How to get the best sound quality?

[king_23]

I've been doing some research and I'm trying to figure out how I can get the best sound quality. I'll post what i have come up with and if anyone can give me some input I would greatly appreciate it.

1. Make sure you have high quality sound files. I never realized how much of a difference a 320kbps file makes over sound files with a lower number. I also heard that it's best to get files in WAV format.

From what I have read, there is no way to convert a low quality MP3 file into a high quality WAV file. Well, you can convert it, but it won't enhance the quality at all, just take up more hard drive space. Is there actually a way to do this that i don't know of?

I bought a nice pair of headphones. Obviously, that makes a difference.

Other than that I don't know very much. How much does a sound card help? And is there any place to get the highest quality audio?

 

[Whirlwind]

I've been doing some research and I'm trying to figure out how I can get the best sound quality. I'll post what i have come up with and if anyone can give me some input I would greatly appreciate it.

1. Make sure you have high quality sound files. I never realized how much of a difference a 320kbps file makes over sound files with a lower number. I also heard that it's best to get files in WAV format.

From what I have read, there is no way to convert a low quality MP3 file into a high quality WAV file. Well, you can convert it, but it won't enhance the quality at all, just take up more hard drive space. Is there actually a way to do this that i don't know of?

I bought a nice pair of headphones. Obviously, that makes a difference.

Other than that I don't know very much. How much does a sound card help? And is there any place to get the highest quality audio?

First off you can not make an mp3 file into a wave file....you can make a wav into an mp3.

Higher bitrate files sound better , but take more hard drive space. Technically, the better the file, the better the sound....if the individual can hear the difference.

In my experience, the better equipment you use, it is then much easier to tell the difference. A good system will show flaws in poor quality files, for sure.

For great sound quality you need 3 things.

A good source, this means high quality files, good soundcard or dac and good speakers or headphones.

Some headphones sound better when they are amped and some have to be amped to get sufficient power to them.

Your sound will only be as good as your weakest link. I hope that makes sense.

1. You know you need good quality sound files.....mp3 is fine, but get or make good quality ones. I prefer lossless files, which are flac or wav files.......download a program that can be your player and convert files.
Foobar is great and I use it myself.

2. What headphones do you have right now ?

3. You will want a soundcard or dac and maybe a headphone amp. some soundcards have a pretty nice built in headphone amp that may work great for you.

Below is my current system, and more than likely you will not want to go this far, but it produces amazing sound.

What kind of budget do you have...that will help us get started ? Along with what headphones you have ?

Oh, and is king_23 for Lebron....just wondering, as I am from Ohio and watched him many times.

 

[Bruletech]

Good reply. Mp3 and wav files can be converted from one or the other but as mentioned, you need good quality source material to start.

Wav isn't compressed and is lossless whereas mp3s are compressed audio (audio information is lost). Go with 128+ kbps quality on mp3s at least.

I use Cdex for converting between mp3 and wav

 

[king_23]

First off you can not make an mp3 file into a wave file....you can make a wav into an mp3.

Higher bitrate files sound better , but take more hard drive space. Technically, the better the file, the better the sound....if the individual can hear the difference.

In my experience, the better equipment you use, it is then much easier to tell the difference. A good system will show flaws in poor quality files, for sure.

For great sound quality you need 3 things.

A good source, this means high quality files, good soundcard or dac and good speakers or headphones.

Some headphones sound better when they are amped and some have to be amped to get sufficient power to them.

Your sound will only be as good as your weakest link. I hope that makes sense.

1. You know you need good quality sound files.....mp3 is fine, but get or make good quality ones. I prefer lossless files, which are flac or wav files.......download a program that can be your player and convert files.
Foobar is great and I use it myself.

2. What headphones do you have right now ?

3. You will want a soundcard or dac and maybe a headphone amp. some soundcards have a pretty nice built in headphone amp that may work great for you.

Below is my current system, and more than likely you will not want to go this far, but it produces amazing sound.

What kind of budget do you have...that will help us get started ? Along with what headphones you have ?

Oh, and is king_23 for Lebron....just wondering, as I am from Ohio and watched him many times.

