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What is the difference between bitrate 128 and 320.

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What is the difference between bitrate 128 and 320.

128 kbps vs 320 kbps MP3

Have you ever wondered what exactly you lose by compressing from lossless to 128kbps or 320kbps mp3?

128 kbps and 320 kbps MP3

I checked it and the result seemed interesting to me. First of all, I propose to take a survey to understand for yourself if you hear the difference. If you are not sure what you are hearing or you are sure you are not listening, then I bring you a simple and elegant idea: you should take and collide with your forehead two sound waves, one of which will be in antiphase, respectively, when you mix two. tracks, you will mainly hear what is not extinguished. I don’t promise cool graphics yet, but on your own system you can hear exactly what sounds were lost when compressed from flac to mp3 128 \ 320 kbps, file with examples at the end of the article.

You need to download and listen to 12 tracks for 30 seconds. Then specify one of the 3 options for each of the 4 songs (128 kbps, 320 kbps, or lossless).
The survey is anonymous, but you can specify a unique hash and tell me, as a last resort, post your opinion here, but always under the spoiler. The survey will last until February 25, after you publish the key and statistics.
Files on Yandex Disk, mirror on Dropbox (~ 80Mb).

Description of the experiment

Source files are cut into 10-second chunks, each chunk is exported to wav. After importing the resulting tracks, 2 seconds of silence and a second tone signal are added at the beginning of each, then converted to mp3. After importing mp3 files, it turns out that relative to the original, the resulting file “went ahead”. This is not a bug, it is. We sync against the given pitch signal from the original (I tried various values for each mp3 file, which I then refined to get the best result), remove the pitch signal, mute, and export the resulting tracks to wav. Now it remains to invert the tracks so that we obtain multidirectional peaks, and mix with the original.

Outcome

Yes, there is a difference. Yes, especially when compressing up to 128 kbps. Yes, it depends on the music. Yes, even more of the audio path.
You can draw an independent conclusion and hear the difference by downloading the files at
Bit rate is indicated as one of the main characteristics of video and audio recordings. Most users are used to thinking that it determines the quality of the downloaded file. But what are bit rates and how do they really characterize music files and videos?

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320 kbps audio bit rate, ideal for streaming.

320 kbps audio bit rate, ideal for streaming.

The triumphant march of the MPEG-1 Layer 3 audio recording format (colloquially called MP3) is explained by the fact that a simple and effective method of compressing an audio file was proposed, allowing to store up to 12 hours of quality music acceptable on a standard CD-ROM disc.

320 KBPS Bit Rate

Simply put, the MPEG-1 Layer 3 algorithm is based on the so-called “psychoacoustic” compression method, when frequencies and loudness levels that are not perceptible to the ear are excluded from the sounds in the spectrum. The spectrum “cleaned” in this way is divided into separate blocks (frames) of the same duration and compressed according to specified requirements. When played back, the signal is formed from a sequence of decoded frames.

The compression ratio depends on the parameters of the audio stream, which must be output after decoding the file.

The main parameter that determines the sound quality and the degree of compression is the so-called (what is) bit rate, the bandwidth measured in bits per second.

The higher the number, the better the sound quality and the lower the compression ratio. Since almost all MP3 files are recorded in stereo with a 44 kHz encoding rate and 16-bit depth, the determining factors for clear sound are: the source of the recording, the codec used, and the selected bit rate. .

The word codec is formed by combining the words encoder + decoder. This is a software module that allows you to encode or decode audio or video files according to your own algorithm.

The average value of the stream of 256 kbps provides a compression ratio of approximately 6: 1, for other values, the compression ratio changes proportionally. So, with 256Kbps stream, you can record music from six regular audio CDs to one CD, and with 128Kbps stream, you can record from twelve regular music discs.

There is a never-ending controversy between amateurs and professionals about the bit rate that provides good sound quality that matches the playback quality of an audio CD.

Some consider the level of 128 Kbps sufficient, others are satisfied only with the maximum value of the transmission: 320 Kbps. In all probability, both are right: the only difference is what is recorded and under what conditions it is played.

