MP3 Encoding Help

[Matt]

I wasnt really sure where to post this, but I thought this would be the most relevent section.

This one is for all you audiophiles out there .

Here is my scenario:

I have a collection of MP3's from differnt sources, that all have differnt bit rates some constant and some variable. I want to transfer these MP3's onto my NW-HD3 but want them all at the same bit rate be that variable or constant. From what I have gathered variable bit rates seem to be the best option as they offer excellent sound quailty (better than constant) but also have good file sizes. Now I like my music to be good quality but I also dont my whole MP3 player being filled up too quickly either. I am just wondering what is the best bit rate to use to encode my MP3's into so they are all the same and are high quality? I was going to use 192kbps to 320kbps VBR, does this sound like a good option? and would it be please possible to tell me the average file size for a track encoded this way?

Thanks alot,

Matt

[Guest Stuge]

Hi,

I will be better if you use all your Songs in 192kpbs vbr.Remember Atrac is more battery efficient than Mp3 .So i will not advice you to use Mp3@320kpbs,As it will eat a lot of battery & you will need to charge the battery again in a short time .

Avg fils size for Four Min song in Mp3@192kpbs is 5.78mb.

I `m not sure about Mp3@320kpbs .

[goodegg]

Kbps=Kbit per second, which means that how many bits be used to keep sound.

So you can caculate the file size by this equation:

Size(Kbyte)=Kbps * Seconds / 8

Size(Mbyte)=Kbps * Seconds /8 /1024

[ajitp]

if you're going to end up converting a lot of your music, you might as well transcode everything to ATRAC as you'll get more music per GB and you'll use your battery more efficiently.

[Matt]

Hmmm I did have everything at Atrac 192kb but I found that MP3 sounded better to me (tested on my brother aswell ), so I took everything off and but everything on in MP3, but everything was all differnt bit rates so this is the situation I am in now:

I can either trasnfer everything in Artrac (Maybe go for a higher bit rate, any of you guys recommend a good one?)

or

Choose MP3 VBR 192kb, when you say 192kb do you mean start VBR at 192kb and finish 320kb? or 192kb to 192kb? wouldnt that just be constant?

Sorry if this is a messy post, I am in a rush, thanks for your replys so far!

Thanks,

Matt

[pata2001]

Why would you want to transcode your MP3s? Transcoding only means LOWERING the quality further. You will NOT get better quality by transcoding lower bitrate MP3 to 320kbps. The HD3 handles MP3s just fine, CBR and VBR, so I don't see the reason of transcoding.

If you really have to transcode, then just like everybody said, might as well transcode to Atrac. MP3 is a bad codec for transcoding. There was a comparison in hydrogenaudio forum that reveals trascoding MP3 to MP3 with other codecs, and MP3 to MP3 (even using Lame) gives the worst result.

[Matt]

Thanks for the reply pata2001 I never new that .

What is the difference in quailty like between MP3 and Atrac? I said that I thought Atrac was worse but while listening to my MP3's today wasnt sure if they it "really" was better as I dont think they sounded any better than when I encoded with atrac, infact I think they may have sounded worse maybe it was just at the moment of time though, I dunno.

If I am going to transfer to Atrac again would it be possible to recommend the "best" bit rate for both sound and sound? For example is Atrac file encoded in 256k alot better than 192kb?

Would would you guys recommend?

Thanks for everyones reply,

Matt

[doerthe]

if you're going to end up converting a lot of your music, you might as well transcode everything to ATRAC as you'll get more music per GB and you'll use your battery more efficiently.

You sure won't want to do that!!!!

After Sony's big "new Walkman" lie, who knows how long we will still use that word Atrac?

[Guest Stuge]

Atrac@ 48kpbs or 64kpbs is Much Better than Mp3 48kpbs & 64kpbs but at higher Bit rates there is not much difference that you can tell between both the codecs(MP3 _& Atrac) .As Pata2001 has already said don`t convert your Mp3 files to Atrac because during conversion from Mp3 to atrac sound quality detoriates .

For example is Atrac file encoded in 256k alot better than 192kb?

Remember Higher is the bitrate ,Better is the sound quality .

[Matt]

If you really have to transcode, then just like everybody said, might as well transcode to Atrac. MP3 is a bad codec for transcoding. There was a comparison in hydrogenaudio forum that reveals trascoding MP3 to MP3 with other codecs, and MP3 to MP3 (even using Lame) gives the worst result.

Was he not trying to say that quality doesnt detoriate when converting to Atrac but does when converting MP3 to MP3?