mp3 encoding preferences?

**archaic0** · 07-15-2007, 02:20 PM

If I take a step back though, what advantage is there to using something like FLAC versus just a straight WAV rip? If I'm not worried about file sizes then is there anything I'm missing by just doing a straight WAV rip?

**Felix509** · 07-15-2007, 02:32 PM

Nothing wrong with .WAV rips, they are the original uncompressed file..

You still need EAC, DBpoweramp, or another ripping software that rips in a secure mode and corrects for errors.

I think lots of people do not use WAV due to mp3 players and other players that do not have a large amount of storage. I had an Alpine MP3 capable deck in my truck and could put 120 songs on one disc vs. 20 .wav files

I use FLAC just to save 30% of my drive, i have a 500Gb full now and will start a second one.. Although as you say, hard drives are getting amazingly affordable, no real need to save space anymore due to expensive storage..

LATERS

**archaic0** · 07-15-2007, 02:56 PM

I actually have dbpowerAMP from a long time ago, I was using it exclusively at one point. I've grabbed the new version but I guess I have to re-buy the codecs if I want to use it to encode to mp3.

I may just do WAV rips though, I don't see any reason for me not to at this point. I can put 21,000 songs on a single 750 gig drive and that's more than enough for me. I mean, I really only have about 5 or 6,000 in my library anyway. And adding 750s if/when I need them isn't hard. I can't see myself getting to 21,000 anytime soon.

Thanks for all the input guys!

**Booger** · 07-17-2007, 01:37 PM

Before starting, make sure YOU audition a few different types of encoding. I was originally planning on converting everything to FLAC, but after some experimenting, I noticed that I just couldn't tell the difference between FLAC and a 320kbps MP3 file 98% of the time. I guess my ear isn't as sensitive as some and my system is a relatively low end/low power one. There are other advantages (compatibility, namely) to using MP3 vs. FLAC if you don't want or need lossless encoding.

**archaic0** · 07-17-2007, 01:47 PM

Yeah, I have started that process actually. The only reason I even started thinking about this was because I recently upgraded my low end (2 subs instead of one and doubled the power of my amp output through wiring magic) and I heard some distortion that I previously did not hear.

Only certain songs with prominent low ends distorted, and the CD of that song did not distort. That left me to blame the encoding of my mp3 version.

I haven't finished my testing yet, but I may end up with simply making 320 rips of my music instead of switching formats.

I can always do straight WAV rips like I said since space isn't an issue, but I'm used to MP3s and if I can find a good setting that I'm happy with then that's that.

Thanks again for the input.

**BenOBS** · 07-17-2007, 01:55 PM

Are you 100% sure it is'nt your new setup that make that distortion?

If this is the only things that changed, I would look at it first...

**archaic0** · 07-17-2007, 02:01 PM

yeah, like I said the CD of the same songs sound perfect with the new sub setup. (playing CD through same head unit that is governing the AUX input from the CarPC OR playing CD through CarPC cd-rom drive both sound perfect.)

**BenOBS** · 07-17-2007, 02:05 PM

Ho, okay, my bad... so lets try encoding it in Flac and tell us the result, hehe..

*One last benefit of Flac vs Wav... Flac are smaller so this mean less disk read...

**archaic0** · 07-17-2007, 02:11 PM

Well my test encoding of one file in FLAC resulted in a 27 meg file, where the WAV was 33 megs. So that isn't a selling point to me when you consider that I then need to adjust what I play those flac files with. I can play wavs anywhere anytime anymore, but flac is a little more specialized for not enough gain at this point for me it seems.

**durwood** · 07-17-2007, 03:10 PM

How about APE? Anyone tried them since it seems to give better compresion? Just curious. It sounds like the only problem/difference is that FLAC handles errors better.

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/...hp/t36506.html

I have a ton of CDs that I encoded to mp3 a long time ago using the LAME encoder, and I don't have the time to redo everything to FLAC or APE so I don't know if I will switch anytime soon.