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It turns out that iTunes 4 is at fault. The new AAC encoding system is not to blame.
  technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

T e c h n o f i l e
Fixing the 'muffled' sound in iTunes 4


May 28, 2003


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2003, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2003, The Post-Standard

   The current version of Apple's iTunes software seems to have an odd bug. Music you play can sound muffled sometimes, as if someone had turned down the treble control on your hi-fi system.
   I began getting questions about the sound quality of the new iTunes program from readers the day after iTunes 4 was released a few weeks ago. Apple introduced iTunes 4 when it unveiled its new online music store, which can only be accessed through iTunes 4.
   Complicating the sound-quality problem is the new audio format Apple uses for all items for sale at the music store. Everything the store sends to you is in Dolby's Advanced Audio Coding format, called AAC. Most Mac users had never heard an AAC-encoded recording when they began shopping at the music store, so they had no way to know which part of the chain caused the problem -- the encoding itself, which is quite different from the standard MP3 method, or the new iTunes software, which has many new features.
   It turns out that iTunes 4 is at fault. The new AAC encoding system is not to blame.
   Audio expert David Eichert explained the problem and offered a solution in a letter posted at the MacFixIt Web site. Apple has not yet commented on the situation, but others have confirmed that Eichert's explanation make sense.
   Here's what is happening. iTunes 4 is able to compress all audio signals to make the sound more "punchy." This is done in a variety of ways, apparently. Many users may be turning compression on without realizing it.
   Eichert recommends turning off all the Effects in the iTunes preferences and choosing the "Flat" setting in the equalizer. (You could also turn the equalizer off.) He also recommends keeping the iTunes volume slider all the way to the right. (It's located at the upper left of the window.) You can use the Mac system volume control instead.
   If you're not happy with the sound quality from iTunes 4, read Eichert's recommendations in full. Go to www.macfixit.com and use "iTunes" (without quotes) as the search term to locate his letter.
   (subhed) Another good Mac site
   Reader Fred Wein wrote to point out that I had neglected to mention another good Mac information site, www.macintouch.com, in the list we published May 14 (http://aroundcny.com/technofile/texts/mac051403.html).
   I'm happy to add it to the list. MacInTouch is now in its ninth year, an amazing longevity. When MacInTouch made its debut, there was no Windows 95, for example.
   Unlike many other sites that try to keep up with developments, MacInTouch explains why you should care about new programs, new peripherals and new designs from Apple. The site's also easy to navigate.