Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems MP3: Lossy vs. Lossless

I used iTunes to convert wave files and 192kbps MP3 to 128kbps AAC files. The MP3 are mainly radio programmes, documentaries and dramas. The streaming is 64kbits so I am not gaining or loosing saving as 128kbps AAC files. If I could make live recordings from FM the quality would normally be better.

The AAC files are listened to on mobile phones, netbooks and laptops with fairly good ear phones.

Vinyl, CDs and even cassette tapes I save as wave files. No metadata so have to be careful about choice of file names. I scan album covers as JPEG and have to patch two scans to cover the 12+ x 12+ " album covers and sleeve notes. An external USB DAC is the source for the 101B/M1MkII.

1Tb of audio files compresses to 100Gb of iTune AAC files which is more than the capacity spare of any of my mobile devices. When capacity goes up or compression is better I can convert from uncompressed files to a different format.

You have to judge by your own ears, which you have trained by what you are used to listening to. The majority of my listening experience is FM radio (without which I wouldn't know what music to buy), digital Freeview/Freesat and BBC iPlayer. These digital media are all compressed and only sound good when you can't compare them to the original material (including CD).