Nero AAC has improved quite a bit since that test, whereas FAAC has not.
Facts, please.
Here is an extract from the FAAC 1.25 Changelog since Feb 2004:
2005-02-02 sur
* libfaac:
Directory kiss_fft added to the repository
* libfaac/kiss_fft/README.kiss_fft:
Instructions how to download and install kiss_fft library.
* libfaac/coder.h:
Added DRM-compatible FRAMLE_LEN, BLOCK_LEN_LONG, BLOCK_LEN_SHORT definitions.
* libfaac/fft.c:
Added interface to kiss_fft library to implement FFT for 960 transform length.
* libfaac/fft.h:
Added interface to kiss_fft library to implement FFT for 960 transform length.
* libfaac/filtbank.c:
960 transform length implemented.
* libfaac/filtbank.h:
NFLAT_LS definition changed to be 1024/960 transform length compatible.
* libfaac/huffman.c:
Fixed bug in Huffman_End.
* libfaac/libfaac_dll_drm.sln:
Win32 Visual Studio solution file to build DRM-compatible libfaac.
This is experimental code, please do not use this project to build 'ordinary' libfaac.
* libfaac/libfaac_dll_drm.vcproj:
Win32 Visual Studio project file to build DRM-compatible libfaac.
This is experimental code, please do not use this project to build 'ordinary' libfaac.
* libfaac/libfaacdrm.def:
Win32 module definition file for libfaac_dll_drm project.
* libfaac/util.c:
Minor changes to make code 1024/960 transform length compatible.
2004-08-19 menno
* frontend/main.c:
Removed stupid comment in help of FAAC. RAW AAC files are USELESS,
it seems that already some people encoded their collection using
the -r option.
typo, it's not bad to have this option, but people should be warned
that they can get severe playback problems with RAW AAC files (anything
other then 44100 will not be decoded properly unless you know that it
has that samplerate). Seeking is also not possible on these files.
2004-08-06 danchr
* frontend/main.c:
TNS is no longer enabled by default (reported by guruboolez)
documentation fixes in frontend
default to mp4 for *.m4b as well
2004-08-02 danchr
* configure.in, common/mp4v2/Makefile.am:
linux portability fixes
* frontend/main.c:
NetBSD portability fix + fixing metadata bugs w/ sscanf().
*BSD portability fix.
fix --shortctl documentation.
2004-07-28 danchr
* Makefile.am, bootstrap, configure.in,
frontend/: Makefile.am, main.c,
common/Makefile.am, common/mp4v2/Makefile.am:
Darwin portability fixes, should help on Linux too
2004-07-27 menno
* common/mp4v2:
Directory /cvsroot/faac/faac/common/mp4v2 added to the repository
* common/mp4v2/:
3gp.cpp API_CHANGES INTERNALS Makefile.am README TODO
atom_bitr.cpp atom_co64.cpp atom_cprt.cpp atom_ctts.cpp
atom_d263.cpp atom_damr.cpp atom_dimm.cpp atom_dinf.cpp
atom_dmax.cpp atom_dmed.cpp atom_dref.cpp atom_drep.cpp
atom_edts.cpp atom_elst.cpp atom_enca.cpp atom_encv.cpp
atom_esds.cpp atom_free.cpp atom_frma.cpp atom_ftyp.cpp
atom_hdlr.cpp atom_hinf.cpp atom_hmhd.cpp atom_hnti.cpp
atom_iKMS.cpp atom_iSFM.cpp atom_iods.cpp atom_maxr.cpp
atom_mdat.cpp atom_mdhd.cpp atom_mdia.cpp atom_meta.cpp
atom_mfhd.cpp atom_minf.cpp atom_moof.cpp atom_moov.cpp
atom_mp4a.cpp atom_mp4s.cpp atom_mp4v.cpp atom_mvex.cpp
atom_mvhd.cpp atom_nmhd.cpp atom_nump.cpp atom_payt.cpp
atom_pmax.cpp atom_root.cpp atom_rtp.cpp atom_s263.cpp
atom_samr.cpp atom_sawb.cpp atom_schi.cpp atom_schm.cpp
atom_sdp.cpp atom_sinf.cpp atom_smhd.cpp atom_snro.cpp
atom_stbl.cpp atom_stco.cpp atom_stdp.cpp atom_stsc.cpp
atom_stsd.cpp atom_stsh.cpp atom_stss.cpp atom_stsz.cpp
atom_stts.cpp atom_tfhd.cpp atom_tims.cpp atom_tkhd.cpp
atom_tmax.cpp atom_tmin.cpp atom_tpyl.cpp atom_traf.cpp
atom_trak.cpp atom_tref.cpp atom_treftype.cpp atom_trex.cpp
atom_trpy.cpp atom_trun.cpp atom_tsro.cpp atom_udta.cpp
atom_url.cpp atom_urn.cpp atom_vmhd.cpp atoms.h
descriptors.cpp descriptors.h isma.cpp libmp4v260.dsp
libmp4v2_st60.dsp mp4.cpp mp4.h mp4array.h mp4atom.cpp
mp4atom.h mp4common.h mp4container.cpp mp4container.h
mp4descriptor.cpp mp4descriptor.h mp4file.cpp mp4file.h
mp4file_io.cpp mp4info.cpp mp4meta.cpp mp4property.cpp
mp4property.h mp4track.cpp mp4track.h mp4util.cpp mp4util.h
mpeg4ip.h mpeg4ip_version.h need_for_win32.c
ocidescriptors.cpp ocidescriptors.h odcommands.cpp
odcommands.h qosqualifiers.cpp qosqualifiers.h rtphint.cpp
rtphint.h,
frontend/: faac.dsw, faac.dsp, libfaac/libfaac.dsp,
plugins/cooledit/: Cfaac.h, FAAC.dsp, FAAC.dsw,
plugins/winamp/: Cfaac.h, out_FAAC.dsp, out_FAAC.dsw:
Moved mp4v2 library to faac module and updated to newest version
Will require some changes for linux makefiles I guess
* configure.in:
small linux patch
2004-07-18 corrados
* libfaac/frame.c:
New bandwidth settings for DRM, improved quantization
quality adaptation (almost constant bit-rate now).
