I can't for the live of me think of a phrase that gives me Google search results even remotely related to the topic, but I am pretty sure I once found a study that said that consciously inaudible differences in audio due to compression still made a difference - subjects who got the compressed sounds tired more quickly (of hearing them). Having taken a bit of neuroscience I can easily accept that - but I did not take enough (ns) to say for sure that it is so. I can easily accept that merely asking people about anything is not actually objective, it needs more credulity to believe my claim that even people in a blind test who can't tell the difference between two songs (lossless vs. compressed), which is more objective than just asking about qualitative measures, is not a reliable way to determine the question of "lossless vs. compressed".
So could anyone confirm or deny such a study and the mechanism exists from a basis of actual knowledge?
That falls into some speculation area, unless actually substantiated with serious studies. I'd be interested in it, if you can find a source. There are too many hoaxes going regarding audio, to be skeptical enough.
> That falls into some speculation area, unless actually substantiated with serious studies.
I made that quite clear, and I asked for the latter in the prominently placed last sentence. It's the main point of my post, as I think I made clear. I really don't know what more I could/should have done apart from dropping the question entirely, which I don't think is fair - or useful?
This sounds familiar. It brings a few things to mind.
I can't remember the term that was used, but I remember reading about audible frequencies possibly being affected by inaudible frequencies in ways that are perceptible to humans. So if you have two source files played using the same equipment with one including the inaudible frequencies then they will sound subtly different due to the interaction.
With the 'getting tired' while listening thing, I know just what you mean. Listening to music on a laptop for instance is a mentally draining experience for me. I've heard it explained like this: your brain knows what a piano sounds like and when it hears the poor imitation it is busy 'filling in the blanks'. Listening on good equipment is much more relaxing - as is listening to something that isn't 128kbps.
I don't claim to know that either of the above are true, but to me they are plausible.
I'm also a little sceptical of the 'lossless is no better than good lossy' claims that inevitably come up in these discussions. While I accept that there is likely a point that audible differences between lossy and lossless would be imperceptible, I've been hearing those claims for a long time (starting with "it's digital - it's cd quality'). When I was seriously interested in these things there most definitely was a noticeable difference. I was right about 128kbps. I'm confidant I was right about 256kbps. Maybe with 320kbps that's changed now, but I don't know as I haven't had a decent stereo for some time. I'm not about to be convinced by those blind test studies that people keep pointing to as objective and conclusive - they always make me think of that one where it was 'proved' that cheap wine is just as 'good' as expensive wine.
I'll stick to lossless when possible and compress to lossy when necessary. Can't go wrong like that!
Yes, I agree. I just think I better point out - for other readers - that my point was made for when people are unable to hear a difference even in blind tests. It was about a longer-term effect that is not part of the direct listening experience. Even if my memory was correct this effect would not change people's difficulty (or at some point, inability) in telling different sound sources apart.
So could anyone confirm or deny such a study and the mechanism exists from a basis of actual knowledge?