Standard audio measuring devices can be used. However, not to forget, this is a " lossy" algorithm to begin with. Certainly adequate for archival work but not for any critical recording applications. Perfectly adequate for newscasters as opposed to analog cassettes. I'm sure the signal-to-noise ratio is adequate based on 16-bit technology and cheap converters. The simplest thing to do would be to connect your CD player, loaded with your favorite CD into this MP3 recorder. Make a recording and listen to the playback. Let your ears be your Judge. Compare it to your 16-bit 44.1kHz uncompressed CD. If it sounds reasonable, you're in business. If you hear obvious artifacts, take it back.

Remy Ann David

Recording from a C.D

Hi Remy,

Thanks for the advice - I did previously try recording from a C.D player using the headphones output and the sound kept clipping and I heard lots of clicks on the recorded file. I think this was either caused by the volume being set too high on the C.D player or the line-in level was too high?

I try to avoid the MP3 formats and record straight into 32KHz WAV format (This is the highest sample rate available in WAV format otherwise I have to use MP3 - I haven't tried that yet).

I also tried recording a 1KHz tone straight from my computer to the MP3 device. After analysing the waveform, it seemed to be fairly clean with no distortion.

I was just wondering if there is a program that would give me more information on the recording quality? I have tried Right Mark Audio Analyser 5.5 but it only seems to be suitable to test the quality of a sound card?

Use right mark audio and...

use a loop back cable from the output to the line in and compare the two files... this is your "control"

then,

play from the out to your mp3 player, then record back to the soundcard from the headephone of the mp3 player. analyze both files.

any coloring of sound done by the soundcard should be present and should naturally cancel eachother out.