Preferred music format? - bit-tech.net Forums

Bindibadgi · 20th Aug 2007, 09:07

Given that we're a whole load of audiophiles or just simply music lovers: what format do you keep your music in? Leave it on CD or Vinyl? Compress it beyond comprehension into mp3 but have it compatible with everything or use up plenty of space by keeping it lossless?

Jamie · 20th Aug 2007, 09:25

Given my current setup CD is the best format I can play. Though if I had a turntable I would choose vinyl.

Bogomip · 20th Aug 2007, 09:25

MP3 all the way for me at the moment but only because of the immense compatibility. I would probalbly go for ogg or AC3 otherwise.

RTT · 20th Aug 2007, 09:36

MP3 due to the compatibility. It's going to be a long while before stuff doesn't play MP3 anymore.

Mister_Tad · 20th Aug 2007, 10:03

all FLAC here, after upgrading both my PC speakers and sound card many average bitrate MP3s became virtually unlistenable in comparison :/
may as well anyway, in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't take up all that much space

Glider · 20th Aug 2007, 10:06

MP3 for compatibility...

But if there was a "I don't care as long as it plays" option, I'd go for that one.

If FLAC would be more mainstream, I'd re-rip everything in FLAC, but for now it's a waste of space (and I'm not a audiophile)

K · 20th Aug 2007, 10:07

I voted for CD, since if someone offered me the choice between a physical copy or a download I'm gonna go with the physical one. But really I've only bought like two CDs this year yet I've obtained many many albums. It's terrible, but hey, I have about 700 CDs at my parent's place collecting dust.

I'm not too fussed about all this lossless stuff though. I don't like low bit-rate MP3s but anything 192 and above sounds just fine to me. Even 128's ok sometimes. Beggars can't be choosers and all that.

steveo_mcg · 20th Aug 2007, 10:11

MP3 because i'm lazy. too lazy to recode every thing to ogg or flac.

Bindibadgi · 20th Aug 2007, 10:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by K

I voted for CD, since if someone offered me the choice between a physical copy or a download I'm gonna go with the physical one.

Amen to that.

Ramble · 20th Aug 2007, 10:40

FLAC, simply because it sounds the best and is open.
Most of my library is mp3/ogg however since a lot of stuff was found as mp3 and so converting it to ogg or flac without some highyer quality source available would be pointless.
I use Ogg because it's small, sounds great and more people can listen than flac.

Spacecowboy92 · 20th Aug 2007, 10:42

DTS is prefered but I have many formats all over the place althought most of my stuff is mp3. I do have some vinyls lying around but not an impressive player system.

BioSniper · 20th Aug 2007, 10:49

I use mp3 due to compatibility. Sometimes I rip in AAC though, generally when I forget to change the settings on iTunes and the like.
I won't rip any less than 192k/s and prefer to just go the full whack at 320kbps just "cause I can" kinda thing.

I will however buy CD's rather than downloads due to the price. More often than not I can get a proper CD with all the shiny album art for the same price as an iTunes download album and I prefer to be able to hold something for my money when it comes to stuff like movies or music.
If downloads were cheaper, say £2 per album then I'd bother.

Lee @ Scan · 20th Aug 2007, 10:56

Same here with the mp3 for compatability as I stream them to a variety of devices round the house, mainly my 360 or the squeezebox 3 we have.

Plus with an X-Fi soundcard the 3D crystaliser enabled does help improve the quality of most the mp3 files I have at home.

<A88> · 20th Aug 2007, 11:02

I rip at a high quality WMA, usually 320kbp/s, as it's the best quality and compression I can use knowing it'll work on whatever MP3 player I finally get round to purchasing (and no, it won't be an iPod).

<A88>

g3n3tiX · 20th Aug 2007, 11:07

mp3, but I also listen to .sc68 Atari/Amiga music files, so it could be Obscure.

What about midi ? not in the poll ? ^^

<A88> · 20th Aug 2007, 11:18

MIDI isn't really an audio compression standard- you can't (easily) rip music to MIDI, it's more for retaining individual track details for editing and listening to 80s-video-games-style-guitar-riffs.

edit:having read all your post, MIDI seems entirely appropriate

<A88>

antiHero · 20th Aug 2007, 12:07

Vinyl for me! Nothing better then that. And DJing is just better then with CD/MP3....

edit: Seems like I am the only one so far

<A88> · 20th Aug 2007, 12:46

I've got a few vinyls, just nothing to play em on so far! I'm planning on getting a budgets seperates system at some point (around £600-700) which'll have a Pro-ject Debut to get some life out of em. I didn't actually notice the physical options on the list, so would have probably opted for CD; sure, it's not 1/2 as nice-sounding as vinyl, but I find it more practical on the whole, and seem to be buying music in bulk right now.

