Audio bitrates frustrate me!?

Question

Ok, here's what I'm gonna do. I have a 2GB Samsung YP-U3 MP3 player. Now, what I'm planning to do is encode some at 320 kbps, and some at 256 kbps. Will there be a noticable difference? I'm using the headphones that came with it.

Answer 1

No, no, no.  It's impossible to hear a difference between 256 and 320.

You should encode at 256 VBR (that's variable bit rate).  It's high-quality, but it saves space at the same time.

Look at this.  It will blow your mind.  It's two music clips.  One is 128k and the other is 320k.  Try and figure out which is which.  (I can't.)

http://mp3ornot.com/

Answer 2

No, hearing a difference between those two with stock headphones would be absolutely impossible.  Even if you had really nice speakers, it would be very difficult to notice.  After about 250 kbps, the ear can't really tell the difference.

In fact, if it's possible for you, I would reccomend putting all the music at 256 kbps to save space.

Answer 3

Above 256 kbps ther is no noticable difference in audio quality however som players cannot cope with rates above 200 kbps, others 256 and the iPod 320.

if you worry about quality go for VBR variable Bit rate (if your player supports this) and set it at the highest figure it can support but stick below 256 kbps VBR as above that you are wasting sick space.

Contrary to what others tell you (Above) Do NOT go below 160 kbps as you will notice the drop in quality, (the basic 128 kbps tracks are noticably muddier than the AIFF files or 256 files they are sourced from).  Don't fill your player with larger numbers of poor quality recordings as its wasted space have fewer better quality tracks.

as a rule it try AAC (or even better apple lossless) its better at taking higher quality  for less space than MP3 and 180/192 is my lowest setting I will use.

the human ear can register between 40 - 15,000 Hz (low end) to 10-25,000 Hz (under 18's, top end)

Answer 4

No difference.  

Answer 5

You wont tell the difference a 320 song will sound the same as one at 64kbps or 128kbps if it were up to me i'd encode all my tracks at 64 & 128kbps  so i could get more tracks on my player