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What is the best compressed iTunes format?

First, let me state that I fully understand that an uncompressed format is far superior to a compressed on such as MP3. My current iPod is a 4GB unit, but I just had the battery replaced on my wife's old 30GB unit and plan to transfer my music that direction.

I generally use it for listening at work on Sennheiser earbud headphones that retailed for about $80 new so we're not talking HiFi. My only iPod connection currently, or planned, to my main stereo is via an Onkyo dock so I'm not getting the benefit of an external DAC so again we're not talking HiFi.

Knowing that I have somewhat limited space, what would you recommend for me to choose as the format for iTunes. I've never done anything beyond one of the lower compression MP3 options, is there something better?

Please provide a suggestion and why.

Thanks
mceljo
mceljo OP
1,357 posts
 
The iPod spent the night updating. Just under 26 GB to just over 4 GB. I'll check the sound quality and see how it compares and play around with creating parallel mp3 files as well.
realremo
460 posts
 
Mezmo, great tip about converting formats, I didn't know iTunes did that. I am just about to purchase an Apple TV so I can stream Netflix, and this will probably lead to upgrading my entire library to AIFF so I can push it into my Denon 3310's Burr-Brown DACs. I doubt I will create double copies tho...I'll probably just run AIFF on my iPod and have fewer songs, at least at first... :-) All this ripping and re-ripping and converting is freakin' time consuming!
mceljo OP
1,357 posts
 
I just did a one song comparison of Apple Lossless, 128 AAC, and 192 MP3 and can't say that with my headphones that there is a significant enough difference to not just go with the AAC format that iTunes will do automatically. There is a small difference, but it's difficult to even describe so for non-critical listening on my iPod I don't think it matters.
realremo
460 posts
 
To each his own Mceljo, happy listening...!
mceljo OP
1,357 posts
 
Realremo - If I were planning to use my iPod for anything beyond listening at work on occasion I would probably be more concerned about the quality. I have an iPod dock at home that uses the iPods DAC and it sounds like junk no matter what format is used so on my good system it'll always be CDs for listening. I have all of the files in Apple Lossless so I'll be ready in case I ever get an external DAC and setup a music server.

Once I finish putting all of my CDs on my iPod I'll reevaluate how much space I have remaining and may manually load the Apple Lossless files for my best/favorite CDs if there is room. I think I'm about half way through the stack and have only used 5 GB in the AAC format so I should be able to load quite a bit in lossless.

I want to toy around with creating parallel MP3 versions, but with a new baby in the house it'll be a long process finding the time to do it.
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