How to convert FLAC to WAV ?

"Any logic to why a particular interface would make a WAV sound better?"

Yes. Networked interfaces dont typically use much if any of the audio stack in the computer OS. USB and Firewire interfaces do.

This difference probably accounts for the difference in SQ using networked versus USB with FLAC and other compressed formats.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

I've downloaded the Plant/Krauss song 'Killing the Blues' (24/96) in both formats and am in the process of doing direct comparisons.

The WAV version is winning . . . .

Forgot to mention I am also running the clock out of the DAC into the soundcard.

This is a very long ongoing debate. There are the mathematicians out there that will insist there can be no difference, I am of the camp that I understand there can always be a difference, so I spent a long time ripping many files, all in DB Poweramp, using a very highly resolving system including an Esoteric D-70 (PCM 1704 DACs), RME 9632 Sound card, ASIO, custom made $800 digital output from RME soundcard into my DAC via XLR. All running direct into my Pass Labs amp using the DAC as a volume.

Now maybe there are differences with USB? I have found USB to be vastly inferior to SPDIF or XLR or even Toslinnk for that matter.

With that being said I found HUGE differences between playback software and settled on JRiver.

Back to WAV vs. FLAC, I would have willingly ripped all to WAV but again found zero difference, I wish I could have but couldn't.

Question about "interfaces": My digital front end is an iMac >>>Logitech Squeezebox Touch>>>Metrum Octave DAC. The iMac is connected to the SBT via a wireless network. Is this a USB interface ? The SBT is connected to the DAC with a digital cable, nothing special, just one leg of a composite video cable with RCA connectors. Would this set-up benefit from WAV vs FLAC ? Are FLAC files converted to WAV files "as good as" WAV files ripped directly from CD ?