Is computer audio a bust?

10-23-14: Audioengr
"If you analyze people's opinions on SQ superiority of WAV versus AIFF or any other format, its a coin toss statistically. What does that tell us?"

Not if you are selective about who does the listening and on what systems. I do these comparisons at virtually every show I exhibit at. The differences are always obvious. Usually the listener that has ripped his entire library in AIFF or FLAC just leaves in disgust because he now knows that he has worked hard to produce something suboptimal.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

I have to agree 100%. there is a big difference in the Uncompressed formats(.wav) vs even lossless formats.
I know first hand.
I had purchased and still use JRivermedia.
Initially it (JRiver) tried to rip all of my Cds in .ape format,which i changed to .wav
I started with Windows XP. I had ripped 40 cds or so when i decided that in order to have media center remote control functionality, i needed Windows 7.
I installed Windows 7 and started ripping again. I started listening and everything sounded a little bright and harsh. I did not realize that JRiver defaulted back to ripping in .ape format again.I quickly changed it back to .wav and deleted the files ripped in .ape
I COULD hear a difference. The .wav was much smoother.
Now you will get people who will tell you that you should not hear a difference, becasue it is bit perfect(.ape vs .wav).Maybe it is in the compression and decompression that causes it . I do not know, but what i do know is that there IS a difference in sound, in my setup.
I think if you cannot hear a difference , then your system is not up to snuff.
For example,I used to use an Emotiva LPA-1 amp.I had tried several different Coaxial and optical cables from my Fidelity V-Link2 to McCormack DAC-1.I could not hear any differences.
I recently bough a McIntosh MC2205. I also tried some different digital cables. NOW, I COULD hear differences.
So my equipment was not up to snuff,IMO,proir to the MC2205

Hi Grey9hound, congrat's on your McIntosh MC2205, drop by the Tara thread some time, good to see you about.

This is depressing. I ripped about 60 of my CDs and more importantly have purchased and downloaded 30 odd high res albums all in FLAC format based on advice from HDTracks. I will experiment with my current computer set up between files ripped in FLAC and WAV, but I want to future and upgrade proof my source material to equipment upgrades. Garbage in... Aargh!

Dont feel bad; I rippedhalf my library in compressed flac before I learned that uncompressed flac sounds better. All moot now with tidal. Computer audio is not a bust with access to all this new music. We have all ventured into PC Audio via different paths. Streaming, PC/MAC servers, music servers... hopefully, all have the proper platform to take advantage of these new music services when they come out and can just listen to them in their native format, rather than reinventing the wheel when something new comes out. I think Tidal just the beginning.

There is no difference in information content between lossless compressed flac and uncompressed. If it sounds different there is some other reason for that. I moved from uncompressed lossless wav to compressed lossless flac with no problem.