What is the real key for good digital sound

[rendu]

I play digital music from different sources; PC, IPOD and PS3. So far, the best sound I get is from the PC followed by the IPOD and last by the PS3. This is normal in the sense that different hadware will give different sound. However, what I feel is that even with the same equipment, the result could be very different, therefore not sure what is the real key to success. Ex. When I play music out of my PC it uses the same hardware and sound card but, the results are very very different for the same song:

ITUNES DIRECT PLAY - If I play files direcly from the iTunes store before purchasing them, it gives the highest quality. I do not know what is the reason for this, whether it is the equalization of the files or, the bit rate or what but the sound is much much better.

ITUNES PURCHASED - When you purchase the same file and play in iTunes it already does not sound as good as when you play via streaming directly from ITUNES.

Windows media - Same file played in windows media sounds even worse.

Therefore, the key seem to be more on the equalization, the program or any related software than in the hardware itself. Is this also your experience? What is the key in your oppinion to improve digital media sound? Why do the itunes files directly played via streaming sound so great compared with everything else?

A similar experience happens with PS3, the music that you play via VIDZONE sound unbelievable but, when you play the same song as normal MP3 from the PS3 player, it sounds much wose. Same hardware, same song but totaly different sound quality.

Thanks, Pablo

 

[Anonymous]

Ultimately I think it's the source file that's the issue here, not the hardware.

For a start, I'm reasonably certain that the iTunes Store previews are at a higher bitrate than the files you actually get if you purchase. Either that or they've been equalised completely differently but they sure sound like they have a higher range. You'll probably find that this is the same with the PS3 vidzone.

Secondly, the Windows Media formats are pretty terrible formats to encode in. Be it video or audio they just can't compete with QuickTime formats.

The key to good digital sound is to get as high a quality as you can. Buying MP3s or AACs from the PSN or iTunes isn't the best because the files have been heavily compressed. You might find the files acceptable - I'm certainly happy enough with playing my iTunes purchases through my surround system - but they're not as good as you can get.

There are various ways to get higher quality audio files. The first is to buy the actual CD rather than the MP3, and rip it to your computer using a lossless codec (such as Apple Lossless in iTunes). That way the file is smaller but not at a loss of quality, although obviously is a much larger file than an MP3.

The the real audiophiles out there you can also consider using one of the several sites that offer "24-bit studio master" audio files, such as the B&W Society of Sound. These files offer better-than-CD quality audio reproduction but prices can vary and the selection is quite limited, especially if you're used to browsing the 8 million or whatever it is now songs that are on the iTunes Store.

You might find the following page of interest:

http://blog.bowers-wilkins.com/lab/sound-quality-lab/the-definitive-guide-to-24-bit-flac/

It gives quite a bit of info about digital music.

 

[Anonymous]

But MP3's and AAC's do also have different quality.

320kbps MP3 are not that far from CD sound quality, and the 256kbps delivered by iTunes are even closer -- as AAC is a better format than MP3. Very few people are actually able to hear the difference, and only with close listening and good equipment.

Lossless compressed formats, like Apple Lossless (ALAC) and FLAC should be undistinguishable from the originals; whether that's CD or "24-bits studio master" files. Actually the the music from B&W are stored as FLAC or ALAC files.

Better file formats won't improve bad recordings though. Some rock classics are recorded with very primitive equipment (or with very little concern for sound quality), and a better storage format won't change this.

Besides the file format, there's one thing that decides sound quality from digital sources: The digital to analogue conversion.

Most digital music players has a built-in DAC, and the sound card in your PC has one. DAC chips are cheap, and the quality don't differ that much -- but the analogue part of the converter will make differences. If you're using computers, wireless devices, budget CD players, DVD or Blu-ray players as your sources, a standalone DAC (like the ones from Cambridge Audio, Beresford, or countless Chinese manufacturers) might improve the sound.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Fahnsen:
320kbps MP3 are not that far from CD sound quality, and the 256kbps delivered by iTunes are even closer -- as AAC is a better format than MP3. Very few people are actually able to hear the difference, and only with close listening and good equipment.

Lossless compressed formats, like Apple Lossless (ALAC) and FLAC should be undistinguishable from the originals; whether that's CD or "24-bits studio master" files.

Your opinion, of course, rather than fact. I'd urge anyone to listen to files at different compression to see what they think.

Our 'Big Question' feature in the current, May issue (p30-31) involves readers blind-testing 16-bit vs 24-bit tracks, with some very interesting results.

 

[The_Lhc]

Clare Newsome:Our 'Big Question' feature in the current, May issue (p30-31) involves readers blind-testing 16-bit vs 24-bit tracks, with some very interesting results.

Yes, it would have been even more interesting if they'd had a third option, the original CD, to compare to as well. Now THAT would have shut a few people up, whichever way the result went.

 

[rendu]

Thanks for all the replies, yes that is clear and it seems to be a proven fact that the higer bitrate, the higher quality. However, the point I was trying to make was more around the "software" including equalization and its role in the final output quality. The same file with same bitrate played with different media players sounds different and the difference in the total output quality could be substantial. Following the example of the PS3, I can play the same file in VIDZONE and compare with the original CD in the same PS3 and the sound using VIDZONE is way better and much more musical. Maybe this is another area that we can see in a blind test some day..... In the old Hi-Fi world the equalizer was a key part of the equipment and there was no good system that did not have a good equalizer... I believe that nowdays we are lossing this important piece of the puzzle....