What Is The Best Audio Format For Smallest Size And Best Quality??

[DJboutit]

What is the best audio codec for smallest size and best quality that most video and audio players can play??

[BertKoor]

"Best" literally means it cannot be any better. If that is what you want, then raw wav (pcm) or lossless compression (e.g. flac) is what you want. Flac can be 50% or so in size.

In practice MP3 encoding with about 200 kbps or higher is indiscernable by the human ear and is sized 10 to 20% of original.

Some digital radio protocols have very acceptable quality with very low bit rates.

You can not have ultimate quality at lowest bit rates, you have to find the compromise which works for you.

NB: the codec is NOT the file format.

[AsPeeXXXVIII]

As BertKoor sort of said above, "small size" and "good quality" don't exactly go hand in hand when it comes to audio file formats. You're going to have to compromise somewhere.

If you want small size, Ogg Vorbis is a good codec in that it utilizes variable bitrates by default. Either that or VBR MP3 if VBR is your jam. The obvious downside to VBR is that the quality of a recording can vary a lot in different parts, depending on their complexity.

For quality, on the other hand, WAV and FLAC are the most popular formats to my understanding.

[george]

FLAC for lossless, AAC for lossy.

[lfm]

I wonder if there is a competition to MP3 - if to consider being widely supported on media players.
And as Bertkoor said - is very good at 256k or so and up - still very small in size.

Even WAV files with pcm are not always supported - I have plenty digital dictaphones that don't do those.
On my Panasonic BD player I can do WAV from usb devices, but on SD card not. Both memory cards do MP3.

OggVorbis and FLAC - never saw many playback devices that support that.

But considering audio in video - AAC or AC3 as compressed is probably safe.
Some readup:
https://www.macxdvd.com/mac-dvd-video-c ... arison.htm

[experimental.crow]

recently begun working w/ .flac , as opposed to .mp3 ...
liking so far ...

[chk071]

192 kbps LAME MP3 variable bitrate would be my choice (and it's also a widely recommended thing for CD ripping software). For me, it is the best compromise. Never noticed a difference to uncompressed.

[chk071]

The obvious downside to VBR is that the quality of a recording can vary a lot in different parts, depending on their complexity.

Actually, that's rather a downside of CONSTANT bitrate, because it always compresses at the same bitrate, regardless of the complexity of the source material.

Same goes for video: Constant bitrate encoding compresses all at the same bitrate, no matter if there is a blank wall in the picture, or a nature recording, with loads of details. Variable bitrate on the other hand compresses the blank wall at 600 kbps, and the natural recording at 2000 bps, for example. Big difference.

IMO, variable bitrate is the way to go, for everything.

[sprnva]

I'd probably go with AAC as it's pretty well supported on hardware devices. When I transcode music for my phone that's what I use.

[cron]

Opus is currently state of the art in terms of lossy audio compression and has decent browser support now that Youtube is using it, but AAC is probably your best bet in terms of hardware decode support (i.e. on mobile devices where software decoding kills battery life)

The obvious downside to VBR is that the quality of a recording can vary a lot in different parts, depending on their complexity.

Actually, that's rather a downside of CONSTANT bitrate, because it always compresses at the same bitrate, regardless of the complexity of the source material.

Same goes for video: Constant bitrate encoding compresses all at the same bitrate, no matter if there is a blank wall in the picture, or a nature recording, with loads of details. Variable bitrate on the other hand compresses the blank wall at 600 kbps, and the natural recording at 2000 bps, for example. Big difference.

IMO, variable bitrate is the way to go, for everything.

Indeed. VBR typically targets consistent perceptual quality, both moment-to-moment and track-to-track. Modern audio/video codecs typically ask for the level of perceptual quality you want rather than asking you to specify a bitrate. The average bitrates of, say, Vorbis encodes at -q5 can vary enormously, but every -q5 encode will offer a similar level of perceptual quality to every other -q5 encode. It's a far more sensible approach in most instances. AFAIK everything post-MP3 (AAC, Vorbis etc) has been VBR by design, with the CBR modes intended only for internet streaming where predictable throughput is more important.

[digitalboytn]

In practice MP3 encoding with about 200 kbps or higher is indiscernable by the human ear and is sized 10 to 20% of original.

I have to disagree with your opinion that MP3 encoding is indisernable...

MP3 encoding at any bit rate results in degradation of the audio quality and you can hear it quite clearly..

Unless of course,the original file is total rubbish

FLAC is the best compromise and it has many practical benefits

[digitalboytn]

Double post...

[chk071]

In practice MP3 encoding with about 200 kbps or higher is indiscernable by the human ear and is sized 10 to 20% of original.

I have to disagree with your opinion that MP3 encoding is indisernable...

MP3 encoding at any bit rate results in degradation of the audio quality and you can hear it quite clearly..

I can't unless it's 96 kbps and lower. And, to be honest with you, i suspect a lot of people fooling themselves. Just check the story of MP3 development: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3 Let's just say it is no joke. Loads of testing and development have been put into it.

[thecontrolcentre]

FLAC is the best compromise and it has many practical benefits

Have to agree. MP3 just isn't good enough. OK for listening in the car tho' ... @320kps.

[Richard deHove]

"Best" is more than a technical consideration. In the old video cassette days Betamax was undoubtedly the superior format in almost every way. But it turned out that VHS was the best choice for the long term. DAT tape was fantastic but no one suppprted it. DCC was also very good. People loved laserdiscs for a while... So for audio I'd stick with MP3.