Atrac, Atrac3+ or MP3

[Bodhi]

Hi Everybody,

I'd like to know what you're using (and especially WHY) with your Vaio Pocket and what bitrate cause I'm still hesitating (a lot of people are complaining about Atrac's quality in comparison with MP3).

Thank yous

:smileygrin:

[febs]

Hi welcome to the forums.I think that Sonys proprietary Atrac3 format has better quality than MPEG Audio Level 3 (mp3).I am using mp3 at 320kbps simply because it is a much more flexible format than Atrac3.

[chris_lewis]

Hi Bodhi,

Personaly Atrac in any form sounds better than MP3 as long as you are comparing similar bitrates anyway.

I use Atrac3 132kbps when I rip my CD's and 256kbps Atrac3+ for analog recordings of my vinyl collection.

I find Atrac sounds more open and less mushy than MP3, the midrange and treble just sound cleaner to me, this has also been confirmed by an independant blind listening test admittedly on behalf of Sony, its on the web somewhere, maybe somone has a link??? (I don't)

The only beef people seem have with Atrac is DRM (Digital Rights Management) which is added to anything you rip to SS, It doesn't bother me as I buy CDs anyway so I always have the original, sounds better than any compressed format too, lol!!

HTH

Chris

[Bodhi]

Thank you, as I find it hard to make the difference between 132Kbps (Atrac3) and 256Kbps (Atrac3+) I decided to go for the first one that won't be too greedy on the battery. What do you reckon ?

PS : Sorry for my english but I'm french speaking [:">]

[chris_lewis]

For one your English is great, way better than my French!!

132k is cool, I only use 256 because I want to preserve as much of the original sound as possible, the files are big though.

Im sure you will be fine with 132k, I happy enough with it.

C

[Bodhi]

Well, Thanks very much, it helped indeed. Maybe I've got to change the earphones (I've got the ones sold with the VP). Any suggestions ?

[chris_lewis]

I use a pair of MDR-EX71SL's they are almost like ear plugs and feel a bit odd at first but the sound is well worth it, much better bass and very good overall sound!

Im glad we could help,

C

[the_real_gazza]

Hi Bodhi

Earphones are a very personal choice, but sadly not may places allow you to try before you buy, I guess due to hygeine.
I have bought a pair of Shure E2c earphones. They are transducer based studio quality ear buds, and have a very neutral sound, which is what you want. They come with a variety of different sleeves to fit differnt size ears, as well as a rather nifty travel case. Cost in the UK is around £70, but I paid about £40 through a friend. IMO they are unbeatable and well worth the money, but of course your oppinion may well be different.

[jsonic]

Hi,

I use Atrac 256 MB setting as default. I have an pre-ripped Anastacia CD which contatins 132 KB Atrac which also is very good. I guess there is not that much difference.

Compared to MP3 Atrac and AAC are much better, MP3 at it's highest setting is much more closed and more of a mesh of sound than either of the other at aone step lower compression. (tried on an 4th gen Aplle Ipod)

Headphones are very important, just as with any other kind of music, I know when I was younger you spent at least half on the loudspeakers and the rest on the other equipment....

I have an AKG K500 monitor headphone which still is amzing (has been the reference with many magazines for many years together with the K1000, mind you they did cost more than the VGL-AP1 at 450 euro's and the K1000 at 800 euro's)

But as I most often listen in bed due to illness I now replaced the standard from the Sennheiser MDR60 over the ear in the neck headphone which is comparable in quality to the Ipod headphones, just a bit more open and more musical. At the moment I use the EXP-71's in ear what if getting used at and used with the proper diameter silicon is by far the most comfortable headphone I have even used (I often fell asleep with them, waking up not noticing I still have them in my ears) This latter also show that they are good at keeping place in your ears and don't fall out easy (which can drive you mad)

Sound is very good for a device with this low price, open mucical sound with incredible amount of bass for an in ears system. I hear new sounds in CD I have for 20 years now...

But in the end it is onee off those things that is very personal, what I like you may dislike and as written before there are less and less shops that let you listen before you buy so it is a bit of making an educated guess at what to buy after some study in magazines and the web and hope you will find the right pair for you the first time round (I have now 5 or 6 pairs laying unused around)

So good luck to you and don't forget to enjoy the music. I have had I time I was spending more time listening to faults and things I was missing etc. instead of enjoying myself with the music, please don't make the ame mistake it is such a waste of valuable time!

Jeroen

[Bodhi]

So good luck to you and don't forget to enjoy the music. I have had I time I was spending more time listening to faults and things I was missing etc. instead of enjoying myself with the music, please don't make the ame mistake it is such a waste of valuable time!
Jeroen

This is exactly what I'm doing for the moment, thank you

:smileygrin: