# Question about FLAC files



## Airforceyooper (Sep 22, 2005)

ok, so I know FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codex, or something similar. And I know they're a lossless format ... but compared to what? 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but albums have significantly more dynamic range than CDs. So are FLAC files on par with albums? Or just CDs?


----------



## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

I would say the standard would be CD in your question. You can get some FLAC (and other ) files that are a higher resolution than CD's, so in some instances better....


----------



## Airforceyooper (Sep 22, 2005)

[email protected] said:


> I would say the standard would be CD in your question. You can get some FLAC (and other ) files that are a higher resolution than CD's, so in some instances better....


Any suggestion as to where or how I could reliably attain FLAC files nearest to album quality as possible?


----------



## REGULARCAB (Sep 26, 2013)

Someone should find a really nice link explaining all the audio formats and sticky it.... Not me but someone


----------



## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

hdtracks.com is a great place to buy flac stuff.. Many of their albums are above cd resolution.

ripping your own cd's to flac is also a great way to get some good quality flac files. ;-)


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

Just keep in mind that a high resolution flack of a recording whose dynamic range is compressed like crazy isn't likely to sound any better. A good reference for this is the dynamic range database. 

Album list - Dynamic Range Database


----------



## charliekwin (Apr 22, 2012)

I'm sure it's been covered, but I need a break from work, so here goes...



Airforceyooper said:


> And I know they're a lossless format ... but compared to what?


Compared to the source it came from. The data in any losslessly compressed file is, by definition, bit-identical to the original when uncompressed. You can take an audio CD, convert it to a FLAC file, convert it to ALAC, then Dolby TrueHD, then back to FLAC and do that 1000 times over and it will be _identical_ to the original CD. 




Airforceyooper said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but albums have significantly more dynamic range than CDs. So are FLAC files on par with albums? Or just CDs?


The FLAC file will be no better or no worse (again, definitively) than the source it came from. As for dynamic range, what I'm sure you're thinking of are the "Loudness Wars," in which case the limits of media types aren't really a concern. Mastering is. It's all well-documented and better explained by a Google search. Recording quality is what matters. Compression algorithms, if done properly, have anywhere from a negligible to non-existent impact on sound quality.


----------



## Airforceyooper (Sep 22, 2005)

I appreciate all your input into this. You've given me some new things to research. Much appreciated.


----------

