MAD is a fixed-point MPEG audio decoder software that provides 24-bit high-quality output.
MAD doesn't yet support MPEG-2 multichannel audio, though it's backward compatible with those types of streams. Furthermore, it currently does not offer support for AAC. Applications that use MAD can produce high-quality audio due to its PCM output. Even if your device's output only supports 16-bit PCM, applications can use the extra resolution to increase the audible dynamic range using dithering or noise shaping.
MAD is uniquely suited to architectures without a floating-point unit as it utilizes integer computation rather than floating-point computation. All calculations in this software are performed with a 32-bit fixed-point integer representation. Because MAD is a new implementation of the ISO/IEC standards, it is unencumbered by the errors of other implementations. Additionally, MAD is not a derivation of the ISO reference source or any other code. The software team has put in considerable effort to ensure a correct implementation, even when the standards are ambiguous or misleading.
Some prominent features of MAD include 24-bit PCM output, 100% fixed-point (integer) computation, a completely new implementation based on the ISO/IEC standards, and available under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL).
Version 0.15.2 Beta: N/A