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What is your go-to audio format and why?

yumachan

yumachan

New member
上級乙女
Jan 15, 2025
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I imagine WAV and MP3 are the most common audio formats for Otome, but lately I've been seeing FLAC and M4A as well.
Please tell me which audio formats you prefer to use and why.

I use MP3. I like it because 320kbps MP3s offer high sound quality and small file sizes, plus they are highly compatible.

I'm drawn to the WAV format, but the file sizes are just too big.
Since I don't have much money to spend on storage, I stick with MP3 (320kbps) for everything except special releases.

Some labels only sell in WAV format, so I find myself wishing they would offer MP3s as well.
(I know I could just convert them myself, of course.)

Let me know what you recommend!
 
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I agree, MP3 is my favourite since the file sizes are so much smaller, and i honestly dont really notice a big difference in sound quality. MP3 is also so much easier to store on places like telegram or Google drive, i honestly really prefer them!!
 
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>>nerim-w
Thanks for the quick reply!
I'm glad there's someone who shares the same opinion.
The file size and high level of convenience of the MP3 format are appealing.
 
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I don't have good enough audio equipment to hear the difference between .wav and .mp3, so either is fine for me! I try to store things in .wav though, so if I share files, perhaps someone with better audio equipment than me can enjoy it :boys_glitter:
 
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>>arson194835798
Thanks for the comment. You're always kind.
You're making a kind choice for the sake of others, rather than yourself.
 
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If it's music I always go for FLAC (if possible) since I have good earphone, but I'm not fixated with any specific type of file in general.
 
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Yep, just like you i always choose mp3 side. My phone dont have big memory, so i just convert in with my own. And wav version better save it on pc
 
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>>Yui_Tsurata
Thanks for the comment.
It's nice that you're using good earphones.

>>Darmian
Thanks for the comment. I'm glad you agree!
If sound quality is your top priority, the WAV format is the best choice, but the huge file sizes make it a tough call.
 
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I don't want to regret it in the future if I eventually become able to hear the difference, so I save everything in both WAV (or FLAC these days) and MP3.
From what I've read, M4A generally has better sound quality than MP3 at the same file size, so I've been wondering if I should switch to M4A.
The problem is that MP3 is still the most common format, so I'm not sure when—or if—it's a good time to make the switch.
 
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Mp3 just bc i don't see the difference between mp3 and wav or the others…and wav that usually more storage being bigger than mp3's…
 
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FLAC is basically a zipped WAV that cuts the file size in half without losing any audio quality, so it's great if you have decent wired headphones or a hi-fi setup! With recent storage price spikes i'd say it's the most ideal format. (quite easy to compress too)

Over Bluetooth earbuds though, the codec is usually the bottleneck (unless you're running LDAC all the time) so the difference between lossless and a high bitrate mp3/AAC(m4a) file usually isn't that noticeable imo.
Personally I'd rank them something like
256k Apple AAC > VBR 5 FDKAAC > 320k mp3, but it various by transcode options.
By file sizes, VBR 5 FDKAAC > 256k Apple AAC > 320k mp3.

For ASMR or audio works tho, I'd actually recommend opus. It preserves spatial details surprisingly well! Also converts ridiculously fast and file sizes are usually even smaller than 256k AAC ✨
Just a disclaimer, I'm no audio engineer, so take this with a grain of salt!
 
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FLAC in general. WAV for loops. MP3 these days are like holdover from days past for me...

...but alas, storage media is my vice...
 
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If a WAV version is available, I make it a point to save it in that format; FLAC is my second choice. I get the impression that when listening to MP3 files, I often hear a sort of white noise—like a "zaa" or "saa" sound.
It might just be my imagination, though.
 
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>>oandcksfb
Thanks for the comment.
That's a smart choice for the future.
It's a choice I'd make too, if I had the money and storage space to spare.


>>judahslove
Thanks for the comment.
I'm happy to see there are others who prefer the MP3 format!
Storage space is limited, so I'm concerned about file sizes.
 
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>>rorudesu
Thank you for such useful and fascinating information!
A toast to you, a person of great knowledge.
It was a bit difficult for me, but I learned a lot.
Your knowledge is a treasure for everyone here.

The soaring cost of storage is a major headache.
The storage I bought last year has gone up in price shockingly.


>>pingtoryan
Thanks for the comment.
I'm sorry, I couldn't quite translate the second half properly.
I'm sure you were saying something wonderful, so I'm really sorry about that.


>>0123456789
Thanks for the comment.
Your opinion is interesting. I think I'll try listening to my favorite works with that in mind next time.
 
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I prefer the MP3 format simply because it uses much less memory. For me, the audio quality sounds just as good as a WAV file, but without the massive file size.
 
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I'm not particularly fussy about audio formats, but I do prefer MP3s because they result in smaller file sizes.
I know that WAV offers better sound quality, but to be honest, with some otome CDs, you really have to listen very carefully to notice the difference in sound quality.
 
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>>Luis1996
Thanks for the comment! I'm happy to hear from someone who prefers the MP3 format.
You're right—file size is definitely a concern.



>>Naonao02
As you pointed out, there are cases where it is difficult to distinguish the difference unless you listen carefully.
If sound quality is your top priority, the WAV format is ideal; however, given the very large file sizes involved, opting for the MP3 format—which offers smaller file sizes—is also a valid choice if you want to store a large number of tracks.
 
I used to prefer wav until I slowly started to ran out of storage (both on my main pc and even my external hard drives..) now my favs are just small mp3 or m4as :) I even have to convert them nowadays..
Besides, I heard that if you really want to hear for the difference between wav / other files, you have to have really good listening devices.
 
yumachan said:
>>pingtoryan
Thanks for the comment.
I'm sorry, I couldn't quite translate the second half properly.
I'm sure you were saying something wonderful, so I'm really sorry about that.
Click to expand...
I don't have a lot to buy so I can focus what I have on buying more storage, was what I meant.

ringring677 said:
I used to prefer wav until I slowly started to ran out of storage (both on my main pc and even my external hard drives..) now my favs are just small mp3 or m4as :) I even have to convert them nowadays..
Besides, I heard that if you really want to hear for the difference between wav / other files, you have to have really good listening devices.
Click to expand...
Yes, improved quality is barely noticeable without really good hardware, but really bad quality would show even on half-decent hardware, so just err towards quality if you have the space for it.
 
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MP3 for suuure,, it's just the most widely available format from what I've noticed and I'm a freak that likes stuff to be uniform.
 
I use WAV personally, I have lots of storage and I have very high quality sound devices so it helps a lot.
if the main selling point of a drama cd is the actors performances.. why would I want a lesser quality performance?
 
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I prefer mp3, much smaller cuz the only storage I have is phone and pc with little space left. Also If I can hear the dialogue clear, is already good to go.
 
I use FLAC, MP3, and OPUS!

FLAC is mainly for my own rips to perserve in the highest quality, while MP3 and OPUS for when I encode to smaller file sizes or download. I like OPUS more for my computer since its more efficient than MP3, but it's not fully supported on other devices without 3rd party apps.
 
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I don't have any high end equipment so it really doesn't matter but it's hard to delete those wav files and just leaving only mp3. It's like you can change wav to mp3, but you can't change mp3 back to wav.
The storage is a real problem though :cry:
 
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