Bit rate and file types.

[Sensai]

Hey guys. I've been lurking about the site for a while now, but just recently started posting. Seems I'm full of questions, too!

I'd love all of these to be in pretty simple English...not any crazy music enthusiast stuff.

a) What's the difference between CBR and VBR when ripping/converting music files? Which is superior at the highest bit rate?

What is the ideal bit rate for .mp3s?

I feel like I had a few more...but I can't remember anything else. Thanks in advance!

[Fishy]

What is the ideal bit rate for .mp3s?

There is no "ideal" bit rate for an mp3. Generally speaking, the higher the bit rate, the better quality. But it also means the filesize will be bigger.

A good middle ground is about 192kbps, which gives a good quality, but has a relatively small size.

[zircon]

Fishy is right; I think 192kbps is an excellent medium, for CBR.

To answer your first question, CBR refers to constant bit rate while VBR means variable bit rate. In a CBR-encoded file, you are only getting one bitrate throughout. With VBR, the encoding software will try to intelligently encode different parts of the song with higher or lower rates. For example, when there is a lot of treble content, the bitrate will be higher, and if there is mostly silence, it will be lower. Ultimately, this means you get higher quality at the same file size.

VBR is generally preferable to CBR - it just takes a little more thought to set up. There are more options, such as the minimum and maximum bit rate, the 'quality' level (0-9), and possibly ABR (average bit rate). Your best bet is to experiment a bit. You might try a setting like 64-192 kbps, quality 6, no ABR, to see how that sounds.

[SLyGeN]

I've seen that sort of 0-9 quality setting in Nero. Those arbitrary numbers mean nothing to me. I know the difference between 64kbps and 192kbps sound, but what is the difference between 0 thru 9 encoding quality?

[Sensai]

Thanks for the speedy replies, guys.

You see, I'm not really an audiophile...I mean, I can tell the difference between an 80 kbps and a 320 (I think) but...jeah.

Thanks guys. You've been a big help. To ensure that I get good quality, I think I'm going to stick to a simple 320kpbs CBR rip.

...that sounds funny. How is one supposed to say it? Eh...probably just 'cause it's 4 in the morning. Sorry.