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Topic: Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN (Read 36794 times) previous topic - next topic
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Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Starting again, after last week's failure...

I'd like to announce the opening of my Multiformat at 128kbps public listening test.

The test consists of comparing how 6 encoders: iTunes AAC, Ogg Vorbis, Lame MP3, Musepack, WMA Std. and Atrac3 behave compressing 18 different samples representing a wide spectrum of musical styles.

People interested in participating are invited to visit this page:
http://www.rjamorim.com/test/multiformat12...esentation.html

The test will end on May 23rd and results will be posted soon after.

Best regards;
Roberto.


Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #2
You should use the new iTunes 4.5 / QT 6.5.1 AAC encoder.. It brought a lot of optimizations compared to the one in 4.2

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #3
Quote
You should use the new iTunes 4.5 / QT 6.5.1 AAC encoder.. It brought a lot of optimizations compared to the one in 4.2

While I agree for a different reason, several forum members complained of new artifacts in QuickTime 6.5.1 encoded AAC files that weren't in QuickTime 6.5.0 encoded AAC files.  Thus the AAC files encoded via the newer version of QuickTime were of a lesser quality.


Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #5
lol 
Juha Laaksonheimo

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #6
Quote
You should use the new iTunes 4.5 / QT 6.5.1 AAC encoder.. It brought a lot of optimizations compared to the one in 4.2

You must be confusing this thread with this one. The listening test is open now, the discussion about encoders is over. I mean, really, you had more than a month time to discuss this! 

Besides, as Roberto already mentioned in the thread he linked to, those "optimizations" were purely for graph watchers and didn't seem to bring any audio quality improvements (quite the contrary).
Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #7
Already downloading at ~55 kbps, uploading ~25 kbps overall with all packages.

I'll be leaving my broadband but firewalled connection at the service of the community for a while, so leech in.

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #8
Dont seem to be able to access the test page
Anyone care to share the links for the .torrents ?

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #9
Quote
Dont seem to be able to access the test page
Anyone care to share the links for the .torrents ?

That's very weird...

The torrents are here:
http://www.rarewares.org/torrents/

And you can get abc-ht_bin.zip here:
http://pessoal.onda.com.br/rjamorim/abc-hr_bin.zip

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #10
i also cant access your listening test pages (including http://www.rjamorim.com/test)
I know, that I know nothing (Socrates)

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #11
Hrm... I wonder if 1and1 is down.

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #12
Yep, down here as well.


Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #14
Quote
Maybe it's a sign from above.

It must be!!!

First, I postpone because of a surgery
Second, I postpone because ff123 started a parallel test
Third, I cancel the test because it was all bork.
Fourth, I arrive home from a trip to find my main NTFS partition nearly completely corrupt. Spent monday and tuesday on their entireties fixing this issue.
And now, 1and1 goes bork and stops serving my pages.

I must have thrown stones at the cross.


Oh, well, there's nothing I can do now. Let's just wait 1and1 get their stuff fixed ASAP.

They promise 99.9% uptime...

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #15
Weee! Seems to be back online.

 

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #16
Downloaded. This time I take the tests more carefully. (I did cancelled one in a day.)

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #17
Quote
They promise 99.9% uptime...

Well, that's nearly 9 hours per year. Looks like the still got some downtime left :-)

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #18
Well, if no grave issues are discovered until tomorrow, I would like to invite anyone with "contacts" to post about this test on Slashdot, Kuro5hin, RAO... and anywhere else you deem appropriate.

Thank-you.

Regards;

Roberto.

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #19
Esse eu vou participar
Kind Regards , Tcmjr

Aka HellSnoopy

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #20
Quote
Hmmm... At first, the samples were screwed, not the page is down... Maybe it's a sign from above.

Being the inquisitive beings that we are, I think all these signs makes us even more determined to carry it out and see the results that we probably weren't supposed to see.

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #21
In case any Mac OS X users besides myself try to participate:

You need the latest Java (1.4.2). Earlier versions may hang after you ABX for a little while. You can control-click on ABC-HR's dock icon and tell it to force quit if that happens.

If the Java 1.4.2 installer complains you need version 10.3.1 or higher of Mac OS X and you already have that, simply control-click on the installer package, Show Package Contents from the contextual menu, and delete the script named VolumeCheck.

You can easily enough get command-line utilities for all the required decoders except for Ogg Vorbis. For that, I used Amadeus to convert .ogg to .wav, since I already have it. There is a demo version available. Fink makes it easy to get flac, madplay and mppdec. Maybe Fink can give you oggdec, but I didn't see a way, unless it's a part of libogg. The pre-compiled faad mentioned in the instructions Roberto included works, but you need to add a line to clicodecs.cfg, like this one:

m4a, faad -o %o %i

Otherwise faad will not process AAC files with the .m4a extension.

Once you have all the decoders, and your sample files (unzipped inside the abc-hr_bin directory) go ahead and chmod 755 decodeall.sh as directed, but also remember to move it into the abc-hr_bin directory (from the Terminal):

mv decodeall.sh ..

That should do the trick. Or you can just drag and drop it in the Finder if you prefer, but you're going to execute it by typing this in the Terminal, anyway:

./decodeall.sh

I don't know if I will submit any results. I have downloaded sample packages 1, 3, 5, and 12 and I can so far reliably ABX only one sample from package 1. Guess I am deaf, after all. :-) Or maybe these encoders are mostly pretty good.

Hope this helps some Mac users.


Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #23
Hi

I think I'm about to take part in my first listening test  Starting downloads right now

Thank you rjamorin for your persistance and hard work in making this test happen

By the way, I don't want to be picky, but wouldn't it be better if Musepack's link (on the test's presentation page) was pointing to Musepack Open Source Project ? I've noticed just yesterday, that it's already up and running, though still a bit "work in progress"

Best regards,

Crocodil.

Multiformat@128kbps public listening test - OPEN

Reply #24
Is it necessary to download the ABC/HR again?  I only ask because I think i may have some bad news.  I downloaded sample 2 zip (today) and there appears to be some problems with one sample being noticably louder than the others and one with a glitch that clearly identifies it.  I know this is the reason why the test was scrapped and restarted, but oddly enough last time i listened i didnt have any problems with the sample 2 package - now i do.  Perhaps I have missed something.  Just thought i should let you know.