[LAU] What is the best MP3 encoder?

[Jostein Chr. Andersen]

Hi,

I do have what I consider as a big problem with MP3 encoding, and that 
is artifacts and degenerated sound quality. End results are things like 
stronger esses, more "noise" (IE. something like schhhhhh upper 
overtones on disted guitars) and a loss of clarity. The thing is that a 
finished 320 kbps MP3 should not sound (significant) different than an 
original wave file IMO. Note that this artifacts are usually quite 
subtle, but very audible for the person(s) that recorded it and the mixer.

I usually do mixes in 24/44.1 and I'm using dithering when exporting to 
a 16-bit stereo file. The artifacts, especially stronger esses are more 
audible without dithering and it should really not matter.

I'm using Mixbus (Ardour) for exporting the wav files to 16-bit waves 
and Audacity for converting the file to a MP3. If I upload a lossless 
file to soundcloud, then the same problem comes there when Soundcloud 
converts it to it's player.

Unfortunately, I don't have a raw 24/44.1 file and a MP3 I legally can 
post right now. But I hope that someone have suggestions about how to 
make the best possible MP3 files from a wave file. :-)

Thanks,
Jostein