The Audio Myth That Will Not Die

There are so many clips, posts and videos still claiming that there is no audible difference between Lossy vs Lossless audio at high bitrates (or WAV vs MP3). This is not true. On some systems, the difference may be imperceptible, but on any good sound system, the difference can be clear if you know what to listen for.

If someone is telling you that there is no difference between Lossless and Lossy formats, it says a lot more about their hearing/listening skills/equipment than it does about you. Don’t let someone invalidate your experience of the world around you! As much as I enjoy making fun of “audiophile” equipment, in this case, the audiophiles have actually been right all along. I will let them have this win!

Final disclaimer – I edited the Waveform podcast clip (originally 13 mins) so there is no longer any context. Here is the full clip for the context:

I truly do not want to single out MKBHD and their team. They were clearly having fun and making an off-the-cuff comment. It doesn’t mean their opinion won’t change in the future. I did not want to single out channels with 50k/250k/500k subs etc where I could seriously affect someone’s livelihood or reputation.

Try the test yourself: https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/02/411473508/how-well-can-you-hear-audio-quality

0:00 – Intro
0:50 – Hot Take
1:55 – How the test works
2:55 – Listening test (6/6)
5:00 – No Headphones
6:00 – Classical (Surprisingly more difficult for me..)
6:54 – Listening Test Quick Cut
8:30 – MP3/Lossy formats are amazing!
9:05 – MP3 vs WAV
9:50 – Remember to try the test yourself

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