Why do Wav and Flac Files Sound Different?
This article is from 2016, so outfits like JRiver may have developed workarounds for the metadata/sound quality issues sussed out below. Inquiring minds want to know.
Why Do WAV And FLAC Files Sound Different?
"Based on these results, we attempted to pinpoint which section of the metadata might be responsible. Since the cover art file associated with the metadata is the largest contributor to the metadata header size, we began by examining the effect of deleting cover art prior to the WAV-to-FLAC-to-WAV conversion protocol. This proved fortuitous, as our first suspicion proved correct."
Wav take up much more space, the key more so is the quality of the recording it is a fine line ,I just use Flac files ,but do have a few files with Flac and wav files ,the differences is so small it is not worth taking up all that extra space IMO. Qobuz uses Flac files ,and hirez masters in Flac ,and saves tons of space and sounds fine. |
From my experience with Tidal, FLAC files overall sound much better than WAV and comparable to MQA (although a much larger selection of FLAC since MQA clearly very selectively started with top tier original recording). MP3s are very subpar/compressed as always and not worthy of a place in this conversation other than a footnote. |
Another nope.....they sound the same. Don't believe the hype. |
When I ripped my CD collection (maybe 400 +-) to a hard drive I ripped in both FLAC and WAV. To my complete surprise I could hear a small difference in sound on playback. The FLAC files sounded a little more laid back. Could be how the streamer, a Node 2I, or the DAC, a Bel Canto, process the data, I don't know. I preferred the WAV files. Memory is so cheap these days, 4TB for around $100, file size is not an issue for me. Jim S. |
