MarketSqHero Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Perhaps not ABX but at least AB... though not under controlled conditions. It's pretty easy. Just put the same song on a drive in two or more different compression formats (at least one in lossless format) and listen to them, switching from one to the other. I can definitely tell the difference. You're proving nothing apart from that you've succumb to the placebo effect. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MarketSqHero Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Humour me, and be honest. Rip a FLAC and a 320k MP3 from the same source CD, use the ABX plugin in foobar and tell me the % over say 20 tests as to how many times you pick the lossless file. You may well surprise yourself... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hella356 Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Humour me, and be honest. Rip a FLAC and a 320k MP3 from the same source CD, use the ABX plugin in foobar and tell me the % over say 20 tests as to how many times you pick the lossless file. You may well surprise yourself... Cool, I've never heard of that plugin. I'll play around with it when I get a chance, and will post my honest results here. I'll only be able to test it via my computer's on-board analog output, attached to an older, lower-end Kenwood receiver and 26 year old Energy speakers. I'd rather test it on my modified full-range electrostatic speakers back home in California, but I won't be back there for several months, at least. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MarketSqHero Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 I'll be interested in the results, because going back to my original post "Lossless is pointless in a car", if you need your "modified full-range electrostatic speakers" to tell the difference, then you certainly wouldn't notice it in a moving, noisy vehicle with sound absorbing materials, road rumble, wind noise etc Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jhren Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Don't have foobar. Not going to install it either. As to succumbing to the placebo effect, I'll offer the following and you can draw your own conclusions. I did the "AB" test I mentioned with my eyes closed and had another person switch between the formats, randomly. I picked the the correct format "10 out of 10 times" (<-- I wasn't actually counting). Yes, I really have to listen for the distinguishable characteristics... but those of us with trained hearing can discern those characteristics... and the reproduction system must be capable of reproducing those subtle differences (so I'm not saying there is a major difference). FWIW, I'm not totally against lossy compression. In fact, I listen to iHeart radio on my HTPC-based home theater system (of course you have no idea of the quality of my system, and I'm not going to elaborate). BTW there's a big difference in audio quality of web-based iHeart radio compared to iHeart mobile that I get in my car. Beyond the preceding, I'm not going to argue the point. You can believe what you want. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hella356 Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 I mentioned the electrostatics because I'm also curious to see (hear) what the results would be in a truly revealing home system. I do realize this is all about the context of a car environment. Compared to my car system, the computer sound system I have with me here in NC is less dynamic, less detailed, and hasn't nearly the low-end extension of my car rig. Of course, you're correct that the overall noise floor, which increases the faster the car moves, is higher in the car. That being said, since I don't need to get on the freeway to go to work, the majority of my driving is done at 40MPH or below, and outside noise is pretty low in most situations. Also, my computer room is subject to heat/AC noise along with noises from outside the house, so it is also not particularly quiet, so it actually should be a decent test in comparison to my typical car environment. Unfortunately, my current Eclipse AVN5435 has no audio inputs, so I won't be able to give the ultimate in-car test until I dive in with a new head unit, probably the AVH-4000. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spankey Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 There is a difference. How noticeable that difference is depends on the listener and the mix. While not every album will benefit from CD or greater quality it's nice to have the option to listen to those that do in their uncompressed glory. I don't have every song I own on my flash drive but a good number of great sounding albums. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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