What’s your favorite way to listen to music? Maybe you prefer a quiet room, wearing headphones or listening to vinyl records. One thing is for sure, you don’t want to hear some compressed MP3 on your phone, right? Apple, Amazon, and Tidal offer “lossless audio,” claiming users can “hear the exact same sound the artist created in the studio.”However, this is a myth Lossless audio objectively sounds better Than MP3 and Most users can’t tell the difference not at all.
In 2014, Gizmodo asked readers Can they differentiate between “lossless audio” and MP3 files. More than 380 readers commented on this story, many of whom shared their scores on the simple test. The average reviewer score is 56%, which means whether users can hear the difference is basically random.Although the sample size is small, it also confirms this others found out.
The main difference between lossless audio and MP3 is the file size. “Lossless” means that it is the same size as the original track created in the studio and is usually stored as a WAV file. The problem is that these files are large and difficult to share on the Internet. MP3 was born to solve this problem Back to 1987compress larger files to the most important parts.
“The purpose of compression is to throw away all the data that humans can’t hear normally,” says Tony Churnside, a BBC broadcast consultant with a PhD in audio. “Ideally no one can hear these discarded details, but some would say you can.”
Churnside uses lossless files in his technical work on audio production, but the reasons are more complicated than just because they “sound better.” Audio engineers work very hard to ensure that your MP3 sounds as good as the original WAV.
“The quality of the audio formats you’re using are much higher than anyone can really tell. But that’s because you’re doing math and signal processing on those sounds, and that can lead to performance degradation,” Churnside said.
Even if you’re listening to lossless audio, your music will still be compressed if you use Bluetooth.recent trends indicate 68% of consumers use Bluetooth headsetsFor example Apple AirPods Popularity soared. Bluetooth works by compressing audio, but the compression is often poor and degrades the audio quality no matter how good it is.
For most listeners, lossless audio isn’t worth the trouble, but it’s still considered the gold standard. Spotify comes under heavy criticism Lossless music streaming promised three years ago, and still nowhere to be found. Maybe Spotify decided it wasn’t worth the trouble.
origin of myth
The belief that MP3 files are of inferior quality stems from the idea of compression. MP3 files are smaller than WAV files, so they are considered to have less detail and less rich sound. The term “lossless audio” also casts a shadow over MP3s, making it sound like they’re missing something. Technically, they’re losing a lot of data, but the compressed files are pulling away frequencies that are essentially inaudible to humans.
Apple starts offering Lossless Audio at WWDC 2021.This was most likely done to snatch some audiophiles back from there Amazon Musiclossless music was added in 2019, or tidal, The company first offered this service in 2014. However, it’s unclear whether Apple’s reality-distorting marketing approach is effective.
“The soul and life of a mix lies in the extra bits of data stored in the lossless file,” says one mastering engineer. Apple Press Release 2021. “Being able to deliver music to listeners at the highest quality is the ultimate goal of what I do every day.”
It’s a beautiful sentiment, but Apple and Amazon’s “lossless audio” is also actually compressed. The files they use are called ALAC or FLAC files, and they are of better quality than MP3, but the files are slightly larger. When playing, the algorithm restores the file to its original size for playback at “full quality”. Note, however, that all of these changes in quality are imperceptible to the average listener.
I’m sure some audiophiles can tell or claim to be able to tell the difference between these music files, but they may have to look for it. At that time, were you still listening to music?I think one Gizmodo commenter put it best below This article from 2014 When they say:
“Reminds me of the difference between a music lover and an audiophile. A music lover listens to music on his sound system. An audiophile listens to music on his sound system.”
why it is so common
The superiority of lossless audio comes from an honest place. People want to get the most out of their music systems, probably because they are music lovers at heart. It’s part of a musical ritual, like listening to vinyl records or wearing special headphones. It can be a little difficult, but it’s a labor of love.
However, part of it is just marketing. Audiophiles swear by things like gold-plated cables, unoxidized copper wire, and even lossless audio. Apple and Amazon sell this feature to make you believe that their streaming services sound the best, but that’s not necessarily true.
Churnside says there are some simple things you can do to meaningfully improve your audio experience. Using high-quality wired headphones is one of them, but having a quiet, calm listening environment will greatly improve your hearing.
“If you’re listening to it on the subway to work, it’s a lot different than sitting in a quiet room at home and listening to it with no noise at all,” Chirnside said.
If you’re looking for the best sound experience, your MP3 music may be enough. Less is more, and your listening equipment and environment have the biggest impact on your audio experience.