Here’s what some readers have said in the past when I’ve written about MP3s:

* “Most MP3s are the audio equivalent of old AM radios, and/or they’ve been ‘amped’ to raise every bar in the equalizer to the top. Junk. I’ll stick with LPs and some CDs.” (posted by ELYMAN on May. 1, 09 at 7:35 AM)
* “Listen to the same song on vinyl, CD, and in MP3 format. You will here a noticable difference even on a lower-fi home system.” (posted by raineyroo on May. 1, 09 at 9:53 AM)
* “MP3’s Suck” (posted by Mark_In_LP on Apr. 21, 09 at 9:47 AM)

If MP3s are that bad, you should be able to tell easily, right? Prove it! Take my MP3 Challenge. Simply post which of three choices of the same song sample is from the original CD and which are the MP3s (at 256kbps and 320kbps bitrates). Easy!

Can you tell the difference between an MP3 and its CD version? Try this test to see.

Whenever I write about MP3s, I invariably receive comments from people decrying the quality of the compressed audio files. So I thought I’d put together this MP3 Challenge to see if the people who complain really know what they’re talking about. I was one of those people — until I got past the regurgitated arguments against MP3s that stemmed from the early years, when they really were bad. The key with MP3s is the bitrate — the higher the number, the better the quality (and the more space the files consume on hard drives). Amazon and iTunes offer most downloads at 256 kilobits per second — good enough for most people. The highest bitrate is 320kbps, available at several classical music sites and what I’ve ripped my collection at.

Of course, even the highest bitrate MP3 — a compressed audio format — doesn’t offer the lossless (that is, uncompressed) audio quality of an original CD track. But can you hear the difference?

The samples below reflect a variety of musical styles and recording (actually, production) quality. Click on each link to hear the samples, which are randomly ordered, or right-click on each link and use “Save Target As” to download the file. Compare them, and then post a comment telling me which selection is a 256kbps MP3, which is a 320kbps MP3 and which is the original CD file for each sample. You should be able to play the files directly through your computer. But you can also connect your computer to play through a home stereo, listen using headphones or download the files and burn them to a CD for scrutiny.

(All of the files are in the lossless WAV format. I edited each ~30-second sample as a WAV file. Then  I saved that file at both MP3 bitrates. Then I saved those MP3 files back to WAV format, preserving the audio quality of the MP3 version while creating the blind test of seemingly identical files. ) 

This should be easy, right? Try it and see. I’ll post the answers at some point later.

CONTEMPORARY POP
“Hollaback Girl,” Gwen Stefani
Here’s a 2004 recording from Love. Angel. Music. Baby. that all the kids should know.
Sample A
Sample B
Sample C

ACOUSTIC ROCK
“I Never Thought I’d Live to Be a Million,” Moody Blues
This is off the 1969 album To Our Children’s Children’s Children, from the recent remaster prepared for SACD. The Moodies were known for using state-of-the-art recording equipment.
Sample A
Sample B
Sample C

ORCHESTRAL
“Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture,” Mikhail Glinka (Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Reiner made many classic recordings for the esteemed RCA Living Stereo series. This 1959(!) performance is taken from the 2004 SACD remaster.
Sample A
Sample B
Sample C

CONCERT BAND
“Rocky Point Holiday,” Ron Nelson (Jerry Junkin conducting Dallas Wind Symphony)
This concert-band gem was recorded in 1996 for Reference Recordings, a high-end classical label that also has several Minnesota Orchestra releases. Â
Sample A
Sample B
Sample C

JAZZ
“Freddie Freeloader,” Miles Davis
This is from the trumpeter’s classic 1959 album Kind of Blue, as remastered a few years ago for a DualDisc release.
Sample A
Sample B
Sample C

SPOKEN WORD/INSTRUMENTAL
“The Eve of the War,” Richard Burton
This is taken from the opening of Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, one of the first 48-track recordings. The 1977 album was remastered for SACD several years ago, the source of this sample.
Sample A
Sample B
Sample C

Note: Yes, there are other compressed audio file formats, such as Ogg Vorbis. But MP3s are by far the most popular. This is just about MP3s. Claims about how LPs offer better sound quality than anything else aren’t relevant to this challenge, either. Let’s just keep this to MP3 quality, please.

Two issues have come up over my front-page story on the Electric Fetus’ new music-download service, based on reader feedback. One is a comparison of the Fetus’ Think Indie site to eMusic. The other is the usual hue and cry over the quality of MP3s.

