Compressed Audio Files

[Anna V.]

Hi all. I know that in the case of using pink/white noise as sound therapy, compressed file types should be avoided. Also not recommended (understandably) are bad audio quality files on YouTube for listening to nature sounds or white noise etc.

What about table top devices re avoiding compressed file formats? Thanks.

 

[GregCA]

Hi all. I know that in the case of using pink/white noise as sound therapy, compressed file types should be avoided. Also not recommended (understandably) are bad audio quality files on YouTube for listening to nature sounds or white noise etc.

What about table top devices re avoiding compressed file formats? Thanks.

You can get free & uncompressed masking noise here (as well as some other stuff).
Compressed sound does indeed generally do away with high frequencies (a low pass filter is applied prior to quantization & compression).

As far as table top devices, your guess is as good as mine, since we don't know what they use. But since they have constraints on cost for their Bill Of Materials, I'd imagine that they use the cheapest possible hardware, which means as little persistent storage as possible, which means compressed sounds. But I don't know this for a fact, and it's possible that different products have different specs, so YMMV. That's not the only thing that matters by the way: the speakers and their frequency response is just as important, as they also often tend to do away with high frequencies.

 

[MidnightOilAudio]

I can make uncompressed audio files of any of your standard "noises" (pink, white, brown) and host them for anyone who wants them.

 

[MidnightOilAudio]

Compressed sound does indeed generally do away with high frequencies (a low pass filter is applied prior to quantization & compression).

As far as table top devices, your guess is as good as mine, since we don't know what they use. But since they have constraints on cost for their Bill Of Materials, I'd imagine that they use the cheapest possible hardware, which means as little persistent storage as possible, which means compressed sounds. But I don't know this for a fact, and it's possible that different products have different specs, so YMMV. That's not the only thing that matters by the way: the speakers and their frequency response is just as important, as they also often tend to do away with high frequencies.

A good 320kbps mp3 typically has a lpf around 16kHZ. But at the core of mp3's is an algorithm that splits up the audio in hundreds of bands and f*cks with it in different ways, depending on the waveform. When used for music, even someone with good ears is hard pressed to tell the difference between a 44.1/16-bit WAV and a 320kbps mp3 (provided the mp3 is encoded properly and doesn't suffer from conversion artifacts), but if I were to be listening for therapy, I would certainly want an uncompressed file.

 

[Anna V.]

The company has told me the files are definitely compressed to go involved device chip or whatever but they don't even know in what way. Thanks for the replies

 

[Anna V.]

Scratch that they just mailed back and said they're actually WAV. The speaker is small though

 

[Anna V.]

[QUOTE="Anna V., to go involved device chip [/QUOTE]

To go into device , it should have said

 

[Anna V.]

I can make uncompressed audio files of any of your standard "noises" (pink, white, brown) and host them for anyone who wants them.

Should have said earlier, thanks that's really good of you. I even just gave a medal

the speakers and their frequency response is just as important,

I have M Audio monitor speakers but I always feel they are a bit heavy on bass so not sure what to think of that. They might be best ones I have. Interested to hear any thoughts from audio inclined people. I have found Sennheiser stuff to be really good, soft sounding in a good way but on the $$ side I guess

 

[MidnightOilAudio]

I have Amphions One 15's. They are ridiculously great sounding monitors (they should be for the price), but they roll off pretty hard after 110hz, so I also have a Presonus 10" sub that I supplement with.

As far as headphones, Sennheiser HD650's are REALLY good, but they're $300-350. For your money, the HD280 Pro's are decent as well. They're flat enough for therapy.

 

[Anna V.]

Not sure if I'm ready for headphones
Thanks for the information