The bit rate at which digitized audio was encoded is usually indicated on the CD cover. For example, the entire Beatles collection can be purchased on three 128Kbps discs or six 256Kbps discs.

It is clear that in the second case the purchase price will be twice as expensive, but the quality is also better.

If the music is played in a home car, the 192Kbps transmission will provide sufficient sound quality, the best that you still won’t hear due to the strange noise. For listening on a computer or standalone player (MP3 player), a 256 Kbps stream is accepted.

But if the signal is sent unchanged to an external device and output to high-quality speakers, the maximum possible stream is desirable: 320 Kbps. Based on the above considerations, a stream of 256 Kbps can be considered universal: with a good recording quality, it will provide adequate playback in most cases.

INFLUENCE OF THE BIT RATE ON THE SOUND QUALITY OF AN MP3 FILE

INFLUENCE OF THE BIT RATE ON THE SOUND QUALITY OF AN MP3 FILE

Bit Rate

The term bit rate means how much information was transmitted per unit of time. Encoding in MP3 files can be done with constant and variable bitrate. Usually it determines the sound quality and consequently the file size.

BIT RATE

In normal practice, the bit rate for high-quality recording starts at 128 kbps. Although this is a purely subjective opinion and for everyone it can have its own value. It is undeniable that the higher the bit rate, the better the sound quality.

At a value of 320 kbps, the sound of an MP3 file is already difficult to distinguish from the original by the human ear.
The following table shows the comparative characteristics of the sound quality of a certain bitrate value with equivalents that are understandable to everyone. Although, we repeat, this is a subjective opinion.

Bitrate value comparison:

Bitrate (kbps) —– Mono / Stereo Equivalent
8 mono —– Telephone conversation
16 mono —– shortwave radio
32 monkey
—– Medium Wave Radio 64 Stereo FM Radio
96 stereo —– Nearly CD quality
128 stereo —– CD quality

Now let’s try to do a little quality comparative analysis of MP3 files of a certain bit rate with originals:
• 112 kbps: the sound is unnatural, the sound is far from the original. Almost any listener will notice the difference. Encoding with these parameters is ideal for listening to melodies through mobile phones (although progress has come a long way and 112 kbps is no longer sufficient on some devices). It is also very attractive for broadcasting live broadcasts over long distances.
• 128 kbit / s: many manufacturers consider this value as the standard for encoding (this is highly debatable). The quality is more or less acceptable here. Many music lovers will note that the recording is not original. Although, thanks to the many “manufacturers” of CDs, users will soon accept this quality as a source. The records can be comfortably listened to on jarring plastic office speakers, cheap headphones and iPods, and of course cell phones. If you need to recode this recording to WAV format, you will lose your sense of taste forever.
• 160 kbps – here the situation is much better than before. Many will no longer understand the difference, and those who notice slight discrepancies with the original, put 192 kbps. This bit rate suits you 100%.
• 256 or 360 kbps: For many people it will be impossible to tell the difference in sound. Recommended for fans of high quality sound, owners of hi-fi equipment, large flash players, etc.

In the following table, we will consider the effect of bitrate size on the amount of disk space occupied and the number of files that can be placed on a certain amount of media. As a comparative value, we take a sound file with a duration of four minutes, which corresponds to the average composition.
This table does not include heavier discs like DVD or the latest standards like HD DVD and Blu-Ray. But even from the last column, you can imagine how much information, even with the best quality, can be put into the new media formats.
File and disk size dependency on bit rate
Bit rate (kbit / s) 4 minute files in 64MB RAM 4 minute files on CD (650MB) Hours on CD (650MB) 4 minute files on 1GB
64 34355 24543
80 28 284 19 437
96 22237 16364128
18177
12273160
14142 9218192 12118
8182256 8 89 6137

Perhaps the greatest amount of software has been written for the MP3 format.
Not a single self-respecting software player developer, and even home gamers, will dare today not to provide support for the famous format for their creation. He’s at the top of his form, experiencing a real boom. All computers likely contain files of this type, while others have thousands of them (downloaded from the Internet or copied from discs). People are buying turntables that have become outrageously cheaper. Stores are packed with MP3-tagged CDs. People already know this word as “CD” before.
However, despite all this apparent lack of clouds, the format also has disadvantages. This is imperfect stereo encoding, problems with gapped files, multi-channel sound, high frequencies and others. Many formats are already on their heels. This is the ubiquitous Microsoft with its WM A, OGG Vorbis and others.
But the most competitive now is probably the AAC format, which Apple actively and successfully supports and promotes on its iPods and the iTunes Internet service. There is also support from Dolby, Nokia (on new phones) and many other companies.

