# What kind of MP3 do you use?



## Jay211 (Jan 26, 2013)

I have a 100% actiuve Zapco system with all high end JL speakers.
NBuff said, it kicks ass.

Question is, im from the pro audio world, studio editors, pron Foley arrests, film editors. They all use FLAC in the car.

Im MOSTLY 256K bit with some 356k bit MP3.

Going to sound good?


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## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

umm, what?


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## Spyke (Apr 20, 2012)

He's asking if 320kish mp3s will sound as good as flac.

Imo, it's too close to tell. I listen to mp3's mainly with flac mixed in. Honestly, I prob couldn't tell the difference between 320k and flac versions of the same song. I'm sure there are differences if you really analyzed it, but in a car with road noise I wouldn't worry about it.


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## Jay211 (Jan 26, 2013)

SkizeR I have a simular zapco DC system, just dying to tune in the EQ with my lappy.


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## Spyke (Apr 20, 2012)

That's not his "current" system.


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## EliteEmerz (Feb 8, 2013)

I never knew there was a big difference. Guess it's time to get educated.


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## Jay211 (Jan 26, 2013)

so 256k bit is ok? I have a convertible so there is tons of wind noise any way.


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## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Spyke said:


> That's not his "current" system.


close to it though.. all i need is to switch my Zapco Reference 1000.4, for a DC Ref. 1000.4 or 2 DC 500.1, and a p99.. 


oh and a new car. i could go for one of those too


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## Spyke (Apr 20, 2012)

Jay211 said:


> so 256k bit is ok? I have a convertible so there is tons of wind noise any way.


Yup, imo.

Edit: I usually stay at 320k.


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## Spyke (Apr 20, 2012)

SkizeR said:


> close to it though.. all i need is to switch my Zapco Reference 1000.4, for a DC Ref. 1000.4 or 2 DC 500.1, and a p99..
> 
> 
> *oh and a new car. i could go for one of those too *


That's what I was getting at.


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## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Spyke said:


> That's what I was getting at.


considering my car is a POS and i beat the piss out of it, i was smart enough to not let myself put half my equipment in it. thats why there will be no build until i get a new car


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## EliteEmerz (Feb 8, 2013)

SkizeR said:


> considering my car is a POS and i beat the piss out of it, i was smart enough to not let myself put half my equipment in it. thats why there will be no build until i get a new car


I don't bother putting a system in my Taurus for the same reason. Especially when the dash kit costs more than I'm willing to spend on the head unit alone

Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk 2


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## cyrusthevirus23 (Feb 16, 2013)

ive always stuck with 192k


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## Earzbleed (Feb 10, 2013)

I'll only use .wav files in the car now. When I got my new system, I could hear little things missing from m3's that are present in .wav or .flac. The main thing I noticed is, sometimes the effects on the guitars are missing or sound "off".
The bass also seems to have more presence/clarity with .wav compared to mp3. I couldn't tell the difference with my last stereo but when you can turn your music up very loud and it's still clear, there are differences to be heard.


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## tintbox (Oct 25, 2008)

Earzbleed said:


> I'll only use .wav files in the car now. When I got my new system, I could hear little things missing from m3's that are present in .wav or .flac. The main thing I noticed is, sometimes the effects on the guitars are missing or sound "off".
> The bass also seems to have more presence/clarity with .wav compared to mp3. I couldn't tell the difference with my last stereo but when you can turn your music up very loud and it's still clear, there are differences to be heard.


Well done.


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## Hi-FiDelity (Jan 22, 2013)

I gave up on mp3's for actual dedicated listening quite a few years back. With that said If I'm listening to music while ridding my bike or at work I still use mp3 due to the fact that I can fit more 320kbs mp3's on my phone than I can FLAC files. Though as far as the whole "whats the lowest sample rate you should use" I have to say if you have to use mp3 use 320kbs though honestly you should have 100% lossless wav or FLAC files as backup that you convert from.


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## minbari (Mar 3, 2011)

I have mostly 320k VBR, some 256k. when I first got my first mp3 player, some 10 years ago (yikes) I used 128k and 192k, so I still have some leftovers from that, but I have been re-ripping the albums I like into 320k.


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## Hi-FiDelity (Jan 22, 2013)

minbari said:


> ...when I first got my first mp3 player, some 10 years ago (yikes) I used 128k and 192k,...


128Kbs was for audio snobs back then . I remembered waiting 1-2 days to download a 1-3 mb 64-100kbs file back in the dial-up days off of a P2P...how I don't miss those days. 

Though if you're going to go with 320kbs mp3's go with constant bit rate as apposed to variable.


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## minbari (Mar 3, 2011)

lol, even 10 years ago I had DSL, was only 1.5Mbps, but it worked ok, lol.

it saves a little bit of room on VBR, even at 320k. I still cant hear the difference. *shrugs*


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## Hi-FiDelity (Jan 22, 2013)

minbari said:


> lol, even 10 years ago I had DSL, was only 1.5Mbps, but it worked ok, lol.


Lucky you. I remember being up all night and downloading 1 or 2 songs and seeing 2 or 3 girls. 



minbari said:


> it saves a little bit of room on VBR, even at 320k. I still cant hear the difference. *shrugs*


Once high capacity dives became cheap I pretty much stopped caring about saving space with mp3 in regards to my computer. Though whatever works man.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

OR buy a 5.5 gen ipod 60-80GB (extended rear cup) then mod it for 250 Gig, put rockbox on it, use FLAC, and everything else under the sun, done.


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## edzyy (Aug 18, 2011)

I use 244 v0

Can't hear the difference between FLAC and v0


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## arrogantt (May 26, 2007)

320k constant with error correction has been great for me. takes up a bit more space, but worth it.


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