How do I get the best quality MP3s?

[waxcylinder]

The algorithms, or libraries for good sounding, fast MP3 encoding are held by Fraunhofer. Everybody else uses lame.

Here's a good page on the relationships of the partners.

http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=253239

Apparently, Windows Media 10 and Apple iTunes both use a very good implementation of Faunhofer MP3.

Koz

this quote is lifted from a different thread


Koz,
does this mean that if I wanted to upgrade my MP3s created from Audacity/LAME currently at 192 to say 256 or even 320, then I would be better off passing them through iTunes, WMP10 or a commercially availbale MP3 encoder - rather than re-importing the WAVs into Audacity and then out through LAME?
What's the best way to get best quality MP3s (and please don't say use the WAVs - even the 160gB iPod classic isn't big enough yet - but I am keeping the WAVs for when the portable discs, or whatever, become even bigger).

WC

[kozikowski]

You can't "upgrade" MP3s. You throw them away and make new ones at a higher bitrate from your WAV files which is why I stress stressfully that you capture in the very highest quality you can lay your hands on--and not a compressed format. You can always go downhill but it's a one-way road.

If you have real iPod/iTunes, stop using MP3. Apple AAC compression is much more efficient. The same sound quality at a lower bitrate, or much higher quality at the same bitrate--or something in the middle. Again, it only works if you start with your top quality WAV captures.

Koz

[alatham]

I agree about AAC files, they're certainly nicer. But do remember that Audacity cannot open them as of now. Perhaps in future versions, but I'm not sure how the licensing for the technology works.

[waxcylinder]

I do always keep the WAVs too so I retain the highest quality for later manipulation/compression (I suppose I was unclear in my posting about "upgrading" - I did mean recompression from WAV) - I do have a real iPod/iTunes and have been making MP3s at 192 thus far - on the basis that those files are more portable than AAC. All my CD's that I have ripped are ripped as AAC at 192.

Sooo...... how, bearing in mind both, Koz' and Alatham's comments, how do I go about transforming a WAV file into a compressed AAC file - and what bitrate is recommended?

WC

[alatham]

I don't make AAC files anymore, since my Creative Zen won't play them

But when I did I used Winamp, at a rate of 224 kbps (this is probably overkill). I never used Winamp to convert wavs directly though, I'm not sure how to do that off-hand.