Music Preferred music format?

MP3

 

Below 128kbps I'd go for ogg vorbis or AAC (especially HE-AAC), since they have much better spectral range there (up to 15 kHz, even at 64kbps, and nearly no metallic warbling, at least not with vorbis (recently did a ABX test with foobar2000)), if you listen closely you can spot the artifacts, but it is perfect for background music. MP3 or WMA don't come anywhere near close at these bitrates.
The only problem is that my mp3-player only accepts mp3 and wma. I did install this:
http://www.cole2k.net/
then windows media player can play almost anything (tho M$ still thinks it knows best as it doesn't want to put WMP in the open with section for ogg files (bleeping dickwads)).
Above 128kbps, most formats will do.
I mainly listen to Metal (Dream Theater, Machine Head ) and here it seems vorbis performs really well (at lo bitrates it causes noisy distortion, but that doesn't show that much, but I think it would do a lot worse on symphonic music).

PS: ogg is only the container format, vorbis is the codec (if you want to correct)

 

If I buy music it's a CD.. I've dabbled in itunes but really I'm not even going to consider it properly till it's all lossless and DRM free...
The CD will get tossed onto the shelf after being ripped in Apple lossless. If I want to use the music on some other device I'll run off some AAC versions (my phone and every device seems to play mp4 fine - AAC is not just Apple's people).. most of the time I will burn off a compilation CD for the car.

 

Just did a bit of a test... the only discernible difference to my ears between a 192kbit (VBR) LAME MP3 and a CD is the extreme high frequencies which MP3 compression hacks of the top of the waveform. The only effect this has is the CD feels a bit more airy and less enclosed than the MP3.

 

256 kb/sec MP3. Works with everything, while still sounding not half bad.

 

high VBR MP3 compressed with LAME and ripped with EAC

cant beat it tbh (in terms of space and quality, its hardly any worse then a CD tbh)

 

I use WMA because it's compatible with everything I own, it's half the size of an MP3 at the same bitrate, and it sounds the same as that comparable MP3 (to me atleast)....and btw I am using a Digital Coax connection with a Sony 5.1 Surround Sound setup, so it's not a cheap stereo system either that I'm playing these on....

I mean don't get me wrong, MP3 (when it comes down to the #'s) offers more data, but it's hard to notice it and when it comes to having a 13,000 song list, I want it all to fit on my 40GB Zen and being MP3s they most definitely wouldn't at 128kbps, but WMA does, so that's what I use.....

 

Yup! Teh best!
Exact Audio Copy (EAC) and LAME (With "--alt preset -extreme" (which gives a vbr mp3 done best)

The difference between CD and MP3 is hardly discernable. As mentioned in another cd-mp3 comparison in this thread the real difference is the really high frequency reverberation which is downplayed, making the music lose a little of that "airy" feeling.

 

I use this too.

 

Voted MP3, but its either that or wma as most things I own and portable players work with both.

 

I voted for MP3 too, But I burned a bunch of MP3's to CD awhile back and It's in My Mustang and I hardly ever listen to the Radio anymore(Shaker 1000w audio system).

 

Where's WavPack?

 

Damn - I didn't read the whole list and already voted MP3

Actually, truthfully, the question is "What is your preferred audio format" - which really means "what do you use most" right? Then MP3 is accurate. But of course, DTS > *

 

CDs for real music enjoyment on the hi-fi.

Mp3's at 128 for the iPod in the car (can't see the sense in higher bitrates for portables, usually have an engine running or walking along the street with other noises).


One day I'll be bothered to sit down and rip a lossless copy of all the CDs as backups (It's a good idea), but the thought of the hours involved scares me (and the laser on the CD drive!).

 

I like having CDs that I can pop into my stereo. When I do rip them, I use MP3 because it's a pretty universal format. I don't own anything expensive enough to benefit from enhanced quality or lossless formats, so MP3 works just fine for my needs.

-monkey

 

mp3 - simply because it can go from pc, to flash drive, to car stereo, to mp3 player #1, and mp3 player #2 without problem and it plays everywhere without a codec

some formats would simply not work where I work because we aren't allowed to do anything to our pc's

 

MP3 and AAC normally, OGG for the nice stuff!

 

MP3 for compatibility but in the car i have to say CD.

 

MP3 HQ VBR Rox my box's sox.

 

Flac all the way. Lossless also give you the ability to encode to any other format, without transcoding, giving you the ultimate in compatibility.

On a good setup it would be a waste to use anything other than a lossless source.