File format

What does it mean if a track from a music CD sounds clearer and has better sound quality when
converted to 320kbps MP3, compared to the actual disc or CDR copy?

For some example's: in the MP3 format the playback is clear, uninterrupted, no fading of sound and
audio is balanced for both sides of speakers instead of more vocals on the right side speaker.

What exactly is making this occur? Is it a bad recording or is it just a badly made disc?

 

May it be you converted a stereo CD into a mono mp3?
OR
some signal cable making bad contact with your CDP?

 

Some people prefer the sound of MP3:
Archimago's Musings: High Bitrate MP3 Internet Blind Test: Part 2 - RESULTS »

 

a bad cdr media can introduce a lot of problems

 

Its a pressed disc, cables are fine all other discs play normally.
The rest of the tracks play normally in stereo.
What do you mean mono MP3?
Maybe the recording is a mono recording on a stereo disc?

 

First ensure that the track was ripped from disc properly before putting any blame on the encoder for creating errors. Please post the relevant logs

 

What relevant logs do you want to know?

 

You prefer the sound of compression and rolled-off highs?

 

No, just seems to me the recording sounds more like a mono recording then in stereo, and when it was compressed it became totally balanced audio.
Just not understanding how?

 

Right .

But it shouldn't be that obvious as to cause channel differences, interruptions, fades, etc...

Something's not right with the playback if say the ripped lossless copy (FLAC, WAV, whatever) is the source for the 320kbps MP3 encoding. At best the MP3 would be an indistinguishable copy of the original rip (although of course, some people might seem to have a preference!).

Can you use foobar ABX plugin to test the 2 copies and see if you can accurately distinguish the 2 versions? What computer and ripping technique did you use?

 

Rip to lossless or uncompressed and then test that.

If the rips (lossy and lossless alike) sound better to you, then it might be an issue with your CD playback hardware. If the lossy copy still sounds better than your lossless copy, then it might be an issue with your ears.

 

Hey, if that is what you like, so be it.

 

Maybe your disc transport is having a problem, which is resolved by using a file instead. By the way, a 320k mp3 can sound pretty good, in my opinion. In many cases, it can be hard to distinguish from lossless encoding. (The same cannot be said of low-bitrate mp3s.)

 

Original disc sounds pretty close to the same as the CDR copy of WAV lossless, audio balance is off, fading sound, and some static. CDR has no interruptions, just the original disc
at one timeframe stops playback of a 20 frame period. The MP3 files were created from WAV lossless files from the original disc copy, not the CDR.
Will check on the foobar ABX plugin as soon as I get a chance.

This audio of unbalance, fading, static, etc., is not real noticeable at low volume, but the higher I turn the volume the more noticeable it becomes on both the original disc and CDR copy.
The MP3 files sound perfect, with all noticeable sound difference's gone, it may be lower quality (MP3) but corrects all strange playback not noticed on any other CD I have!!!

 

Sounds like a hardware issue.

 

What is the harware used to playback the cd and the mp3?

 

Interesting test: instead of "ripping to MP3", try "ripping to WAV". Get the contents of the cd unaltered, and play them on the same player you are using to play the MP3. That will tell you if it is the MP3 format or conversion making the difference. Instead it may be the difference between your CD deck and your digital file player.

 

Good suggestions here. If the sound difference is as major as you are describing, I would lean towards saying it's your CD playback hardware vs your mp3 playback hardware. Many people over at the computeraudiophile forums say their computer-based playback systems sound better than their CD players do.

What exactly is your playback chain for the mp3s vs the CD and CD-R discs?

 

Its the same cd player, for the MP3 vs the CD and the CDR discs.

 

What exactly am I comparing to distinguish the 3 versions, disc, wav, mp3?

 

Make sure all three are played at the same volume. Do you have a db meter? You can get an app for a iphone /ipad

The mp3 might be louder because of some compression

People tend to percieve louder music as better.

 

Can a CD even have a mono recording?
I thought CDs were only stereo.
If the other tracks are stereo, and the one was mono file/recording format,
what would occur?

 

I'm not sure if this the case, but I thought that in the case of a mono recording on CD they would just put the same recording on both channels which would be effectively dual mono. When listened to through stereo speakers the sound would seem to come from a point between the two speakers.

 

Yes, my amplifier plays the FM radio in mono and stereo, in mono the sound seems
to be centered like you said. But the song I am speaking of is loud and clear
from the right speaker with low distorted sound, and really low vocals from the
the left speaker from original disc only.

 

May I ask you the CD author and title?