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Encoding MP3 vs WMA

D

Decibel

2[H]4U
Joined
Nov 10, 2000
Messages
3,840
I'm looking for the best quality in the smallest size possible. Should I go through and rerip all of my CDs to WMA? Or leave them as 192k mp3s?

I was recently given a Rio Carbon, yes it is in fact VERY sexy, and want to cram as much music onto it as possible. It's only 5 gigs compared to the 30 that my old Creative has.

If I should rerip what apps and settings are doable? Would I use WMP (egad!) to rip? What sounds comparable? IE 64k vs 128k etc. I'd love to go uber, but it is only 5 gigs...

Heh... I guess the first step should be to take it out of the package.. :p

-dB
 
If I remember correctly, high quality WMA files are smaller than the same quality mp3 files. Windows Media Player 10 would be the best WMA encoder.
 
Ludic said:
If I remember correctly, high quality WMA files are smaller than the same quality mp3 files. Windows Media Player 10 would be the best WMA encoder.
Click to expand...
i've encoded a cd in wma lossless format once and i get pops in my songs have any idea what i did wrong or is it my hardware that couldnt handle the encoding?
btw i have the nforce 3 onboard sound card i think its a realtek somethin
 
stunna said:
i've encoded a cd in wma lossless format once and i get pops in my songs have any idea what i did wrong or is it my hardware that couldnt handle the encoding?
btw i have the nforce 3 onboard sound card i think its a realtek somethin
Click to expand...
It sounds more like a problem with ripping than encoding. Try using EAC to rip the cd using secure mode.
 
Guess I should download WMP and start playing.

(Now where did I see those Ety's for mobile audio?)

-dB
 
Decibel said:
I'm looking for the best quality in the smallest size possible.

...

I was recently given a Rio Carbon, yes it is in fact VERY sexy, and want to cram as much music onto it as possible.
Click to expand...

The best quality/space codec currently out there is Ogg Vorbis. If you can, don't unwrap the Carbon, sell it and buy a Rio Karma. It has a 20 GB HD, is just about as small, and supports Ogg.

Don't use WMA. It's evil.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1097027&CatId=1699

Refurb Karma for $199. I'd recommend the 2 year extended warranty for ~$40 more. I got my wife's Karma from there, and she loves it.
 
I've played with the Karmas. They're MUCH bigger than the Carbons, but thanks for the suggestion. Alas I have already broken through the bomb proof packaging. Took some work, a drill press and a cutting torch, but I finally got it out...

-dB
 
siliconnerd said:
It sounds more like a problem with ripping than encoding. Try using EAC to rip the cd using secure mode.
Click to expand...
oh ok so windows media player isnt the best way to rip cds
thanks
 
EAC or CDex is the way to go for ripping and, of course, don't forget the Lame encoder.
i haven't tested this myself but i've read comparisons that stated that a 128bit mp3 sounds significantly better than 128bit wma. as for lossless audio compression, they aren't very economic on space usage. stick with mp3 or go with ogg vorbis as someone above suggested.
 
MP3 is just bad. I ripped Carmina Burana in 256kbps and the quality was still outright poor. WMA is not really the best alternative, though... Ogg Vorbis is the best, and failing that, AAC.

Lame is quite good, too.
 
I highly recommend WMA vs. MP3. I used ot use MP3 because of the low file sizes with high quality, but then accidently discovered that a WMA at high quality sounds the same as an MP3 at high quality yet has considerably lower file sizes. One of my songs at 96kb/s was 4MB I think, and in WMA format it was 2.5MB. MUCH lower indeed! It allowed me to store much more music on my harddrive, and fit more on CD. It's supported by a computer's media player (Windows Media Player, Winamp, ect...) and can be played on MP3 Player, and I beleive on a vehicle's s\audio system too!

Both WMA and MP3 are good choices, but I'm a WMA person...
 
WMA at the same bitrate is the same exact size as MP3 at the sambe bitrate, though WMA probably has higher quality at the same bitrate. AAC or Ogg Vorbis has better still, though.
 
zachary80 said:
You sir are amazing
Click to expand...

LOL

I haven't used WMA for years, but back then, the cds I ripped and encoded into that format had a very tinny sound, most likely because I was using WMP to rip.

Since going to EAC, I've pretty much only used LAME, Vorbis, and FLAC. For my mobile player, I use mainly LAME with alt-preset standard command line argument (VBR files), and Vorbis with -q6 or something (192 kbps? don't remember).
 
I personally prefer --alt-preset extreme

Why don't you just try them all out? It does not take very long at all :confused:
 
WMA is evil. MP3 forever!! a 192kbps mp3 sounds fine...

and if you have a little carbon, why not just mix nad match music--you wanna play with a little techno on monday and then a little classical on tuesday, you can swap the data in or out...I don't see the big deal.
 
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