2004-07-13 corrados
* libfaac/frame.c bitstream.c:
bug fix with new object type definitions
2004-07-12 corrados
* libfaac/: huffman.h, huffman.c, aacquant.c:
VCB11 fixes
2004-07-08 corrados
* libfaac/: psychkni.c, frame.c, bitstream.c:
New scalefactorband table for 960 transform length,
bug fix in HCR
2004-07-08 menno
* plugins/winamp/: .cvsignore, CRegistry.cpp, CRegistry.h, Cfaac.cpp,
Cfaac.h, FAAC.rc, Out_faac.cpp, RESOURCE.H, defines.h, mpeg4ip-v.bmp,
out_FAAC.sln, out_FAAC.vcproj, CTag.cpp, CTag.h, EncDialog.cpp,
EncDialog.h, id3v2.ico:
Updated plugins for FAAC
* plugins/cooledit/: .cvsignore, CRegistry.cpp, CRegistry.h, Cfaac.cpp,
Cfaac.h, Cfaad.cpp, Cfaad.h, FAAC.rc, FAAC.sln, FAAC.vcproj,
Faac.cpp, Faad.cpp, Main.cpp, aacInfoLib.dsp, aacInfoLib.vcproj,
defines.h, mpeg4ip-v.bmp, resource.h, CTag.cpp, CTag.h, DecDialog.cpp,
DecDialog.h, EncDialog.cpp, EncDialog.h, id3v2.ico:
Updated plugins for FAAC
2004-07-04 corrados
* libfaac/: huffman.c, frame.c, coder.h, bitstream.h, bitstream.c, aacquant.c,
include/: faaccfg.h, faac.h:
made faac compliant with Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) (DRM macro must be set).
implemented HCR tool, VCB11, CRC, scalable bitstream order.
note: VCB11 only uses codebook 11! TODO: implement codebooks 16-32.
960 transform length is not yet implemented (TODO)! Use 1024 for
encoding and 960 for decoding, resulting in a lot of artefacts.
2004-05-13 menno
* plugins/winamp/: CRegistry.cpp, CRegistry.h, Cfaac.cpp, Cfaac.h,
FAAC.rc, Open.bmp, Out_faac.cpp, RESOURCE.H, ReadMe.txt, defines.h,
out_FAAC.sln, out_FAAC.vcproj:
New plugins for FAAC with tagging
* plugins/cooledit/: CRegistry.cpp, CRegistry.h, Cfaac.cpp, Cfaac.h,
Cfaad.cpp, FAAC.rc, FAAC.sln, FAAC.vcproj, Faac.cpp, Main.cpp,
Readme.txt, defines.h, resource.h, Open.bmp:
New plugins for FAAC with tagging
2004-05-03 danchr
* libfaac/:frame.c, version.h:
bump version to unstable 1.24+
* frontend/main.c:
fix documentation bugs (per Hans-Jürgen's suggestions)
enable (preliminary) multiple output file support
2004-04-23 danchr
* libfaac/version.h:
removing beta status
2004-04-22 danchr
* frontend/main.c:
set copyright notice to my full name
2004-04-16 menno
* plugins/winamp/: CRegistry.cpp, CRegistry.h, FAAC.rc, Open.bmp,
Out_faac.cpp, RESOURCE.H, ReadMe.txt, defines.h, out_FAAC.dsp,
out_FAAC.dsw, AudioCoding.bmp, Cfaac.h, Email.bmp, mpeg4ip-v.bmp,
Cfaac.cpp:
New out_faac Winamp output filter code
* plugins/cooledit/: CRegistry.cpp, CRegistry.h, FAAC.dsp,
FAAC.dsw, FAAC.rc, Faac.cpp, Faad.cpp, Main.cpp, Readme.txt,
TypeDef.h, aacInfoLib.dsp, defines.h, resource.h, Cfaac.cpp,
Cfaac.h, Cfaad.cpp, Cfaad.h:
New cooledit filter code
2004-04-16 danchr
* configure.in, frontend/: getopt.c, main.c:
change -a <kbps/channel> to -b <kbps>
Darwin portability fixes
Make LTP imply MPEG-4 AAC
silence a few warnings
* frontend/main.c:
don't use stderr on Windows
2004-04-13 danchr
* frontend/main.c:
compilation and composer patch by Jordan Breeding
undocumented single-letter switches removed
numerous bug-fixes
* libfaac/:frame.c, version.h:
clarify release <> unstable status
2004-04-03 danchr
* frontend/main.c:
non-backwards compatible revamp of the FAAC command line
interface.
cover art metadata support based on patch by Jordan Breeding
make TNS default
fix typo + add GIF support
I don't know how to quantify "quite a bit" without another listening test.