WHAT IS THE NORMAL BITS SPEED ON AN MP3?

BIT RATE

The bit rate of an MP3 indicates the density of the audio information contained in the file. Therefore, every second on a 192 kbps MP3 contains 192 kilobits (24 bytes) of data. The higher the bit rate, the more information the MP3 contains; The more information it contains, the quality will be closer to the original audio recording. The bit rate also determines the size of the MP3 file: a four-minute song encoded at 128 kbps takes up just over 3.5 MB, while the same song encoded at 320 kbps requires more than 9 MB of space.

Bitrate

CHOOSE A BIT RATE

When converting an audio file or ripping the CD collection to MP3, you must specify the bit rate you want the encoder to use. Choose a bit rate based on the type of audio you are encoding and the desired purpose. If you are converting a conference or other piece of vocal audio, a 128 kbps bit rate is more than enough. If you encode MP3 files for use with a portable media player, a 192 kbp bitrate generally provides a good balance between audio quality and file size. If you are converting your CD collection to MP3 for archiving, encode your files with 320kbps bit rate.

Mp3 Bitrate

VARIABLE BIT SPEED

Encoding with a variable bit rate changes the MP3 bit rate based on the type of data present at a certain point in the audio. For example, a variable bit rate encoder can encode dense information from an MP3 at 320 kbps; however, when the audio contains a mute section, the encoder reduces the bit rate to 32 kbps. If the bit rate of an MP3 has an unusual number (for example 204 kbps), this indicates that the MP3 creator has encoded it with a variable bit rate.

BITS SPEED CONVERSION

Although most MP3 encoding and conversion programs can modify an MP3 with a different bit rate, this is not a good idea in general. Converting an MP3 to a higher bit rate does not add audio information to the file, so the sound quality does not increase. Converting an MP3 to a lower bit rate reduces the file size, but it could also have audio defects as the encoder is compressing an already compressed file. If you need an MP3 file to have a different bit rate, re-encode an MP3 from the original audio CD or WAV file.

What is the Bit Rate or Bitrate in the audio?

Do you want to change the bit rate in your MP3 files? This can be useful if you need to reduce the size of your MP3 files, for example. A 320 kbps MP3 file, the highest bit rate allowed for MP3 files, could be reduced to 192 kbps to significantly reduce the size of the MP3 file.

There would be a loss of quality, but the difference would be insignificant for most listeners who use standard speakers or headphones. If you are an audiophile, in addition to having expensive audio equipment, you probably never use the MP3 format anyway.

Most likely, you will use a compressed or uncompressed lossless format such as PCM Audio, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC or APE. An uncompressed PCM audio file is approximately 10 times larger than a CD-quality MP3 file.

The MP3 format is a lossy format, which means that the audio quality is sacrificed to maintain the relatively small size of the files. Almost all sites will tell you that you should never convert an audio file from lossless format to MP3 format unless you are well with the loss of audio quality.

What is the normal bit rate in an MP3?

A normal bit rate for an MP3 is between 128 kilobits per second, or kbps, and 320 kbps. Different bit rates in this range have different advantages; To extract music from a CD to MP3, choose the bit rate that best suits your purposes. In general, the higher the bit rate of an MP3, the better the audio quality, but the larger the file size. The most common bit rates in MP3s are 128 kbps, 192 kbps and 320 kbps.

