ATRAC3plus @ 64kbps - what's comparable in MP3/AAC?

[Estlin]

To complement my NW-HD1, I will probably buy a non-Sony player. I think that the sound quality of Atrac3Pplus at 64kbps is excellent for me, so was wondering what is a comparable quality in the MP3 and AAC formats. For the latter, I understand that it's 192, but what about AAC? Can CDs be ripped into AAC at 64kbps without sounding much different from Atrac3plus at the same bitrate?

Thanks

[mmp64]

Atrac3+ 64 (HiLP) is by no means close to the quality of a well-encoded MP3 at 192k. Really, I would compare Atrac3+ 64 to a very poorly encoded 128k MP3 at best. Can't speak to AAC. Sorry.

BTW - I have a NW-HD1. Beautiful device, with awesome sound and battery life. Unfortunately, the little navigation button broke, so it doesn't stay on consistently.

Edited September 27, 2007 by mmp64

[Trondis]

To complement my NW-HD1, I will probably buy a non-Sony player. I think that the sound quality of Atrac3Pplus at 64kbps is excellent for me, so was wondering what is a comparable quality in the MP3 and AAC formats. For the latter, I understand that it's 192, but what about AAC? Can CDs be ripped into AAC at 64kbps without sounding much different from Atrac3plus at the same bitrate?

Thanks

Hi!

I found some listening tests. Check these: http://www.soundexpert.info/

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....p;hl=atrac3plus

But also check this: http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....p;hl=atrac3plus

But, don't try to defend Atrac against other formats on Hydrogenaudio. I just did that. And guess what? The moderator threw me out! Check this thread (the end of it)

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....p;hl=atrac3plus

[juli_]

But, don't try to defend Atrac against other formats on Hydrogenaudio. I just did that. And guess what? The moderator threw me out! Check this thread (the end of it)

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....p;hl=atrac3plus

You're kidding! You got thrown out?

[Trondis]

You're kidding! You got thrown out?

No, I am not kidding. Just read the thread. They get pretty upset if Atrac is mentioned.

To sum up: According to Hydrogenaudios recent test of 64kbs codecs (Atrac wasn't considered), HE-AAC is the best sounding codec. But in real life the support for this codec on portable players is almost absent today. It might change, of course. So I argued that even if AAC might sound slightly better than Atrac at this bitrate on a desktop computer, if you combine it with an existing player, you would probably end up with iPods against Sonys. And then Sony and Atrac would win. I don't know if I am right, it is just my opinion based on what I know. This opinion upset the moderator so much that he suspended my account there.

[juli_]

No, I am not kidding. Just read the thread. They get pretty upset if Atrac is mentioned.

To sum up: According to Hydrogenaudios recent test of 64kbs codecs (Atrac wasn't considered), HE-AAC is the best sounding codec. But in real life the support for this codec on portable players is almost absent today. It might change, of course. So I argued that even if AAC might sound slightly better than Atrac at this bitrate on a desktop computer, if you combine it with an existing player, you would probably end up with iPods against Sonys. And then Sony and Atrac would win. I don't know if I am right, it is just my opinion based on what I know. This opinion upset the moderator so much that he suspended my account there.

Crazy, I thought the whole point of discussion forums such as these, was to discuss! People shouldn't get thrown off just because they offer different opinions to other people (namely the moderator it seems). Maybe he/she had a bad experience with SS and slammed it for no good reason