Best MP3 encoder

[vio_man]

Which is the best MP3 encoder? I vote for LAME. And you?

 

[dx]

Without a doubt...LAME!

 

[php]

don't see a difference. made a test: encoded a song using vorbis, lame, radium, and blade. except for blade all files had the same size and the same quality. I encoded at 320. of course, there might be differences at lower bitrates, but why would anybody encode at lower bitrates? don't you have enough space on harddisc? a 320 kbs file is approx. 10 mbs, not much. and the download is not a problem either, I always download 192-320 kbs files from fasttrack, and the download is always very fast. so for me it doesn't matter, which encoder, with one exception: blade sucks

 

[vio_man]

Have you listened the sound quality? 320kbps does not means necessary better sound.

 

[LTR12101B]

Struggling to remember....

Blade and LAME both have the same root - but LAME is a lot further along.

A vauge recollection that one is better at dymamics, the other at frequency response, and that one (maybe BLADE) goes badly wrong at 320k and actually gives better quality at 256k