14h means?

Coyote Max · 7th August 2002, 01:05

What does the 14h or 15h, that appears in the kbps box when playing a wave file mean? Why is this used instead of standard kbps numbers?
Thanks!

Reaper · 7th August 2002, 01:14

It means that the bitrate is around 1400kbps. It's probably used because it's the standards (ie. 1000kbps=10h or something like that)

DJ Egg · 7th August 2002, 01:22

14H = 1411kbps = CD Quality = 44.1KHz (sample rate) x 16-bit x 2 (stereo)

njn · 21st November 2003, 00:27

How 'bout that. Forums do store valuable information.

My next question is; 1,400 bps is over 5 times faster than a 256k stream

.

I can't even hear the improvement when going from 128k to 256k. What is the value of going from 256k to 1,400k? I mean, 1400k can give a usable (if not small) video image. But it seems way overkill for audio.

What am I missing?

Happy streams.

-Neil-

DJ Egg · 21st November 2003, 03:46

15H? What's that all about? You mean 14H, yes?

1411 (1411.2 to be exact) is the uncompressed bitrate of the digital audio.
If you extracted/ripped the CD to PCM .WAV (44.1KHz, 16-bit, stereo)
then the bitrate will still be 1411.2
which is the multiplication of 44.1 x 16 x 2

When you rip to MP3 or other compressed format, it's the bitrate which is compressed, but the sample rate, bits per sample and stereo attributes remain the same (44.1, 16-bit, stereo).

And that is (part of) the technology behind compressed formats.

ujay · 21st November 2003, 04:59

I've always assumed that the H stood for hundred, and was used because the kbps box only has room for 3 digits.

You get some strange looking rates showing up with Real Media streams on the radio.

UJ

DJ Egg · 21st November 2003, 05:09

Yeah, maybe H for hundred, but 1400 is incorrect.
14H for 1411 makes much more sense, and is much more accurate (only 0.2 out)

btw, Notice the bug in Winamp 5 with modern skin.
It says 1408kbps for Audio CD

ujay · 21st November 2003, 05:24

You know me Egg, what would I be doing with modern skins

I did notice someones fixed the system tray icon so you don't always get the first one regardless.

UJ

njn · 23rd November 2003, 18:07

Thanks for straightening me out.

Part of my confusion was that I forgot that the lower rates were not a function of less frequent samples, but instead greater compression. I've been looking at mp3 bit rates for so long, I forgot about the 1411.2 uncompressed rate.

Speaking about compression, I still haven't hooked my computer up to a stereo. Maybe that contributes to why I can't hear the difference between 128K and 256K.

For you folks listening through your Hi-Fi's, how fast a bit-rate do mp3s need before you can't hear any treble loss, compared to uncompressed .wav? I'm especially concerned with treble sounds that suffer greatest and quickest, like violins, harpsichords, and orchestras (Oh My!).

Cheers,
-Neil-

Jaclyn · 17th August 2016, 00:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by njn

Thanks for straightening me out.

Part of my confusion was that I forgot that the lower rates were not a function of less frequent samples, but instead greater compression. I've been looking at mp3 bit rates for so long, I forgot about the 1411.2 uncompressed rate.

Speaking about compression, I still haven't hooked my computer up to a stereo. Maybe that contributes to why I can't hear the difference between 128K and 256K.

For you folks listening through your Hi-Fi's, how fast a bit-rate do mp3s need before you can't hear any treble loss, compared to uncompressed .wav? I'm especially concerned with treble sounds that suffer greatest and quickest, like violins, harpsichords, and orchestras (Oh My!).

Cheers,
-Neil-

Well, I know this is extremely old, but I was reading this thread and figured I would make an account and reply. For me, personally, I will only do MP3 if it is at least 320kbps constant bitrate. The easiest thing you can listen for to gauge how compressed some audio is the percussion. Specifically the cymbals. I found that with low bitrate audio files the cymbal sounds most often sound bitcrushed. I started hearing this while listening with just cheap earbuds and an integrated audio card on my computer, and now that I have a good sound card and studio monitors, I really can't stand to listen to most low-bitrate and VBR files. Anyway, I hope this helps, even if it is a decade late.

davidh_R · 15th April 2005, 02:43

How bout this... "H = hecto = 100x" Probably because 14H kpbs would be, 14*100(hecto)*1000(kilo) bits per second. So, 14 HKbps. Does the H stand for hundred or the metric hecto? Staff?

gaekwad2 · 15th April 2005, 02:58

click me

Does hectokilo make sense? (I took french in school instead of latin).

Anyway, 15H would be a 16bit/48kHz file (1536kbps).

ujay · 15th April 2005, 04:16

The H is a range indicator not a multiplier.

Any number in the range 1000 to 1099 will be displayed as 10H
Any number in the range 2100 to 2199 will be displayed as 21H
etc.

