These three files are of the same 57-second piece of music. One was ripped to FLAC, one was ripped to a 75%-quality WMA and one was ripped to a 10%-quality WMA:
When you look at the original file sizes involved, the FLAC is 3MB, the 75% WMA is 510KB and the 10% WMA is just 200KB.
However, I’ve now converted all three files back to [uncompressed] WAV, so that -give or take a dozen bytes or so- all file sizes are pretty much identical (9MB or thereabouts). You won’t be able to tell which is which just by comparing file size, in other words, but each has been encoded at wildly different quality levels.
So the question is, can you tell which file is which, just by listening (checking the wave form in something like Audacity is not allowed!)?
My “guess”:
File 1: 75% WMA
File 2: 10% WMA
File 3: FLAC
And now you’re gonna say: I tricked you, they’re all the same…
39 yo
After listening to the three files in the not quite so quiet enough kitchen, I’d agree with the first respondent:
File 1: 75% WMA
File 2: 10% WMA
File 3: FLAC
There is much more detail in the third snippet.
No, no: no tricks. They really are as described. I’m curious who can hear what differences, that’s all. (I think if you felt able to add “an indication” of your age, that would be useful, too: I am expecting 15 year-olds to be able to tell the difference much more easily than 45 year-olds!)
My thoughts as a 47 yr old
File 1: FLAC
File 2: 75% WMA
File 3: 10% WMA
Speaking as a slightly deaf – caused by 17 years of helmet “white” noise while riding a motorbike – and also as a 52 year old, I can honestly say that I can hear very little difference between all three. I think the third one sounds a little clearer.
Played on my Dell laptop, in Amarok, through a set of Sony noise cancelling in-ear headphones with noise cancelling one and off as well as on a pair of X-mini laptop speakers.
Nice song though.
Cheers,
Norm.
Apologies for my continued bad spelling. It is atroshus!
Cheers,
Norm.
Howard: What is the piece of music? I’ve been trying to find it, but no luck so far. Did discover more similar Armenian-inspired pieces though.
Hi Colin: The piece of music is by Ottorino Respighi (who’s about as Armenian as I am, sorry to say!), from a ballet called “La Pentola Magica”
I found http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/259059.html which has more of it for sampling, but it’s the not same recording I have (details of which I couldn’t tell you off the top of my head). Track 2, I think.
I like the ‘Entry of the Tsar’ track, too.
Wow, I wouldn’t have guessed Respighi from the very atmospheric recording you posted. I would be grateful if you could dig up its details!
I have a Spotify subscription so I’m delving into Respighi ballet music today.
See also http://www.musicweb-international.com/respighi/ballet.htm
Found it here on Amazon. Basically, the Chandos recording,
but I can’t tell who the singer is. The singer is Hannah Sawle, who I must confess to never having heard of, but her details are mentioned hereI hate to admit it, but I couldn’t tell the difference at all. File3 sounded slightly better when I focused on the nuances, but I may have just been making that up in my head.
I’ll let this run for another few days, and announce the results of the International Jury (Royaume-Uni, null pointe!) then. The results so far have been very interesting!
Howard,
I’m still very curious as to the results of the listening test!