128kbps Equals Low Volume

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Level 1

11 points

128kbps Equals Low Volume

Apple's suggested 128kbps *****. It's not a satisfactory audio render setting for me (even though kbps renders are variable per music type/period). I prefer 192kbps. Higher kbps means a clearer and louder song. The Apple suggested 128kbps I'm afraid is boarder line quality...just barely cutting the rug. It's not as crystal clear or as loud as a higher kbps. That's why I had to update from Nano to 30gb Video, so that most of my songs at least were superb audio render quality rather than the lame 128kbps.

APPLE, 128KBPS *****

Pentium III, Windows XP Pro, LCD 1GBMem

Posted on Sep 29, 2006 7:48 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 29, 2006 8:19 PM in response to ipodcoke

theres nothing wrong with 128. i use either 128 or 192, to me theres barely enough difference to matter. 96 is radio quality and to be honest, that isnt bad either. 96 should be the border line for quality.

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Answer 2

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

Sep 29, 2006 8:21 PM in response to ipodcoke

128 kbps AAC is a compromise between file size and audio quality.
I have a 4 GB Mini and I use 160 kbps AAC because I'd rather have a better quality.
Instead of the 1,000 advertised songs, I get around 720-780 songs and this is acceptable to me.

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Answer 3

Sep 29, 2006 8:34 PM in response to Chris CA

i was referring to mp3, not aac. i've never used aac so i looked it up on wikipedia and found this Depending on the AAC profile and the MP3 encoder, 96 kbit/s AAC can give nearly the same or better perceptional quality as 128 kbit/s MP3. so according to wikipedia, 96kbps aac is good enough for me.

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Answer 4

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

Sep 29, 2006 8:48 PM in response to kracker_kid

i was referring to mp3, not aac.
I was responding to ipodcoke .

128 kbps is pretty poor for music. At least using the standard MP3 encoder.
If 96 kbps is good enough for you, go for it.

so according to wikipedia, 96kbps aac is good enough for me.
You should actually encode at a few different rates and decide what is good enough for you.

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Answer 5

ieure

Level 1

5 points

Sep 29, 2006 9:07 PM in response to ipodcoke

Definitely encode a few different files at different bitrates and see which suits you. It help to encode a few at low bitrate so the artifacts are more obvious. It gives you an idea of what you're looking for in the higher-bitrate files.

What you should be listening for:
- Crisp sound across the spectrum. Focus on the kick drum and hi-hats. They should be sharp and distinct. They'll get muddy as you lower the bitrate.
- Cymbals and other sounds which have a long release should be audible for the full duration. As you lower the bitrate, the detail in as the sound tails off is lost.
- Listen for artifacts in the upper frequencies. Kind of hard to explain, but encode a file at low bitrate, and you'll know them when you hear them.

I find 128kbps VBR AAC to be very suitable, and roughly equivalent to 192kbps ABR MP3s. I can't tell the difference between either of those and the CD audio 95% of the time, and I have a decent ear for that.

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