MaximumPC 2006 01

0000 MAMAMA XIMMAXIMXIMXIMXIMUUUUUMMMPPPPCCC XXXXXXX XXXXXXX 20052005

MAXIMUMPC

CHALLENGE

DO^

HIGHER

BIT

RATES

PAY

OFF?

THE CURMUDGEON

It’s not the music itself—it’s the idea of audio compres-

sion that intrigues the curmudgeon. Can an audio file

compressed one-third to one-tenth of its original size

really sound as good? A cynic with an open mind and

bat-like hearing, the curmudgeon reserves judgment—

for now.

THE HIPSTER

Electro. Drum ‘n’ bass. Post-trance

trip-hop downtempo crossover. The hipster’s

onto a genre 10 minutes after it arrives, and

can instantly ID a quarter-second sample as

Sly and the Family Stone. But can this ear for

detail discern a few frequencies that get left

behind by audio compression?

38 MA XIMUMPC JANUARY 2006

4H)S -ON4H:

ANOTHER

BY LOGAN DECKER

-PS