[LAU] ABX test (was Re: What is the best MP3 encoder?)

Ralf Mardorf ralf.mardorf at alice-dsl.net
Wed Apr 3 09:21:32 UTC 2013


On Wed, 2013-04-03 at 09:02 +0200, Peder Hedlund wrote:
> Quoting Ralf Mardorf <ralf.mardorf at alice-dsl.net>:
> 
> > I guess I _never_ failed a blind test, but that's not important.
> 
> If that's true you really should offer your ears to the codec  
> creators. They want people with golden ears who can hear if their  
> tweeks are for the better or worse.

I did similar work, payed, full-time not for codecs, but for
microphones, sure it wasn't just testing. However, I'm not interested to
do what tests ever and I'm especially not interested in codecs.

> That's very likely "the power of suggestion". Do try and point out the  
> "lossy" part while they're listening to the original. It wouldn't  
> surprise me if they started noticing the "loss" in that all of a sudden.

I agree, an experienced tester btw. does know that the tests that can be
done are limited. You can't do it 8 hours a day, after making a few
tests, _nobody_ is able to listen in the most possible neutral way
anymore, after a few tests the listening is biased.

I guess everybody experienced that we sometimes need to rest for a
while, before we can continue to do an audio mastering, while for a
mastering emotions are important, so we can do much longer listen as
needed when doing a mastering, than when doing tests.

> Please do show that you can't stand MP3s by providing an ABX score.

Some time ago I ask a friend to burn me an original CD, but he didn't,
he converted from MP3 and burned a CD. I didn't know that. I started
playing and stopped it immediately, without knowing that it were MP3s.
He than said that it were MP3s and he also does notice the loss (without
my "help"), but for him it's not important, he does use 10,- EUR
headphones at home and is comfortable with such headphones. I didn't ask
about the MP3 settings and what app he used (must be something running
on XP), I'm simply not interested ... neither to witness that I'm saying
the truth or untruth, nor in helping to improve codecs.



More information about the Linux-audio-user mailing list