Which is better?...mp3 or wma?

by BrianZachary May 9, 2008 8:37AM PDT

Sorry if this has been asked before, but there are way too many threads to sift through.

My mom just got a Delphi SkyFi3 which combines XM Satellite Radio and an MP3 player. With neither of us having any experience using MP3 players, we were wondering which format is better to save music to the mp3 player. It will take either mp3 or wma formats only. wma sounds better on the computer, but would that be true for the mp3 player as well? Also, does anyone have any tips that might be good to know that isn't generally known with mp3 players would be appreciated.

Any other info that's needed, let me know. Thanks in advance.

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wma

by ktreb May 9, 2008 9:34AM PDT

Wmas will sound better than mp3s at the same bitrate. MP3s are more standard, but almost every modern player except for iPods play wma. So, as long as you never bother with iPods that shouldn't be a problem,. However, how well they sound on the player may also have a lot to do with the player itself (I know nothing about the Delphi) as well as the headphones used. Most headphones that come with mp3 players are crappy. Two notable exceptions are the Microsoft Zune 80GB and Sony Walkman (I think the A820 series). So, your mom might want to get new headphones. They don't need to be too expensive, maybe in the $30-$50 range will suffice. Take a look around at the headphone reviews on CNET.

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Thanks, ktreb

by BrianZachary May 9, 2008 9:58AM PDT

She did get headphones with the player, but she probably won't use them much. Being it's a combo mp3 player and satellite radio, it's designed to listen to in the car. One can actually listen to mp3's on the player (or satellite radio) through the car's stereo speakers. It even came with a little remote.

I think she is going to try both formats and see which sounds better.

Thanks again.

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difference

by Dani210 May 11, 2008 7:05AM PDT

you aren't going to be able to tell a significant difference between them, so you really don't need to bother comparing. I suggest mp3 because it is more widely accepted. in the long term, it will help everyone because most people prefer to deal with mp3 and coming across a wma is just a waste of time for them. but if you already have it in one format, keep it like that, don't convert because the quality will be messed up.

Which is better?...mp3 or wma?

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