Blind Test: mp3 vs. 24bit


Hello Audiogon Members~
PMA magazine is conducting a study to see if we can hear which is better between an mp3 and a 24/96 file in a side-by-side comparison. So far, the results are surprising. If we all participate, we’ll know the truth. It’s also a fun test. Please go to the page below to participate:

https://www.pmamedia.org/en/home/can-you-hear-the-difference


johnson0134
Close but the discussed mp3's are not quite as good on my system. I'm curious, what's your point of this comparison? 

Hello everyone! The results are out. The 24-bit was chosen correctly about 53% of the time, which means 47% of the answers were wrong. This is coin-toss territory. You can read the full summary here: 

 

Wow, that’s close.

When you consider the fact that the MP3 versions were between 220~260kbps, and not the highest available, 320kbps, then you can see the disparagement of MP3 for what it’s worth.

As I said 12 months ago, it would appear that once you get above 192kbps it becomes very difficult to distinguish MP3 from anything higher.

Even all the way up to 24/96!

I find these A/B tests futile. The real test, at least for me, is to listen to a familiar song/album at the higher resolution, then the same at the mp3 (or whatever). Your ears will tell you which is the lesser quality - the song won't sound "right", maybe a little fuzzy or maybe missing some detail. This approach also works with streaming - stream a familiar song and I can hear a subtle difference vs a cd, etc, although equipment may play a bigger role in this than the actual resolution. just my 2 cents.