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origdav
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
 
2006-01-16, 18:04

Hey guys!

I've spent quite a while looking into how I'm going to encode all my CDs and feel AAC 192kbps is the best choice for me.

I'm going to use iTunes (6.02) - I know EAC is better but don't care about perfect rips.

My questions are,

1. Is AAC naturally VBR?

2. Should I tick "Use Variable Bit Rate Encoding (VBR)" - Will it give better quality?

3. I see .m4a in windows explorer, I assume this is AAC?
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Dave
Ninja Editor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
 
2006-01-16, 18:16

Quote:
Originally Posted by origdav
Hey guys!

I've spent quite a while looking into how I'm going to encode all my CDs and feel AAC 192kbps is the best choice for me.

I'm going to use iTunes (6.02) - I know EAC is better but don't care about perfect rips.

My questions are,

1. Is AAC naturally VBR?

2. Should I tick "Use Variable Bit Rate Encoding (VBR)" - Will it give better quality?

3. I see .m4a in windows explorer, I assume this is AAC?
1) I don't know.
2) No, it just makes the file smaller.
3) As far as I know, yes.
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origdav
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
 
2006-01-16, 18:20

2. At 128, 160 and 192 its made it bigger every time, not by much mind.
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Dave
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
 
2006-01-16, 18:41

Quote:
Originally Posted by origdav
2. At 128, 160 and 192 its made it bigger every time, not by much mind.
I'm confused... are you saying that if you encode the same file at the same bit rate twice -- one with VBR and one without -- that the VBR one is bigger? I thought the point of VBR was to save space.

When I was a kid, people who did wrong were punished, restricted, and forbidden. Now, when someone does wrong, all of the rest of us are punished, restricted, and forbidden... and the one who did the wrong is counselled and "understood" and fed ice cream.
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Blue Light Bandit
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Join Date: May 2004
 
2006-01-16, 18:47

No, the point of VBR is to get a higher-quality resulting file. The bitrate you provide alongside the VBR option is roughly the average target bitrate. That's why the files are similar in size but sometimes VBR is slightly larger.

At least, that's how Apple's implementation works.
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Dave
Ninja Editor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
 
2006-01-16, 18:48

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Light Bandit
No, the point of VBR is to get a higher-quality resulting file. The bitrate you provide alongside the VBR option is roughly the average target bitrate. That's why the files are similar in size but sometimes VBR is slightly larger.

At least, that's how Apple's implementation works.
Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh... I get it now
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origdav
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
 
2006-01-17, 05:44

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Light Bandit
No, the point of VBR is to get a higher-quality resulting file.

So before I go aheard has anyone any input on my chosen settings of,

192kbps AAC VBR?

Should I leave Sample Rate to be Auto or choose 41.1 or 41.8kHz. What is the Auto?

Similar with Channels, leave it on Auto or choose Mono or Stereo. What is the Auto?
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chucker
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: near Bremen, Germany
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2006-01-17, 05:51

Quote:
Originally Posted by origdav
So before I go aheard has anyone any input on my chosen settings of,

192kbps AAC VBR?
Unless you have a very expensive setup, you won't hear a difference between that and your uncompressed audio, so yes, that's a very good choice.

Quote:
Should I leave Sample Rate to be Auto or choose 41.1 or 41.8kHz. What is the Auto?

Similar with Channels, leave it on Auto or choose Mono or Stereo. What is the Auto?
Auto, presumably, is just the settings from the original file. It is generally unwise to change the sample rate: you will usually lose quality.
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origdav
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
 
2006-01-17, 06:06

Thanks Chucker, that gives me more confidence that I won't be re-ripping in months to come.

My setup? £30 Logitech X-230s,

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=74744

and I couldn't be more happier with them. Who says only expensive equipment sounds good - maybe it's my untrained ears!
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