Anyone remember what “Hi-Fi” actually means?
“Quality” will always be the word to use. The FAQ should, IMO, seek to explain that it means three things at once. Quality as “Fidelity” refers to how close to the original source material the MP3 is. That depends on: a. (1) Treatment of Source and/or (2) Accurate Ripping b. No “Normalization” That doesn’t preclude the setting of a “record” level for analogue sources that avoids clipping of the loudest portions; but it does mean using that same setting for all the material from that source. c. Quality Encoder and only lastly d. Bitrate All producers of MP3s should aim to optimize (a)-(c). Choice of (d) then becomes the only “variable” that determines the fidelity of the final result to the source. Fidelity, then, is a mathematically precise matter. It is not one of “use your ears”. That comes next. Quality as “Clarity” refers to the sound of the final result, as “auditioned” (I presume this is the audio equivalent of “previewed”) by the person making the MP3, as well as perceived by th
