Public Listening Test

[Doomulation]

Listening test. Who wants to participate?
This is a public listening test. If you want to participate, all you have to do is download the file below (ca 35 MB), the listen to the songs and decide which the files have good quality. You can select several options, so if you found quality acceptable at say, 32 kbps, then select the higher bitrates too for an accurate count. Compare the files against the original MP3 file and listen. If you hear no difference, then vote for that one. Of course, you can also post a comment as to which quality you found acceptable to listen to, but not perfect when comparing to the original file.
Note that there are different versions of the files. HE-AAC + PS, HE-AAC only and LC-AAC. They're the same compression, but still different. I ask that you at least listen to each of these three versions, because quality may vary at different bitrates for the three different versions.
Also, if you find quality acceptable at some bitrate, you really don't need to listen to the higher bitrates. They'll be perfect, too (but remember that if 32 kbps HE-AAC + PS sounds good to you, doesn't mean 32 kbps HE-AAC will, because they're different; though 40+ kbps HE-AAC + PS would sound perfect).
All files (except for the original) are encoded with AAC.

Oh and ignore HE-AAC @ 72 kbps, HE-AAC + PS @ 72 kbps, LC-AAC @ 24, 32, 40 kbps. I had to cut out some because the poll can only take 20 choices.
But if you really have to choose 'em (like HE-AAC only sounds good @ 72 kbps), then post it. Same goes for the low LC-AAC bitrates, only you can vote for the higher bitrates in the poll. But do post that you originally thought a lower was better.



IMPORTANT NOTE: To play back these files, please use ffdshow (download here) and set AAC decoding to libfaad2 for proper playback! If you do not, then I ask you not to vote since the results may be inaccurate.

http://www.eluni.net/temp/We Built T...tening Test.7z

File contains an original MP3 @ 320 kbps plus HE-AAC + PS @ 24-72 kbps, HE-AAC only (no PS) @ 24-72 and last, LC-AAC @ 24-104 kbps.
Let me know the results of the encodings. All encodings were done with Winamp's encoder, though LC-AAC was done through BeHappy.

Questions? Post 'em. I'll answer.
Don't worry, this isn't hard at all. Just use your ears

Discalimer: I am in no way responsible for what you do with these files. They are provided here by me for LISTENING TEST ONLY. All other uses are done at your own risk.

[t0rek]

I'm on the finals, I'll maybe try next week pal, sounds interesting

[mudlord]

Sounds cool, downloading the samples right now....


Good thing FB2K has a ABX function......

[Doomulation]

If it's absolutely necessary, I can strip out files and package them together into different files with smaller size. That way, you could only download the packages you think you'll need... But since upload is so slow, unless I get many demands to do it, I won't

[mudlord]

Okay...
LC-AAC 88
HE-AAC 64
HE-AAC PS 64

Those are the bitrates which I acheived transperancy with the AAC formats. The common compression artifact was a flattening of the treble frequencies, which at low bitrates, the artifacts were akin to MP3 at 128-160Kbps.

[Doomulation]

I see. But I find it strange that you would find HE-AAC with PS and not to be good at equal bitrate...
So what do you usually listen to with MP3 and just to be sure, you used the suggestion config, right?
And last, how good quality would you deem your speakers (or headphones) to be? Just thinking it might also be a factor to what you may think...

[mudlord]

So what do you usually listen to with MP3 and just to be sure, you used the suggestion config, right?

Yes, I did use the suggested config. I also used FB2K 0.9.3, which uses libFAAD2 for AAC playback. I retested each sound format 10 times with FB2K's ABX function, to make sure I wasnt getting placebo with my initial results.

And last, how good quality would you deem your speakers (or headphones) to be? Just thinking it might also be a factor to what you may think...

My headphones costed around $50 AUD. I don't use speakers. I'd daresay they are of decent quality.

[Doomulation]

Interesting information. We'll see if anyone else is interested in participating, so we can compare the results...
Though you never did mention what you usually listen to mp3 at.

[Doomulation]

Tsch. There appears to be a BUG in the encoder. HE-AAC + PS and HE-AAC (no PS) are only silence!
I'm uploading another package to remove the irrelevant files plus the corrupt 40 kbps files.
Filesize is now 31 MB as opposed to 35.4 MB. Link as the same as before.
And if anyone would be so kind as to remove "HE-AAC + PS @ 40 kbps" and "HE-AAC (no PS) @ 40 kbps" from the poll, that would be terrific.

[mudlord]

Though you never did mention what you usually listen to mp3 at.

Well, if you are wondering, I use 170Kbps VBR normally for encoding to MP3. I find that 160Kbps and below has too much compression artifacts for me to stand.