[span style=\'font-size:14pt;line-height:100%\']APPENDIX TO TEST#4: --preset standard[/u][/span]
I am wondering if there was a regression between 3.90.3 and 3.96.1 and no one spotted it, or if there is a regression between 3.96.1 and 3.97a6.
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It appeared [a href=\"http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=30631&view=findpost&p=266785]previously[/url] that lame 3.97a6 -V 2 quality was inferior to -V 2 --vbr new and also to lame 3.90.3 --preset standard. The purpose of the following test is to verify the encoder’s evolution, from 3.96.1 to 3.97a6, in order to see if the cause of the measured degradations occurred during this developing phase or if it happened before it.
I've used the same 20 samples again, but I didn't test the three ones which sounded identical during the last test (BachS1007.wav: too transparent, castanets2.wav: too smeared, thear1.wav: too deafening).
[span style=\'font-size:12pt;line-height:100%\']Results[/span]
ATrain 3,5 3,5
BachS1007 not tested
BeautySlept 3,0 3,5
Blackwater 4,0 4,0
castanets2 not tested
dogies 3,5 2,5
FloorEssence 4,0 3,0
fossiles 4,0 3,9
SinceAlways 3,0 4,0
Layla 3,0 2,5
LifeShatters 4,0 4,0
LisztBMinor 3,0 4,0
macabre 2,0 3,0
MidnightVoyage 3,0 3,5
Orion II (2.1) 3,5 3,5
rawhide 3,0 4,0
thear1 not tested
TheSource 3,0 2,5
Waiting 2,0 2,0
wayitis 3,0 2,0
Click here for log files
Results are unclear. Changes between 3.96.1 and 3.97a6 are sometimes audible, but they are equally distributed between both encoders. 7 samples sounded identical; at least no difference appeared during ABX phase. 5 were better with 3.96.1 (confirmed by positive ABX results) and 5 were better with 3.97a6 (also confirmed).
It seems that differences heard previously between -V2 and -V2 --vbr-new aren't correlated to a bug introduced in 3.97 alphas. I would therefore conclude that 3.90.3 --preset standard is better than 3.96.1 3.97a6 at same preset and finally that 3.97a6 -V 2 --vbr-new beats them all.
Of course, this conclusion is based on a limited set of sample (most are not critical for lossy encoders) and on my current sensitivity. It would be really helpful I suppose to hear other results confirming or infirming my own results.
N.B. According to ANOVA & Tukey parametric analysis, both encoders are tied.
[span style=\'font-size:8pt;line-height:100%\']EDIT: replaced 3.96.1 (now crossed) by 3.97a6.[/span]