converting audio

[Dogtag]

Something I can't find the answer to; does for example converting a 128 kbps mp3 to let's say 16-bit wav improve the quality of the audio file? Or is it the same thing, just with a different extension at the end?

 

[krushing]

Lossy compression is lossy - converting it back to a non-lossy format doesn't magically bring back what's been thrown away.

 

[bandcoach]

and, perhaps more importantly, the conversion process will introduce digital distortions (quantisation errors)

comparison of bit rate of the two formats

128 kbps mp3

16-bit 44.1kHz wav = 2*16*44100/1000 = 1411.2kbps

i.e. wav transmits at 11.025 times the rate of the mp3 format you have chosen

 

[Dogtag]

Cool to know, thanks for the replies!

 

[Free Spirit]

Something I can't find the answer to; does for example converting a 128 kbps mp3 to let's say 16-bit wav improve the quality of the audio file? Or is it the same thing, just with a different extension at the end?

You can always lower the quality of the file through converting but you can never increase the quality.

Like bandcoach said, it'd introduce distortion.