Encoders 105 kbit/s

If you´d like some other audio codecs to be added to this section, please drop us a line with your proposal.

wma 9.1 pro VBR@108.8 6.02 (≈1%)     mp3PRO VBR@104.9 5.18 (≈1%)     AAC VBR@103.6 (Nero 5.5) 4.22 (≈1%)     ogg VBR@103.1 (OggEnc 1.0) 3.91 (≈2%)     ra 8 CBR@109.0 with ATRAC3 3.55 (≈5%)     ATRAC3 CBR@104.9 3.07 (≈6%)

AAC VBR@103.6 (Nero 5.5) - MPEG-4 AAC VBR Low Complexity, 103.6 kbit/s FBR CODER: Ahead MPEG-4 AAC Encoder Plugin for Ahead Nero Burning Rom 5.5.10.35 - Ahead audio RAW convertor (resampling plugin) - SINC, Quality 100 - Encoder quality - High - AAC Profile - Low Complexity - Enable PNS - No - preset - STREAMING - 44100 Hz Stereo DECODER: Ahead MPEG-4 AAC Decoder Plugin for Ahead Nero Burning Rom 5.5.10.35 ATRAC3 CBR@104.9 (Sony MD), 104.9 kbit/s FBR CODER: SonicStage 1.5.03.08230 - 44100 Hz Stereo DECODER: SonicStage 1.5.03.08230 - digital capture through Total Recorder 4.1a mp3PRO VBR@104.9 - mp3PRO VBR by Fraunhofer IIS & Coding Technologies, 104.9 kbit/s FBR CODER: mp3PRO Encoder Plugin for Ahead Nero Burning Rom 5.5.10.0 - Encoding Quality - Highest - Allow intensity stereo coding - yes - Allow downmix - yes - Padding - ISO - preset - Highest - 44100 Hz Stereo DECODER: THOMSON mp3PRO Audio Player Demo 1.1.0 (Build 0) ogg VBR@103.1 (OggEnc 1.0) - OggVorbis, 103.1 kbit/s FBR CODER: OggEnc v1.0 - usage: oggenc -q 3 test.wav - 44100 Hz Stereo DECODER: OggDec 1.0 from OggVorbis package. - usage: oggdec test.ogg ra 8 CBR@109.0 with ATRAC3 - RealAudio 8, 109.0 kbit/s FBR CODER: RealJukebox 2 build 1.0.2.340 - input from Audio CD - 44100 Hz Stereo DECODER: RealJukebox 2 build 1.0.2.340 - output to Audio CD wma 9.1 pro VBR@108.8 - Windows Media Audio 9.1 Professional VBR, 108.8 kbit/s FBR ENCODER: MS Windows Media Encoder 9.00.00.2980 - Mode: Quality VBR - Audio format: VBR Quality 50, 44 kHz, 2 channel 24 bit VBR DECODER: MS Windows Media Encoder 9.00.00.2980

How to read the ratings

The ratings are updated live as new participants add their grades to the system. Rating bar consists of the following elements:

- Device or technology being tested.

- Value of actual perceived audio quality (rating) which is also indicated by a bar length . Anchor points could be interpreted as follows:

In most cases using this device/technology:

1.0 – you will hear heavily distorted sound
2.0 – you will hear unpleasant sound artifacts
3.0 – you will hear distinctly audible but tolerable sound artifacts
4.0 – you will hear faintly discernible sound artifacts
5.0 – you will not hear any sound artifacts
above 5.0 – all sound artifacts will be beyond threshold of human perception with corresponding perception margin

and - The high and the low of a rating. As each device is tested under nine different sound items, there are nine different local ratings for a device. In fact, the actual rating is an average of those nine local ratings. The highest and the lowest ones are indicated. Big gap between them means that sound quality of device/technology is not consistent enough. It will vary with type of sound material: music of different genres and complexity, voice with or without music, noisy/clear recordings etc. The lowest local rating is more important in this sense as it indicates worst case behavior of tested device.

- Reliability of rating. It is also indicated by the color of bar - more reliable ratings have less percentage values and darker bars. Reliability depends on number of grades returned by participants. In most cases 5% or less is OK.

- Ruler for convenient measuring of highs and lows.