I noticed that iTunes has added a feature whereby they will replace songs you purchased on iTunes with a DRM-free “Plus” version for $.30. The “Plus” songs are recorded at 256Kbps in addition to being DRM-free.
I’m listening to about 6 songs that I upgraded as an experiment ($1.80) and so far they sound pretty good on my headphones. I wonder if any of my audiophile friends can tell me specifically what I might look for between the 128Kbps mp3’s and the 256Kbps versions… My naive ears hear a bit less “noise” in the background (though not the noise you hear on a radio… more like a slight din of crap). I wonder if I’ll notice a difference in my outdoor speaker system during the summer (ah… summer).
Anyway, I’m not going to “upgrade all” and spend $80, but might upgrade songs on some of my favorite playlists.
1) I am surprised that you were able to upgrade only a few songs – Apple had an all or nothing policy the last time I checked (about 1 week ago)
2) My ears pick up on cymbals (I am a drummer since I was 14), at lower bit rates cymbals which are higher in tone, tend to have a swirlly sound (I don’t think that is a technical term). High hats sound washed out, and not crisp. The same is true for other cymbals, the sound sounds like it is coming around the corner (swirly), before reaching your ear. Songs at higher bit rates do not suffer from that. Try and listen to a band that has a prominent drummer (Rush, Dave Matthews, Porcupine Tree) and you should hear the difference. Also, live music really sounds bad at low bit rates.
Cool. Glad to see that the DRM war is over. Time to go buy some more music.