I cannot honestly say that I can tell a difference between my FLAC, AIFF, and M4A files and my MP3 320kbps files. I've tried hearing the difference through my Sennheiser HD202 Headphones (Not super), my Sennheiser CX-300 earbugs (again, not super), my RS850 Sigs w/ an Onkyo Tx-SR876, and my newly arrived ELT525Ms* (powered by the Onkyo until the HK receiver comes).
I CAN, however, tell the difference if the source recording was bad (hissy, etc). But it drives me nuts sometimes deciding which file format to rip my discs to. I don't have a desktop, so I'm limited in hard drive room, but then the true audiophiles (who I'd like to be, maybe) always say that lossless formats are ftw.
Is it a blessing that my hearing isn't perfect, and that 320kbps MP3s of good recordings sound fine to me?
Songs I used to test:
Mahler - Symphony No. 9, Mvt. 4 (Leonard Bernstein w/ New York Philharmonic)
Brahms - Symphony No. 2, Mvt 4 (Herbert Von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic)
David Maslanka - Symphony No. 4, m. 712-End (Jerry Junkin, Dallas Wind Symphony) <--- probably no one knows this piece, but it is an AMAZING wind band repertoire (along with some other Maslanka symphonies).
Muse - "Glorious" from Black Holes and Revelations
Tech N9ne - "T9X" from Absolute Power
*Yes, pics are coming, just waiting for the receiver and some finishing touches.
I CAN, however, tell the difference if the source recording was bad (hissy, etc). But it drives me nuts sometimes deciding which file format to rip my discs to. I don't have a desktop, so I'm limited in hard drive room, but then the true audiophiles (who I'd like to be, maybe) always say that lossless formats are ftw.
Is it a blessing that my hearing isn't perfect, and that 320kbps MP3s of good recordings sound fine to me?
Songs I used to test:
Mahler - Symphony No. 9, Mvt. 4 (Leonard Bernstein w/ New York Philharmonic)
Brahms - Symphony No. 2, Mvt 4 (Herbert Von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic)
David Maslanka - Symphony No. 4, m. 712-End (Jerry Junkin, Dallas Wind Symphony) <--- probably no one knows this piece, but it is an AMAZING wind band repertoire (along with some other Maslanka symphonies).
Muse - "Glorious" from Black Holes and Revelations
Tech N9ne - "T9X" from Absolute Power
*Yes, pics are coming, just waiting for the receiver and some finishing touches.
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