Survey shows increasing preference for MP3 by youngsters, audiophiles weep

We can already envision the flame fest on this one, so we'll just cut to the chase. Jonathan Berger, professor of music at Stanford, has been conducting some pretty interesting tests on incoming students, and he's been recording results that'll surely make audiophiles cringe. He has been asking his students to listen to tracks in MP3 format as well as in formats of much higher quality, all while asking them to select the one they like best; increasingly, youngsters have been choosing the sizzling, tinny sounds of MP3 over more pure representations. The reasoning may have more to do with psychology that audiology, as many conclude that generations simply prefer what they're used to. Ever known someone to swear that vinyl sounds best, pops and all? So yeah, what we've really learned is that MP3 is more of an "acquired taste," but those still attempting to build their SACD collection should be genuinely afraid of the future.

[Via techdirt, image courtesy of iasos]

[gerrrg Posted Mar 9th 2009 3:09PM]

I've listened side by side an MP3 ripped at 192 and FLAC, but unless you DID listen to them side by side, you wouldn't know the difference. Even when they are side by side, the differences are fairly subtle, such as the bass not sounding as clear (muffled). On closed headphones, no less.

I'm fine with VBR ripped music, but I prefer MP3s ripped at 320 kbps or FLAC. The only problem is that there STILL isn't enough support for FLAC in way of mainstream audio/video manufacturers.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 9th 2009 3:23PM]

I'm 18 now and I got into the audiophile world not too long ago(joined head-fi around the end of 2007).
I started buying CDs and ripped them to 900kbps .FLAC for my 30gb ipod(connected to a Mini3 amp via line-out dock/cable) and to 320kbps .MP3 for my Sansa Fuze(straight out of the headphone jack or with an interconnect to my Mini3).
I can tell a difference between 128kbps mp3 and 320kbps mp3. I can tell a difference between lossless(.flac) and 320kbps mp3. It all sounds better than the crap I used to download that was usually around 128kbps.
Headphones are also important...I use HD580's for home listening and Denon C551's for on the go(which I want to upgrade to Phonak PFE's)
I think the majority of people I go to school with who have iPods shouldn't use something that fancy...I think they should downgrade their mp3's to either 64kbps or 96kbps, because they're wasting their space using(probably 128-192kbps files) with those crappy stock headphones.

[cygnusx1 Posted Mar 9th 2009 5:29PM]

If you really want to hear what DVD Audio or SACD can do I would recommend you go to your local high end electronics store and ask to listed to a sample. I was able to listen to a few samples including the Metallica black album at my local Magnolia/Best Buy a few years back and it was amazing. The main thing I noticed was that the cymbals at the beginning of Enter Sandman sounded like they did when I was in middle school band. If you listen to the CD of the same song they don't sound anything like a real cymbal, it turns into digital mush. Other things are less defined but I liked the sound.

I just can't see spending the money to buy the SACD or DVD Audio player and track down the media when I can only listen to it at home. There is a online store selling high definition audio tracks online but they only have jazz and stuff from people I have never heard of. I hope that we can get an iTunes style solution. It will require copy protection for now but I am willing do to that to load high def audio on my iPod so I can take it anywhere.

[cygnusx1 Posted Mar 9th 2009 5:32PM]

On a side note I can't hear much difference between CDs and most compressed formats. That odd 44.1 KHz sample rate kills allot of the quality. Maybe if CDs had ben 48KHz it might be more noticeable.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 9th 2009 7:35PM]

I came into possession of a 50-disc Sony CD carousel a month or so ago and it has completely changed my life. I had already considered myself something of an audiophile, but still played most of my music from the MP3s I'd ripped from actual CDs. Since getting the carousel, I've spent countless hours enjoying CD quality music over an optical connection through my Polk surround system. I'm never going back. It even prompted me to re-import my entire iTunes library as 320k AAC/MP4.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 10th 2009 6:21AM]

I wanna hear what that kid is jamming to, looks high as hell too.

[maryland157 Posted Mar 10th 2009 3:46PM]

When I want to sit down and enjoy music I listen to a CD (If I have a CD of what I want to listen to), when I'm on the go I listen to my iPod. The music that I rip from my cd's are in 320 AAC formate.

[EatMoreBread Posted Mar 10th 2009 5:32PM]

If a majority of MP3 players on the market would support lossless, I'd go for it. While some players support lossless, unfortunately MP3 is the de facto standard for audio these days.