<A88>

riggs · 20th Aug 2007, 13:11

MP3 @ =>192kbps

Krikkit · 20th Aug 2007, 13:15

CD for everything uncompressed, OGG ~192k for compressed music, i.e. comp/i-river.

Can't beat the feeling of having a physical copy - sublime!

View Poll Results: Preferred Music format?
Mp3 - compatible with everything!	212	56.23%
Ogg - compressed, but open source	21	5.57%
AAC - better compression for the noise	16	4.24%
FLAC - open source and lossless	53	14.06%
Other Lossless (eg Apple or Ape) - because you have a ton of space	4	1.06%
CD - nothing like having physical media!	32	8.49%
Vinyl - I'm a pure audio demon and my setup is probably worth more than your house!	13	3.45%
Tape - old school chromium oxide rules.	1	0.27%
Other compression - because I'm obscure for strange reasons	2	0.53%
Other physical media - because nothing says unique like still using MDs.	1	0.27%
WAV - pure and simple	1	0.27%
WMA - Microsoft did something right for you?	14	3.71%
AC3 - Dolby surround	0	0%
DTS - Because you're a DTS fanboy and nothing else will do (Geoff)	5	1.33%
DVD-A - It's HD/surround, don't you know.	1	0.27%
SACD - Because it's uhh.. super.	0	0%
Midi - It's never too old school.	1	0.27%
Voters: 377. You may not vote on this poll

20th Aug 2007, 09:07	#1
Bindibadgi Richard Swinburne bit-tech Staff Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Omnipwntent Posts: 28,226	Preferred music format? Given that we're a whole load of audiophiles or just simply music lovers: what format do you keep your music in? Leave it on CD or Vinyl? Compress it beyond comprehension into mp3 but have it compatible with everything or use up plenty of space by keeping it lossless? __________________ Made you look, made you stare, made you clicked this in your underwear! Den of Geek!

20th Aug 2007, 09:25	#2
Jamie bit-tech Staff Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 7,620	Given my current setup CD is the best format I can play. Though if I had a turntable I would choose vinyl. __________________ bit-tech hosted by tsohost.co.uk twitter \| flickr \| xbox live \| last.fm \| moot

20th Aug 2007, 09:25	#3
Bogomip ... Yo Momma Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 4,240	MP3 all the way for me at the moment but only because of the immense compatibility. I would probalbly go for ogg or AC3 otherwise. __________________ Remember the human and read up on Netiquette.

20th Aug 2007, 10:06	#6
Glider /dev/null Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Belgium Posts: 4,102	MP3 for compatibility... But if there was a "I don't care as long as it plays" option, I'd go for that one. If FLAC would be more mainstream, I'd re-rip everything in FLAC, but for now it's a waste of space (and I'm not a audiophile) __________________ There Are 10 Types Of People, Those Who Know Binary and Those Who Don't

20th Aug 2007, 09:36	#4
RTT bwarp Moderator Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Berkshire Posts: 12,981	MP3 due to the compatibility. It's going to be a long while before stuff doesn't play MP3 anymore.

20th Aug 2007, 10:03	#5
Mister_Tad Serious about coffee Moderator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Nottingham Posts: 7,555	all FLAC here, after upgrading both my PC speakers and sound card many average bitrate MP3s became virtually unlistenable in comparison :/ may as well anyway, in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't take up all that much space

20th Aug 2007, 10:07	#7
K say whoa Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Warwick Posts: 5,537	I voted for CD, since if someone offered me the choice between a physical copy or a download I'm gonna go with the physical one. But really I've only bought like two CDs this year yet I've obtained many many albums. It's terrible, but hey, I have about 700 CDs at my parent's place collecting dust. I'm not too fussed about all this lossless stuff though. I don't like low bit-rate MP3s but anything 192 and above sounds just fine to me. Even 128's ok sometimes. Beggars can't be choosers and all that. __________________ 15GB 3G iPod - 16GB 3G iPhone 24" iMac - 2.66 GHz - 4GB RAM - 640 GB HDD - 500GB WD MyBook - 40" Samsung M87

20th Aug 2007, 10:11	#8
steveo_mcg What owl? Join Date: May 2005 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 3,975	MP3 because i'm lazy. too lazy to recode every thing to ogg or flac. __________________ No boom today, boom tomorrow... there's always a boom tomorrow.

20th Aug 2007, 10:40	#10
Ramble Ginger Nut Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Exeter, Devon/Wantage, Oxfordshire Posts: 5,233	FLAC, simply because it sounds the best and is open. Most of my library is mp3/ogg however since a lot of stuff was found as mp3 and so converting it to ogg or flac without some highyer quality source available would be pointless. I use Ogg because it's small, sounds great and more people can listen than flac. __________________ Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Ensign Ricky are beaming down to the planet. Guess who's not coming back.

