question about audio files

[dsj]

If I convert a type of file such as .rma into .wma then will the sounds change slightly? so If I convert it several times in the end the sounds are kind of off?

 

[BlueWeasel]

It will probably sound slightly different because you're converting from one lossy format (RMA) to another (WMA). Every time you convert it, you're losing some data in the conversion and compression process, so it could sound a little bit different.

Using a lossless format or converting from the original source is the best way to avoid these issues.

 

[dsj]

what is lossless format? And what does the origional source stand for? I'm trying to turn mp3 and rma into wma files. And also the games' soundtracks that's stored in different formats into wma9 files to listen on the media player.

 

[DaveSimmons]

lossy = compressed by changing the sound and throwing away big chunks of it that many people don't notice much.

lossless = exactly like the original CD (original source). Think of a Zip file.

When you convert from one lossy format (mp3, wma, rma, aac) to another, the first format threw out one set of sounds, the second format throws out a slightly different set so even more of the original sound is lost.

Think about a photocopy of a photocopy. Each time it gets a little worse.

 

[BlueWeasel]

A lossless format is one that allows the original (source) data to be reconstructed exactly from the compressed data. FLAC is an example of lossless compression -- MP3 is not and is considered lossy data compression.

MP3 data is compressed approximately 10-11x (depending on the bitrate) vs. the original source CD audio (WAV). Since it's a lossy format, you can't take an MP3 converted back to a WAV file and expect the the original source and converted file to be EXACTLY the same. It's because data is lost in the conversion from source to MP3 that can never be recovered. You don't notice the difference in sound, though, because the lost data doesn't drastically affect the MP3 and the MP3 is "close enough" for your ears.

Lossless explained

Because you're converting from one lossy format to another, you're always going to lose some data. Only you can decide if it sounds OK to you. Granted, without top-notch sound equipment, you probably won't be able to tell a difference.

FYI, I do the exact same thing to MP3s for use on my flash player. Since the player is only 128mb, I'll convert MP3 to WMA to lower the filesizes so I can fit more songs on the player. I know the problem with the conversion -- but they sound good enough to me since I'm only using my player in the gym.

 

[nweaver]

edit: I suck, I will attempt to suck less in the future.