Do Macs Play FLAC?

iTune will not store FLAC files. It will store AIFF and ALAC files. So, either your FLAC file was converted to one of the above formats or you have a program such as Pure Music that is using iTunes as a library but not storing the actual file in iTunes. I use a Mac Mini and it has the most current iTunes and I run Pure Music. Pure Music will swallow just about anything but I usually purchase ALAC files from HD Tracks because they are easier for a Mac user to deal with. AIFF is full resolution which is a waste of space. I ran a double blinded test with three friends (wife did the switching) And none of us could tell the difference between AIFF and ALAC. None of us could reliably pick out 192/24 over  96/24. I did not have the software for 48/24. Two of us could usually pick out 96/24 over CD. I question if this was due to different masters. The end result is that I buy 96/24 files. My own opinion is 192/24 is a waste of space. The file is twice as big.  

Btw, I was reviewing my notes from last summer, and the IT guy that helped me transfer FLAC files from my Bluesound Vault2 to the NAS scoured the files on the NAS to make sure that wasn’t some software, somewhere, that was converting the FLAC files into an Apple friendly format, and he couldn’t identify one.

Sorry, Blind Jim, this was the older thread that I was thinking of.  

Ok, flac, not flax

Traditionally flax has been better with metadata, but as you say Roon is handling the metadata just fine, I wouldn’t change anything that you are doing 

Is there any reason to use FLAC rather than AIFF?  I've been installing CDs into iTunes then ripping with dBPoweramp to AIFF.  Roon finds the files immediately and displays the cover art.  Before I started moving files to iTunes I would sometimes have trouble finding a ripped or downloaded file, maybe an error in setting up Roon.

db

@whocares73
Can you import flac files into itunes after installing Channel D?  Thx.

You may want to try Channel D, Pure Music software for your Mac. This integrates with iTunes, and allows you to play FLAC and many other formats. Also, Pure Music is said to be very good sound quality.
More here:http://www.channld.com/puremusic/

it is not supported by Apple.  They want you to convert it to Apple lossless format instead of playing native format.  I thought you had some tricks to make it work in iTunes.  Thx anyway!

Oh, that’s a different issue, I was asking if the hardware was capable at all of playing FLAC.  I couldn’t merge my files into iTunes on the Mac either, although they seemlessly merge on the NAS and play back via iTunes..Have you called Apple support to inquire?

I have the FLAC files in a folder on my mac mini and they play fine by pressing the spacebar.  What I want to do is import them into iTunes and play them from my library.  Thx.

Ripped another disc in FLAC and it plays on the Mac
@25105 are you trying to play from a NAS?

Ignore the above...just figured out that with dbpoweramp The files get stored in the Music part of the Mac, and from there have to be moved to the NAS.  I will rip some more discs in FLAC (I had changed the codec to Apple Lossless to see if that would help) and report back

 The plot thickens.  I just downloaded the Mac version of dbpoweramp and attempted to rip 2 albums in FLAC.  They haven’t shown up on the NAS (or on the SSD of the Mac)
 One possibility is that I’ve not used the software correctly.  The other is that the Mac is somehow blocking a FLAC file from finding it’s way  to the NAS.
  Recall in my OP that the original FLAC files on the NAS were transferred directly from the Bluesound Vault, which rips and stores in FLAC.  The weird thing is that these files played back on the Mac
without having to be converted to another format 

Mahler123,

I have the latest iTunes but can't even import FLAC files.  Please advise.  Thx.

Mahler123,
Glad the new version of ITunes is working out for your FLAC files, I misread your question/statement? I have not updated ITunes in many moons, just really play files off NAS and stream music.

Ah...okay.  Thanks for the reply mahler.  I'm still running 12.5.5.5.  I'll have to hunt around for a FLAC file to experiment with.  Could take some time before reporting back  :-) 

@ghosthouse 
The most recent iTunes version, because I just did an update about a week ago.

Hello mahler123 - 

I'm interested in your findings.  If you would, what version of iTunes are you running?  

I do use iTunes for creating my ripped CDs library.

Thanks.

@2psyop 
i understand what you said, but the point is that I am playing FLAC through iTunes.  I am also running a trial of Audirvana Plus, but the files played before I added this, and if I disable Audirvana they still play through iTunes 

I can play FLAC files on my MacBook Air. Files are played via Audirvana Plus through the USB port into a McIntosh C50 for D/A conversion. Works perfectly for me, very happy with the results. See my previous post on this subject.

I think Itunes was the problem for FLAC. Other software will play FLAC files. Itunes will do it if you convert from FLAC to another file. I used AIFF (lossless file for my music file library). Apps for FLAC files? dBpoweramp (windows and mac), Golden Ear (ios), FLAC player (ios), Fluke (mac), Tonido (ios), TuneShell (ios), VOX. There are probably more. Also both IOS and Windows can be loaded on a MAC. Just partition the HD.