A few readers pointed out that eMusic has a similar indie vibe to Think Indie and that eMusic came first. In fact, eMusic has been called the “indie iTunes,” and it has a “we know music” editorial approach. There are some major differences, though:

1) eMusic is subscription-based, whereas Think Indie is pay-per-download. eMusic is cheaper per song, but only if you download the allotment for your monthly plan. If you don’t, you lose those downloads.
2) eMusic’s bitrate for MP3s is a paltry 192 kilobits per second. That’s really lame. Think Indie’s is 320kbps, the highest available.
3) While eMusic offers loads of indie artists on all kinds of labels, Think Indie aims to offer music by local bands that aren’t even on labels.
4) When you buy from eMusic, you’re supporting a company based in New York City (”New York City?!”). When you buy from Think Indie, you’re supporting a retailer that has been based in Minnesota for 41 years.

Regarding the quality of MP3s, I understand that some people don’t like the audio format. But I don’t put much stock into their anecdotes about doing a sound comparison between an iPod, a CD and/or an album. The test has to be blind (meaning the source is unknown) to make a valid comparison. Also, I don’t believe that MP3 critics are listening to the compressed audio files at the highest bitrate, 320kbps. Lower bitrates, such as what was historically offered at iTunes (anything before a few months ago) and sites such as eMusic, are easier to hear on a home stereo because they do sound inferior. 256kbps, which is what Amazon and now iTunes have, is a little tougher to hear. But 320kbps is virtually indistinguishable from a CD. Yes, there is a technical difference, but it’s really hard to hear.

Which online music store is best? When it comes to loading my iPod with new tunes, I’ve always gravitated toward Amazon’s MP3 store for downloads. The quality is reasonably high (256 kilobits per second), the selection is dandy and the interface is simple. Not only that, but no other store consistently offers the deals that Amazon does. (William’s Shatner’s entire Transformed Man album for 99 cents? I am so there.) Best of all, Amazon’s songs do not use Digital Rights Management (DRM), so they can be freely copied among your various devices and computers. And with Amazon’s album downloader (a free, required, plug-in), the songs can be dumped directly into whatever song-management program, you use, such as iTunes.

Speaking of iTunes, Apple’s music store is still far and away the most popular service. Following Amazon’s lead, iTunes is finally moving toward making all of its songs DRM-free. It also is boosting their quality by upping the bitrate.

Lately, the folks behind Zune (Microsoft) have been pushing the Zune Pass subscription service. For $15 a month, users get unlimited access to the site’s 5 million songs. The catch: You need a Zune player, and the sites are DRM-protected, so they go away if you get rid of the service. But the subscription includes 10 DRM-free MP3s per month that can be kept permanently and used on other devices.

There are also other services from Rhapsody, eMusic and Napster. If you’re confused by what they offer, check out PC World’s outstanding overview on the pluses and minuses of each one.  Don’t forget, too, that if you’re into classical music, there are several online stores that sell 320kbps MP3s (the highest quality), including the Classical Shop, Naxos’ Classics Online and the Classical Archives. The Classical Shop, run by the esteemed British label Chandos, even has uncompressed CD-quality tracks for a small upcharge and full, high-res liner notes.

When it comes to downloads, I’ll stick with Amazon for mainstream MP3s and the classical sites for orchestral stuff.  Don’t forget, too, that there are many cases where it’s cheaper to buy a used CD — try Half.com online for all genres, or Berkshire Record Outlet for classical — and rip it yourself. The original artist won’t get a royalty – as with any non-first-sale purchase, including books — but it’s perfectly legal.Â

For those who caught me this morning on WXXI Radio in Rochester, N.Y., here is the column we talked about:

Make iPod and iTunes classical companions.

If you’re befuddled by some aspect of setting up a home theater, two new sources have become available to help.

The first is Joshua Zyber’s new HD Advisor column at High-Def Digest. Once a week, he answers reader questions about Blu-ray, high-def and home theater in general. His advice is straight-forward and easy to understand, and readers can jump over to the site’s forum for further discussion.

The second is from Don Lindich, whose syndicated AV column runs in the Star Tribune. He has just posted a detailed guide, with step-by-step photos, on how to set up a home-theater surround system. It’s one of many helpful guides on his Sound Advice website. If you don’t understand something, you can always send him a question, and he might even answer it in his column.

One thing mentioned at both websites that’s worth repeating: Don’t waste your money on overpriced cables. Monoprice is your friend. You’ll be amazed at the low prices it charges for all kinds of cables and adapters needed for your setup. The quality of its products is excellent, shipping charges are reasonable and service is prompt. What more could you want?