what are you listening to?

Van Der Graaf Generator - Still Life - CD

Some nice lows on this album, JBLs doing the best they can, WOPL has the upper hand :evil4:

 
derek92994 said:
Not compressed in any way like mp3 is, you are getting the full quality of the CD, the FLAC format just acts as a file compressor for smaller file size, it does not compress the audio or lose fidelity in any way.
Click to expand...

ANY digital other than .wav or .aiff is compressed (.aiff is Compact Disc native format).
.flac is a codec especially for audio and does much better at reducing the compression artifacts.

More: https://xiph.org/flac/

EDIT: Sorry, I'm wrong- .aiff is not CD native, .cda is generally used, but even that is incorrect. .cda is a file representation of CD audio files.
More: http://www.wizbit.net/cd-dvd_production_faqs/format-audio-cd-files-explanation-cda-cd-da-format/
 
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MarkWComer said:
ANY digital other than .wav or .aiff is compressed (.aiff is Compact Disc native format).
.flac is a codec especially for audio and does much better at reducing the compression artifacts.

More: https://xiph.org/flac/
Click to expand...

Flac compresses it at the file level, not at the audio level like mp3 and other 'lossy' codecs, and does not alter the sound in any way. Its the same as uncompressed wav file only the file size is reduced and is uncompressed into raw a wav file on playback, but NO quality is lost. That's the point I was trying to make.
 
derek92994 said:
Flac compresses it at the file level, not at the audio level like mp3 and other 'lossy' codecs, and does not alter the sound in any way. Its the same as uncompressed wav file only the file size is reduced and is uncompressed into raw a wav file on playback, but NO quality is lost. That's the point I was trying to make.
Click to expand...

Point taken- and they do sound much better.
Bad point- they don't work on iPod*- so I convert to 320kbps .mp3.

*- At least on the 160Gb HD-based obsolete iPod that I have...
 
MarkWComer said:
Point taken- and they do sound much better.
Bad point- they don't work on iPod*- so I convert to 320kbps .mp3.

*- At least on the 160Gb HD-based obsolete iPod that I have...
Click to expand...

I am not 100% sure but there may be Portable audio devices with native flac support as the format is very popular and people are demanding higher quality listening. My main format on the computer of vinyl recordings is 24-bit/96khz flac files. They can be down converted to 16-bit/44khz standard very very fast, up to 300x the speed of normal playback, then burnt onto a standard compliant CD if need be. I avoid mp3 where I can but would settle for it at max quality (320kbps) for car playback, however I prefer cassette in the car. The only portable player I may use would be minidisc but this is very rare as I don't travel much. Minidisc is around 292kbps using ATRAC compression, it is slightly better than mp3 but is still compressed. If looking to use a portable player again I would most likely download a flac codec for my phone and listen to flac files through that to avoid compression altogether.

Info from web:

Sony's ATRAC codec differs from uncompressed PCM in that it is a psychoacoustic lossy audio data reduction scheme and is such that the recorded signal does not require decompression on replay. Although it is intended that the reproduced signal may sound nearly identical to the original as far as the listener is concerned, it differs sufficiently that listening on a high quality audio system will betray the difference (other true compression schemes generally share this characteristic to a greater or lesser degree).


 
Re: Mp3/ATRAC/or any other lossy compression, I guess its a personal choice on what you are willing to accept for the convenience of portability and having many albums instantly accessible in one place for a wide variety of music. Of course you won't have as many albums available on the device if you opt for higher uncompressed quality. In saying that, mp3 did keep me satisfied for some time until flac format and larger hard drives came along that would hold large amounts of audio data uncompressed. I also got a lot more serious about quality and obtaining the best possible source, but mainly in the home.
 
MarkWComer said:
EDIT: Sorry, I'm wrong- .aiff is not CD native, .cda is generally used, but even that is incorrect. .cda is a file representation of CD audio files.
More: http://www.wizbit.net/cd-dvd_production_faqs/format-audio-cd-files-explanation-cda-cd-da-format/
Click to expand...

I'm led to believe that .aiff files are the Apple Macintosh Equiv to the PC/CD .wav format.

Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) is an audio file format standard used for storing sound data for personal computers and other electronic audio devices. The format was developed by Apple Inc. in 1988 based onElectronic Arts' Interchange File Format (IFF, widely used on Amigasystems) and is most commonly used on Apple Macintosh computer systems.
The audio data in a standard AIFF file is uncompressed pulse-code modulation (PCM)
 
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derek92994 said:
I am not 100% sure but there may be Portable audio devices with native flac support as the format is very popular and people are demanding higher quality listening.
Click to expand...

iPod touch (the ones that look like an iPhone) can have an app added for .flac. My antique still works and I don't see a need to replace it. When the time comes, I'll have to sacrifice some storage space- but damn, I have that thing packed to the gills with a heap o' shit that I don't play anyway.

derek92994 said:
Re: Mp3/ATRAC/or any other lossy compression, I guess its a personal choice on what you are willing to accept for the convenience of portability and having many albums instantly accessible in one place for a wide variety of music. Of course you won't have as many albums available on the device if you opt for higher uncompressed quality. In saying that, mp3 did keep me satisfied for some time until flac format and larger hard drives came along that would hold large amounts of audio data uncompressed. I also got a lot more serious about quality and obtaining the best possible source, but mainly in the home.
Click to expand...

And that's the reason I swallow hard and put up with .mp3- PORTABILITY! I can take loads of stuff anywhere and connect it to anything. All in all, .mp3 is... ummm... okay... I guess... I used to love my Sony Walkman, go to the park and rollerblade. I consider my iPod to be a Walkman but without the need to switch cassettes.

derek92994 said:
I'm led to believe that .aiff files are the Apple Macintosh Equiv to the PC/CD .wav format.
Click to expand...

Two things to be gleaned from my posts: I'm a MacHead and a bigoted analog purist. If I'm transferring from vinyl to digital, I save the files as .aiff to burn a CD first and then as .mp3 for the pod. I'm also a redundant bastard with my files.

I haven't tried, but does Audacity open .flac files for editing? (Experiment for later on today...)
 
Spun a few Secret Chiefs 3 CDs this morning, if ya want to test your WOPL then check these out. Experimental Music, some of it very loud and low in the hertz







 
The White Stripes - Self Titled - Vinyl

One of the most raw albums out there, no major processing, no noise reduction, using good old early multi track tape equipment. Most likely their best ever. Very crunchy sound using silvertone guitar amps. I have always been a fan of Jack White and his very disciplined guitar technique.







 
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The White Stripes - De Stijl - Vinyl









Cant wait to get my new camera back tomorrow, this one sucks, goes from 0 to bitch in 10 seconds. It has taken nearly 7000 photos though.
 
Mike Oldfield - Five Miles Out - 24/96 Flac File, Vinyl Sourced from the Thorens

I just can't get enough of this album, it has a great progressive style, and the sonics are like WOW

 
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