okok...mp3 vs flac again...

quote:

Originally posted by T38.45:
hi,
just wonder...
i bought some mp3 (256kb) and they are displayed as 24bit in linn display...
but this music sounds better than my cd ripped stuff (flac, eac).
i don't have that deep digi insight but can this be? is 24bit mp3 such better than 16bit flac or is there something wrong?
thx
ralf

mp3 doesn't have a fixed bit depth so there must be something wrong.

-
aleg

Tx Aleg!

quote:

Originally posted by Aleg:

quote:

Originally posted by T38.45:
hi,
just wonder...
i bought some mp3 (256kb) and they are displayed as 24bit in linn display...
but this music sounds better than my cd ripped stuff (flac, eac).
i don't have that deep digi insight but can this be? is 24bit mp3 such better than 16bit flac or is there something wrong?
thx
ralf

mp3 doesn't have a fixed bit depth so there must be something wrong.

-
aleg

Ralf

I have just been thinking a little more about it.

A possibility is that the Linn uses a 24-bit MP3-decoder. The 24-bit on your display would probably not refer to the MP3-source but to the decoded result. This would mean the MP3 is decoded to a 24-bit word while the eac3-ripped flacs are based on 16-bit words like the original CD.

Was your ripping done securely and checked with AccurateRip? If so it should sound exactly as the CD iself.

But I can imagine that an MP3 decoded to a 24-bit word will sound better than an MP3 decoded to a 16-bit word, but I wouldn't expect either 16-bit or 24-bit decoded MP3 to sound better then an accurately ripped CD.

So are we talking about the same recording we are comparing in FLAC and MP3?

If not then it is comparing apples and pears because any recording can sound HUGELY different from another.

Just some extra thoughts.

-
aleg

again, many thanks for feedback aleg!
well, some mp3 are displayed as 16bit... i used eac with best&secured mode....
do you think that apple or amazon (i downloaded the music here) use some kind of "loudness" to pimp up the music (i really do not know if this is possible...)

and yes, i ripped cd music and compared same with the mp3 i bought....strange....

i used mac and pc for ripping, same results

tx ralf

It's odd what compression cab do. It will often bring low level detail up. Not natural but more apparent. It can also smooth out rough edges in a recording. Net result is bigger and less edgy but without a natural boogie factor or solidity and higher noise floor. I don't know if that's what's happening here but it's the sort of thing I would listen for in comparison. Could be that your DS is just better with 24 bit besides though probably not the answer here as the original 44 k sample rate is likely maintained.

thx for answer js,,,
meanwhile i just enjoy music and wait for the DAC:-)