Is your 320 really 320?
An MP3 that says 320 kbps can be a 128 kbps file encoded again. Its highs stop where the low bit rate cut them. RefBooth reads that, one track or a whole set, before it plays on a club system.
What it finds
- Lossy source suspected on an MP3 that claims 256 kbps or more but stops where a much lower bit rate stops.
- A genuine 320 reaches the top of the audible range and reads File OK, unless something else is wrong with it.
- The rest of the file: clipping, cut-off ending and dead air.
Plan
- The file check is part of DJ, at €9 a month or €79 a year in the EU, and of Studio. Pricing has the price for your country.
- DJ starts with a 3-day trial. Cancel in those three days and nothing is charged.
Questions
Does a real 320 sound different from a fake one?
On headphones, often barely. On a large system the missing top end and the smearing are easier to hear, and they add up over a night.
What about a file that says 128 kbps?
A low-rate MP3 admits what it is, so it is not flagged; its format and bit rate are shown in Set check’s table.
Lossless files: the fake FLAC checker. A whole set: Set check for DJs.