VGMdb
Go Back   VGMdb Forums > Discussion > Video Game Music Discussion
Register FAQ Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old Oct 25, 2019, 02:32 AM
BlazingAbyss BlazingAbyss is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 369
Default Is mora.jp basically just a higher quality iTunes?

Recently I noticed that the music sold on mora.jp were 320kbps AAC-LC files and if I recall correctly the ACC files sold on iTunes are only 256kbps.
Thus, (unless I'm missing something) if there's an album which is being sold on both sites, then you'd probably be better off getting it from mora.jp instead of iTunes, right?

Additionally, I've read that ACC files are superior to MP3 files, but I was curious as to how much better they actually were and whether or not they had any significant drawbacks.
Like, how well does a ACC file that's 256kbps (iTunes) or 320kbps (Mora) compare to a MP3 file that's 256kbps (Amazon) or 320kbps? (Google Play)
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old Oct 25, 2019, 04:12 AM
TerraEpon's Avatar
TerraEpon TerraEpon is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 584
Default

At the higher bitrates it's basically irrelevant -- it's really the lower bitrates (192 and below) that AAC shines over Mp3. At 320 they are probably effectively identical.
Honestly the best quality is LAME-encoded V0 MP3 because it's effectively the same quality at 320 for smaller space.

(That all said, lossy formats are dumb anyway and lossless is ALWAYS the way to go when possible).
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old Oct 25, 2019, 04:19 PM
BlazingAbyss BlazingAbyss is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 369
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by TerraEpon View Post
(That all said, lossy formats are dumb anyway and lossless is ALWAYS the way to go when possible).
Naturally, I mainly wanted to know because there are many digital exclusive albums that are unfortunately only available in lossy formats.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old Oct 25, 2019, 06:10 PM
cal's Avatar
cal cal is offline
VGMdb Staff
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 2,740
Default

I don't really trust shops that sell lossless. There's no quality control. Even on mora I've found lossy transcodes being sold as lossless.

But as for your question, Terra is correct. There's no discernible difference between any of the lossy formats you listed.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old Oct 25, 2019, 09:35 PM
BlazingAbyss BlazingAbyss is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 369
Default

I don't really trust sites that sell lossless either. I usually only get lossless digital albums if there are no physical releases. I do often buy albums from Bandcamp, but even there you might find the occasional transcodes.

I suppose I'll just go with the 320kbps ACC from mora.jp over the 256kbps ACC files on iTunes. The files might be slightly larger, but space isn't really an issue for me so I don't see any reason not to go with the one that has a higher bitrate, even if there isn't any notable difference.

Just so long as the ones on mora.jp aren't actually 256kbps masquerading as 320kbps or something weird like that. I've heard of digital lossless albums that were actually lossy, but I don't think I've ever heard of anywhere selling lossy files that were actually a lower bitrate than what was advertised so I don't think I need to worry about that.

Last edited by BlazingAbyss; Oct 25, 2019 at 09:37 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old Oct 25, 2019, 11:54 PM
ilef's Avatar
ilef ilef is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Italy
Posts: 378
Default

As far as shops that sell lossy->lossless transcodes are concerned, be also wary of Qobuz, got some stuff there that turned out to be lossy.
__________________
Are you miserable? Good.
last.fm | Discord: Dark Slayer#8440
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old Oct 26, 2019, 04:21 AM
ladatree ladatree is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: The Earth
Posts: 626
Default

How do you buy stuff from mora?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old Oct 26, 2019, 07:37 AM
BlazingAbyss BlazingAbyss is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 369
Default

If you're trying to buy music from sites like mora then you'll need a VPN in order to bypass its IP check. If you're looking for a more detailed explanation then I recommend reading this.

Last edited by BlazingAbyss; Oct 26, 2019 at 07:39 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old Oct 26, 2019, 03:12 PM
cal's Avatar
cal cal is offline
VGMdb Staff
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 2,740
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlazingAbyss View Post
If you're trying to buy music from sites like mora then you'll need a VPN in order to bypass its IP check. If you're looking for a more detailed explanation then I recommend reading this.
That guide is overly complicated. You don't need to buy Bitcash or gift cards or whatever. Just select Amazon Pay as the payment method. It uses the card you have on file for your Amazon account (there's no region check).
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old Oct 26, 2019, 06:50 PM
ladatree ladatree is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: The Earth
Posts: 626
Default

Do I have to make an account? I tried and it said this "外部アカウント連携できませんでした。連携しているサービスをご確認ください。"
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old Oct 27, 2019, 07:12 AM
cal's Avatar
cal cal is offline
VGMdb Staff
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 2,740
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ladatree View Post
Do I have to make an account? I tried and it said this "外部アカウント連携できませんでした。連携しているサービスをご確認ください。"
You need a mora account, an Amazon.co.jp account to link to your mora account, and a VPN/proxy to bypass the IP check.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Higher quality cover? rsc-pl Questions and Comments 12 Sep 8, 2017 02:55 AM
Does anyone have a higher quality version of the remix in this video? jackiequackey Video Game Music Discussion 0 Jan 26, 2015 06:40 PM
Sega CD audio quality vs PC Engine CD audio quality GoldfishX Video Game Music Discussion 19 Feb 2, 2014 01:09 AM
VGM CD's with Outstanding Audio Quality GoldfishX Video Game Music Discussion 24 May 14, 2013 09:22 PM
94034: Higher, Faster, Further • The Original Diddy Kong Racing... Myrkul Album Discussions 2 Jul 8, 2012 07:02 AM