Time for a new MP3\other encoder?

[888888]

I have been using the BladeEnc MP3 encoder with CDEx front-end for years now. BladeEnc has not been developed since 2002 and considering that other encoders like LAME and OGG VORBIS have late-2004 versions, it seems like I am using outdated software. I have never had problems with BladeEnc but maybe quality will be better with newer stuff.

Does anybody still use BladeEnc?

What about MPC?

Any recommendations?

[yoda313]

Hello,

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Kevin

[BJ_M]

exactly

no difference in quality other than some new ways to do vbr encoding ...

[mats.hogberg]

Tried GOGO? Compiled it, but haven't tried it yet myself...

/Mats

[gastorgrab]

The last i heard about BladeEnc is that it violated Fraunhofers patent. I'd been using BladeEnc up to that point with CDex because it was so fast, but when i heard that Lame gave better quality, i had to see for myself.

@ 320kbs the two were indistinguishable.
@ 224 i could hear a difference, but i didn't know which one i liked better.
@ 192 and down, Lame is clearly trueR sound (to me)

Another little annoying bit about BladeEnc is that it sometimes put a "pop" at the end of a song.

Encode two sequential pieces of audio to MP3 with Blade, then convert back to WAV. When you join the two together, you get a "pop" at the transition point.

GoGo is a Lame derivative, and i think, way faster than Blade anyway.

[BJ_M]

yea - true - i have heard that "pop" before .. good point ..

[888888]

I have come to the conclusion that since I regularly use an MP3 CD player, the encoder has to be MP3.

I have never heard any popping of that sort from BladeEnc, and I have encoded about 12 GB at 160 kbps.

On the other hand, I used to use the Fraunhofer codec with CDex and got some of the worst quality I have ever heard.

Anyway, I have downloaded LAME 3.96.1 and am going to try it out with CDex. If I prefer the quality results to BladeEnc and the speed is good, I will switch. Otherwise, I will stick with my old workhorse.

Results to come!

[888888]

Two months and several test later, I have come to the conclusion that I am...

Keeping BladeEnc! I could not perceive a difference between the sound quality produced by CBR Lame and Blade. They both took the same time to encode with CBR. VBR Lame took longer and is not worth it.

So looks like I will be using an extinct codec for a while longer.