MP3s make you less happy, study says

[steve_1979]

http://www.whathifi.com/news/mp3s-make-you-less-happy-study-says

This WHF article sounds like a of load BS pseudoscience. Shame the web link provided doesn't work so we can check the source to see whether it has any genuine credibility or if the methodology is full of holes.

My guess is that this is just another lame excuse for WHF to push the old 'hi-res audio' rubbish on unsuspecting readers again.

 

[shadders]

Hi,

I think it is a Typo. It should states MP's make you less happy.

Regards,

Shadders.

 

[MajorFubar]

Reminds me of the report from about 30 years ago which claimed something similar for CDs vs records. (May have been WHF or may have been one of the others. WHF were quite pro-CD so more likely to be HFC, which wasn't.) DJs had apparently noted that more people got up to dance if they played a song on vinyl compared to the CD. Whereas I doubt that hammered teenagers in a sweaty smoky nightclub looking to - erm - sow their oats gave a flying f'k regarding what format the DJ played his songs on.

 

[jjbomber]

http://www.whathifi.com/news/mp3s-make-you-less-happy-study-says

Nickelback MP3s make you less happy - fact.

Ask any Canadian policeman!

 

[ChrisIRL]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say I agree, spoof article/ link or not. Now I don't think you need hi res but I'm enjoying my recent return to cd vs Spotify/iTunes. I'm definitely finding music more engaging and uplifting.

The thing is if I compare the two directly there's not a huge difference, but I've gone from "will I listen to music or not" to "I can't wait to listen to music" again.

 

[shadders]

Hi,

I don't have a link, but it has been reported that people prefer mp3 since they have become familiar with the mp3 sound, when they compared to CD. Has been reported as a comment in Hifi News, stating it was a bbc report.

Regards,

Shadders.

 

[steve_1979]

If the slapdash article had actually got the link right, you could see that the AES paper deals with the effects of very extreme MP3 compression, all the way down to 32kbps.

http://www.aes.org/tmpFiles/elib/20161206/18523.pdf

Thanks. I'll have a read through it tomorrow.

EDIT - I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but this picture of one of the authors doesn't fill me with confidence.

 

[Rethep]

There is that fairy tale of "the emperors new clothes" again ;-)

 

[steve_1979]

I think it is a Typo. It should states MP's make you less happy.

😀

 

[muljao]

EDIT - I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but this picture of one of the authors doesn't fill me with confidence.

Why?

(And it seems that link isn't working now. Perhaps the Audio Engineering Library people are having emotional problems)

Because sometimes what's inside a book is not properly represented by the cover *biggrin*

 

[spiny norman]

Because sometimes what's inside a book is not properly represented by the cover *biggrin*

Yes, but why does should the way one of the authors looks have any bearing on the content of the paper?

 

[spiny norman]

EDIT - I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but this picture of one of the authors doesn't fill me with confidence.

Why?

(And it seems that link isn't working now. Perhaps the Audio Engineering Library people are having emotional problems.

This one seems to be OK)

 

[muljao]

Because sometimes what's inside a book is not properly represented by the cover *biggrin*

Yes, but why does should the way one of the authors looks have any bearing on the content of the paper?

It doesn't, exactly why the book phrase was used

 

[spiny norman]

It doesn't, exactly why the book phrase was used

I bow to your superior knowledge in these matters. Still, funny looking foreigners, eh? ;-)

 

[chebby]

If the slapdash article had actually got the link right, you could see that the AES paper deals with the effects of very extreme MP3 compression, all the way down to 32kbps.

http://www.aes.org/tmpFiles/elib/20161206/18523.pdf

This link doesn't work either.

 

[steve_1979]

Why?

Still, funny looking foreigners, eh? ;-)

It's nothing to do with his race. It's his facial expression that seems unusual for someone who is attempting to put forward a serious scientific academic paper.

 

[spiny norman]

This link doesn't work either.

I know: updated in a post above. This one seems to be OK.

 

[spiny norman]

This WHF article sounds like a of load BS pseudoscience. Shame the web link provided doesn't work so we can check the source to see whether it has any genuine credibility or if the methodology is full of holes.

My guess is that this is just another lame excuse for WHF to push the old 'hi-res audio' rubbish on unsuspecting readers again

What do you expect? The piece says the study was by the Audio Engineering Library, which appears not to exist. As opposed to being a paper submitted to the Audio Engineering Society, which does.

If the slapdash article had actually got the link right, you could see that the AES paper deals with the effects of very extreme MP3 compression, all the way down to 32kbps.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308647359_The_Effects_of_MP3_Compression_on_Emotional_Characteristics

And it isn't quite (or even slightly) as sweeping as is suggested by the WHF 'news story', presumably ripped off from some ill-informed website which also hadn't bothered to spend a few minutes actually reading the paper.

(EDITED to fix seemingly ever-changing link)

 

[spiny norman]

It's nothing to do with his race. It's his facial expression that seems unusual for someone who is attempting to put forward a serious scientific academic paper.

Maybe that's just how he looks. Or maybe the paper isn't serious at all, but a laugh-riot.

 

[steve_1979]

It's nothing to do with his race. It's his facial expression that seems unusual for someone who is attempting to put forward a serious scientific academic paper.

Maybe that's just how he looks. Or maybe the paper isn't serious at all, but a laugh-riot.

Maybe.

 

[muljao]

It doesn't, exactly why the book phrase was used

I bow to your superior knowledge in these matters. Still, funny looking foreigners, eh? ;-)

I'm gonna take this as a compliment. First time anyone ever said I had any form of knowledge *drinks*