[Arny Krueger]

"Sonnova" wrote in message

On Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:45:33 -0800, Steven Sullivan wrote
(in article ):

Sonnova wrote:

Depends on the music. I can always tell an MP3 on
classical,

Color me skeptical. 'Classical' isn't necessarily harder
to encode than nonclassical music.

Why don't I color you "not thinking about it enough"
instead? No, classical isn't necessarily harder to encode
than pop. But because of the much larger dynamic range of
classical music (ppp to fff) it's easier to hear the
artifacts than with pop and rock which tends to run the
gamut from ff to fff! While this isn't always the case
with pop, it is with the vast majority of it. The limited
dynamic range (read that LOUD) that most pop music has
masks most of the audible artifacts.

Doesn't wash. Dynamic range is often the enemy of the audibility of
artifacts.

Also, the idea that pop music necessarily has limited dynamic range is yet
another old high end audiophile's tale. Classical music has some built-in
limitations on dynamic range. While there might be some creschendos and a
few sonic spectaculars, most of it is pretty tame from a dynamic range
standpoint. Because orchestral music has to be recorded in large rooms with
something like 100 people in attendance, and distant micing is the style,
the noise floor is higher than what can be achieved in a well-isolated
studio with a few closely-miced musicians.

If I could ensure you wouldn't use any wav analysis
tricks to identify the mp3 from source, I'd be happy to
test your hearing on this.

Since this poster uses a handle, and not a legal name, he would probably not
to want to submit to any proctored tests.

It's not that hard. Believe me, when the dynamic range
changes suddenly there is an accompanying, uncorrolated
artifact that is as unmistakable as it is unpleasant that
you cannot miss once you've heard it.

I've heard that story many times, too. It's another thing we hear right
before the random guessing starts! ;-)

You don't actually think that a lossy compression
algorithm could throw portions of the waveform away
without it being noticeable at least occasionally, do you?

Sure why not? Or, don't you believe in masking?