[D922]

I have been downloading songs in Alltunes using the Monkeys Audo Format which is lossless. But when it is not offered I have downloaded songs in the WMA9 Q98 format. Somebody told me that this would be the next highest quality in sound but have noticed that some songs had distortion. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if it really is the best sound quality when using WMA9 or if I've been misinformed? Should I be using another format or another bit rate if I want the best quality in sound? I've tried to find info on the net, but can't seem to find a simple straight answer.

Any advice?

[ashsarhaz93]

Originally Posted by D922

I have been downloading songs in Alltunes using the Monkeys Audo Format which is lossless. But when it is not offered I have downloaded songs in the WMA9 Q98 format. Somebody told me that this would be the next highest quality in sound but have noticed that some songs had distortion. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if it really is the best sound quality when using WMA9 or if I've been misinformed? Should I be using another format or another bit rate if I want the best quality in sound? I've tried to find info on the net, but can't seem to find a simple straight answer.

Any advice?

Depends if it was originally recorded at that rate I.E. You can record a track at 320kbps, but if you are taking it from a track that was originally recorded at 128kbps you will get distortion.....

[Nightfly]

Originally Posted by D922

I have been downloading songs in Alltunes using the Monkeys Audo Format which is lossless. But when it is not offered I have downloaded songs in the WMA9 Q98 format. Somebody told me that this would be the next highest quality in sound but have noticed that some songs had distortion. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if it really is the best sound quality when using WMA9 or if I've been misinformed? Should I be using another format or another bit rate if I want the best quality in sound? I've tried to find info on the net, but can't seem to find a simple straight answer.

Any advice?

Have a tried a simple 320kps mp3 and see how you feel about the sound.
If you are using it for your home system, it might not do the trick, but for your computer and portable devices it should work and sound just fine.

[D922]

Thank you for that! I guess now I need to ask this question. When downloading a song off Alltunes, they give you a choice of the format you would like to download the song in (ie: mp3, wma, ape, etc). Is there any way to find out what the actual song your downloading is already encoded in before its encoded again and downloaded to you. I thought that they were all original cd wav files being converted into whatever format you picked. But I'm starting to get the feeling that thats not the case.

[Nightfly]

Originally Posted by D922

Thank you for that! I guess now I need to ask this question. When downloading a song off Alltunes, they give you a choice of the format you would like to download the song in (ie: mp3, wma, ape, etc). Is there any way to find out what the actual song your downloading is already encoded in before its encoded again and downloaded to you. I thought that they were all original cd wav files being converted into whatever format you picked. But I'm starting to get the feeling that thats not the case.

No,they have always had a reputation of quality though, if nothing else.

I no longer use Sparks, but when I did they were consistent in quality.

I think you need to pick a format that works for you and stay with it.

[Wren]

Originally Posted by D922

I thought that they were all original cd wav files being converted into whatever format you picked. But I'm starting to get the feeling that thats not the case.

why do you think this ?

don't forget the differences between OE/OEXX

[rolly]

Somebody told me that this would be the next highest quality in sound

You are comparing the quality of a lossless format (APE) to another supposedly lossless format (WMA9).
Lossless is lossless,and lossless means there is no loss in quality,no matter what the format.
There is no "next highest quality".

As for me,I wouldn't trust any Microsoft format including the WMA9 format to really be lossless.
It's just another futile attempt by Microsoft to take over the audio market with a propietory format,just like they tried to do with their failed HDCD.
For the record,wave (.wav) was not a Microsoft propietory format.
IBM was a joint developer.

The first version of the codec, WMA 9 Lossless, and its revisions support up to 96 kHz, 24-bit audio for up to 6 discrete channels (5.1 channel surround) with dynamic range compression control. While Microsoft claims that it provides a compression ratio of up to 3:1 for audio CD tracks,[35] ExtremeTech claim it "only achieves a compression ratio of about 2:1 on most musical tracks".

Sound quality claims

WMA has been subjected to a number of complaints. "Some audiophiles challenge Microsoft's claims regarding WMA's quality," according to a published article from EDN.[11] Another article from MP3 Developments wrote that Microsoft's claim about CD-quality audio at 64 kbit/s with WMA was "very far from the truth."

Stick with APE,Flac or WavPac.
I personally prefer Flac.

I thought that they were all original cd wav files being converted into whatever format you picked. But I'm starting to get the feeling that thats not the case.

Yeah.Maybe.That would be ideal.
Most of the time it is has always been very good quality,but I've also downloaded files that had clicks and pops in them from an obvious vinyl rip.
I've also downloaded files that sounded really,really bad.
So what?That's the real world.

One last word.
All the lossless formats mentioned are great,but if the source of the recording was no good,the lossless format itself doesn't mean squat now does it?
It is a very simple proceedure to convert a horrible sounding 64kbps .mp3 to any lossless format I choose.
And it will still sound horrible.

Don't automatically trust anybody because they say their files are lossless,and don't trust Microsoft when they say their new format is lossless.
Only when you have the original cd in your hands and you rip it yourself to a lossless format,like APE,Flac,or WavPak,can you be 100% sure.