Bit rate

The bit rate of an MP3 indicates the density of the audio information contained in the file. Therefore, every second in a 192 kbps MP3 contains 192 kilobits (24 bytes) of data. The higher the bit rate, the more information the MP3 contains; The more information it contains, the quality is closer to the original audio recording. The bit rate also determines the size of the MP3 file: a four-minute song encoded at 128 kbps occupies a little more than 3.5 MB, while the same song encoded at 320 kbps requires more than 9 MB of space.

Choice of a bit rate

When you convert a sound file or extract your CD collection to MP3, you must specify the bit rate you want the encoder to use. Choose a bit rate based on the type of audio you are encoding and on your desired purpose. If you are converting a conference or other piece of vocal audio, a bit rate of 128 kbps is more than enough. If you are encoding MP3 files for use with a portable media player, a bit rate of 192 kbps usually provides a good balance between audio quality and file size. If you are converting your CD collection to MP3 for archiving, encode the files with a bit rate of 320 kbps.

Variable bit rate VBR

Coding with a variable bit rate changes the bit rate of the MP3 depending on the type of data present at a certain point in the audio. For example, a variable bit rate encoder could encode a portion of dense information from an MP3 at 320 kbps; however, when the audio contains a silent section the encoder lowers the bit rate to 32 kbps. If the bit rate of an MP3 has an unusual number (for example, 204 kbps), this indicates that the creator of the MP3 encoded it with a variable bit rate.

Bit Rate Conversion

Although most MP3 conversion and encoding programs can modify an MP3 at a different bit rate, this is not a good idea, generally speaking. Converting an MP3 to a higher bit rate does not add audio information to the file, so the sound quality does not increase. Converting an MP3 to a lower bit rate reduces the size of the file, but it could also introduce audio defects, since the encoder is compressing a file that is already compressed. If you need an MP3 file to have a different bit rate, re-encode an MP3 from the original audio CD or WAV file.

Everything you wanted to ask about the mp3

WHAT IS A CODEC AND WHAT IS IT FOR?

CODEC is an abbreviation of CODifier-DECodifier, which already indicates its functions. In the case of MP3, it deals with processing the sound, applying various compression methods to reduce the size necessary for its storage, and conversely, to reconstruct the sound from the encoded information. The codecs can be found in the form of an executable file, a DLL, or less frequently, incorporated into the code of another program. The DLL format allows the same codec to be easily used by different programs, while the executable format is usually more flexible in terms of configuration, although it is more complex to use.

WHAT DOES “PSYCHOCAUSTIC COMPRESSION” MEAN?

This very complicated word refers to the main compression technique that MP3 uses (although it is not the only one), which simply consists of eliminating the information (sound, in this case) that, in theory, is not able to perceive the ear human. I say “in theory” because, depending on the compression ratio that is applied, that loss may be more or less noticeable, hence some files do not sound as good as would be desired. The different codec also do not use psychoacoustic principles in the same way, so the quality they achieve will not be the same.

DOES THE SOURCE ORIGIN INFLUENCE THE MP3 QUALITY?

Evidently. The ideal is to start from an original CD. Analog sources, such as vinyl records or tapes, have lower quality in themselves, no matter how much we “digitize” or “improve” them with some programs. Recorded CDs may contain errors (which will end up being noises when played), and we usually do not know from which source they have been recorded (perhaps from previously encoded MP3 files). Re-encoding an already compressed music file, in the same or another format, is also a mistake, since quality is always lost.

DO THE PROGRAMS WE USE TO EXTRACT AND CODIFY THE QUALITY OF MP3?

It also seems obvious, so much so that this point should not be here. But many people do not take it into account, without knowing the reasons very well.

DOES THE QUALITY OF PLAYERS INCLUDE IN THE QUALITY OF MP3?

To hear it, you already know the answer, don’t you? J. To have it stored on the hard drive or on a CD, nope. Jokes aside, and in theory, all decoders should get the same sound from an MP3 file. But unfortunately this is not the case, usually because they do not strictly conform to the MP3 standard. You can find the best explanations on this topic here.

DOES THE QUALITY OF THE SOUND CARD AND SPEAKERS INCLUDE IN THE QUALITY OF THE MP3?

