Nokia N95

casketizer · #1 08-07-2008, 07:34 PM

Can someone please explain to me why a 128kbit file sounds better than a 320kbit file? Both ripped from same CD with Fraunhofer MP3ENC codec.
On my MP3 player the 320kbit Version sounds much better, on the N95 the 128kbit sounds slightly better, both not as good as on the MP3 player obviously.
Tested with Highend Philips out-of-ear phones.
/me is stumped

Edit: It does sound better than the N73ME or any other phone I have had though.

LordTakyon · #2 08-07-2008, 10:41 PM

Not sure, but just tested and they sound pretty much the same to me. Maybe N95 just struggles with bitrates that high.

Kroy · #3 08-09-2008, 12:15 AM

I've decided it is all down to the 'ears' of the listener!
I love to listen to music but know nothing about what makes a record. I only use files of 128kbs because of the space it uses up on my memory card and I have no issues listening to it via headphones or car stereo- but that's 'cos it all sounds the same to me!

AngusG · #4 08-09-2008, 01:32 AM

I'm having just a hazardous guess here... But my guess is because the N95 music player "struggles" with the "wider" frequencies of the spectrum... Therefore a higher bitrate puts those frequencies into test and actually brings out how much it struggles, and how poor the quality of the music player actually is...

I haven't done as much testing as you, but for me 192kbps is a happy medium personally.. 128kbps isn't enough.. 320kbps takes up too much space.. so 192-225kbps seems to be a happy medium..

What sort of MP3 player are you using mate??

casketizer · #5 08-09-2008, 01:40 AM

TrekStor [MP3 players - USB sticks - hard drives]
This one. Very good. Sounds way better than my GF's ipod and comes with Sennheiser phones.
I was considering using the N95 as MP3 player, but after my tests I'm not so sure I will.

AngusG · #6 08-09-2008, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casketizer

TrekStor [MP3 players - USB sticks - hard drives]
This one. Very good. Sounds way better than my GF's ipod and comes with Sennheiser phones.
I was considering using the N95 as MP3 player, but after my tests I'm not so sure I will.

What generation iPod?? I used to have a 5th 80Gb... Apparently apple went back to shoddy cheap components in the classics...

Here's a comparisson chart of popular mp3 players :-)

casketizer · #7 08-09-2008, 05:11 AM

Really no clue. It is pretty a new one, yes.

The Trekstor Blaxx' MP3 decoder was engineered by the Fraunhofer people who invented MP3, so its top class. I have tested about half of the Players from your chart and none sounded as good as the Blaxx, although the Sony 810 was very close. Tested with Sennheiser phones. We have a store here that lets you test the players with our own files. You can bring them in on CD or USB stick. Pretty cool.
The whole business is very subjective too :)

AngusG · #8 08-09-2008, 05:35 AM

Ah nice... What sort of Sennheiser phones?? I use the CX300's with my N95...

That kind've reminds me of Sasha (Progressive house DJ/Producer).. In iDJ mag they used to do an interview with DJs of 36 of their favourite records over 6 difference categories (non dance, floor fillers, influential etc..) one of Sasha's was Yello - Oh Yeah... He said something like "Whenever you walked past an expensive hi fi store they used to play this on all the systems. We used to walk in there pretending we had lots of money to spend even though we never did."

casketizer · #9 08-09-2008, 10:54 AM

They are OEM phones that come with the Blaxx , they look (and sound) identical to the CX 400 except they are, you guessed it, Black. :)
BTW after fiddling with the well hidden manual Equalizer on the N95 I now find the sound much more agreeable and 320kbit also sounds somewhat better than 128, even if only slightly. Most of my collection is ripped to 320kbit with MP3ENC (if you know MP3ENC then you know its quality comes at the price of being slowwwwwwwww). And with 8GB at my disposal I would have hated to rerip everything.
EDIT: I just checked Sennheiser's site, they could be OEM CX 300 too, really not sure.

ReneC · #10 08-15-2008, 06:42 PM

Nobody has asked the OP what software he used to encode his mp3s.

Fraunhofer's codec comes in many apps, including stuff like Windows Media Player. If you are using a "rip" button in some mp3 player software you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

To get the best quality mp3s:

Rip the CD to harddrive with Exact Audio Copy

Encode using RazorLAME or another dedicated mp3 converter program.

As for bitrate, use variable bitrate (VBR). Some sounds, most noticeably cymbals, sound like crap at 128. To get the best tradeoff between quality and size, let the converter use some discretion and you end up with a better audio file.