MP3 or AAC+ for streaming radio.

[Dale H. Cook]

At 03:04 PM 9/14/2013, Don wrote:

>When I use my Wi-Fi radio to pick up broadcast radio stations internet streams, for some stations, it gives me the choice of selecting either an "MP3 Stream" or an "AAC+ Stream".
>
>What is the difference?  WHy should I select one over the other?

At low bitrates AAC+ (an implementation of MPEG-4 encoding) has been shown in comparison studies to offer better perceived audio quality than MP3 at the same low bitrates. At higher bitrates studies show the two to be virtually tied in perceived audio quality. YMMV - I would suggest comparing the two from a number of streams to see which you prefer.

Dale H. Cook, Market Chief Engineer, Centennial Broadcasting, Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA
http://plymouthcolony.net/starcityeng/index.html