Results
Settings used:
<samplename>.wav.wav
lame 3.90.3
--preset 64
<samplename>_CEP_is_narrow.wav
CEP2.1 fhg mp3 encoder
64kbps CBR, HQ, 22050Hz Samplingrate, default lowpass (10349Hz), joint stereo, intensity stereo, narrowing enabled
<samplename>_CEP_narrow.wav
CEP2.1 fhg mp3 encoder
64kbps CBR, HQ, 22050Hz Samplingrate, default lowpass (10349Hz), joint stereo, narrowing enabled, intensity stereo disabled
<samplename>_Nero.wav
NeroMix 1.4.0.4: Ahead AAC (aacenc32.dll v. 2.5.5.1)
VBR Tape; HQ; LC
<samplename>_Nero_cbr.wav
NeroMix 1.4.0.4: Ahead AAC (aacenc32.dll v. 2.5.5.1)
CBR 64kbps; HQ; LC
<samplename>_qt_44.wav
Quicktime Pro 6.3. AAC
64kbps CBR, Audio Track: "Music"; Stereo; Best Quality; Sample rate 44100Hz
Results:
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General Comments:
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1R File: .\Samples\001 riteofspring_qt_44.wav
1R Rating: 3.8
1R Comment: small lack of brightness, sharpness in a few places
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2L File: .\Samples\001 riteofspring_CEP_is_narrow.wav
2L Rating: 2.2
2L Comment: low cutoff, warbeling, watery, ringing, mostly on transients
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3R File: .\Samples\001 riteofspring.wav.wav
3R Rating: 2.0
3R Comment: similar to 2, ringing sometimes more annoying
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4L File: .\Samples\001 - riteofspring_Nero.wav
4L Rating: 3.0
4L Comment: warbeling, ringing comparable to 2, 3 but bright as 1, more sharpness
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5L File: .\Samples\001 riteofspring_CEP_narrow.wav
5L Rating: 2.2
5L Comment: same as 2
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6L File: .\Samples\001 - riteofspring_Nero_cbr.wav
6L Rating: 3.2
6L Comment: same as 4 but a little less obvious
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General Comments:
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1L File: .\Samples\002 - bigye_Nero_cbr.wav
1L Rating: 3.0
1L Comment: flanging, ringing, smeared transients (hihats)
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2R File: .\Samples\002 bigye.wav.wav
2R Rating: 1.5
2R Comment: lowpass, ringing, warbeling
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3L File: .\Samples\002 bigye_CEP_narrow.wav
3L Rating: 2.0
3L Comment: similar to 2 but less annoying
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4R File: .\Samples\002 bigye_qt_44.wav
4R Rating: 3.8
4R Comment: similar to 1 but much better (-> ringing), OTOH less sharp
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5L File: .\Samples\002 - bigye_Nero.wav
5L Rating: 3.6
5L Comment: similar to 1 but less annoying
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6R File: .\Samples\002 bigye_CEP_is_narrow.wav
6R Rating: 2.0
6R Comment: same as 3
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General Comments:
small annoyances with warbeling/flanging of different kinds with all samples; hard to judge which is worse (exept for 2)
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1R File: .\Samples\003 ChopinPolonaiseDMoll_CEP_narrow.wav
1R Rating: 2.5
1R Comment: Pre-echo, cut-off sometimes too low
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2R File: .\Samples\003 - ChopinPolonaiseDMoll_Nero.wav
2R Rating: 1.5
2R Comment: warbeling, ringing, watery; metallic echos
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3L File: .\Samples\003 - ChopinPolonaiseDMoll_Nero_cbr.wav
3L Rating: 3.5
3L Comment: same problems as 2 but much better; sometimes bumbping low-pitched noise like sound added (15.8-19)
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4L File: .\Samples\003 ChopinPolonaiseDMoll_CEP_is_narrow.wav
4L Rating: 2.5
4L Comment: same as 1
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5R File: .\Samples\003 ChopinPolonaiseDMoll_qt_44.wav
5R Rating: 4.0
5R Comment: acceptable cutoff; not much ringing, pre-echo
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6R File: .\Samples\003 ChopinPolonaiseDMoll.wav.wav
6R Rating: 3.0
6R Comment: similar to 1,4; less pre-echo
