[BC] Bitrates for you and me

[Robert Orban]

At 02:24 PM 1/21/2006, you wrote:
>From: Kevin Tekel <amstereoexp at yahoo.com>
>
>Bob Orban wrote:
> > Although 48 kbps HDC is not "CD-quality" by any stretch of the
> > imagination, I don't find that the compression artifacts prevent me from
> > enjoying the programming. And that is the bottom line.
>
>I find it amusing that Clear Channel is offering their "HD2" channels
>online as 32 kbps Windows Media Audio streams, which sound hideous to
>begin with, and most of these are at the 22.05 kHz sampling rate.  Combine
>that with the 100% MONO audio and nasty ground loop hum on the San
>Francisco streams, and it's like listening to a low-budget AM station,

Windows Media is unacceptable to me at 32 kbps. aacPlusV2 is much 
better (although a bit gritty-sounding) The big quality jump in 
aacPlus occurs between 32 and 48 kbps.

Bob Orban