Or turning it the other way around

10H indicates a number in the range 1000 to 1099
etc.

UJ

DJ Egg · 15th April 2005, 04:50

wow, this is an old one!

ujay · 15th April 2005, 04:56

Probably more relevent now than it was then, what with 24bit files and stuff like flac

UJ

7th August 2002, 01:05	#1
Coyote Max Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 1	14h means? What does the 14h or 15h, that appears in the kbps box when playing a wave file mean? Why is this used instead of standard kbps numbers? Thanks!

7th August 2002, 01:14	#2
Reaper Forum King Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 2,929	It means that the bitrate is around 1400kbps. It's probably used because it's the standards (ie. 1000kbps=10h or something like that) ml_iPod - [Homepage] \| [Forums] \| [Wiki]

7th August 2002, 01:22	#3
DJ Egg Techorator Winamp & Shoutcast Team Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 36,136	14H = 1411kbps = CD Quality = 44.1KHz (sample rate) x 16-bit x 2 (stereo) Playlist \| Twitter \| Albums

21st November 2003, 00:27	#4
njn Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 39	15H How 'bout that. Forums do store valuable information. My next question is; 1,400 bps is over 5 times faster than a 256k stream . I can't even hear the improvement when going from 128k to 256k. What is the value of going from 256k to 1,400k? I mean, 1400k can give a usable (if not small) video image. But it seems way overkill for audio. What am I missing? Happy streams. -Neil-

21st November 2003, 03:46	#5
DJ Egg Techorator Winamp & Shoutcast Team Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 36,136	15H? What's that all about? You mean 14H, yes? 1411 (1411.2 to be exact) is the uncompressed bitrate of the digital audio. If you extracted/ripped the CD to PCM .WAV (44.1KHz, 16-bit, stereo) then the bitrate will still be 1411.2 which is the multiplication of 44.1 x 16 x 2 When you rip to MP3 or other compressed format, it's the bitrate which is compressed, but the sample rate, bits per sample and stereo attributes remain the same (44.1, 16-bit, stereo). And that is (part of) the technology behind compressed formats. Playlist \| Twitter \| Albums

21st November 2003, 04:59	#6
ujay Forum King Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: London Posts: 6,072	I've always assumed that the H stood for hundred, and was used because the kbps box only has room for 3 digits. You get some strange looking rates showing up with Real Media streams on the radio. UJ

21st November 2003, 05:09	#7
DJ Egg Techorator Winamp & Shoutcast Team Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 36,136	Yeah, maybe H for hundred, but 1400 is incorrect. 14H for 1411 makes much more sense, and is much more accurate (only 0.2 out) btw, Notice the bug in Winamp 5 with modern skin. It says 1408kbps for Audio CD Playlist \| Twitter \| Albums

21st November 2003, 05:24	#8
ujay Forum King Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: London Posts: 6,072	You know me Egg, what would I be doing with modern skins I did notice someones fixed the system tray icon so you don't always get the first one regardless. UJ

23rd November 2003, 18:07	#9
njn Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 39	:) 14H, like I said... Thanks for straightening me out. Part of my confusion was that I forgot that the lower rates were not a function of less frequent samples, but instead greater compression. I've been looking at mp3 bit rates for so long, I forgot about the 1411.2 uncompressed rate. Speaking about compression, I still haven't hooked my computer up to a stereo. Maybe that contributes to why I can't hear the difference between 128K and 256K. For you folks listening through your Hi-Fi's, how fast a bit-rate do mp3s need before you can't hear any treble loss, compared to uncompressed .wav? I'm especially concerned with treble sounds that suffer greatest and quickest, like violins, harpsichords, and orchestras (Oh My!). Cheers, -Neil-

15th April 2005, 02:43	#11
davidh_R Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1	How bout this... "H = hecto = 100x" Probably because 14H kpbs would be, 14100(hecto)1000(kilo) bits per second. So, 14 HKbps. Does the H stand for hundred or the metric hecto? Staff?

15th April 2005, 02:58	#12
gaekwad2 Foorum King Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: bar2000 Posts: 11,457	click me Does hectokilo make sense? (I took french in school instead of latin). Anyway, 15H would be a 16bit/48kHz file (1536kbps).

15th April 2005, 04:16	#13
ujay Forum King Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: London Posts: 6,072	The H is a range indicator not a multiplier. Any number in the range 1000 to 1099 will be displayed as 10H Any number in the range 2100 to 2199 will be displayed as 21H etc. Or turning it the other way around 10H indicates a number in the range 1000 to 1099 etc. UJ

15th April 2005, 04:50	#14
DJ Egg Techorator Winamp & Shoutcast Team Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 36,136	wow, this is an old one! Playlist \| Twitter \| Albums

15th April 2005, 04:56	#15
ujay Forum King Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: London Posts: 6,072	Probably more relevent now than it was then, what with 24bit files and stuff like flac UJ

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