20th Aug 2007, 10:42	#11
Spacecowboy92 Gettin' Lazy Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Winchester, UK Posts: 757	DTS is prefered but I have many formats all over the place althought most of my stuff is mp3. I do have some vinyls lying around but not an impressive player system. __________________ Last edited by Spacecowboy92; 20th Aug 2007 at 10:48.

20th Aug 2007, 10:49	#12
BioSniper I Mod, Therefore I Own Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Somewhere in the south Posts: 3,454	I use mp3 due to compatibility. Sometimes I rip in AAC though, generally when I forget to change the settings on iTunes and the like. I won't rip any less than 192k/s and prefer to just go the full whack at 320kbps just "cause I can" kinda thing. I will however buy CD's rather than downloads due to the price. More often than not I can get a proper CD with all the shiny album art for the same price as an iTunes download album and I prefer to be able to hold something for my money when it comes to stuff like movies or music. If downloads were cheaper, say £2 per album then I'd bother. __________________ My Flickr :: Bit-tech Flickr Wii: 1792 1527 2926 7945 :: Xbox Live: BioSnipr :: PSN: Biosnipr

20th Aug 2007, 10:56	#13
Lee @ Scan Scan Computers Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: On the dancefloor reaching for the laser Posts: 100	Same here with the mp3 for compatability as I stream them to a variety of devices round the house, mainly my 360 or the squeezebox 3 we have. Plus with an X-Fi soundcard the 3D crystaliser enabled does help improve the quality of most the mp3 files I have at home. __________________ Women are like a half-eaten box of chocolates. All the good ones have already been taken, leaving the nutty ones behind My Gamer Tag

20th Aug 2007, 11:02	#14
<A88> Trust the Computer Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 4,797	I rip at a high quality WMA, usually 320kbp/s, as it's the best quality and compression I can use knowing it'll work on whatever MP3 player I finally get round to purchasing (and no, it won't be an iPod). <A88> __________________ TheCounterfit.co.uk Twitter Facebook Last.fm Flickr! FriendFeed

20th Aug 2007, 11:07	#15
g3n3tiX Resident frenchie Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: localhost Posts: 584	mp3, but I also listen to .sc68 Atari/Amiga music files, so it could be Obscure. What about midi ? not in the poll ? ^^ __________________ I also have a MTBF.

20th Aug 2007, 11:18	#16
<A88> Trust the Computer Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 4,797	MIDI isn't really an audio compression standard- you can't (easily) rip music to MIDI, it's more for retaining individual track details for editing and listening to 80s-video-games-style-guitar-riffs. edit:having read all your post, MIDI seems entirely appropriate <A88> __________________ TheCounterfit.co.uk Twitter Facebook Last.fm Flickr! FriendFeed

20th Aug 2007, 12:07	#17
antiHero An Ugly Pineapple! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Hellsinki Posts: 1,808	Vinyl for me! Nothing better then that. And DJing is just better then with CD/MP3.... edit: Seems like I am the only one so far __________________ Laptop: Acer Aspire One, 1.6GHz Atom, 1.5GB Ram, 30GB 1.8" HDD, Windows 7 Gaming Rig: Athlon 64 3000+ s754 @ 2.15GHz, 1,5 GB Ram, 800 GB Hdd, Radeon HD 2900 Pro 512 MB Linux Box: VIA Epia 550mHz, 512mb Ram, 200GB Hdd, Ubuntu Server 7.10 Project ~Sinus~ - Update 27.02.2007 Front Bay done! Mini Project "SuperUser" - Update 10.06.2008

20th Aug 2007, 12:46	#18
<A88> Trust the Computer Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 4,797	I've got a few vinyls, just nothing to play em on so far! I'm planning on getting a budgets seperates system at some point (around £600-700) which'll have a Pro-ject Debut to get some life out of em. I didn't actually notice the physical options on the list, so would have probably opted for CD; sure, it's not 1/2 as nice-sounding as vinyl, but I find it more practical on the whole, and seem to be buying music in bulk right now. <A88> __________________ TheCounterfit.co.uk Twitter Facebook Last.fm Flickr! FriendFeed

20th Aug 2007, 13:11	#19
riggs ^_^ Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Lincs. Posts: 1,641	MP3 @ =>192kbps __________________ Hell hath no fury like a hippo with a machine gun PSN ID: buster2006

20th Aug 2007, 13:15	#20
Krikkit Don't panic! Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Lancs, UK Posts: 15,140	CD for everything uncompressed, OGG ~192k for compressed music, i.e. comp/i-river. Can't beat the feeling of having a physical copy - sublime! __________________ \|E8400 @ 4.4GHz\|WC: 2*120.1 GT's, MCP350, Storm G5\|4GB Dominators\|DFI LT X48-T2R\|8800GT\|74GB Raptor\|Chieftec BA01\|OCZ ModXStream 600W\|Dell 2208WFP\| The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, The LOL!!1!!1!, The Zlad!, The Kempness, The Braaaaaains...

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