Ok this is a fun exercise. Go here:

www.mp3ornot.com/

and post back whether or not you got the answer correct.


Personally, I got it wrong. Then again, I HAVE been wearing headphones, playing loud guitars, and swinging a hammer for years. The forum that I found this link on had postings from guys who SWEAR they can tell the difference. I think they are full of beans.

www.myspace.com/mortal_engines

This post has been edited by mortalengines: Fri 4 Apr 2008, 23:45

yeah, I got it wrong too but who really knows. I too have given my hears a flogging over the years; Geez I hope all this audio gear i'm buying isn't just a load of posturing

Me too, I got it wrong, and I thought I could almost always tell. The thing I listened for was the background orchestra level in relationship to Himself. And I thought I could detect something in the way of a difference ... I'll try it again at home on my Mac / FireWire 24 bit DAC / tube pre-amp to stereo ... but >>> D'oh

This post has been edited by FastEddy: Thu 7 Aug 2008, 20:26

I've had my share noise abuse from (long ago) years of heavy equipment operation, but I caught the correct one. I played both tracks about 3 times each, paying CLOSE attention to the highs, like the tamborine, and the fullness of the lows at the end of the clip....

Maybe it was luck,...? But the track that I picked just seemed clearer on the highs, and fuller on the lows. (Maybe these MS40's ain't all that bad?)

COOL exercise! Thanks!

This post has been edited by azkid: Fri 8 Aug 2008, 01:35

Well, I tried it at home with meters and a better sound system ... and Track XX IS the winner, now, after all, mostly because of the slightly greater dynamic range ... I guess I was fooled by the relative loudness of the orchestra ... I still can not be sure if it is my ears or my eyes viewing the meters that made the distinctions ... D'oh!

The forum that I pulled the link from had pretty much the same responses as here. This isn't exactly the BEST track to do this kind of shootout. I can usually tell a lower quality mp3 from the cymbals in a rock song (they get kind of "smear-y") or what sometimes can only be called a certain "graininess" of the mid highs or highs.....Lot's of fun though and really drives its point home though.


www.myspace.com/mortal_engines

This post has been edited by mortalengines: Sat 9 Aug 2008, 01:53

" ... I can usually tell a lower quality mp3 from the cymbals in a rock song (they get kind of "smear-y") or what sometimes can only be called a certain "graininess" of the mid highs or highs. ..."

Mister, you have much better ears than I ... good show!

" ... I can usually tell a lower quality mp3 from the cymbals in a rock song (they get kind of "smear-y") or what sometimes can only be called a certain "graininess" of the mid highs or highs. ..."

Mister, you have much better ears than I ... good show!

Now that's funny, but it's true... Sound Engineer's, Manipulator's & many people hear things we "normal one's" don't.

I find that I don't play or feel music the way I once did, "Reckless"! Now I am so calculating about levels, compression, frequencies, effects, etc., by time I'm ready to perform the "Feeling" is gone. Too much technical/mathematical equations and/or equipment etc. What did musicians, real ones do before the invent of Computers and Software/Hardware? They played music we are trying to recreate!

But, hat's off to all you "Big Eared" people.

BTW I have been very impressed with reading about all the 440 Forum Member's with new Macintosh Gear. Especially, the Intel Group. Are you mostly Laptop User's? Is the music mostly "Sample, Loop's N Thangs" or are any using G5's Quads etc? I'm still using a Dual 2GHz G5. I can't imagine ever getting rid of it. It still looks and runs as good as the day I first turned it on. I would say without doubt, the G5 has been my best purchase EVER. Of ANYTHING. It does everything, plus, it is so kind and generous regarding saving everything "Perfectly", every time! Perhaps one day when I have enough to buy a NEW System, I will always keep my present system, I will try the New Intel Badd Ass G5 or whatever the next Monster is called. If it's anything like my current model, I will be head over heels in love...

" ... Sound Engineer's, Manipulator's & many people hear things we "normal one's" don't. ..."

" ... Now I am so calculating about levels, compression, frequencies, effects, etc., by time I'm ready to perform the "Feeling" is gone. ..."

However, with some more years behind you, you will come back to enjoy the music for its own sake. Lately I have been playing from my collection and downloading w/ iTunes every night, several hours per night. I do appreciate a huge range of genre from Nora to the "wall of sound" stuff, plus my beloved Ludwig. With age also comes a somewhat diminished hearing range too, but because of my appreciation of "Pink" noise, et al, I find that I can still make out the nuances of that screamin' guitar. (My "engineering" background is in digital, but as a hobby I build my own analog amps and pre-amps.)

Got Apples? Yes, two at home and two at work, more coming. I burned the FireWire port on my iBook so I don't use it much anymore (experimenting with home made FireWire DACs). Office system: Logitech SqueezeBox 24bit/96K direct connected to Internet driving an ancient MOSFET Sony pushing Magnepan MMGW flat panel speakers with el cheapo subwoofer (playlist & control from Mac-Mini). Home system: newer iMac to EchoDigital AudioFire 2 (24bit/96k) to Bottlehead vacuum tube pre-amp to DIY 3-channel power dump MOSFET AussieAmplifier.com amp pushing Magnepan MMG planar flat panel speakers and reconed Cerwin Vega subwoofer. Alternate sources include newest Rega P3 turntable and OppoDigital.com DV-980 (stereo 24bit/96k & 24bit/192k output). On the bench: DIY two channel one horse power MOSFET amp for guitar = weight 12 pounds

(I give away my mistakes and surplus equipment: I recently gave a Mac-Mini and EchoDigital.com AudioFire 4 to my niece = she is in a big band in Denver and this goes into their studio for master record & playback.)

This post has been edited by FastEddy: Sat 9 Aug 2008, 17:17

Mister, you have much better ears than I ... good show!

Aw shucks. I wouldn't pretend to have good hearing at all....My hearing is SHOT (LOL). I FAILED the test myself. It would take some real careful listening between the two on something other than a boom box and even then, I still might not get it. I have noticed from casual listening at home certain degradations in sound quality inherent in the format but, really even that ability is tentative at best. It just goes to show what amounts to some very MINOR audible qualities between mp3s made at different bit rates.