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Topic: 256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune (Read 9678 times) previous topic - next topic
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256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune

Hey all -

Wonderin' if you can help me decide on something.  There is an album that I'd like to buy - it's a contemporary classical recording and it's only available in digital download format currently (otherwise I'd be buying the CD and ripping it in Apple Lossless format using EAC like I always do).  Amazon.com offers it as a 256 kbps MP3download for $3.92 (not sure if it is VBR or not), and Apple offers it as an iTunes Plus 256 kbps AAC download for $9.99.  Now, I'm all about good sound quality, so if the iTunes version would sound better, I guess I would rather pay the extra cash to get the better format.  However, that is a big gap in price obviously, especially for just one work (a violin concerto in three movements), so if you guys think there would be a rather inaudible difference in quality I'd rather just buy the cheaper one.  I should also add that I have a really good pair of Shure headphones on which I can easily distinguish a crappy, compressed audio file (i.e. 128 or 160 kbps) versus a lossless one, but 256 kbps is usually acceptable if I can't find anything better.

Has anyone had any experience with downloading MP3 from Amazon, or can anyone offer any other insight on the topic? I'd appreciate it.  Thanks!

256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune

Reply #1 –
Amazon MP3's have been excellent quality.. I've purchased over 1GB of them.  I have no experience with Itunes.

256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune

Reply #2 –
My understanding is that while, in general, AAC tends to sound better than MP3 at low bitrates, at high bit rates contemporary MP3 and AAC codecs both tend to be transparent and it is going to be a wash.

IMHO, I'd go with the MP3, only to avoid the dreaded itunes store DRM...

-brendan

256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune

Reply #3 –
Quote from: hellokeith on
Amazon MP3's have been excellent quality.. I've purchased over 1GB of them.  I have no experience with Itunes.

Thanks for the input.  That's good to know.  Anyone else?

256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune

Reply #4 –
Quote from: bhoar on
My understanding is that while, in general, AAC tends to sound better than MP3 at low bitrates, at high bit rates contemporary MP3 and AAC codecs both tend to be transparent and it is going to be a wash.

IMHO, I'd go with the MP3, only to avoid the dreaded itunes store DRM...

-brendan

Yeah, I've read similar reports.  Well, what the heck, why not.  I'll spend the measly $3.92 for the Amazon download and if it's really crappy for some reason (which I doubt it will be), I can always fall back on the iTunes  DL. Thanks Brendan.

256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune

Reply #5 –
Quote from: q6drum on
Quote from: bhoar on

My understanding is that while, in general, AAC tends to sound better than MP3 at low bitrates, at high bit rates contemporary MP3 and AAC codecs both tend to be transparent and it is going to be a wash.

IMHO, I'd go with the MP3, only to avoid the dreaded itunes store DRM...

-brendan

Yeah, I've read similar reports.  Well, what the heck, why not.  I'll spend the measly $3.92 for the Amazon download and if it's really crappy for some reason (which I doubt it will be), I can always fall back on the iTunes  DL. Thanks Brendan.

UPDATE:  Amazon version sounds great.  Compared it to the iTunes Plus samples from the iTunes store - they sound about the same.  So, the only difference:  $3.92 (Amazon) << $9.99 (iTunes).  If you're limited to a digital download for whatever reason, go with Amazon if you can (if it's cheaper)!

256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune

Reply #6 –
Quote from: bhoar on
IMHO, I'd go with the MP3, only to avoid the dreaded itunes store DRM...

-brendan


iTunes Plus content doesn't contain any DRM.  Any song encoded at 256kbps on the iTunes Store contains absolutely zero DRM.  The files can be played on any LC-AAC compatible device.

Go with which ever one is least expensive.  Amazon uses Lame mp3 and encodes most of their content to ABR 256kbps.  They do have some CBR 256kbps content but not much.  Either way, Amazon downloads will definitely sound the same given that modern encoders such as Lame mp3, iTunes AAC, and Nero AAC all tend to sound very similar at extremely high bitrates such as 256kbps.

256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune

Reply #7 –
I have been very happy with Amazon.

256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune

Reply #8 –
Why the need to post twice in different sections?

256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune

Reply #9 –
At 256kb/s, you shouldn't notice a difference between the two formats. IIRC Amazon uses LAME to encode their MP3s, so they should be good quality. I'd go with Amazon simply because of the price.

256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune

Reply #11 –
Quote from: kornchild2002 on
Quote from: bhoar on


IMHO, I'd go with the MP3, only to avoid the dreaded itunes store DRM...

-brendan


iTunes Plus content doesn't contain any DRM.  Any song encoded at 256kbps on the iTunes Store contains absolutely zero DRM.  The files can be played on any LC-AAC compatible device.

That makes any AAC music kinda DRMed in itself: MP3 plays anywhere and LC-AAC mostly only on iPods and some phones.

256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune

Reply #12 –
I have been very happy with all the music I've downloaded from Amazon, including classical at very reasonable prices. The only downside was that I had to use my wife's computer because neither of the OS's that I dual-boot (Win2k and Ubuntu Linux) support their downloader utility (which is required to buy whole albums).

The other day I was browsing and noticed that they now have the download helper for Linux and I nearly fell out of my chair! It's like they just want to sell lots of non-DRM high-quality music at a reasonable price to as many people as they can. How weird! 
 

256 kbps MP3 from Amazon.com vs. 256 kbps AAC (iTunes Plus) from iTune

Reply #13 –
Quote from: bryant on
I have been very happy with all the music I've downloaded from Amazon, including classical at very reasonable prices. The only downside was that I had to use my wife's computer because neither of the OS's that I dual-boot (Win2k and Ubuntu Linux) support their downloader utility (which is required to buy whole albums).


The original amazon downloader works fine with Win2k (even though it didn't say it was supported.) Sadly, more recent versions do not. I don't know if there's a place you can get the earlier version, and as I'm not at my Win2k machine, couldn't tell you which version it is that works with it...