listening to mp3 files?

[bass69]

Just wondering if you people buy these $150-$300 headphones and use it to listen mp3 files. Do the headphones increase the quality of sound? Do the majority of u listen to mp3 or another file?

I'm thinking of buying an expensive set of headphones but dont know if it's worth it if i just use it to listen to mp3 files on my ipod.

[beachgardener]

from original to .flac, .wav, .wv, .ape are the usuals for me, no .mp3. i don't use portable music players only headphones at the computer, although i think (not sure) some portables recognise .flac and .ogg

[matt_d_19]

Using mp3 files on $150-300 headphones is ok. Sure, they're not as good as lossless files, but I have some mp3 files that I listen to through my mspros. It's definitely not worth changing your whole music library for.

It would be more important to change your source for headphones around $300. An iPod will be the limiting factor more so than an mp3 file. It would be worth looking at soundcards, amp/DAC combos or portable players with better audio components than an iPod. Like a Sansa clip or a Cowon player.

[cloughie]

MP3 files should be fine as long as they are well encoded at a decent bit rate and should be indistinguishable from CD.

I wouldn't spend too much on a headphone just for an iPod but my MS-Pros do sound very good from an iPod and better than any other of my headphones.

The MS-1, DT440 or any of the recommended portables would be good choices from an iPod.

[Drubbing]

I use 224-320. It's perfectly excellent with $400 headphones. I can't tell the diff between those and lossless, so don't bother filling up my iPod/PC with big files,

[droenn]

If I A/B some mp3s against flac I can hear the differences, but its so minimal (like a tiny bit more extension on a cymbal or something) that it doesn't matter. Its probably just confirmation bias though. There is a foobar plugin that can A/B you mp3 vs flac at random and you have to say which is which.

I do like to keep a lot of my library in .flac though, as mp3s degrade a little with every play.










trolololol

[grahamnp]

I use 320 mp3s/AACs and they are fine. To be honest, there is an appreciable difference even when listening to internet radio at 64kbps, you just won't be getting the best there can be. I don't think the quality of the source material will hugely limit the performance of your headphones.

[jaz]

as mp3s degrade a little with every play.

really? I find that hard to believe.

[Drubbing]

small print...

[droenn]

There was a pretty funny page a while back that had a whole thing about mp3 degradation, I think a lot of people bought it.

Even if you search for "mp3 degradation over time" in the googs, there are some pretty funny forum debates.

[mallethead]

Using mp3 files on $150-300 headphones is ok. Sure, they're not as good as lossless files, but I have some mp3 files that I listen to through my mspros. It's definitely not worth changing your whole music library for.

Bitrate is the factor to consider when comparing Mp3 to lossless format.
I can't pick any difference between 256kbps MP3 (that I convert into for use on my phone) and FLAC (that I rip CD to PC in)
Hydrogenaudio has a stack of stuck on this.

It would be more important to change your source for headphones around $300. An iPod will be the limiting factor more so than an mp3 file. It would be worth looking at soundcards, amp/DAC combos or portable players with better audio components than an iPod. Like a Sansa clip or a Cowon player.

Trying to get higher bit rate MP3 files (at least 196kbps for me) will provide a pretty quick improvement IMO and he may want to take this into account with a headphone upgrade.
Better headphones won't necessarily = better sound if he is using lower quality files (128kbps and under for me). My AD900's reproduce the compression ( it's sounds like it's underwater) better and so it sounds worse. I'm better of using lower range 'phones if I have to listen to it.

The original post is about music file formats and headphone upgrade for use with his iPod - WTF is the point of suggesting source upgrade, dac/amps or change in player?

[matt_d_19]

Trying to get higher bit rate MP3 files (at least 196kbps for me) will provide a pretty quick improvement IMO and he may want to take this into account with a headphone upgrade.
Better headphones won't necessarily = better sound if he is using lower quality files (128kbps and under for me). My AD900's reproduce the compression ( it's sounds like it's underwater) better and so it sounds worse. I'm better of using lower range 'phones if I have to listen to it.

He never said that he was using low quality mp3 files.
Also, just informing you, your AD900s wouldn't make any sound underwater.

The original post is about music file formats and headphone upgrade for use with his iPod - WTF is the point of suggesting source upgrade, dac/amps or change in player?

I'm thinking of buying an expensive set of headphones but dont know if it's worth it if i just use it to listen to mp3 files on my ipod.

The part "...mp3 files on my ipod" suggests that he considers the iPod part of what could be the limiting factor.
So, upgrading his iPod (to something decent) would make a greater difference to sound quality than using lossless music files.

[GougMan]

MP3 files from an iPod should sound ok when listening through decent headphones. Saying that though, if you look at getting some $400/500 upwards headphones, then I would suggest they would greatly benefit and perform more optimally with a better setup i.e. good sound card (if using a pc) or a good dac/amp and using something like FLAC instead of MP3.

I use both MP3 and FLAC on my Cowon player and I can definitely tell a difference in the quality between the two.

[cloughie]

I use both MP3 and FLAC on my Cowon player and I can definitely tell a difference in the quality between the two.

You really need to compare the same file with different encoding or you can be fooled. When I hear songs that don't sound right it's usually the original recording or low bitrate encoding.

[mallethead]

Also, just informing you, your AD900s wouldn't make any sound underwater

I hope that was a joke?