Ultraviolet:
Regarding lossless files, you are correct that they are perfect match bit-for-bit to original wav file, but there is a catch.
The player for each lossless file type could sound quite different depending SW configuration and etc. For example, foobar2000 will generally sound better than WMP if using ASIO or kernel streaming. Bypassing Windows' internal mixer is always a good thing because it will bypass a resampling step from 44.1kHz to 48kHz.
Eric
Regarding lossless files, you are correct that they are perfect match bit-for-bit to original wav file, but there is a catch.
The player for each lossless file type could sound quite different depending SW configuration and etc. For example, foobar2000 will generally sound better than WMP if using ASIO or kernel streaming. Bypassing Windows' internal mixer is always a good thing because it will bypass a resampling step from 44.1kHz to 48kHz.
Eric