Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: [Phys-l] iPod music compression



Thanks for this thoughtful response. I rarely have "free time" to listen
to music any more. I usually listen to music in my car driving to/from
work. I like mostly 80's/90's pop/rock/dance music, and have a unique
collection. Very little jazz/classical stuff. I have 9 shelves which could
hold 4500 CD's, so they do take up much wall space. I also collect rare
discs, and these I would never get rid of.

I also have 2000 LP's which take up too much space and I need to sell them
somehow. Haven't played them in years, but I like some of the cover art.
It's funny how all the "improvements" in music over the years (vinyl, CD,
iPod) have really made storage issues for me. I have way too much, but I
love music. We all like convenience, but I also like the true quality of
how music sounds. So I really want to record my favorite songs onto an
iPod to take anywhere I go, but mostly in my car. Does an iPod let you
categorize each song (artist, year, type of music), or does it do this
automatically (artist/song only)?

Forum for Physics Educators <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu> on Monday,
February 27, 2006 at 9:51 AM -0500 wrote:
Most of the responses so far have dealt with how compression works.
That's great and I have enjoyed reading the thread. I would like to
throw in my 2-cents about how it sounds and what my experience has been
as a reasonably competent audiophile.

(1) What is your ultimate goal? 3000 CDs in standard jewel cases would
form a single stack in the neighborhood of 100 feet high (or 10 stacks
each 10 feet, etc.) That's a lot of storage space. Is your goal to
compress these so you can sell the originals or throw them away? That
is, are you trying to reclaim space in your home?

If so, I can see why you would want to compress them without loss.
However, this is one thing I would not do. I would keep the originals,
but perhaps move them to the basement or other storage location rather
than keep them in my living room, or listening room, or whatever.

If that is done, then absolute lossless compression is not as necessary.
You still have the originals.

(2) Assuming you keep the originals, what is your secondary goal? Do
you want to carry music with you when you walk... At work... When you
are in bed trying to fall asleep? For these purposes you'll never
notice the difference between Apple AAC and the original.

I made a silly bet with my son that I could distinguish between original
CD, high quality MP3, and high quality AAC by A-B listening through high
quality headphones. As it turned out, most of the time I was unable to
distinguish them. Only occasionally could I detect a high-frequency
difference, usually with cymbals or with singers singing sibilant
sounds. Even so, when I thought I detected the difference, I had to go
back and forth several times over the same passage before I was able to
make my call, and sometimes my call was wrong. It was very difficult to
distinguish. Even though I got a few correct, I essentially lost the
bet.

I am simply amazed by the high compression yet faithful sound of Apple's
AAC. It is what I use for my iPod and I am very happy with it.

(3) Why do you have music? Are you an audiophile snob like I once was,
or have you graduated to enjoying the music? This is a bit harsh, but
when I talk about hi-fi with other audiophiles I often get the
impression they always listen to the system rather than listening to the
music. That's okay when your purpose is comparing equipment, but it is
not okay when you are supposed to be listening to music. My
recommendation is get past the equipment and listen to the music.

For sure, if the reproduction is poor I don't find it enjoyable to
listen. However, with the iPod and AAC that is not going to be the
problem. The biggest problem is a poor performance or a poorly
engineered CD. I put a lot more time these days into choosing which CD
to buy rather than what equipment I'm going to play it on. Of course if
you are listening to popular music you don't have a choice until they
start coming out with "collections" or live concerts, etc. of a
particular group or artist. But if you are buying Beethoven symphonies
you have to choose the orchestra, the conductor, and perhaps the
recording hall and recording company. I have some excellently recorded
CDs that I barely like because I don't like the way the conductor
conducted it.

Anyway, if the music is good and well performed... Listen to that.
Don't listen to the equipment.

(4) The earbuds that come with iPods are pretty darn good, but they
aren't as good as high-quality headphones, and they can't give the bass
response of higher quality headphones. I don't care for the feel of
earbuds either. Therefore, if using headphones, I usually listen using
one of my collection of Koss or Sennheiser headphones. In these cases
the iPod delivers high quality sound and pretty good ear comfort.
However, the iPod amplifier cannot put sufficient power into the low
frequencies of high quality headphones if you intend to listen to it
loud. If you intend to listen to loud music using the iPod as the
source, it might be best to have a headphone amplifier, or play your
iPod through your regular audio amplifier and then listen with the
speakers or with headphones. Of course, heed the warnings about ear
damage that occur with load music.

(5) In my office I have an inexpensive amplifier (about $100) and high
quality bookshelf speakers and high quality headphones. Usually I
listen to my iPod through the speakers with low volume. I often let the
iPod shuffle the songs so I don't have to choose what to listen to. If
a song comes on that I really like, I might put on the headphones and
turn the volume up. During this time I'm not getting any work done.
The music has shifted from background music to the main event. I
consider those times as my breaks from my work. My wife says I should
also stand up and dance a bit, to get some exercise and keep my old
knees in shape... But I'm not a dancer, and I certainly don't want
someone walking by, looking in my window, and seeing me attempt to
dance. Rather, I just lean back in my chair and enjoy it. I might
spend a few seconds being amazed how good the iPod sounds, but that only
lasts a short time before I am totally listening to the music.


Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Physics
Bluffton University
Bluffton, OH 45817
(419)-358-3270
edmiston@bluffton.edu
_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l