FLAC encoding questions

I use Exact Audio Copy to rip lossless flac files. EAC will make bit perfect copies with a cue sheet and log. It uses the accurip database to verify your rip is perfect. The cue file is used to burn the files to a CDR. EAC is a free program. Why make lossy flac files when you can just make mp3 files. Flac was designed to be lossless.

Dbpoweramp is way easier to use http:www.dbpoweramp.com

Why make lossy flac files when you can just make mp3 files. Flac was designed to be lossless.

You can't make lossy files with flac. The flac format is lossless. The difference between the "levels" in flac is how much time the program spends trying to compress the data stream. Higher levels (usually) mean better compression although, as Chazz indicates, there probably will be a point of diminishing returns with most files. It also means that the rip will take longer but the file will still be lossless.

Dick

Yeah I am new to this.But it confuses me because I was wrong about what I had said before as the level 5 quality was also 245 MB so if they are same size then why different quality levels and one assumes amount of data being encoded.Have heard people recommend Dbpower amp and see some people with blogs use EAC which maybe the answer since like I said CueCards is a German program with no English help files.But I have seen so much reference to folks using FLAC and Freerip has just Wav,Flac,Vorbis and MP3.Lostbears I wonder though if EAC will sound as good as FLAC with highest level setting of 8 (and you have good point why have variable settings if it's supposed to be "lossless" but not as large as a WAV.Also Lostbears I am trying to keep it on the hard drive not make CD-R's if I was I would just make am mirror of the CD on Nero or the Cyberlink DVD solutions that came with computer (wish it had come with Nero!!!!But wish somebody could explain 1)why there are different level settings on FLAC 2)if I do use EAC how does it compare in size or quality FLAC.If I change to EAC and it is in MP3 format how can it sound better than MP3 at highest quality level.With a 1 TB of hard drive down to about $60 size does matter so much nut WAV is hard to tag and why use space if you can't hear difference between it and FLAC or other lossless (though I won't use Apple.Ticks me off that WMP and Itunes won't support the FLAC while many devices do).Then for road and portable 320 is fine.but need to find out what to do for Hi Fidelity "serving".Be bummer if I spent all the time ripping to FLAC and have to re-do it in EAC or anything else.Just time to convert it down (as you can I read just don't convert "up"in formats).Know this quite a bit of questions but need to thin CD's out (just don't have space) and need to know what's best,easiest and highest fidelity and where compromises should be made before I work on cuecards or delete all the FLAc and then realize i should have stayed with it.
Thanks
Chazz