Good reply. Mp3 and wav files can be converted from one or the other but as mentioned, you need good quality source material to start.

Wav isn't compressed and is lossless whereas mp3s are compressed audio (audio information is lost). Go with 128+ kbps quality on mp3s at least.

I use Cdex for converting between mp3 and wav

Right now I just have the Monster headphones that are similar to the beats. I like your set up, but I don't want to spend that much money on headphones right now. Perhaps in the future I will. If I download a song and it has a low bit rate like 128 kbps, I can use software to make it 320kbps?

 

[king_23]

Here is a link to the headphones I have right now. They are the Monster-Ncredible-NPulse.

Ncredible Headphones - Walmart.com

 

[Whirlwind]

Right now I just have the Monster headphones that are similar to the beats. I like your set up, but I don't want to spend that much money on headphones right now. Perhaps in the future I will. If I download a song and it has a low bit rate like 128 kbps, I can use software to make it 320kbps?

Here is a link to the headphones I have right now. They are the Monster-Ncredible-NPulse.

Ncredible Headphones - Walmart.com

No, you will need to download the music with a better bitrate.

You can get software to convert wave or lossless files to mp3....then you can make your own mp3 files at a high bitrate.....or you can just download mp3 files with a high bitrate.

I am not a big fan of those headphones....but to each their own....persobally I would sell them, or return them to Walmart.....you can do much better for the price.

 

[king_23]

No, you will need to download the music with a better bitrate.

You can get software to convert wave or lossless files to mp3....then you can make your own mp3 files at a high bitrate.....or you can just download mp3 files with a high bitrate.

I am not a big fan of those headphones....but to each their own....persobally I would sell them, or return them to Walmart.....you can do much better for the price.

Where do you get your music from? Also, I actually am trying to sell them. I think they sound really good, but I would like to spend $300 or $400 on a pair. The thing I like about Monster and Dr. Beats is that the cords are so durable. I always seem to rip the cords on other brands.

 

[Whirlwind]

Where do you get your music from? Also, I actually am trying to sell them. I think they sound really good, but I would like to spend $300 or $400 on a pair. The thing I like about Monster and Dr. Beats is that the cords are so durable. I always seem to rip the cords on other brands.

Most of of my music are Flac files that I have ripped from cd's.

I do have a few mp3 files, but not very many.

If you sell them and have $300 to $400 for new cans......you will be amazed at the quality of headphone that you can get.

What type of music do you listen to.....I am assuming Hip Hop , dubstep ...with the phones you own ?

 

[Oreo]

You want a USB DAC and external headphone AMP for the best quality. You want a digital bitstream to the DAC from your PC and you want to bypass Windows Audio totally so it doesn't mess with the digital music signal from your music files in anyway. This is do-able through several specialist audio players.

But you are looking at several hundred bucks for even a basic setup, but it'll still sound great.

Also, Monster arn't actually particularly good. They sound better than your average free pair of headphones, but if you compare them to specialist Hi-Fi brands like Sennheiser, Audio Technica, AKG, Grado, you will hear that they sound much better than Monster. But they also cost a heck of a lot.

 

[king_23]

Most of of my music are Flac files that I have ripped from cd's.

I do have a few mp3 files, but not very many.

If you sell them and have $300 to $400 for new cans......you will be amazed at the quality of headphone that you can get.

What type of music do you listen to.....I am assuming Hip Hop , dubstep ...with the phones you own ?

Yes. Hip-Hop, dubstep, techno, rap. However, I don't want to have to use an amp.

You want a USB DAC and external headphone AMP for the best quality. You want a digital bitstream to the DAC from your PC and you want to bypass Windows Audio totally so it doesn't mess with the digital music signal from your music files in anyway. This is do-able through several specialist audio players.

But you are looking at several hundred bucks for even a basic setup, but it'll still sound great.

Also, Monster arn't actually particularly good. They sound better than your average free pair of headphones, but if you compare them to specialist Hi-Fi brands like Sennheiser, Audio Technica, AKG, Grado, you will hear that they sound much better than Monster. But they also cost a heck of a lot.

I just noticed in Itunes I can convert my 320kbps mp3 files to Apple Lossless files. I wonder if this would make a difference?