# Best audio format/bit rate



## Guitar King (Sep 24, 2007)

now, I don't want this to turn into a huge Flacc vs OGG vs AAC, thing, so here is what want.

I purchased a set of professional studio monitors and to my surprise, I can hear things I never heard before in my music.
This is bad, because I have learned that when you have really good speakers 128kbs AAC is no longer good enough.

I want my music to sound good.
However, I only have a 4 gig Nano, so if I go crazy with files sizes I will not be able to put all 700 songs on there. Although I do not need anything higher then 128 for my ipod since the apple earbuds suck.

ideas?
thanks


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## CanadaRAM (Jul 24, 2005)

Do you have the original CDs? Unless you can re-rip the songs from original uncompressed source, it's pointless to change the bitrate on the 128-kbits AAC files.


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

Given that you can't play FLAC or OGG on an iPod, AAC is probably your best bet. I currently encode media at 320Kbps AAC, sounds great on my E4s.


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## Guitar King (Sep 24, 2007)

Yes I have the cd's (except for about 3 iTunes albums). 

Yeah you can go crazy with codecs and have all this lossless stuff, but I heard that at that rate there are some sounds the human ear cannot hear. I don't want to "waste" HDD space with things so good I cannot hear them. I wish I knew at what rate that occurs.

Any other idea?


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## keebler27 (Jan 5, 2007)

Guitar King said:


> now, I don't want this to turn into a huge Flacc vs OGG vs AAC, thing, so here is what want.
> 
> I purchased a set of professional studio monitors and to my surprise, I can hear things I never heard before in my music.
> This is bad, because I have learned that when you have really good speakers 128kbs AAC is no longer good enough.
> ...


well, here are a few ?'s:

1. do you listen to your music through your computer to these new speakers or through your nano to the speakers?
I ask because if you go through the computer, then re-rip at apple lossless to try that first. rip the same CD at 320 AAC and see if you notice a difference. the file formats will be much larger, but nothing a larger internal HD or an external can't handle.

If the nano is the same as my 1st gen shuffle, there is an option to automatically downgrade a song to 128 AAC (or maybe you can determine the level?) when you import it from itunes.

This would solve 2 things:
1. give you the best sound through your computer or stereo (if direct from computer)
2. give you good enough sound for your nano without draining your nano space

btw, if you use the nano for your stereo or computer, then you're either screwed for file format or you'll need to be very, very selective in what you put on the nano

hope that helps.
cheers,
keebler


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## cdnbacon (Feb 26, 2001)

Obviously the higher the bit rate the better, I'd go no less than 320kbs AAC! I personally prefer uncompressed wav files, but being an audio fanatic, I guess I'm picky! Maybe a bigger capacity iPod is on your Christmas wish list! :love2:


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## xtal (Jul 9, 2006)

If you start to get really serious about it, you'll be using nothing but Apple Lossless, line outs from your iPod and computer to outboard DACs and amps, and continually upgrading speakers and headphones.

But you'll be in audio bliss.


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## Guitar King (Sep 24, 2007)

keebler27 said:


> well, here are a few ?'s:
> 
> 1. do you listen to your music through your computer to these new speakers or through your nano to the speakers?
> I ask because if you go through the computer, then re-rip at apple lossless to try that first. rip the same CD at 320 AAC and see if you notice a difference. the file formats will be much larger, but nothing a larger internal HD or an external can't handle.
> ...


Thanks man. That helps alot. 
yes I play music through my computer and I use my 2nd gen nano as a wireless FM transmitter for my car. Thats all.

so I re-ripped one cd as a test........and there is VERY little difference from 328 AAC to AIFF.

I don't think its worth the extra hdd space, if its that minimal. 
The biggest difference is in symbols and things like that.


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