MP3 Players = Shit Sound?

[(__Joonas__)]

I've used a portable CD player always. I buy CDs. I don't like this downloading crap. I get no satisfaction from downloaded metal music. Downloading works with computer music but not with metal music. Now I'm thinking of buying an MP3 player so I can carry more than one album.

The problem:

When I see an MP3 player review, they've got all these fancy cameras and online surf modes and flashlights and beard shaving modes and alarm clocks and GPS and other fucking toys. They hardly MENTION the sound.

I gave a try to a Creative Zen. The sound SUCKED. It was super trebly; if I could hear something so would everyone else within 10 meters of me.

I use Koss Porta Pro headphones, the best I've yet come across. When I listen to metal I want to feel the bass smashing against my ears and the blazing guitar solos putting my eardrums to test. I refuse to listen to angry music without appropriate power.

So where's the problem? I have 100 original CD's copied to my computer with Windows Media Player in MP3 mode and max quality. I have tried an iPhone where the music power almost matched a CD player. Have I copied my CDs in wrong mode, or did I just try a crappy MP3-player?

 

[vikk]

hater's going to hate but i love my Ipod Nano. it was made for music and that is it. Also is small, light weight and compact.

having to use i tunes to transfer the music is not that much of a hassle

 

[EddyRX10]

Have you tried changing the equalizer on said MP3 players? My iPod is boss

 

[Undefined]

Grow up.

 

[Ensi]

The nineties called they want their CD player back.

 

[Crzy_Aus]

They call it teh EQs. Use them.

I have a Creative ZEN (older model) and it can get you just about any sound. You just gotta set it up right.

On another note, the overall quality will always be worse than on a CD unless you use some sort of lossless conversion. Most MP3 players don't support those though. Then again, the difference is virtually indistinguishable to human ears anyway.

Also

angry music

lulwat

 

[Undefined]

You're saying the human ear can't tell the difference between compressed files and lossless? Get your fucking brain checked if so.

If you're saying you can convert mp3 to lossless, also get your brain checked. Once that shit is compressed, the info it "sheds" is gone forever.

 

[Macharius]

You're not cool enough for an mp3 player. Stick to cd's so we can distinguish you from the cool kids.

 

[Crzy_Aus]

virtually indistinguishable

@Undefined: Can't you read? There is difference, but it's not significant for most popular music anyway.

If you're saying you can convert mp3 to lossless, also get your brain checked.

Where didja pull that out of? Your ass? Again, learn to fucking read dude.

 

[vikk]

you're saying that the type of music influences in the quality of the mp3/lossless?

 

[(__Joonas__)]

The thing is most people especially young ones who've been used to mp3 players / downloading the past ten years have got used to crappy sounds. I want CD quality in power, loudness, and clarity, but I still don't know if an mp3-player can grant something like that or not and where the fault is.

 

[Ensi]

Just get an MP3 player, jesus, they play MP3 files, make sure to rip/acquire 320kbps ones. Or if you're a faggot you can go get some fancy ass MP3 player that plays FLAC and get an amp for said mp3 player.

 

[CliffBurton]

So where's the problem?

Your headphones. Be prepared to drop a shitload of cash for good headphones. I listened to some Beats By Dre headset(the small one) and it was phenomenal. I just use Skullcandy Earbuds. $20, sound is acceptable and the rubber ear-peices block all sound around me. The chord will break pretty easy though, look at going through 2-3 pairs a year if you are taking good care of them.

All this, or its the EQ. Your CD player works the same way as an MP3 player, only its getting the tracks off a hard-drive disc rather than a compact disc (CD), so the blame isn't in MP3 players.

The thing is most people especially young ones who've been used to mp3 players / downloading the past ten years have got used to crappy sounds.

No. If anything, your ears are shitty and you couldn't tell the difference between 128 and 320, but I'm going to ASSUME that it inst the issue.

@Undefined: Can't you read? There is difference, but it's not significant for most popular music anyway.

No. Again, if you think this, than you're ears are fucked, or need to stop getting your music from Youtube.

Where didja pull that out of?

I'm going to assume he pulled it out of official audio/video eductaion, instead of just being a fat kid who read it on a website.

 

[Flappy]

Find a Creative Zen Vision:M. It's big and fat but in my opinion a great mp3 player. Have had one for about 5 years and it still does the job like the first day I got it.

 

[s]

The nineties called they want their CD player back.

You think that's bad, I have a couple of friends going around getting their hands on as many cassette tapes (of Metal bands) as they can.

Vinyl I can understand but cassettes?

s

 

[children of COB]

Ok Joonas let's go over some basics:

Nº1: A CD player? Quit that now dude, today's mp3 players, if good, sound just as good, are 10x smaller and can carry a shitload of albums. You just need to spend more than 50€ on it. But it's well worth it.

Nº2: Which Creative did you try? Because I've had like 3 of them and all sounded amazing.

Nº3: I haven't tried your earphones, but I'm sorry they look wrong. If you want the bass to really hit you and to hear everything crystal clear, the first step are in-ear headphones, small and with rubber ear pieces that avoid most of the outside sound. They also have to be of good quality, but for some 50€ you can have them.

Nº4: When ripping the music to Windos Media, always select a bitrate of 192 to 320, not lower, and you should be fine.

Ok, basics done, I'm going to suggest you a package that should do for you. I hate crappy sounds and crappy earphones too, so you can trust me, they do sound good.

