this is an interesting link - it’s a blind test between two audio clips, identical except that one is encoded at 128kbps and the other at 320kbps, and you have to decide which sounds better to you.
according to the poll results, out of 6,015 votes, just over 45% chose the better quality version. so in a situation where either there’s no discernible difference, in which case you expect a 50-50 split, or where there is a significant difference in quality, in which you would obviously expect a shift in the favour of the 320kbps track, it’s neither.
now, I chose correctly for the 320kbps clip, but I have to admit that listening through to them at first I couldn’t really tell the difference - though by picking out a particular sound at the start and comparing it in each version [hint: try the hi-hat], it was reasonably obvious. I don’t have a particularly good ear, although I do listen to a lot of music via a variety of means and formats.
of course this isn’t a scientific test, but the tempting conclusion is that people have become more used to the general sound or ‘quality’ of 128kbps mp3s, and that’s why on a close to 50-50 test (excluding audiophiles and close listening) it shifts the wrong way. I’m not sure statistically what would be significant amongst 6,000 respondents, but given that one would expect any deviation to be in favour of the 320kbps, it seems significant. another caveat could be that the style of music chosen is quite old-fashioned, and not recorded using today’s techniques/bad habits, which could throw people off a little.
the reason why is was looking this up (apart from being generally interested in the topic, which can be a real minefield) was that I have a 151 MB folder on my hard drive containing the 12 tracks of Dinosaur Jr.’s Farm at 320 kbps, downloaded for free with the code contained in the vinyl LP, as well as two rips of my own at 192 kbps from the 7”. given that it’s destined mostly for my mp3 player, I feel that it’s over-large - hence my relatively low bitrate for vinyl rips - but there’s plenty to hear in a Dino Jr. album. I haven’t compared the 320 version with the lower-rate leak I’ve been listening to, yet, but I probably will.
did you pick the right clip/do you think there’s something to this?
