14 DAY TRIAL // Even though we don't realize it, most of the time we use sound files for fun at home or at work, but in both cases, the sound quality must be at its best in order to satisfy our needs. So, what do you do when you are not happy with the sound quality of your files? Techspansion LLC comes to the rescue with AudialHub, a program that helps you easily convert your audio files, increasing the sound quality as well. AudialHub can be tested by anyone before sending the $18.81 to the producer in order to receive the full version. In the trial version you can only convert the first 60 seconds, but that's enough in order to figure out what this program can do. To run AudialHub you have to own a Mac with at least OS X 10.4.11 installed, 1 GB free space and an optical drive to write CDs.
The Looks
Even though AudialHub is a program that is usually aimed at advanced users, its interface is easy to use by anyone. The main window contains five large buttons, well disposed, which help you manage your files easily. The Add, Remove or Clear All buttons can be easily used and you can quickly understand their functions. The Info button gives you details about the files in your list and the Preview button allows you to take a quick look at the files you are about to convert.
Below the buttons there is a list where you can add both audio and video files that you want to convert. The third part of the interface is practically the one that helps you the most when it comes down to converting the files. There is everything here, from the type of files to be converted to the conversion quality and the conversion progress. The best part of this interface is that all these functions can be accessed from the main window, so in order to use them you don't have to go through other windows.
The Works
AudialHub is a 3-in-1 program because besides the audio file converter it can also be used as an audio extractor for video files and in order to burn audio discs. To see what AudialHub can do, you have to add some files to the program's interface. Besides clicking on the Add button you can also use the classic drag and drop. The 1.05 version has just been released and along with other changes, Techspansion LLC modified the program in order to allow you to drag and drop entire folders. This new function is quite interesting especially for those who keep their music organized in folders because they can drag in AudialHub the whole folder in the blink of an eye without wasting any time selecting the files and dragging them. For those who want to convert one or two files, this change is not a big deal.
If you want to remove only one file from the list just press the Remove button or the Clear All button in order to get rid of the entire list. The Info button displays details such as the size, length or the audio codec used for a certain file.
After the files are dragged for conversion, you have to choose the format in which the files will be converted. AudialHub offers a few options, but there are so many more that are not on that list. Before hitting the Start button you might check out the program's options from the Preferences menu. On the General panel, AudialHub can be customized to display the estimated conversion time for each file separately or for the entire batch. The most interesting option is by far the Process Priority. By activating it, AudialHub is forced to use only the unused CPU resources. This way, any other program you might be running at the time will not be affected by the audio converter in terms of system resource consumption.
Press the Start button and wait for AudialHub to convert your files. If there is more than one file on the list you will see that this program converts them in the same order they have been added. This is not a problem for most of us, but the disturbing thing is that AudialHub automatically converts the entire list. So, if you want to convert only the first half of the list, without removing the other half you will end up disappointed because it's not possible, at least not on this version. As for the conversion quality, AudialHub is quite impressive. I have converted a 2.2 MB audio at the Go Nuts quality level and at the end of the conversion process, the same file had only 476 KB with a significant improvement in terms of sound quality as well.
AudialHub offers the same sound quality even if you are using its second ability, the sound extractor. Basically, you drag and drop on the list any video file you want, choose the format of the converted file and press Start. The sound that you can hear once the process is completed can be turned off with the Notification option in the program's Preferences menu. Even though on trial mode AudialHub is restricted to converting only the first 60 seconds of the file, it's easy to see that the program does the job. Because of the 60 second limitation I couldn't see how much time it takes to extract the audio part from a video file.
In order to keep your newly converted files safe from hard-disk crashing, or take them with you on the road, you can use the AudialHub as an Audio CD burner. Even if we speak about Audio CD or MP3, just drag and drop the files and select the type of CD you want to burn from the Convert To list. The program allows you to create gaps between songs from none to five seconds. After that, press the Start button and wait for the CD to be burned.
The Good
AudialHub is a compact application that offers you three programs into one. Although it's designed for advanced users, it can be easily used by beginners as well, due to the simple to understand interface. The easy to use drag and drop method of adding files, the fact that it protects your system resources and the really efficient conversion process are just few of the reasons why this software is worth considering. And then there's also the CD burning option that gives you the opportunity to safely store your files once you finish the conversion process.
The Bad
Unfortunately, the fact that AudialHub does not allow selective conversion of the files you have on the list can be a little irritating. The program does not have enough audio formats to choose from when you start a conversion process.
The Truth
Everyone, be they beginners or tech-savvy, should have this program installed on their computers precisely because it's easy to use, due to its simple interface, which helps a lot when it comes to working around its features. Use it and enjoy it.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
