Proposal on listening tests
Reply #11 – 2004-08-12 07:29:37
Most people wouldn't be able to do this test. Guruboolez did test normal music (mpc vs vorbis vs lame) a few weeks ago, concluding that mpc was superior. I suppose where transparency occurs is dependant on the sample used. I think most people would be able to do this test. We're very likely not talking bitrates above 160kbps, but rather closer to the 96-128 range. People would ABX each bitrate until they couldn't distinguish one with p<0.05. That's their transparency threshold for that format and sample. Wash, rinse and repeat for each other format and sample across all participants, then average all resulting bitrate thresholds and present them by format with a standard ANOVA error margin. The whole thing would follow ITU-R BS.1116-1 standards as much as possible. As for making the test "participant-friendly", that's something I've made it a high-priority to do when this test starts the planning phase. [a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=233804"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a] Agreed. The point of this test would to figure out at what bitrate people won't be able to do the test (so to speak). Everybody will be able to input their particular threshold, no matter how bad their ears are. I can say for sure that my results will be around the 96 range. My hearing doesn't go above ~12khz(*), and I have found previous listening tests quite difficult. But it would still be good to know if, for example, AAC was transparent at 80kbps and MP3 at 128. I will definitely participate in this test, should it occur. (*) I can hear a single sine wave at 14khz, but I can't ABX a 12khz lowpass on normal music