Quote:
Originally Posted by FLX90
Like I said I'll convert everything to ALAC.
But I don't know which bit depth for the lossy audio streams.
To lose as less information as possible I do the following:
Convert lossy audio to 24 bit flac.
Check if last 8 bits are used.
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All lossy decoders output at least 32 bits float, with a precision, more or less, equivalent to 24 bits int (24 bits of float mantissa).
Always the last 8 bits are used (or they are truncated/rounded before).
Even if source was 16 bits, for instance audio CD, a lossy encoder can't preserve the 16 bits exact, for that is lossy.
Quote:
I asked in another forum and they said I should convert to 16 bit and don't waste much thought on the 8 bits.
But couldn't explain me why.
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The medium human ear can distinguish until a precision of 20 bits, then always is better 24 bits than16 when source is lossless.
But with lossy sources these 8 bits are always unexact, the precision is always less than 16 bits, that is lossy encoders.