.

PCInTech
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As a professional recording engineer, that test was a no-brainer. I'm astonished at how deaf people must be to have such a large number pick the 128 sample, though.

james1979
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Quinault, WA

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Thanks for the test!
I'm just using inexpensive ($25?) computer speakers, and that was easy.
In addition to the cymbals, the drums didn't "sound right" especially near the end.

Ken
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Markle, IN

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I picked the correct one, but I did have to listen very carefully to decide. However I'm using a Viewsonic LCD monitor with builtin speakers and the number one complaint on this monitor is the speakers aren't very good.
TheMG
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TheMG

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said by Ken:

However I'm using a Viewsonic LCD monitor with builtin speakers and the number one complaint on this monitor is the speakers aren't very good.

The built-in speakers on all computer monitors that I've seen that have them, are absolutely terrible.

Manufacturers of computer monitors don't put much much thought in the speakers. They basically throw them in there just so they can add another "feature" to the box and marketing material.

Monitors with an optional sound bar though tend to do a lot better. Dell has a few decent monitors to which an optional sound bar can be attached to the bottom of the monitor. It actually doesn't sound bad at all for what it is.
47717768 (banned)
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Birmingham, AL

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i agree with you 100%. Monitor speakers are only good for office use.
dave
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dave

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You might want to be careful with the term 'monitor speaker'.

»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St ··· _monitor
ronjohnsonus
join:2013-06-24

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The main diffrence is the quality difference of the waves and 320 kbps is more used over 128 kbps.
janssen2
join:2013-06-29

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Well, this depends on so many things. For example; With classical music i really hear the difference between 128kbps and 320kbps. It also depends on the MP3 encoder. Some are really bad at 128.