keeping audio clear together

Encoders 32 kbit/s

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

 

eAAC+ VBR@31.0 (NeroRef 1330)
     
2.77 (≈100%)

 

 

mp3PRO CBR@32.0
     
2.71 (≈5%)

 

 

wma 9 CBR@33.7
     
2.30 (≈1%)

 

 

ogg VBR@35.7 (OggEnc 1.0)
     
2.28 (≈1%)

 

 

AAC CBR@32.1 (Nero 5.5)
     
2.16 (≈6%)

 

 

AAC+ CBR@32.9 (Nero 6.0)
     
2.08 (≈2%)

 

 

wma 8 CBR@32.6
     
2.08 (≈2%)

 

 

AAC CBR@32.0 (PsyTEL(R) 2.15)
     
2.03 (≈7%)

 

 

mp3 CBR@32.0 (Lame 3.91)
     
1.96 (≈1%)

 

 

mp3 CBR@32.0 (Musicmatch 6.10)
     
1.76 (≈3%)

 

 

ra 8 CBR@35.2
     
1.76 (≈1%)

 

 

AAC CBR@33.2 (QuickTime 6.3)
     
1.60 (≈4%)

 

 

AAC CBR@32.0 (PsyTEL(R) 2.15) - MPEG-4 AAC CBR Low Complexity, 32.0 kbit/s FBR
CODER: PsyTEL(R) MPEG-4 AAC Encoder v2.15
- usage: aacenc -production -br 32 -resample 22050 -if test.wav
DECODER: Freeware AAC Decoder: Dec 28 2001 for WinAmp 2.78c
- output to Nullsoft Disk Writer plug-in 2.0a

AAC CBR@32.1 (Nero 5.5) - MPEG-4 AAC CBR Low Complexity, 32.1 kbit/s FBR
CODER: Ahead MPEG-4 AAC Encoder Plugin for Ahead Nero Burning Rom 5.5.10.0
- Ahead audio RAW convertor (resampling plugin) - SINC, Quality 100
- Encoder quality - High
- AAC Profile - Low Complexity
- Enable PNS - Yes
- 16000 Hz Stereo
DECODER: Ahead MPEG-4 AAC Decoder Plugin for Ahead Nero Burning Rom 5.5.10.0

AAC CBR@33.2 (QuickTime 6.3) - MPEG-4 AAC CBR Low Complexity, 33.2 kbit/s FBR
CODER: MPEG-4 Audio Compressor for QuickTime 6.3
- 16000 Hz (Recommended), Stereo
DECODER: QuickTime 6.3

AAC+ CBR@32.9 (Nero 6.0) - MPEG-4 AAC CBR High Efficiency, 32.9 kbit/s FBR
CODER: Ahead MPEG-4 AAC Encoder Plugin for Ahead Nero Burning Rom 6.0.0.23
- Encoder quality - High
- AAC Profile - High Efficiency
- Enable PNS - No
- 44100 Hz Stereo
DECODER: Ahead MPEG-4 AAC Decoder Plugin for Ahead Nero Burning Rom 6.0.0.23

eAAC+ VBR@31.0 (NeroRef 1330) - MPEG-4 AAC High Efficiency with Parametric Stereo, VBR, 31.0 kbit/s FBR
CODER: Nero Digital Audio Reference MPEG-4 & 3GPP Audio Encoder 1.3.3.0 (build 2008-09-17)
- usage: neroAacEnc.exe -q 0.15 -if ref.wav -of out.mp4
- AAC Profile: High Efficiency
- 44100 Hz Parametric Stereo
DECODER: Nero Digital Audio Reference MPEG-4 & 3GPP Audio Decoder 1.3.3.0
- usage: neroAacDec.exe -if out.mp4 -of out.wav

mp3 CBR@32.0 (Lame 3.91) - MPEG-1 Layer 3 CBR, 32.0 kbit/s FBR
CODER: Lame 3.91
- usage: lame -b 32 -q 0 test.wav test.mp3
- 11025 Hz Stereo
DECODER: THOMSON mp3PRO Audio Player Demo 1.0.2 Build 85.

mp3 CBR@32.0 (Musicmatch 6.10) - MPEG-1 Layer 3 CBR, 32.0 kbit/s FBR
CODER: MUSICMATCH Jukebox 6.10.0225CJJ
- input from Audio CD
- processing level - "very high"
- maximum bandwidth - "let encoder choose"
- 11025 Hz Stereo
DECODER: THOMSON mp3PRO Audio Player Demo 1.0.2 Build 85.

mp3PRO CBR@32.0 - mp3PRO CBR by Fraunhofer IIS & Coding Technologies, 32.0 kbit/s FBR
CODER: Nero mp3PRO Encoder Plugin for Ahead Nero Burning Rom 5.5.4
- Allow intensity stereo coding - yes
- Allow downmix - yes
- Padding - ISO
- 32000 Hz Stereo
DECODER: THOMSON mp3PRO Audio Player Demo 1.0.2 Build 85.

ogg VBR@35.7 (OggEnc 1.0) - OggVorbis audio format VBR, 35.7 kbit/s FBR
CODER: OggEnc v1.0
- usage: oggenc -q -1 test.wav
DECODER: OggDec 1.0 from OggVorbis package.
- usage: oggdec test.ogg

QDesign Music 2 CBR@31.9 - 31.9 kbit/s FBR
CODER: QDesign Music Encoder 2 Pro for QuickTime 5.0.2 Pro Player Edition
- 44100 Hz Stereo
DECODER: QuickTime 5.0.2 Pro Player Edition.

ra 8 CBR@35.2 - RealAudio 8 CBR, 35.2 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 8 CBR@32.6 - Windows Media Audio 8 CBR, 32.6 kbit/s FBR
CODER: Microsoft Windows Media 8 Encoding Utility
- 44100 Hz Stereo
DECODER: Windows Media Audio 4.02 for Windows ACM.

wma 9 CBR@33.7 – Windows Media Audio 9 CBR, 33.7 kbit/s FBR
ENCODER: MS Windows Media Encoder v9.00.00.2799
- 16bit, 2-pass CBR
- 44100 Hz Stereo
DECODER: MS Windows Media Encoder v9.00.00.2799

 

How to read the ratings

Bar help

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

#1 - Device or technology being tested.

#2 - Value of actual perceived audio quality (rating) which is also indicated by a bar length #3. 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

#4 and #5 - 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 #2 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.

#6 - 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.

#7 - Ruler for convenient measuring of highs and lows.