[olug] $10 / 2GB MP3 player for Linux

[Will Langford]

> I blame the bit rate then of your MP3s/OGGs.  At 256 kbits/second for either of them I cannot discern *any* difference
> between them versus the CD it was burned from.  Or to be really hard core max it out at 320 kbits/second.
>
> I'd be very surprised if you can *reliably* pick out the MP3/OGG from the CD in such a battle.

256/320 does improve the quality a bit, but its a matter of a
fundamental difference in the sound, not just 'missing information' or
anything else 'lossy' related.  Still quite noticeable to me.  With
AAC, it's much more difficult for me to perceive the difference,
whatever formula it uses for the encoding fits my head/ears better.
Some find cajun food not all that, others find it unbearably so... or
you can argue different types of catsup or brands / styles of salt....

I'm not trying to say I have super great ears or anything, just that
whatever algorithm is used makes a very noticable kind of garden hose
or shower curtain sound to me.  Kinda like people having different
taste buds or slightly different color perception.  I've tried all
flavors of encoders for mp3 and various settings on them and ogg and
wma, and it just ... don't fit me.  On a cheesey speaker/stereo setup,
it's much less noticeable but still there.  I've done blind tests via
software that picks random encodings and stuff, and nail mp3/ogg/wma
vs cd every time.

It's not a particularly good thing, being bound to an Apple world for
digital non-FLAC music isn't a great thing.  I would love to actively
use a possibly different portable or have the option for a different
lossy format in a computer accessed way... just.. isn't going to
happen yet.

-Will