[jlspeed29]

So I bought a CD off of Amazon the other day and it has some "popping" in a couple of the songs....pretty pissed because i dont think I can d/l it again ...

Is it me or do mp3's not sound as good as a traditional CD?
Ive got plenty of d/l'd mp3's and stuff on cd still sounds better to me...most of my mp3's are from legit sites or from iTunes...


what are your guys thoughts?


I dont have a high end system but i do like my music to be good quality

[kyleb350]

Does it still have pops if you listen to it on your phone or MP3 player?

Could be a couple things like your sound card, drivers, or just a corrupted MP3. Anything above 192 kbps should sound just like a CD (256 kbps if your a big audiophile)

[jlspeed29]

the pops are part of the file...you can hear them anywhere i play it..

thanks for the info..ill look up the files and see what they are at when i get home

[Blake]

Originally Posted by jlspeed29

Is it me or do mp3's not sound as good as a traditional CD?

mp3's sound nowhere as good as CD's. your best bet is to download stuff ripped from CD to flac is you're listening on a hifi system. also might try checking out a peachtree nova...it does magic to digital tracks to make them sound unbelievable. i use one on my system and it produces the cleanest and warmest 2-channel audio i've ever heard.

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by jlspeed29

the pops are part of the file...you can hear them anywhere i play it..

thanks for the info..ill look up the files and see what they are at when i get home

email them, I had some issues with a file I downloaded from itunes and they gave me some code to download it again.

[Freakazoid]

I am actually surprised this question has fallen to the wayside over the years.
It was a big thing back in the days of napster, with the quality of the mp3s, and has since completely fallen away.

To answer your question, correct there is a substantial audio 'loss' when converting to mp3s. You have to realize mp3s are a compressed format.

The best you're going to get is a mp3 with a better/higher bit rating (I don't even know what amazon delivers them at), or one with a variable one. Even still, if you're a real audiophile you'll be able to tell the difference.

[jlspeed29]

Yes, i was thnking the same thing with mp3s cause they are compressed

ill have to double check with amazon...

unfortunately IMO the "digital revolution" has lowered peoples standards by a huge margin...

it hurts me to see people driving with headphones on =( its gotta sound like ass ..not to mention its technically illegal to drive with both headphones on here in CA that is...


im going to try amazon again, and if not ill stick to CD's

most mp3's are not bad but the inconsistency is what gets me

[JayKay335i]

MP3 is a compressed format.

Most people cant tell the difference between a high bitrate mp3 and a CD, despite thinking they have the ears of a god. Countless tests have been done. Most of whats trimmed off in the compression are things we cant hear.

So in reality, claiming that CDs blow MP3s away is a stupid statement.

[KingOfJericho]

I download everything I can at 320kbps. I just put it into my search criteria. Anything less than 256 is garbage IMHO. I haven't purchased a CD since 2002.

[SS32]

Originally Posted by JayKay335i

MP3 is a compressed format.

Most people cant tell the difference between a high bitrate mp3 and a CD, despite thinking they have the ears of a god. Countless tests have been done. Most of whats trimmed off in the compression are things we cant hear.

So in reality, claiming that CDs blow MP3s away is a stupid statement.

If you have a quality sound system, there is a noticeable difference. I can't stand hearing anything lower than a 256kb MP3. I never thought I had much of an ear for it until recently. I got a 192kb copy of an album and was listening to it my car and there is a distinct difference from the rest of my music and the speakers in my car aren't that great. If I can't find FLAC, I'll download a 320kb version, anything lower sounds like sh!t the speakers in my living room. But like I said, you have to have a good source and speaker pair to ever tell a difference.

[Freakazoid]

Originally Posted by SS32

If you have a quality sound system, there is a noticeable difference. I can't stand hearing anything lower than a 256kb MP3. I never thought I had much of an ear for it until recently. I got a 192kb copy of an album and was listening to it my car and there is a distinct difference from the rest of my music and the speakers in my car aren't that great. If I can't find FLAC, I'll download a 320kb version, anything lower sounds like sh!t the speakers in my living room. But like I said, you have to have a good source and speaker pair to ever tell a difference.

Thank you SS32, you are 100% right. What JayKay is saying is correct if you have an 'average' audio system (i.e. the audio system in 99.999% of our cars, or the ones attached to TVs). If you have a *good* system, there is certainly a difference.

As blake said, and you as well 320 bit rate is really good enough for me if I can't find the FLAC, anything lower and I can certainly tell the difference.

And I also agree that the 'digitizing' of music has also allowed quality to be completely dropped to the wayside.

[1trip5]

I have high end paradigm speakers at home. i generally play only CD, SACD, Vinyl, and lossless digital audio (Flac, Apple Lossless) through this system. To me there is a very discernible difference between the formats listed above and highly compressed mp3 files (320 and below). And yes, even my mp3 source has a quality digital to analog converter.

Regarding your amazon issue, sounds like corrupted files. Ask for another download code.

[1trip5]

also, what album did you buy?

[jlspeed29]

thanks guys for all the comments...
i bought a spanish album

[Blake]

OP go to hdtracks.com and sign up for a free membership. They have a demo cd you can download with some super HQ tracks. You gotta at least hear it. It's phenomenal on any speakers. They don't really have any good music other than some rolling stones, but the fidelity is worth the listen. If I was home, I'd up some, but I'm on the road.

[Wakka]

beatport.com

Download in WAV format. Just as good as an audio CD if not better.

[jlspeed29]

thanks for the links!! ^^^

[Maestro]

I was going to ask what the song was but saw it was some Spanish song.

What I find funny here are any of you are old enough for albums they use to be full of pops and click and those were pure analog they were exactly as they were recorded in the studio. For some song the pops, click and hisses became part of the song and when some record companies removed them to produce CD's there was a whole group of people who complained.

I heard a few MP3 with the same pops and click and thought there was an issue with the song only to find out someone actually convert the song from the original vinyl records since they did not like the CD version which was all cleaned up.

[Zoraster]

Originally Posted by Maestro

I was going to ask what the song was but saw it was some Spanish song.

What I find funny here are any of you are old enough for albums they use to be full of pops and click and those were pure analog they were exactly as they were recorded in the studio. For some song the pops, click and hisses became part of the song and when some record companies removed them to produce CD's there was a whole group of people who complained.

I heard a few MP3 with the same pops and click and thought there was an issue with the song only to find out someone actually convert the song from the original vinyl records since they did not like the CD version which was all cleaned up.

Crackle, ticks, etc. results from debris in the vinyl grooves, introduced during pressing or afterward. They are not "recorded." You may be confusing crackle with "tape hiss."

[Spoolin335]

What program are you guys using you get music now that Limewire is gone?

Dont tell me iTunes.

[Blake]

Utorrent

[Wakka]

beatport

and a few DJ pools