Well, I think you already know where the shots are going, we will not continue along this line. But nobody says “is that MP3 does not sound good” when it has a Sound Blaster 16 (what times those!) And some 800 W TurboPowerSound speakers that cost € 18 uros.

WHAT IS BITRATE?

It is the number of bits that are used to encode a second of sound, if we talk about MP3. It is measured in Kbps (kilobits per second).

As there is often confusion, we will give an example. If we have a 4-minute MP3 encoded at 128 Kbps:

-One second occupies: 128 Kbits x (1 Byte / 8 bits) = 16 KBytes.

-The complete song: 16 KBytes / second x (4 minutes x 60 seconds / 1 minute) = 3840 KBytes = 3.75 MBytes.

The formulas could be more correct, but this is not a mathematical thesis and I think they are enough to understand us.

WHAT DOES CBR, VBR and ABR MEANS, AND WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

They are different coding methods. CBR means “Constant BitRate”, VBR “Variable BitRate” and ABR “Average BitRate”. It is easy to deduce that if CBR is used, the bitrate remains fixed, and if VBR is used, the bitrate changes. ABR can be considered a variant of VBR in which the objective is to achieve a certain final size, since we can set the average bitrate to be used (although it will never be as accurate as CBR).

The great advantage of VBR is that it uses more bits when the fragment to be encoded is more complex, and less when there are silences or it is simpler, so that we will achieve the highest quality using the minimum possible space. If the final size is not the deciding factor, it is the most recommended option.

WHAT IS THE BEST MP3 CODEC TO COMPRESS MUSIC? WHAT IS YOUR BEST CONFIGURATION?

The first question is easy to answer: LAME. In many different tests, done independently and with means that probably none of us will ever have, LAME is considered again and again as the best codec. And since there is no commercial motivation, since it is free distribution software, we can give full validity to these tests. The Fraunhofer codec and some of its “versions” could be valid in certain circumstances, but … do we need to use a commercial or pirate codec with a free and legal substitute? I think not (and from here, what each one does, is his own thing). For me, codec MP3 = LAME.

The second question is much harder to answer. There is no configuration that is perfect for everything (because if not, the modifiable options would be left over and everything would be much easier) J. But there are some recommended options in general, which we can establish with the assurance that the result will be of good quality. I have to admit that I barely change them, but as in this case (and in many others) there are no absolute truths, everyone has to try until they establish the one that best suits their preferences (or their ears).

The first thing that we must be clear about is that, in an MP3 file, size and quality are conflicting terms. We have to look for a practical middle ground. I put that term between 128 and 192 Kbps (some will say it is too low … I will try to justify my opinion). In principle, the purists established the CD quality at 256 kbps CBR. That is, using that bitrate, the sound of the CD and that of the MP3 file were absolutely indistinguishable. But, right now, LAME is already very developed. It uses the most advanced techniques, and manages to do perfectly things that other codecs are not able to solve properly (VBR, Joint-Stereo), which allows you to improve the quality and reduce the size.

In r3mix.net, after the corresponding tests, they have established an “ideal” configuration based on quality criteria. This configuration is so accepted, that in the latest versions of CDex, and other programs, it is already included as one of the preset configurations. But be careful: this does not mean that this is the only option, nor that it will always achieve the highest possible quality. Another thing is that using this option our ear can differentiate the results of the original audio CD, and this is where the “trick” of MP3 compression is.

After having used this configuration, I have observed that, although there are important variations, the average of the files is about 170-175 kbps, and that they rarely go beyond those 192 Kbps that I mentioned before, so I consider that overcoming that bitrate does not it will hardly improve the quality, but it will significantly increase the size. Although I repeat, there will always be someone to whom this bitrate seems insufficient, and will use even 320 Kbps, which is the maximum supported by LAME.

The second part is to take into account the equipment we have. If the MP3s are not going to sound through a card, an amplifier and very good quality speakers, the bitrate can be adjusted a little more without practically noticing variation in quality. The average 160 Kbps seems like a very reasonable amount to me, and that’s how I usually code my CDs. And I can say that they don’t sound bad at all. If someone is able to do a “blind” test and differentiate between several files encoded (correctly) at 160 and 192 Kbps, you really have to congratulate him on his ear.

