Fuzz about MP3
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 865
Likes: 0
From: Winnipeg Manitoba
Fuzz about MP3
...It may well be that i am missing something but I am puzzle by the fuzz around MP3 while at the same time some complain about the Bose sytem being crappy....IMHO MP3 compression is far from helping...It may be a choice between sound quality VS commodity of having 743 songs on the same CD...feel free to flame me if I deserve it... a 6 cd stacker just do it for me...
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 16,684
Likes: 1,193
From: La Center WA
I just got the software update on my 2005 nav coupe and I've had a chance to listen to MP3s in it. I've got to say that to my ears they don't sound any different than CDs, which is to say "pretty good, but nowhere near audiophile quality". Do I think it's worthwhile? You bet. To gain the ability to get 200+ tracks on a single disc without having to pay for new hardware is absolutely worthwhile. It will add a whole new dimension to producing my own music compilations.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 10,909
Likes: 2,701
From: Phila Suburbs 2023 C8 & 2013 650ix
Originally Posted by mpuzach
I just got the software update on my 2005 nav coupe and I've had a chance to listen to MP3s in it. I've got to say that to my ears they don't sound any different than CDs, which is to say "pretty good, but nowhere near audiophile quality". Do I think it's worthwhile? You bet. To gain the ability to get 200+ tracks on a single disc without having to pay for new hardware is absolutely worthwhile. It will add a whole new dimension to producing my own music compilations.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 172
Likes: 0
I have the regular ONE cd head unit and I have a new IPOD plugged in. It works good but yeah, you are right, the sound quality is not the same as CD's. There has to be something to make this better becuase it is more convinient to have 1000 songs available like that, but if sound sucks, sometimes I think it's not worth it.
Instructor
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 134
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by SMJBA
...It may well be that i am missing something but I am puzzle by the fuzz around MP3 while at the same time some complain about the Bose sytem being crappy....IMHO MP3 compression is far from helping...It may be a choice between sound quality VS commodity of having 743 songs on the same CD...feel free to flame me if I deserve it... a 6 cd stacker just do it for me...
If you have 743 songs on one CD, you have WAY too much compression and it will sound like crap. At a compression rate of about 128kbps, it sounds pretty good. I get about 150 songs on a disk at that rate.
DK
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 260
Likes: 0
From: Bartlesville Oklahoma
It's About the Bit Rate!
The quality is a function of the bit rate the ripper used to convert it to a MP3 file. Generally, if it is 128Kbit or higher the sound is about equal to CD.s 256kbit is really good, but the files are twice as big. 128Kbit is usually a good compromise.
Of course, some people have better ears than others also.
Of course, some people have better ears than others also.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
Originally Posted by mpuzach
I just got the software update on my 2005 nav coupe and I've had a chance to listen to MP3s in it. I've got to say that to my ears they don't sound any different than CDs, which is to say "pretty good, but nowhere near audiophile quality". Do I think it's worthwhile? You bet. To gain the ability to get 200+ tracks on a single disc without having to pay for new hardware is absolutely worthwhile. It will add a whole new dimension to producing my own music compilations.
Definitely worthwhile.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,419
Likes: 1
From: Just moved back to the "old country"
My opinion -
I can tell a SMALL difference between MP3s at 128 and the same song on a CD - but the difference is barely noticable.
However, the difference in the sound system in my Vette (the BLOSE) vs that in my Jeep Grand Cherokee is a BIG difference - even my wife notices it ...
so you are correct - by using MP3s we are indeed making a somewhat iffy sound system even worse - but only by a very small degree.
I like others will plan to upgrade the speakers in my vette this spring - I hear that will make a noticeable difference.
I can tell a SMALL difference between MP3s at 128 and the same song on a CD - but the difference is barely noticable.
However, the difference in the sound system in my Vette (the BLOSE) vs that in my Jeep Grand Cherokee is a BIG difference - even my wife notices it ...
so you are correct - by using MP3s we are indeed making a somewhat iffy sound system even worse - but only by a very small degree.
I like others will plan to upgrade the speakers in my vette this spring - I hear that will make a noticeable difference.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Pro
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 502
Likes: 1
From: Fountain hills AZ
Originally Posted by SMJBA
...It may well be that i am missing something but I am puzzle by the fuzz around MP3 while at the same time some complain about the Bose sytem being crappy....IMHO MP3 compression is far from helping...It may be a choice between sound quality VS commodity of having 743 songs on the same CD...feel free to flame me if I deserve it... a 6 cd stacker just do it for me...
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 865
Likes: 0
From: Winnipeg Manitoba
You ARE missing something. First, the compression algorhythms have flexibility where you can trade off fidelity for file size. Second, there are more than one compresion system that can be used. I use an RCA Lyra and a w4a compression routine that sounds better to my ears when pumped through my Pioneer 6 speaker surround sound system at home. You can experiment yourself with a couple of settings within a file format, and then again with one of the other compression routines that your player can use. When you cannot tell the difference, run with what you have at the best fidelity level without overkill. A couple megabits of storage will take you across country in your vette without a repeat and excellent fidelity. Memory is cheap, getting cheaper and digital music will not ever return to CD's in my house
...patience is a virtue...i will give it a try