10).mp3 and .wav are sound
file. +
O
True
False
Answers
Explanation:
Skip to content
Studio D: Artist Interviews, Gear Reviews, Product News | Dawsons Music
Primary Menu
How do MP3 and WAV Files Differ?
It’s a question of quality
Digital audio is everywhere, with two major file standards (MP3 and WAV) – but how do MP3 and WAV files differ, and what are the benefits and drawbacks of each?
Both MP3 and WAV files are used in all areas of audio, from portable players, and handheld recorders, to audio interfaces and more. The seemingly ubiquitous nature of both formats might suggest that both are interchangeable in all ways.
There are massive differences between the two, however, many of which you’ll be aware of. Here, we’ll focus on exactly what the differences between the two are in a bit more detail.
How do MP3 and WAV Files Differ
The WAV file
The WAV file one of the simplest digital audio file formats. Microsoft and IBM originally developed WAV in 1991 for the use within Windows 3.1. Remember the first time you heard your PC making ‘chime’ noises, and not just beeps? Well, that’s courtesy of the WAV file.
Without getting too geeky, the WAV was derived from the RIFF (resource interchange file format), which stored data in indexed chunks (interesting, eh?). Apple derived its own version of this file format in 1988: AIFF. Essentially, AIFFs are the apple equivalent of WAVs.
They work by taking an audio signal and converting it to binary data. To do this, a device called an analogue to digital converter (AD) takes snapshot ‘slices’ thousands of times per second. For example, CD quality audio records at 44.1kHz, meaning it records at 44,100 slices per second. This makes it capable of recording the entire audible frequency range of 20hz-20khz.