Finally, if we consider size as a decisive factor, we could go down to 128 Kbps, but considering that the quality may already be too compromised. Summarizing:

Configuration that seems more appropriate for practical purposes, and looking for a high quality (about 192 Kbps):

-Joint-Stereo -> Get reduce the final size without losing quality. Sometimes, where there is a lot of variation between channels and with high bitrates, it could be configured as Stereo.

-VBR MTRH Quality 1 or R3Mix Preset -> Change the bitrrate according to the needs of each moment, improving the quality without increasing the size with respect to CBR (normally).

-Bitrate minimum 64 Kbps -> To compress to the maximum silences and very simple fragments.

-Bitrate maximum 256 Kbps -> So you have room to improve the quality in complicated fragments.

Does the birate of an mp3 affect the quality or is it just an impression?

Since the mp3 appeared, I always understood that it is a lower format than the CD quality, no matter how much bit rate it contains. When it comes to mixing and producing my personal recordings, I have used wave support and when converting it to mp3 it is impossible not to distinguish the differences: at least, the reduction of bass and treble is very noticeable. The dishes of the drums or the bass are very opaque and hidden, sometimes they even disappear. But in these assessments I think that perhaps my subconscious has betrayed me in some cases.

First of all I will explain some basic things about mp3 and its bitrate (or bit rate). Compressing sound means loss of quality, so you have to pay attention to how much information is transmitted per unit of time: the most used encodings for mp3 are 64, 128, 192 and 320 kbps (kilobits per second). Thus, a song of 64 will occupy less space than one of 128 and so on. Nor should we forget the CBR, constant bitrate, and the VBR, variable bitrate. The latter is more advisable when compressing different parts of a recording with various bitrates.

Well, there has always been controversy and confrontation between those who prefer to save space and opt for the musical amount, claiming that the quality differences of the mp3 are almost imperceptible to our ears, and those who bet on the qualitative details of the music, preferring heavier files and with higher bitrates, emphasizing the multiple peculiarities that our auditory system loses to lower quality media. I have been a supporter of the second group, although current opinions about it make me doubt my choice.

I recently informed myself about a study conducted by programmer Jeff Atwood through his blog, in which he tried to discover if normal people, fond of music (but without becoming music experts) notice the differences between mp3 formats . More than 3,500 people participated in the study, who had to listen to 5 different audio files (with bitrates between 128 and 320 Kbps and one without compression) and vote from 1 to 5 depending on the quality they had received. Naturally, users were unaware of the characteristics of the media so as not to influence their objectivity. The results were as follows: the 128 Kbps CBR mp3 was undoubtedly considered the worst; the one of 160 Kbps VBR would be the one of better quality, surpassing even the one of 320 CBR (the variable bit rate would be higher than the fixed one). This is very curious since it is assumed that an original CD would house a quality between 192 and 256 Kbps. According to the study cited, the mp3 of 160 would have more quality than the compact, which seems absurd, so I tend to think that the Most people, after 160, do not distinguish some sounds from others, also taking into account that the subconscious can deceive us and make us imagine what it is not.

In short, the best way to compress, saving on storage and with optimal sound, would be thanks to the 192 Kbps VBR bitrate. From there, onwards, it is very difficult to appreciate nuances and alterations.

We must also consider something logical: if we recompress a file of 128 and convert it to 192 Kbps, improvements will not be achieved and we will lose space. If we do the opposite, go from 192 to 128 Kbps, we will reduce the quality somewhat but reduce the weight of the file.

I think this experiment obviates interesting data such as knowing the player or equipment from which the music was broadcast (computer, speakers, headphones, hi-fi equipment, etc.), listening time (our senses do not lend the same attention for 5 minutes than during 20) or musical style (electronic, rock, classical, etc.), since all these factors can greatly influence the final result.

Even, and this is proven: the volume (if the file is normalized) and the dynamics (a normalization like the one that only Mp4Gain does) manage to make one perceive the music as with higher quality.