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Can you tell the difference between 96/24 and 44/16 and mp3?

24 and 16 bits FLACs, no can tell. Ditto same files with varying degrees of FLAC compression.

MP3 and 4s @320 compared to above, yes can tell the lossy algorithms at work.
 
I can tell the difference between Spotify's 320 kbps, Apple's AAC 256 kbps and CD. The lossy compression loses many ambiance details like stage depth, on classical mainly. You can't hear as much venue details. For example, the organ that sits very far at the other end of the venue. It becomes something between the speakers, bad.

On rock music, telling them apart is nigh on impossible.

As for 44 v. 96, definitely no. I can't hear anything above 13 kHz. Can you?
 
chartz said:
I can tell the difference between Spotify's 320 kbps, Apple's AAC 256 kbps and CD. The lossy compression loses many ambiance details like stage depth, on classical mainly. You cna't hear as much venue details.
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And you are sure the difference isn't in the source material?

As for 44 v. 96, definitely no. I can't hear anything above 13 kHz. Can you?
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After too much of loud concerts, motorcycles, open cars and small aeroplanes (and lots of years), no.
 
Julf said:
Have you ABXed them using the foobar2000 plugin? Of course it still requires trusting 2l.
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No. I don't use foobar. As for trust yes but I have in my business travels learnt that Norway is probably the least corrupt country I have been. In fact my business experience of countries seems to indicate that as you move South in the Northern hemisphere corruption tends to increase. So if you can't trust 2L who can you trust?

This site gives people the chance to try the different formats for themselves. However there is another variable - the kit used to play this stuff. It may well be that top end kit gives a different order than something a little more affordable. So as ever I don't expect a black/white answer.

Cheers,

DV
 
Darth Vader said:
No. I don't use foobar.
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Might be worth it just for that plugin.

As for trust yes but I have in my business travels learnt that Norway is probably the least corrupt country I have been. In fact my business experience of countries seems to indicate that as you move South in the Northern hemisphere corruption tends to increase.
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I would agree, but then again I come from Finland. :)

This site gives people the chance to try the different formats for themselves. However there is another variable - the kit used to play this stuff. It may well be that top end kit gives a different order than something a little more affordable. So as ever I don't expect a black/white answer.
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So cheaper gear would make lossy sound better than lossless?
 
Julf said:
How about taking the CD rip and converting it yourself, just in case Spotify or Apple apply volume adjustment?
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Yes, I've done that before. This leads to the same result: a lack of stage depth on classical.
No differences on less demanding music.
 
If you mean ABXing versions of the same source file in the same player, no ... I’ve tried and failed.

Apple Music or Spotify vs 16/44 on my playback system, I believed I heard clear differences sighted. Blind was trickier but still possible depending on the tracks used. But these differences are not just about the compression codec.
 
Heckyman said:
No but I agree it’s the lack of spatial information that tends to be the giveaway.
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Exactly my experience since I got my first iPod back in 2004. It sounded excellent with uncompressed AIFF, indiscernible from CD.
 
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