iPod Loose quality from aac256 to aac 192? Which better?

[gusious]

Hello.

I was wandering if converting songs(bought from itunes store) which are AAC 256 to AAC 192 can cause loss of quality. I'm doing this because i want to save storage for my 2GB ipod shuffle.


Also is there any noticeable difference between an AAC 256 and an AAC 192? I just want to hear some opinions.

 

[Jolly Jimmy]

Never convert between lossy formats such as AAC and MP3, there will always be a loss in quality.

 

[dXTC]

Yes, there is a loss in quality. Lowering the bitrate means that there is less data per second to store audio detail, thus the resulting audio is not as clear-sounding. This is true in nearly every lossy format (MP3 vs AAC vs WMA vs Ogg). "Transcoding", i.e. going from one lossy format to another, makes the problem even worse.

For casual listeners, it may not make much difference. To us musicians and other serious music lovers, it's sometimes distractingly noticeable.

However, since you're using a 2Gb shuffle, space becomes a premium consideration and may override the need for higher audio quality. I think it would be OK to convert those files, especially ones you didn't purchase from the iTunes store. (If you do convert purchased songs, keep the originals!)

 

[irmongoose]

I think iTunes has the automatic-transcoding-during-sync feature for shuffles, no?

Next time you sync your shuffle, take a look under Settings.



irmongoose

 

[sbking]

There will ALWAYS be loss of quality when you convert something to a lossy format. Whether you can notice the loss of quality is a different matter. I personally try to avoid converting lossy to lossy.

 

[gusious]

I rip my cds in FLAC and then convert them at whatever i want.

Well there is an option in Shuffle that says i can convert the music i import into the suffle at AAC 128. But i've never tried that because i don't know when i sync it with iTunes if my music will be changed (i mean if on my ipod my music,which will be at 128,will change my library with the 256 or 192 songs to 128) or information like how many times i've listened to this song will only be synced with the app. Do you guys know?

 

[Galley]

I rip my cds in FLAC and then convert them at whatever i want.

Well there is an option in Shuffle that says i can convert the music i import into the suffle at AAC 128. But i've never tried that because i don't know when i sync it with iTunes if my music will be changed (i mean if on my ipod my music,which will be at 128,will change my library with the 256 or 192 songs to 128) or information like how many times i've listened to this song will only be synced with the app. Do you guys know?

The original file is left alone, a copy is transcoded to 128Kbps, and sent to the shuffle. Yes, playcounts, etc. still work.

 

[Muncher]

If you're listening using apple earbuds, you won't be able to tell the difference between 128kbps and 256. Higher quality earbuds require higher quality music - I try not to use anything under 192 when I'm using my good 'buds (see sig) because the muddiness bothers me.

 

[gusious]

Wow sweet! That's wonderful! Thanks guys!

Edit:Yes Muncher,i use the typical earbuds that came with the Shuffle.