CD Sound Vs. MP3 Sound
The audio quality of an MP3 file is almost always inferior to its sonic equivalent on CD. The size of an MP3 file is much smaller and therefore loses more data contained in the master recording than a CD.
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Size and Sampling
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Though MP3 files have the same sampling rate as CDs (44.1 kHz), they use a compression process that shrinks the file to about 10 percent the size of an equivalent track on a compact disc.
Compression
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The file size is reduced through digital compression. This process tends to "smudge" distinct, individual sounds together into a sonic "clutter."
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The Aesthetic Implications
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This sonic "clutter" loses "variation in rhythm, pitch and loudness," notes Daniel Levitin, a professor of neuroscience and music at McGill University. The sound becomes monotonous and ultimately fatigues the brain.
Frequencies
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The MP3 format is also notorious for eliminating the low- and high-pitch frequencies found in the master recording.
Analog vs. Digital
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The difference between CD and MP3 quality is not as significant as that of CD and vinyl LPs. The analog sound produced by a high-quality turntable is far "warmer" and less subject to distortion from high-level (i.e. loud) signals.
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