This is older but I haven't seen it before. NPR did put up a blind test of several tracks in different genres in uncompressed WAV, 320Kps MP3, and 128Kps MP3. I never did anything like this before but always thought about trying to set something up but its seemed like it would be pretty big ordeal. I had also always been pretty skeptical that there was really much of a difference between FLAC and high-bit rate compressed audio, and pretty skeptical I'd be able to hear anything given that 99% of what I listen to is modern music and not what the typical audiophile listens to in their dedicated sound room.
Link to NPR test
I have to say I was pretty surprised when I took this, both in what I was able to hear, and also by how I heard things differently on different setups.
I ran though it twice on my livingroom speaker setup, a pair DIY Singularity speakers, NUC HTPC, and Pioneer A9 integrated amp with built in USB based Burr-Brown DAC, so pretty high-endish but not crazy (no room treatmeants or anything). On this setup I was able to pick out the Neil Young and Motzart lossless both times and it felt kinda easy, Jay-Z, and Katy Perry, Susan Vega I picked either 320 or lossless, Coldplay I really felt like I was guessing both times, this highly compressed song just didn't sound good on these speakers and I know I picked 128k once lol. This was done over the weekend and I only did it twice so I need to try again, which isn't enough to really indicate anything other than I could hear that 128k sounded worse than lossless and high quality MP3.
The other setup was my desktop setup which is a NuFroce Icon HDP hooked up USB, and Sony MDR-V6 and Grado SR80, so good but pretty basic (also have KRK V4s and JBL sub but I didn't try with that). I spent way more time with with this setup cause I could crank it late at night and ended up really only relying on results with the Sonys as the Grado's bass response was pretty pathetic and I wasn't really getting any other appreciable benefits vs. the Sonys in other areas, I probably need better headphones. I ran though this like 6-7 times with the headphones and the results where not at all what I expected. I really felt like I had to listen in more critical way vs. what just sounded obviously better on the speakers. I was not expecting that at all and frankly thought it would be a breeze on the headphones. Second is what I was listening for in the tracks on this setup wasn't really what I was thinking I would be hearing. In the Jay-Z track I was picking which track I thought had the best bass and I was able to pick lossless all but once, this was big surprise to me. Susan Vega was the same deal, lossless all but once and I was listening purely to the tone of her voice, none of the room reverb, or decay or anything like that, just voice. Katty Perry skewed more towards lossless but I had some 320 picks too and I felt like I was leaning on which track had the best vocals. Mozart was more of toss up between 320 and lossless and may have had a 128k pick, not sure whats going there as it seemed pretty easy on my Singularities. Coldplay was a mix but the more I went through the rounds I was able to pick 320 or lossless if I just listened to just Chris Martin's voice but I figured that out late in the game. The really weird one is with this setup was the Neil Young track and I have no explanation as to why this is the case but I actually picked 128K every time. Which means I wasn't making random picks but picking the worst quality track as the best sounding?, no clue as to what was happening there.
The tests take a while but I would encourage anyone that has ever been curious to try it and post your results. I will probably go through it again on both systems and actually track my results now that I know that I'm definitely able to hear something. Maybe swap out the DAC too as I recently picked up Schiit Modi and JDS Labs Atom.
The other take away I didn't expect is Katty Perry - Dark Horse sounds sick on my speakers so try it on high-end set of speakers if you have the chance lol.
Results System 1: Passively cooled Intel NUC > Pioneer Elite A9 integrated amp (built in USB Burr-Brown DAC) > Singularity tower speakers: Two runs 3/6 each time. Picked lossless on Neil Young and Mozart, 320 and lossless on Jay-Z and Katy Perry and Susan Vega, tossup on Cold Play.
Results System 2: Dekstop PC > Nuforce Icon HDP > Sony MDR-V6: Six runs about 50% overall picking lossless. Jay-Z picked lossless all but once, Susan Vegga lossless all but once, Katy Perry and Mozart 50/50 lossless and 320, Coldplay mostly lossless and 320, Neil Young 128 everytime.
Link to NPR test
I have to say I was pretty surprised when I took this, both in what I was able to hear, and also by how I heard things differently on different setups.
I ran though it twice on my livingroom speaker setup, a pair DIY Singularity speakers, NUC HTPC, and Pioneer A9 integrated amp with built in USB based Burr-Brown DAC, so pretty high-endish but not crazy (no room treatmeants or anything). On this setup I was able to pick out the Neil Young and Motzart lossless both times and it felt kinda easy, Jay-Z, and Katy Perry, Susan Vega I picked either 320 or lossless, Coldplay I really felt like I was guessing both times, this highly compressed song just didn't sound good on these speakers and I know I picked 128k once lol. This was done over the weekend and I only did it twice so I need to try again, which isn't enough to really indicate anything other than I could hear that 128k sounded worse than lossless and high quality MP3.
The other setup was my desktop setup which is a NuFroce Icon HDP hooked up USB, and Sony MDR-V6 and Grado SR80, so good but pretty basic (also have KRK V4s and JBL sub but I didn't try with that). I spent way more time with with this setup cause I could crank it late at night and ended up really only relying on results with the Sonys as the Grado's bass response was pretty pathetic and I wasn't really getting any other appreciable benefits vs. the Sonys in other areas, I probably need better headphones. I ran though this like 6-7 times with the headphones and the results where not at all what I expected. I really felt like I had to listen in more critical way vs. what just sounded obviously better on the speakers. I was not expecting that at all and frankly thought it would be a breeze on the headphones. Second is what I was listening for in the tracks on this setup wasn't really what I was thinking I would be hearing. In the Jay-Z track I was picking which track I thought had the best bass and I was able to pick lossless all but once, this was big surprise to me. Susan Vega was the same deal, lossless all but once and I was listening purely to the tone of her voice, none of the room reverb, or decay or anything like that, just voice. Katty Perry skewed more towards lossless but I had some 320 picks too and I felt like I was leaning on which track had the best vocals. Mozart was more of toss up between 320 and lossless and may have had a 128k pick, not sure whats going there as it seemed pretty easy on my Singularities. Coldplay was a mix but the more I went through the rounds I was able to pick 320 or lossless if I just listened to just Chris Martin's voice but I figured that out late in the game. The really weird one is with this setup was the Neil Young track and I have no explanation as to why this is the case but I actually picked 128K every time. Which means I wasn't making random picks but picking the worst quality track as the best sounding?, no clue as to what was happening there.
The tests take a while but I would encourage anyone that has ever been curious to try it and post your results. I will probably go through it again on both systems and actually track my results now that I know that I'm definitely able to hear something. Maybe swap out the DAC too as I recently picked up Schiit Modi and JDS Labs Atom.
The other take away I didn't expect is Katty Perry - Dark Horse sounds sick on my speakers so try it on high-end set of speakers if you have the chance lol.
Results System 1: Passively cooled Intel NUC > Pioneer Elite A9 integrated amp (built in USB Burr-Brown DAC) > Singularity tower speakers: Two runs 3/6 each time. Picked lossless on Neil Young and Mozart, 320 and lossless on Jay-Z and Katy Perry and Susan Vega, tossup on Cold Play.
Results System 2: Dekstop PC > Nuforce Icon HDP > Sony MDR-V6: Six runs about 50% overall picking lossless. Jay-Z picked lossless all but once, Susan Vegga lossless all but once, Katy Perry and Mozart 50/50 lossless and 320, Coldplay mostly lossless and 320, Neil Young 128 everytime.
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