MP3 and FLAC audio formats Part 3
Is it possible to compress material from loss to loss, eg MP3 with lower bit rate to MP3 with higher bit rate?
If you want to get an improvement in the quality of such a clamp, then no, you do not need to do this: the sound will not only not improve, but will even slightly deteriorate. If your goal is to reduce file size and sound quality is not very critical, then compressing from a higher bit rate to a lower one is quite justified.
Which lossless format is the best in terms of sound quality: FLAC, Monkey’s Audio, WavPack?
As mentioned above, lossless formats compress data losslessly. This means that, in terms of sound quality, they are all absolutely identical. You should choose a lossless format to use in each specific case, focusing solely on its compatibility with the software / equipment and your personal preferences.
Does the choice of encoder and its settings affect the sound quality when compressing material to MP3?
It affects significantly. About which encoder and with what settings provides the optimal result, I will tell you below.
Does the cable box affect the sound quality when listening to MP3 material? What is the best way to play MP3 on PC?
The MP3 decoder can affect the sound quality. Some decoders (especially older ones) noticeably distort the sound when playing MP3, which can create a false impression of the inferiority of this format as such. To play music on a PC, you must use proven playback programs, preferably the latest versions. I use foobar2000, which I recommend to everyone; it has no problem with the quality of playback of MP3 and other supported formats.
Does the encoder setting affect the sound quality when compressing in FLAC? What compression ratio should I choose?
The FLAC encoder settings do not affect the sound quality at all. Only the size of the resulting files and the time spent on compression can depend on them, and even that is negligible. So most of the time I don’t bother and code in FLAC with the default settings, which I advise you to do as well. In rare cases, when you need to get files of the minimum size and have to save every byte, it makes sense to increase the compression ratio to the maximum value.
Does the cable box affect the sound quality when listening to FLAC material? What is the best way to play FLAC on your PC?
In the case of FLAC and other lossless formats, the decoder does not affect the sound quality, the original audio data is restored with bit precision during playback. Therefore, to listen to FLAC, you can use any player that supports this format and you personally like it. However, I will once again recommend foobar2000 as a time-tested all-in-one solution for playing music on Windows.
