Bitrates

[Soup]

I can sometimes get away with 160 CBR in the club but I try not to dip below 192. Just depends on how well the track was mastered sometimes.

[lackner]

I can sometimes get away with 160 CBR in the club but I try not to dip below 192. Just depends on how well the track was mastered sometimes.

Plus how it was ripped to mp3. I've found some 160s and 192s that sound better than higher bitrate files; more clarity, headroom. I'm not sure how people are screwing up the encoding process that badly but it's common.

[philll]

yes there is an other encoder than lame, but it´s not free to use. it´s from the inventors of mp3 ,the Fraunhofer MPEG Layer-3 Audio Decoder

[VoOFA]

[QUOTE=tekki;4547]Is there any other than LAME?

Surely there's lots of other encoders than LAME, but every .mp3 sound geek on the internet seem to agree, that this is the leeding in size/quality!

Personaly I clearly hear the depth different compared to eg. iTunes encoder, there's are really big difference!

Also if your on a Mac, the iTunes-LAME application makes everything a lot easier if you still like to convert using iTunes. Simply insert your CD, select it in iTunes and the press go on iTunes-Lame (after you have chosen your quality setup ofcourse).

Enjoy your new and better sounding mp3's!

[EanGolden]

it seems that a good mp3 is often only as good as its encoder.

a LAME encoded mp3 from a wav source is usually very good at 256 or above.

[tekki]

Is there any other than LAME?

Surely there's lots of other encoders than LAME, but every .mp3 sound geek on the internet seem to agree, that this is the leeding in size/quality!

Personaly I clearly hear the depth different compared to eg. iTunes encoder, there's are really big difference!

Also if your on a Mac, the iTunes-LAME application makes everything a lot easier if you still like to convert using iTunes. Simply insert your CD, select it in iTunes and the press go on iTunes-Lame (after you have chosen your quality setup ofcourse).

Enjoy your new and better sounding mp3's!

The question was retorical. In other my eyes LAME encoding is the best. It is supposed to be the "scene's best" too, while using it through Exact Audio Copy.