https://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=68.40.191.32 2026-04-29T02:06:40Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.44.2 https://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.php?title=Choosing_the_best_codec&diff=25459 2013-09-08T18:04:43Z

<p>68.40.191.32: </p> <hr /> <div>A common question is “which format is best for me?”, or “which should I use, this or that?”. While these are important decisions we have all had to make at some point, there is usually no simple answer that can be given to new users.<br /> <br /> == Why no simple answer? ==<br /> There are several factors that you must first consider, my needs aren't the same as yours, maybe we want to do different things with our music, or we have a different amount of disk space to use.<br /> <br /> Common considerations are:<br /> * Do you want the option of using a portable player now?<br /> * Would no playback support other than on your PC be a problem in the future?<br /> * Do you need to use a popular format?<br /> * How much space do you want to use for you music?<br /> * How much music do you want to store?<br /> * Are you simply interested in quality?<br /> * Do you need any additional technical features? <br /> * ''How good is your hearing?''<br /> <br /> The last question is '''the''' most important. Why? I have poor hearing, so something that sounds good to me could well be annoying to you. Only you have your ears, so only you know what sounds good to you.<br /> <br /> We can however make general recommendations based on test results from the entire community – for example:<br /> <br /> ; [[Lossy]] codecs:<br /> * [[MP3]] has the most widespread acceptance among the general population and in hardware players<br /> * [[Musepack]] was considered in the past as the best format for high bitrates (&gt; 175 kb/s)<br /> * (Ogg) [[Vorbis]] released by Xiph multimedia family, performs very well from low to high bitrate, it's open-source and patent free<br /> * [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]] is the latest industry standard (MPEG) which offers excellent at every bitrate with modern encoders<br /> * There are other lossy codecs at the [[lossy]] page.<br /> <br /> ; [[Lossless]] codecs:<br /> Lossless compression is the ''only'' way to retain all the original quality and lose no information.<br /> * [[Free Lossless Audio Codec|FLAC]] released by Xiph multimedia family, is considered the most widely supported format, it's open-source and patent free<br /> * [[LA]] and [[OptimFrog]] achieve the greatest compression ratios<br /> * [[WavPack]] and OptimFrog support hybrid modes, i.e. combination of lossy (for smaller perceptual files, albeit not as small as lossy codecs) and lossless. WavPack is open-source and patent free.<br /> * [[Apple Lossless]] is part of the MPEG-4 standard, and is compatible with popular Apple hardware and software. (iPod, iTunes, etc.)<br /> * For a list of lossless codecs and their pro's and con's see the [[lossless|lossless page]].<br /> <br /> == How can I choose for myself? ==<br /> * Listen and see, use [[ABX]].<br /> :&lt;span style=&quot;color:red;&quot;&gt;Be aware that your tolerance can change if you train your ability to hear [[artifact]]s.&lt;/span&gt;<br /> * Read the pages for the different codecs and see their pro's and con's.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Guides]]</div>

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