Seriously ?
I don’t care what I’m listening on, I can tell the difference. It might be better or worse, but I can tell some kind of difference.
Oh, and are you saying you are listening through headphones in your car ? 
Hooray for you, Scab! I sure wish I could hear like you!
Like Scab, I can clearly hear a difference between different soundsystems?
Filetypes/codecs not so much though
Yes, what I should have said more accurately is that a mix that sounded fine to me on cans when rendered to .wav also did in the car when rendered to 320 .mp3.
I think I understand what you meant now … a 320 mp3 in your car sounds the same to you as a 32 float wav through your headphones? Not sure where AM radio comes in …
All I’m saying is that if I have a mix I’m working on in 44.1 32 (my usual working environment) and I’m happy with the way it is sounding, if I do a mixdown at 320 mp3 and 44.1 16 wav I can hear a difference of some sort. It really depends on the type of music for how much difference will be noticeable.
Maybe I just pay closer attention to the details?
As a side note - you don’t want to hear like me. I just about killed myself once trying to get to this guy who lives right behind my left ear. He’s on the inside. He has many friends.
I’ve wondered about the same thing but I can’t find any answers. I thought it was possibly a VBR switch but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I can export a 24/48 wav as a 320kbps mp3 in both HQ and non-HQ mode, and they null perfectly. They are exactly the same file.
I am glad there are others equally as confused as me. Just to give you my experience:
I use 64kbps a lot because I am trying to create audio for an app. The files are generally spoken word with background music. In most cases they sound good enough, but a couple of times the background music can sound real “wobbly” at that bit rate.
When I tick the blessed “High Quality Mode” button, the background music is not as wobbly sounding.
File size is the same.
I believe Artsta’s approach is correct. The variable bit rate kicks in with a lot of audio data playing, but drops down with less data, conserving file size. perfect for multi media sound engineering.
I also understood that for example Spotify uses a low quality of around 128 to 256 for regular usage, but when set to high quality streams, uses 320.
Can anyone else confirm this please?
Also, would it be an idea to just export some audio into HQ Wave, LQ Wave, HQ MP3, LQ MP3 and the High Quality Mode MP3 and compare them on the same system? What would be a good audio sample to do so? Something with a high dynamic range? Is there a default standard file to use for such a test? Some generated pink noise? Mozart’s fifth played by a 5 year old prodigy?
Cheers!
Lets not forget 128 brickwall cuts everything over around 16k. Those who haven’t spent that much time in the studio or clubs will notice, the rest wont.
I can’t tell the difference between a wav and a 320. Using dither correctly will seriously mask any low bitrates, Ozones algo is mega powerful now.
If the high quality mode in Cubase is VBR, this usually means a 256 file size will be equally or slightly better than a 320, due to more thought out placement of the bits, sample points.
Just throwing this out there, but what use is MP3 in these days of huge storage and universal (almost) broadband?
ringtones, app sound design, web sound design, hardware sound design
and posting on places like Soundcloud
Hi,
I have always used the HIGH QUALITY MODE based upon the (obvious!) assumption that it (produces) EXPORTS a HIGHER QUALITY version. But I have never actually made an aural A/B TEST between the two options. I just took it for granted that it was the BETTER option to perform!
In my experience though, I have noticed the MB FILE SIZE to be appreciably larger.
Cheers,
Paul
Soundcloud, AIFF, WAVE (WAV), FLAC, ALAC, OGG, MP2, MP3, AAC, AMR, and WMA files. The maximum file size is 5GB.
Other
ringtones, app sound design, web sound design, hardware sound design, Is space still an issue? why?
Hey Split,
I generate MP3’s for proofs for my clientele. It’s easier on my web server and it’s easier on their phone data plans. 5 megabytes versus 50 megabyte files coming down 2 their phone
On another note, I read here in this forum someplace that the high-quality mp3 mode doesn’t necessarily sound better.
Whoops, you’re right, Split, I could have been uploading WAV files to Soundcloud… thanks. I do use 256K Mp3 files for some of my old players, which lets me fit a lot more music for use in the car and for traveling. I also use these files to send through email, as some e-mail systems are still limited (the ones in use by the troglodytes in my band), and some of the email recipients are also using old iPods or other brands. For me, 256K is essentially indistinguishable from WAV files in everyday use, although I know I could train my ears to pick up cues (such as reverb tails - I was able to hear it in the “golden ears” test). Maybe time to start using FLAC.
@ Split… Also… it’s faster and saves energy. Just because storage is no longer an issue, doesn’t mean we should waste it. The file size difference from an MP3 to a wav is huge and the difference in quality is unnoticeable to most, even on the best of systems. Lets not drag that debate up again though! lol!!!
Good point.
Is speed (download/upload) a problem? what about lossless compression?
Are some devices limited to MP3 only?
Used to be a good choice when 128 mp3 where standard. Cubase sx3 or 4 brought larger mp3. Steinberg kept the “higher quality” not to break code.
Don’t use it.