I completely agree with what both Pat and Sean wrote. So I have very little to add except that MP3-encoders can make a hugh difference in the quality of your Mp3. Obviously settings within those encoders can make a big difference as well.
If you are going the Mp3 route, I'd seriously consider ensuring that you used LAME and a standard -preset when you encoded your tracks. LAME has been very widely tested and the presets have equally been tested many times. The reason why older MP3s that you find (and somteimes newer ones as well) sound terrible is because they were ripped improperly with poor Mp3 codecs and poorly thoughtout settings. -Very- few people can tell the difference between a properly encoded Mp3 and a FLAC. You'll need a golden system AND golden ears. As Sean pointed out, this can heavily depend on the source material. MP3 presets are optimized to be a general as possible but some types of music will fall outside that optimal range. Having said that, I have neither (a golden system nor golden ears) but I use FLAC because a) hard disk space is very cheap right now. b) I know i'll never need to re-rip all my CDs again if improved lossly codecs come out. c) its nice to -know- that you aren't missing out on any of that amazing sound. ss. -- street_samurai _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
