What is AAC and MP3 are?
You know AAC and MP3 probably from their music downloads, audio books and from your Audio Software to Rip Audio CDs or Compress from WAV - or AIFF-Files.
- Both formats are lossy Audio Codecs. We will explain to you in a special practice tip, what exactly is a Codec at all.
- Sound in the AAC Format is often hidden behind the file extensions M4A and MP4.
- In a practice tip we will explain the differences between MP3 and MP4 in Detail.
- MP3 and AAC are both based on psycho-acoustic models for loudness, and masking, were developed in the 1960s, for example, by Eberhard Zwicker.
- Although newer, more accurate models exist, are the changes since the MP3, especially in sophisticated signal processing.
AAC vs. MP3 – which sounds better?
AAC is newer than MP3. New also means better? At least the new features of AAC compared to MP3, is the Potential to significantly greater compression with the same sound quality, or Vice versa, to significantly better sound quality at the same compression:
- As above both Codecs based on virtually the same psycho-acoustic models.
- AAC allows more flexible window sizes, in order to respond, depending on the Signal better on a transient or stationary signals.
- AAC, unlike MP3, a more flexible Windowing. The can improve it, if used wisely, the frequency accuracy in the applied spectral analysis.
- AAC also allows for frequency-dependent Joint-Stereo. The can save with a little effort, a lot of memory space, since low frequencies in the audio books, music and movies frequently are more likely to be kept mono.
- Since AAC offers on Encoder-side significantly more flexibility, can't even keep up with a good MP3 Encoder with a good AAC Encoder.
- On the other hand, a undurchdachter AAC can sound Encoder also significantly worse than an equal-sized MP3. If you have a MP3 to optimally encode, may be the result of many AAC encoders to keep up.
- In our quality-comparison test of the Audio encoders of 2003 , however, win the AAC, followed by, caution, OGG against MP3.
- In our Audio-Codec-Test of 2005 to win the AAC Encoder from Nero.
- Also for the User AAC is more flexible than MP3. For example, AAC Samplrates from 8 to 96 kHz, MP3 only supports from 16 to 48 kHz. If you swear on a music DVD with 96 kHz, can provide even the highest MP3 quality is not a sufficient sample rate.
- AAC supports up to 48 channels, MP3 only 5.1. In AAC, you might theoretically also audio material for 7.1-Sound, Ambisonics high order, Dolby Atmos and Auro-3D encoding.
- One important rule you should follow, by the way: The conversion from MP3 to AAC or Vice-versa is for the audio quality more harmful. Only for compatibility reasons – for example, if your portable MP3 Player does not control the AAC Format you should convert.
Would you prefer to go lossless compress, attack on ALAC or FLAC back. In a practice tip we will explain the difference between FLAC and MP3.