PLAYER:
Sony NWZ Series: this link will get you to the top line of Sony, great sound quality, three models depending on how much gB you want.
Creative Zen X-Fi2: high end Creative player that supports FLAC (Lossless Audio Codec) if you want to give that a go.
iPod Classic: name says it all, THE iPod, 160gB, GREAT sound and if you want you can also put videos and stuff. It's a bit bulky (a bit bigger than a mobile phone but not much, both fit perfectly in one pocket together) but really good. There are other iPods, but since you carry around a CD player I don't think the size of the Classic would be an issue and it is really good.

EARPHONES:
Sennheiser CX300 Precisson: the awesomeness. For some 40-50€ they sound extremely good, no annoying DJ-extra bass to it, crystal clear sound and great isolation.
Sony MDR-EX77LP: really really clear sound, good fit, good isolation and same price range as the Sennheiser, I don't think you can go wrong with this ones. I've had one of the lower ones (the 33LP) and already sounded really good, so this should be even better and clearer I guess.


I myself have the iPod Classic (160gB) and I've had the CX300 (also got once the CX200, bad mistake, they have extra bass that I found annoying, with those I had always the bass reducer on) and the Sony MDR-EX33LP which were really good so those can only be better. The original iPod earphones aren't even unwrapped, no isolation no point on even trying them for me. You can't go wrong with any of the ones I've told you, you'll have crystal clear sound, powerful yet not "kill the rest sound like a ball" bass and outside noise cancellation which makes for a much better listening experience.

 

[Lowberg]

I got a pair of large Sennheiser's for like $60 a while back, i think they've discontinued the particular model but I would recommend the brand.

It's got some nice features that have prevented me from breaking them too.

The ear cups snap off the headband part, and the cords have little jacks that plug into the ear cups. So if the cord gets stuck on something, or I step on it while trying to walk it just unplugs the cord from the headphones instead of ripping the cord

 

[Muffin]

MP3 =! Shit sound

It's not perfect, but it's damn well good enough for practically all purposes except using them in mixes/high end mixes when you use over 200kpbs, preferably 320
I'm on studio monitors(like some other forum members here, im sure) and I can tell you that there is a difference between MP3 and the lossless formats like WAV or FLAC, but at 320kbps you can barely distinguish it, if at all.

One thing i noticed after getting them, is that Youtube quality music is full retard in almost all cases. Treble area is overdriven in 95% of the cases, gnarly sound of fail. Avoid youtube rips like the plague.

Other than that, it's as other people have mentioned before me. Creative are fine players, its most likely a combination of your speaker system, quality of audio files, and EQing issues. Also to really "feel" the bass, you really gotta get buds or those huge studio earphones. The latter ones are most likely gonna drain your battery like a bitch though. Get good buds, dig them in there, and you'll be fine.


@s: dude i know what you mean with the casettes, i dont know anyone who collects them, but i've got a mate who records almost every song he makes onto casette. Something about "nostalgia"

 

[zirkonflex]

I just didn't read through all of this but fuck everyone who says that MP3 sounds bad or is noticably different then lossless.
Its just fucking NOT TRUE.
Some of the best listeners in the world (working at audio manufacturers for judging purposes) where challenged to spot the differences once and they where very barely able to do so, constatly mixing the MP3's up with the "real" audio files.
Thats probably same as people who say they can feel "mobile phone radiation".
Its just a myth.
MP3 comrpession in just like movie framerates.
You'll be able to spot it when its overdone (like a watching a 15 fps movie), but above 25 frames you just can't tell the difference because of our human restraints.

It may be badly. or overdone in most cases, but professionally applied compression (which is expensive) can't be noticed without training and extremely good speakers.
For all of us loud music listening, guitar playing and even record producing guys this is completely out of the range for our tortured ears.

 

[Crzy_Aus]

I'm going to assume he pulled it out of official audio/video eductaion, instead of just being a fat kid who read it on a website.

So official audio education now allows you to read into people's posts something they never said? Or maybe CliffBurton needs to go back to reading classes, too.

No. Again, if you think this, than you're ears are fucked, or need to stop getting your music from Youtube.

It's not perfect, but it's damn well good enough for practically all purposes except using them in mixes/high end mixes when you use over 200kpbs, preferably 320
I'm on studio monitors(like some other forum members here, im sure) and I can tell you that there is a difference between MP3 and the lossless formats like WAV or FLAC, but at 320kbps you can barely distinguish it, if at all.

I'm not sure what's so hard to grasp about this, Cliff. What part of saying that lossless v. HQ mp3 is "not a significant difference" makes people's ears fucked? Stop deliberately trolling, plox.

So yeah, Joonas, as Muffin said, make sure you make good rips of the music, at least 256, and preferably 320kbps.

you're saying that the type of music influences in the quality of the mp3/lossless?

Yes, IMO the perceived difference in quality will not be as significant in music that's blasting one bass note throughout as opposed to a composition that utilizes a greater range of sounds and timbres of multiple different instruments (e.g. shitty party music vs. classical symphony). But I guess this depends more on subjective value than anything else.


Finally, gotta agree w/ COCOB, for "blasting bass" you need in-ear earphones. I personally prefer headphones like yours, but they won't really give you that effect you're looking for.

The thing is most people especially young ones who've been used to mp3 players / downloading the past ten years have got used to crappy sounds.

What's stopping you from doing the same?

Vinyl I can understand but cassettes?

Probably some silly collector reasons. I don't see why, otherwise, cause cassettes usually weren't that great in sound quality and are especially problematic to keep in good condition.