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An MP3 file is a compressed audio file, which uses lossy compression make it possible to store many files with limited occupied space. Compression of 1/10th is typically achieved at minimal loss in quality, to the point where most people cannot tell the difference between an uncompressed wav file taken from a CD and a properly compressed mp3. {{:Template:Opinion Entry}} The quality and size of mp3 files obtained online can vary radically depending on the encoder used, the intent of the encoder, and the skill of the individual doing the encoding. Some mp3 audio files are crisp, clean, and sound excellent. Some mp3 files are digital distortion garbage.The use of lossy compression is designed to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent the audio recording and still sound like a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio for most listeners. The compression works by reducing accuracy of certain parts of sound that are considered to be beyond the auditory resolution ability of most people. MP3 was designed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) as part of its MPEG-1 standard and later extended in the MPEG-2 standard. The first mp3 software became public in 1994 and was called l3enc. Winamp, the most widely known mp3 player for the Microsoft Windows operating system became available to the public in 1997. The underground music trade kicked off in the late 1990s and still thrives today.Hardware mp3 players became popular. The Rio Volt model was released in the United States around 2001 and was a popular mp3 player.[[File:RioVoltSP150.jpg]]The RioVolt SP150 was an mp3 player that played MP3 and WMA CD's, CD-R, CD-RW and CD's. 16 minute skip protection. Up to 20 hours of playtime on 2 AA batteries. Repeat and shuffle play modes. Easy navigation on lighted, 3-line text display.The evil RIAA sued the maker of the Rio and many other hardware mp3 manufacturers which inhibited their expansion on the market. Later as Apple become dominate with their iPod line of products, the competitors such as Rio died off. Today the market consists mostly of overpriced DRM embedded Apple devices and cheap Chinese made knockoffs. I recommend the cheap Chinese made Knockoffs. [[File:iCrap.jpg]]== Mp3 Players ==Most people know Winamp. There are 1000s of software mp3 players. This topic will not be explored in depth here. Winamp licensing changed to where it became unacceptable and spyware. Old versions of Winamp are preferred. I use Winamp508lite.Windows Media Player will play mp3 files if you like bloatware that spies on you. I wouldn't use it. VLC media player will play mp3 files just fine. It is more for videos. I like it more than any other video player available, however it is not my favorite software for mp3 playback.XMMS2 is like VLC and the same can be said.Audacious is a great winamp clone for Linux.Mpxplay is a DOS console MP3,OGG,WAV,AAC,FLAC, WMA, MPC,AC3 player with integrated file browser, spectrum analyser and other features.just to name a few.An MP3 encoder is the software using an MP3 Codec. Not to confuse other software with an actual encoder, however, I would like to mention an old favorite. Cool Edit Pro 2.0 can save audio files as mp3. It can convert wave to mp3. It is an editor that uses an external encoder to create an mp3 file.The LAME encoder is the most widely used mp3 encoder over the years. LAME is considered the best MP3 encoder at mid-high bitrates and at VBR by many today. Ironically, LAME originally stood for LAME Ain't an Mp3 Encoder. What LAME actually is involves a completely open source encoding engine that other developers incorporate into their software. An example is out_lame which is a Winamp output plug-in to create MP3 files directly from Winamp.The LAME developers have to release it in source code only and they have to call it an "educational purposes only" tool so that they don't get their pants sued off by the evil RIAA and greedy industry maggots. However, that didn't stop Sony company from using LAME in their DRM Rootkit in violation of the LGPL license.Software today, by and large uses only about 4 main encoding engines due largely in part by the patents held by sleazeballs. Although no one company owns exclusive rights, MP3 software companies are supposed pay a licensing fee to develop their own encoder.== Ogg Vorbis ==This is something superior to MP3 in that it is open source, ogg files sound better, and the compression is more advanced. However, ogg doesn't seem to catch on.Mp3 encoding tends to limit headroom. The process generates what are called Inter Sample Peaks which results in distortion. Some of the audio discarded in the encoding process limits the total range of the sample. The subtle tones and pitches that make some music ever so delicate is completely lost during encoding. It is said that up to 90% of this type of audio can be lost during encoding at a constant 128kbps.The quality lost is sometimes described as depth, richness and three-dimensionality. These are, of course, completely intangible things that are metaphoric at best. Whether the average Joe can detect the difference is yet to be proven. Certain people will notice, but the masses will not. So can mp3 be considered good enough? Depends on who you ask.