What is AAC format and should I convert my files to it before dumping onto my ipod? I just bought the 40G and I'm filling it up. I just finished a marathon 100-disc upload.....I wish I was halfway through my disc collection...
AAC is kind of like MP4's. A lot of people say you get a higher quality of music for a smaller file size. I believe I've heard that 128 on AAC is 160 on mp3. Personally, I like it and have used it on my iPod.
AAC is very like MP4's. In fact AAC (Advanced Audio Codec) is part of the MPEG-4 specification. Personally, I've found AAC files at 128 much better than MP3s at the same rate. I have iTunes set to import at 128 AAC...
Just for fun, I used Itunes to burn a song from one of my CD's in both MP3 format and AAC. Song: Bulls on Parade by Rage Against the Machine MP3: rate - 160 kbps Sample rate - 44.100 KHz File Size - 4.5 Mb Quality - Great AAC: rate - 128 kbps File Size - 3.6 Mb Sample rate - 44.100 KHz Quality - Great To be honest, I didn't really notice a difference in the sound at all, and Bulls on Parade has just about every single type of sound possible... The MP3 seemed a little bit louder at times, but it was probably just in my head. Saving around a Mb per song could be very valuable when you have huge collections, so if you can barely fit your songs on your IPod, this could help a lot.
Whenever I rip from CDs I use the ACC 128kb/s now, sounds really good on that Led Zeppelin Complete Box set I just stole from my Parents... But yeah I've heard whatever you do, don't convert an MP3 into an ACC or it'll sound terrible.
If you're talking about converting MP3 files to AAC, don't do it. It will not increase the quality. In fact, it will only decrease the quality that is already there. If you're talking about re-ripping CDs, then I'd do it if I had the time. AAC is better than MP3. Formats like MP3, AAC, WMA. and ogg vorbis cut out some of the original sound (ideally, stuff that we don't hear anyway) in order to bring the file size down. When it's gone, it's gone. Switching over to another format won't change that fact. It will only mean that the new format will just strip away more during the encoding process. In essence, you'd just be reducing the quality of a song that is already reduced quality.
