[LAU] What is the best MP3 encoder?

[Peder Hedlund]

Quoting Ralf Mardorf <ralf.mardorf at alice-dsl.net>:

> Peder I'm 46 years old and worked most of my live as audio engineer, so
> I'm experienced with the way people listen and I made a lot of tests
> myself.
>
> You are talking about esoteric, take the "$5000 Les Paul or the $500
> copy" and compare the neck humbucker played as humbucker and played as
> single coil, while playing a blues scale around the 12 fret of the same
> guitar. A guitarist will hear the difference.

In the test I saw the same guy played the same lick on both guitars  
using the same pickup configuration. Of course you hear the difference  
between a single coil and a humbucker, but in this case the test was  
just to see if people could hear which was the expensive original and  
which was the cheap copy.

Just as ABX:ing an mp3 file and the original isn't about hearing if  
someone swapped the cowbell for a tambourine but to tell if the codec  
is transparent enough that you can't hear the audible difference  
between the two files.
And most people can't once you get over 96-160 kbps.

> What is the improvement of 192 KHZ for audio production? My card does
> provide it, but I never used it. What I need are 48 KHz only and to
> reduce issues while processing the audio data, it's wise to use 32 bit
> float, but a sample rate higher than 48 KHz?

Your car can probably do 140 mph even though you never go that fast.
Being able to use the card in 192 kHz probably doesn't cost that much  
extra for the manufacturer and I guess the marketing department really  
loves being able to use it in the advertising.

  - Peder