How do I...

[FredtheFilmFan]

...figure out what format and quality the music is on my iTunes on my phone? Some of the music is purchased from Apple, some has been ripped from CD's. I haven't been doing much in the audio world the last couple years and I've found my way back to reading some posts on this forum, and now I'm thinking about audio stuff again.

I was doing an A/B comparison from my AKG 240 mkII's and my Shure se315 earbuds just after doing the audio comparison test on the NPR link from another thread. Anyway, it really got me thinking do I know what I'm actually listening too? So, how do I find out?

 

[Zing]

The iOS iTunes will not tell you what you want to know. You'll have to check the iTunes on your computer.

 

[FredtheFilmFan]

Thanks Zing! I've looked on my computer. It is saying they're AAC files but rate 256 44.1000khz. Is there a thread somewhere around here that explains audio formats and where they "rank". I see that some of my downloaded music says "Mastered for iTunes", my experience tells me that this may not actually be a good thing.

 

[Zing]

There isn’t a “ranking” thread (that I know of). Anything you buy from iTunes will be 256 (maybe even 192). But when you rip a CD, make sure the import setting specifies 320. You’ll be hard pressed to tell that from the original.

And if you’re after the best sound quality possible, you’ll want to stay far away from “Mastered For iTunes” tracks.