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General Comments:
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1R File: .\Samples\004 Daft_Punk___Da_Funk_qt_44.wav
1R Rating: 3.8
1R Comment: lack of brightness, high-pitched drums smeared, some ringing/warbeling problems
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2R File: .\Samples\004 Daft_Punk___Da_Funk_CEP_is_narrow.wav
2R Rating: 2.0
2R Comment: cutoff, smeared, warbeling, flanging, ringing
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3R File: .\Samples\004 - Daft_Punk___Da_Funk_Nero.wav
3R Rating: 3.0
3R Comment: similar to 1, more ringing/flanging, highpitched drums + brightness a bit better; all in all worse
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4L File: .\Samples\004 Daft_Punk___Da_Funk.wav.wav
4L Rating: 1.5
4L Comment: similar to 2, ringing more annoying
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5L File: .\Samples\004 Daft_Punk___Da_Funk_CEP_narrow.wav
5L Rating: 2.0
5L Comment: same as 2
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6L File: .\Samples\004 - Daft_Punk___Da_Funk_Nero_cbr.wav
6L Rating: 3.3
6L Comment: similar to 4 but more warbeling/dropouts; audible clipping at 5 sec.
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General Comments:
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1L File: .\Samples\007 gone_CEP_is_narrow.wav
1L Rating: 3.0
1L Comment: piano: cutoff, pre-echo, but not much annoying
guitar: cutoff, ringing , warbeling
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2R File: .\Samples\007 gone_qt_44.wav
2R Rating: 2.5
2R Comment: piano: bright, but pumping noise, chirping, pre-echo
guitar: ringing, watery, metallic, brighter but more annoying than 1
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3L File: .\Samples\007 - gone_Nero_cbr.wav
3L Rating: 2.3
3L Comment: piano: slightly warbeling noise, flanging
guitar: as 2 but more flanging
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4L File: .\Samples\007 - gone_Nero.wav
4L Rating: 1.5
4L Comment: piano: 2.0 - warbeling, ringing, watery; lowpass
guitar: as 3 but even more flanging, ringing
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5L File: .\Samples\007 gone.wav.wav
5L Rating: 2.8
5L Comment: same as 1, more ringing in guitar part
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6R File: .\Samples\007 gone_CEP_narrow.wav
6R Rating: 3.0
6R Comment: same as 1
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General Comments:
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1R File: .\Samples\009 mybloodrusts.sample20sec_CEP_is_narrow.wav
1R Rating: 1.5
1R Comment: bad stereo problem in 1st part
2nd part: warbeling cymbals
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2L File: .\Samples\009 mybloodrusts.sample20sec_qt_44.wav
2L Rating: 2.5
2L Comment: slight chirping in 1st part
2nd part strong chirping on cymbals
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3L File: .\Samples\009 mybloodrusts.sample20sec.wav.wav
3L Rating: 2.5
3L Comment: lowpass, but best stereo reproduction
2nd: cutoff -> loss of details but flanging + ringing not that annoying
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4R File: .\Samples\009 - mybloodrusts.sample20sec_Nero_cbr.wav
4R Rating: 1.5
4R Comment: worst stereo problem in 1st part
2nd part not as annoying as 6 but similar
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5R File: .\Samples\009 mybloodrusts.sample20sec_CEP_narrow.wav
5R Rating: 2.4
5R Comment: 1st part: same as 3 but more flanging
2nd part similar to 3
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6L File: .\Samples\009 - mybloodrusts.sample20sec_Nero.wav
6L Rating: 1.5
6L Comment: 1st part: bumping stereo problem, 2nd awful warbeling, ringing
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Conclusions:
In the case where FHG with intensity stereo failed badly before it's improved very much without IS. No general differences detectable, so FHG without IS seems to be the best choice for 64kbps mp3.
Most of the time using CBR improves the performance of Nero AAC but Quicktime is still better.